Medical Sales Skills
In Medical Sales, The Enemy of Good is Better
As a medical sales professional, you offer technologies to support clinical approaches that improve patient outcomes. That’s something to be excited about. Why aren’t customers as excited as you? Healthcare is about preserving health and improving health. It’s also about managing risk. When a health care provider is satisfied with the status quo, the […]
Medical Sales Product Positioning – Think Before You Speak!
You may have heard that positioning is everything. That’s true only if you want to successfully gain the attention of the decision-makers you call on and close more sales. Many sales reps use the term, but too many don’t really understand what it means or how to position their products and services. Do you think […]
The Insanity of Medical Sales Reps and Their Managers
I’m brought in to work with under-performing medical sales teams. When I interview reps one-on-one and ask why they’re not growing their territories, they’re often quick to blame the company for not supporting their efforts or crediting their competition with having better products. Flash forward to the sales training workshop when I get to see […]
The Big Rookie Medical Sales Mistake
A sure sign of an ineffective, rookie medical sales rep is one who infuses the sales conversation with statements such as: “This is the best on the market.” “This will be great for your practice.” “Your patients will get better results.” “My product has numerous advantages over what you’re currently using.” …and any statement that […]
Don’t Tell Doctors and Other Healthcare Experts What They Should Know or Should Do
It amazes me when I’m with salespeople who try to tell a doctor or other healthcare expert what he should know or should do. It’s intuitive for salespeople to do this, but they need to realize that too often, they’re just pissing off the customer. Let’s put this in perspective so you understand the dynamic that’s […]
A Strategy to Address the Price Issue in Medical Sales
“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 […]
Overstaying Your Welcome: How Frequently Should You Call on a Healthcare Customer
How frequently should you call on a customer when you sell in healthcare? If you call on someone too often, you might anger them (at least this is what many reps tell themselves). And if you don’t call on them often enough, you’re losing opportunities to make a sale (which is true). I always ask […]
Do you think your product is better than your competition’s? Great! Just don’t tell the customer!
Sales representatives from every industry love to claim that their product is better. They provide better service. The buyer will get better results and be happier. Sales reps say this because they think it will motivate the customer to buy. It doesn’t. It just makes you look cheesy, sound like a cliché, and presents you […]
Sales Presentations: Be Brief; Add Value
Busy professionals avoid salespeople when they see it as a waste of time. The same is probably true for you when it comes to reading blogs. So I’ll get to the point: Distill your sales message to be as brief and compelling as possible. Leave out the fluff. Define the benefits clearly. Offer proof that […]