Navigating the world of Healthcare Sales is a significant task. Those who have lived it, know it. I lived it for 15 years. There is a reason working as a sales rep in this industry can be so profitable. It’s a highly competitive market, sometimes a saturated market, and the product differentiation is minimal at best. So, how do you stand out as a rep among the pack? There are many tricks you can hide up your sleeve and you can always employ the tried and true tactic: entertaining your physician. Of course, that’s not necessarily unique anymore and due to the Sunshine Act, many actions require documentation which will be reported.
Creating Your Own Value
Dr. Richard Ruff from Sales Horizons offers a multitude of online courses to help medical device reps gain skills which will (no doubt) give them an advantage in the field. Dr. Ruff even wrote an article on how sales reps create value and differentiate themselves from competitors. In the article, he talks about how sales reps need to learn to create value that is unique from the product features and benefits.
“…products have no inherent value. Products possess features; they do not possess value. Value is a relative idea that is all about fit – the fit between the customer’s needs and your solution.” — Richard Ruff
It’s refreshing to hear this perspective. This is also a true statement. So – how does one create this value? There is no question that training is key. Understanding your product, your market, your competition, selling strategies, and your customer base are all vital to the success of your business. But, let’s face it – all of the things we just mentioned are merely the price of admission. In today’s world, you MUST do those things just to have a conversation with a potential customer. You might ask, “But what about the companies that have 800 or 900 reps? Are they going to be given access to the level of training they need in order to break away from the pack and will the company pay for it?” No matter if you’re a self-employed rep or a rep in a crowd of hundreds, something is probably missing from your business puzzle.
An Old Angle; A New Opportunity
What if there was an easier way to harness value for your customer? Pro-tip: there is a way, but first you must understand not only your customer, but a new perspective. You need to view value from the customer’s angle and not just your own. So take a step back from your sales sheets and numbers to see the big picture. Spend time learning to understand what your customer really cares about. Is it the product or could it be something else? What if you could identify exactly what your customer cared about and how to not only capture that, but deliver it? We know how you can reach that apex. Email me at scottwalle@prosellus.com to unlock your full selling potential with the world’s first targeted market development tool specifically for Healthcare Sales Reps.
