Let me say this – For almost 15 years labored in the “old ways” of healthcare sales. I spent long hours crunching numbers anywhere I could find them, performing my own manual research the best way I knew how and knocked on doors to expand my market. And believe me, IT WORKED, but at one point I thought to myself, “Why isn’t there an easier or faster way to do this? Is this why there are the “1%’ers” in this and every other industry?  Is this the hard work that separates them from the rest of the pack?”

Finally I realized: “It’s the 21st century. Isn’t it time I started using all the tools available to me (and some I didn’t know existed) to enhance my business? If there really is an ‘easy’ button, shouldn’t I go ahead and push it?”  Seriously folks, why work hard when you can work smart… right? In 3 easy steps, I put “big data” to work for me to rapidly boost my revenue’s, visibility, and build my physician network. Many industries have incorporated the critical analysis of data into its business plans. But just how can all these metrics work for an individual or sales company?

Start With The Basics

Before we get too far down the yellow brick road, let’s talk about what “data” actually means. (And let’s face it, if you’re anything like me you’ve heard your company’s marketing team refer to “the data” and what all it “says” and “does”. However, personally, I’ve never had one of these marketing folks actually talk about “the data” in a way that actually made sense to me and in a way I could actually use it to help drive business. So usually, my eyes just glazed over and I watched them talk, no words ever sinking in…  But nevertheless, back to what data actually is…)

Data refers to any collected statistics, metrics, or insights into a particular industry, service, or platform (generally). It can range from how diabetics monitor the glucose levels in their blood to how predictive analytics can help battle a brewing opioid crisis. You might think “data” only refers to how many hits a day your LinkedIn or Facebook page gets, but it is so much more than that. Data can also uncover underlying value within a certain business with regards to performance, patterns and relationships.  Data can potentially make or break your business, but more importantly, understanding your data make or break your business. If you don’t pay attention to the data, you will fall short. Data is everything these days and it’s only going to become more powerful to a business’s competitive arsenal.

Now, let’s start down the road. The first step to improving your bottom line is to analyze your current list of clients. You can do this with just a few easy metrics: quantity, quality, and connections. Performing this analysis allows you to determine how each client is most valuable to you and how to maximize the returns on your investment in them as clients. (We’ve all heard our managers at one time or another refer to the “ROI” of your activities with your customers.  Most of us would roll our eyes and think, “Yeah, yeah, yeah, just watch how much he/she does next month…” However by performing this quick analysis you can see ROI starting to take shape.)  

If one practitioner doesn’t buy the most product from you, but has an extensive network of connections and potential customers, they might be worth the effort after all. In fact, on that last point, if they do have this network of connections – maybe you can tap into it FOR your client. Now here is a thought – take one extra step and deepen the connection for your customer with members of their network and further solidify your own customer relationship.

Do you Really Need 3 Steps?

Secondly, you want to look at the products you represent and how each is performing. Which ones are in demand and which ones are stagnating? Better yet, do the research to find out about innovations in the fields of your best clients. Staying on top of the adaptation of new tools like the app for brain injuries known as “Constant Therapy” is the only way you won’t fall behind.

Thirdly, you want  to communicate all of this in an effective and persuasive manner. That means studying which techniques work best for certain physicians or even clients in certain specialties of the medical industry. Just thinking about cataloging all of that is stressful. I took hours upon hours to gathering intel on, not only my customer’s specialty but also their referring networks’ specialties. Talk about exhausting! But, I was hungry. And while I mention being hungry, I would imagine every person who answers the phone when a recruiter calls and says, “I have an opening you may be interested in” is hungry too. Hungry for YOUR JOB.

I went through all of it: the long hours, the hard work, the nodding off in the middle of typing a sentence. I knew there had to be a better way, which is where ProSellus came from. The first of its kind, ProSellus is a revolutionary app that puts big data to work for you in the palm of your hand. Utilize the latest in sales, sales acceleration, sales enablement and networking strategies to boost your profits and efficiency with the click of a button. Translating numbers into actionable intelligence is easy with ProSellus. Want more info on how to transform your healthcare sales business? Email scottwalle@prosellus.com and be sure to read more of our blogs for constant updates on new tools and technologies.

