5 Steps to Stop Sabotaging Your Medical Sales Efforts with a Boring Demeanor

If I were to describe the average demeanor of a salesperson presenting a product to a healthcare professional, it would be somewhere between going to the dentist to get a cavity fixed and watching paint dry. In other words, they don’t seem very excited and they just want to get it over with.

If you’re not excited about the product or service you’re offering, the prospect won’t be either! Yes, medical sales is a serious business, but it’s possible to show excitement and maintain decorum at the same time. I am not suggesting that you should be bouncing off the walls in a doctor’s office or clinical department. I’m talking about projecting a high level of confidence that your product or service offers a measureable outcome superior to the competition’s product or service. Your demeanor should suggest, “Isn’t this great?”

How do you do this?

Here are five steps to help you share some excitement with your healthcare prospects and customers:

1. Know your product inside and out. Have clinical studies and anecdotal evidence to support your sales claims. When you know you can prove the results you promise, you’ll be confident and more excited.
2. Smile. Smile because you know that once the prospect sees how your product impacts the patient and practice, you’re going to get the sale. If you don’t believe that, you have no business making the sales call in the first place. By the way, people who lack confidence don’t smile.
3. Compare and contrast your product with the prospect’s current product. Show some excitement as you describe the clinical advantages. Describe how other customers got excited as they realized the benefits. If you don’t know what excitement looks like, practice in the mirror, or better yet, video yourself. You don’t need to get fancy—just fire up the video camera on your phone or tablet and record part of your presentation. Now ask yourself, “Do I look excited?” Answer honestly. You might feel excited, but feeling excited and looking excited are two different things. Your excitement and confidence must be as palpable as when Don Draper makes an ad pitch on the TV series Mad Men. If the prospect doesn’t get excited, Draper looks at the person as if to say, “What’s wrong with you? This is awesome!” You must learn to do the same thing.
4. Use words that suggest a level of expectation. Don’t say, “If you try this…” Say, “When you use this on your patients, you’ll be thrilled with the results because…” and state the clear benefit or advantage. Allow customers to feel your excitement and they’ll be more likely to get excited themselves.
5. Finish with excitement, whether the prospect commits to the next step or not. If the answer is “yes, “ say in an excited way, “You’re going to love this.” If the answer is “no,” get excited with a moderate level of disbelief: “Doctor, your colleagues who are using this love it. I want you to have the same experience. What’s holding you back?“ Project the attitude that the customer will be missing out on something great if he or she doesn’t give your product a try.

It’s not enough for you to believe in your product – you must convey that belief. The  more you practice, the better you’ll become.

The next time a prospect looks bored when you’re presenting, maybe it’s because you seem bored yourself. Show some excitement!

Are you competent in your medical selling skills? If the answer is yes, then you’re already closing all the business you can handle. If you want a convenient method to upgrade your skills, check out Mastering Medical Sales Online eTraining.