Medical Sales Competition: Be Better Than the Products You Sell

You know what bothers me? Whiny salespeople who whine that the reason they’re not hitting quota is because their product isn’t as good as the competition’s. So, let me get this right…you’re going out on sales calls and trying to sell a product,  when you believe in your heart that the competitor’s product is better than yours. Why don’t you just say, “Hi customer. I’m here to tell you that you should buy Brand X because it’s better than mine.” Because, that’s what you’re essentially doing if you don’t believe in your product, or more importantly, if you don’t believe in your own ability to sell your product.

Reality check: If you want to succeed in medical sales, you need to be better than your product. YOU need to be better than your competition. It’s not the product that will determine your success; it’s YOU.

Why do companies hire salespeople? It’s because products don’t sell themselves. I know; many of you say things like, “Doctor, this product is so great it almost sells itself.” Only it doesn’t. You do. Too many salespeople want a product that is so good, that is so spectacularly superior to any competitor’s product that all the salesperson has to do is show up, wave a brochure and get the order. If that were the case, your company wouldn’t need you. They have you for a reason and that reason is that you’re the key to getting your company’s products into customer’s hands. They can’t do it without you and if you’re not doing it well, they will replace you with someone who can do it better.

You see, it’s not about the product. It’s about you. You have to be competent, because competent salespeople make more sales. That means that more healthcare providers gain use of your products so that more patients benefit. When more patients get effective treatment and the needed or desired health outcomes that result, you’ve made a huge difference in the lives of those patients and the healthcare professionals who care for them.

Your customers won’t take the time to figure out on their own how your product is going to benefit them and their patients. That’s your job. And a week later, they won’t remember exactly how your product fits in their practice and why they should care. That’s also your job – to keep your product and how the customer and patient will benefit top of mind.

So it doesn’t matter how good your product is. What matters is your ability to specifically position your product so the customer says, “I’ll take it!”

You’ve got to be better than the product. You need to be competent, sell more and make a difference.