I’m willing to bet that there is someone in each of your accounts that you don’t know, assuming you call on hospitals, clinics, outpatient centers, or doctor’s offices of significant size. I know, you wish you had the time to get to know everyone, but you just don’t because, well…you have to keep moving. You […]
Intuition is the ability to understand something immediately without the need for conscious reasoning. It can help you to avoid dangerous situations or to recognize opportunities. Or, it can kill you. Let me give you an example. Intuition kills dozens of pilots every year. One of the first things that pilots learn is what happens […]
“The materials manager called. She said I need to lower my price by 5% or she’s going to have to change vendors. Price is the only thing she cares about. She just doesn’t get it.” Medical sales reps say that price is one of the biggest issues they face on an ongoing basis. No surprise […]
There is a great maxim in sales that says, “Once the sale is made, stop selling.” That’s good advice. At some point, though, you should find out why the customer bought. Medical sales is very competitive. No one likes to lose the sale to another company or rep. In fact, when it happens, it can […]
Risk is part of healthcare and sales professionals who sell to healthcare providers and institutions have risks that they need to manage. Notice that I used the word “manage”—not “eliminate” or “avoid.” The definition of risk is to expose to danger, harm or loss. Healthcare providers manage risk to the patient, risk to the institutions […]
Medical sales reps are usually happy to have a job; at least they start out that way. As they delve deeper into their territories, including their competition, they sometimes realize that their competition’s product is better than theirs. Tough luck because you need to sell what’s in your bag, right? The answer to that question is yes, […]
Guilty and pleasure are two words that should not go together, yet the phrase “guilty pleasure” has become part of our language. I was reminded of this the day after Halloween when one of my Facebook friends commented about the excessive number of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups she ate and how guilty she felt as […]
Scenario 1: Sales rep who has called on the account for 8 years receives news from department and purchasing that a directive was received from the C-Suite to buy a competitive product. Sales rep (let’s call him Bob) asks for directions to executive offices in hospital and goes there. He enters the suite where he […]
When medical sales reps hurl excuses at their managers and others (including me) as to why their sales numbers are flat, I tell them N-O-R-C. I like these four letters because they are easily text-able (today’s medical reps like to communicate with their thumbs, and that’s a separate issue I will address at another time) […]
…and then work your tail off to sell as much as you can while your competition coasts for a few months! There is some accepted wisdom that healthcare customers, especially physicians, are difficult to call on and sell to during the summer months. I’ve heard the excuses and so have you: “The doctor is more […]