The mention of the word “sell” strikes fear into the hearts of women and men! Okay, maybe that’s a little dramatic; however, of all business activities, selling gets a bad rap, which is surprising as a sale is the point when patients say “YES” and allow you to do what you love the most; treat them and make their dreams come true.
Having been in sales for 30+ years, closing deals from a few thousand dollars to over $10 million in a single transaction, and having created new markets worth $150 million in 18 months, I know what it takes to be a professional salesperson.
The problem is, people have a fear of being “salesy.” They fear becoming “one of those people!” On top of that, most people who work in a medical practice want to care for others and make a difference in their patients’ lives. They are medical professionals who didn’t sign up to be salespeople!
Let’s think about that for a moment, though. If sales are where the prospect becomes the patient, and everyone in the practice wants to serve more patients, then it is obvious, we need to embrace sales in order to drive the growth and success of our practices.
Professional selling is actually about being of service. It is about understanding the wants and needs of the customer and tai- loring your treatment plan and approach to meet their exact requirements.
Mike Ellis, DO, of Keep Glowing Medical Spa in Tinton Falls, N.J. put it simply; “My main goal is to make a difference in my patients’ lives. If I want to treat more patients, I have to make sure the consultation process is seamless and delivers an enhanced patient experience.”
With an understandable fear of being salesy, what can be done to overcome it?
Easy: reframe how you think about sales!
Customers Want to Buy
A good friend of mine (who could be your customer) mentioned to me that she is often left frustrated when she goes to her local medical spa. She wants to be pampered. She wants to indulge herself. She is willing to spend money. She said; “All they have to do is ask me, but they never do!” We don’t mean a sales pitch, but rather engaging in a conversation and asking questions to determine what is important to her in this very moment.
Deliver Better Service
At a practice I have worked with, the nurse practitioner was expressing to me during our sales training how she had a patient who she wanted to recommend some additional treatments. Every time she came to recommend it, it felt like she was pitching and therefore didn’t suggest anything. Once she had learned The Art of Questioning, she was able to engage in a different style of conversation and without pitching sold another $1,000 worth of treatment. The result? The patient was even happier and more excited with her outcome.
Develop Professional and Ethical Sales Skills
People in medical practices sometimes refrain from developing their sales skills and techniques out of fear they will come across as salesy. As a result, they fall into the trap of doing it wrong, and end up more salesy than a well-trained person.
Keep in mind, ethical selling is about being of service. It is not about pitching. It is about truly understanding what is important to the patient and inviting them to buy from you.
About the Author
Chris Stock, MBA
Chris helps aesthetic practices convert leads into patients by delivering world-class ethical sales training and coaching. He brings a fresh perspective to aesthetic practices to help you achieve significant growth. Prior to working with medical practices, Chris had an impressive portfolio of clients, including Google, Adobe and GE Medical. He has translated his world-class sales training to be specific to aesthetic practices and in doing so, delivers transformational results. If you are interested in learning more about developing ethical sales skills in your practice contact Chris today: [email protected] or https://salesmd.com/
