In this age of DIY and endless “How To” Guides, it’s no surprise that there are endless suggestions on how best to educate yourself about business. Market research has also never been easier and yet more difficult. With so many tools to extract all kinds of data, you can get overwhelmed or lost easily. Even experienced healthcare sales reps and Fortune 100 companies have struggled in this Wild West market.
Step One: Use the Tools That Work For You
There are hundreds of data interpretation tools and analytics software in the world today. Instead of trying to parse through information yourself, you can benefit from these analytical tools. Whether you’re a newbie or a veteran in the healthcare industry, you might still be operating on pen and paper (or the electronic equivalent: spreadsheets). While maintaining client information that way isn’t necessarily bad, wouldn’t it be more cost-effective and more time efficient to have that information at your fingertips?
Let’s tap the brakes here for a second Tonto…
That entire paragraph above scares people like you and me. Ditch my pen and paper? Are you crazy? The overwhelming majority of software tools that “allegedly” are supposed to, “interpret data or provide analytics and maintain client information, etc,” have either been SO complex or SO unintuitive that we salespeople toss them aside. They literally don’t get used, unless of course we are forced to use them. Even then, the results are subpar at best.
So, how do you bridge this gap we healthcare salespeople have with technology? Not always like the example above, but many salespeople are resistant to technology and resistant to change. For example, here is a conversation I’ve witnessed many times between managers and reps: “Why do I have to use this stupid tracking tool now? I’ve made my quota for years without it. Do you not trust me to just do my job? Why is it that you guys (corporate and managers) think you’re helping us with your tools, when really you’re making it harder to sell. How about this: How about you guys actually give the sales people a tool that actually helps us sell!?!?”
Shocking idea… I know…
Ok. I’m glad I got all of that out. I feel better now…
Sales Acceleration is a strategy that incorporates the three biggest facets of the digital age: efficiency, interconnectivity, and influence. To that effect, ProSellus is your all-in-one tool.
Step Two: Do Your Research
Even though you don’t need to go to the library much anymore, you still need to hunker down and do your research on your current and future clients. Forbes suggests that it is the “key to success” which is exactly what we told you in our last blog. Another Forbes article offers tips to help better identify your target market, but the kind of research you need to do as a sales rep goes way beyond simply saying “my market are these buyers.” You need to craft relationships with physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, physician staff and companies – and then maintain those relationships. This means that “research” isn’t just googling information about something, rather, it’s checking in on clients every month, asking about their equipment, and asking about their lives.
Step Three: Build Your References
This step might not be the most difficult, but it is the most important. Once you’ve built the foundation of relationships and developed steps to maintain them, you need to build a network of references. The only advanced mobile tool of its kind, Linx by ProSellus, allows you to manage your market in ways like never before. The unique part about this tool is that it is has social media platform-esque qualities combined with a customer relationship management system. The best part? It is mobile and simple to use. You want to harness your target market in all the ways we have explained above? This tool is your answer.
Can You Influence Your Market?
The next question is: who really controls the market? Is it even possible for someone to control the market? Here’s an idea: what if that person was you? Email me at scottwalle@prosellus.com to find the answers to these questions. In the meantime, check out our other blog posts for more ways you can improve your sales rep business!