Any seasoned sales rep – regardless of industry – will tell you that they have a perfected sales formula.  Well, that’s what they’ll tell you or any manager who asks, but realistically speaking it’s probably NOT written down, nor is it transferable.  It’s probably more along the lines of, “This is just what I do, and how I’ve done it for ‘X’ years and have been successful.” While it may only have a 99% success rate (realistically, more like 50 – 85%), it can always be improved. Before rocketing into the realm of advanced sales techniques, let’s examine the basic step-by-step sales process for your average rep.

1. Make contact & Build Rapport
2. Ask prospective client about their need (Questions, Question, Questions)
3. Introduce and explain product/service and how it fits their need
4. Establish rational desire and emotional need
5. Close the deal

Uh….what is this exactly?

This is a formula, a to-do list, a dull and boring recipe. A recipe for failure if you ask me, and to throw a little salt on the wounded ego’s out there reading this, your prospect, ya’ know, the person you’re trying to turn into a cash-paying customer, they’ve seen it a million times and they’re tired of it.  Quite frankly, most brand-new, straight out of college sales reps are taught something really similar to the above “Formula”, and not surprisingly the majority fail.

Do the Top Chefs in the world follow recipes by the book? I think not. They add flavor, innovation, and creativity. The Best Chefs think “outside the box”. I mean, they have to these days to even make a name for themselves. Sure, there are some that are experts at the tried and true recipes, but most need an edge in order to shake things up in the industry. The same goes for sales reps, especially in the healthcare industry.

To be a “Top Chef” in the healthcare sales industry, one must think 5 steps ahead of his or her customer physician in order to build and own that loyalty. There is so much competition in this arena, you can no longer simply take your doctors out to dinner or to a “course” somewhere and expect there to be any loyalty.  At best you may be able to START the process of building some rapport. You certainly cannot expect to beat your competition based on product features and benefits, or what you’ve always thought of as bringing value.  The value you think you bring really isn’t nearly as valuable as you once thought.  (More on bringing value in a future post)

So what is a sales rep to do? Has anyone thought of another way to appeal to the customer? Is there a tool to support that? You bet there is.

More Than Just Strategies

There is a crucial difference between sales processes and sales methodologies. Employing both in your techniques will increase your engagement numbers (and revenue). Sales methodologies include how you approach the entire sales process. Are you a more aggressive salesperson or do you approach your clients with a more empathetic approach? Do you really think about what the customer cares about and keeps them up at night?  Maybe you should think about how to create more value for your customer other than by offering your hot new product. Identifying which approach works best for which customer might be your best option for maximizing territory and revenue.  And the legit “A” players of the sales world are chameleons. They can turn a different color in a matter of seconds based on the posture, tone, look, feel, answers to questions they receive from customers or even staff members of the customer. They can turn on a dime.

Beyond implementing sales methodologies though, you must also depend on management support. Unfortunately, communication breakdowns can lead to missed calls, misunderstandings and ultimately missed opportunities which can ultimately change the trajectory of your business. Relationship management within your own team matters almost as much as your client relationship management.

While all of the above is much better than simply following the earlier “list” or “recipe” of a sales process, it is still not enough to break away from the herd of sales people these days. Sure, while having solid methodologies and innovative approaches will help differentiate yourself and potentially create more value for a customer, there is still one unresolved issue – it has to do with speed and how fast you can close the deal.

Using Sales Acceleration Tools to Enhance Results

No matter which sales process or methodology you may ascribe to, you won’t get too far without using the right tools – sales acceleration tools to be precise. Think about how much you would rock your territory if you not only offered the one thing your customer really cared about, but you were also able to access that one thing instantaneously from a mobile app?  Think about how much time in the field you would spend actually SELLING versus SEARCHING? Take the painstaking and laborious task of finding and tracking physician referrals: What if you could completely streamline that massive network with ProSellus Linx? “Actionable Intelligence” is not just some fancy buzzword. It’s a brand new reality few sales reps know how to embrace and conquer. Take your first steps and email me at Scottwalle@prosellus.com for your step-by-step process to revolutionize your sales strategies, break away from the herd once and for all, and finally become the sought after “Top Chef” in your territory.