While I am usually not prone to discussing the philosophical aspects of selling, every once in awhile we all need to step back and look at what I call the “selling landscape.”
Although most HME owners, managers and salespeople know their products, deal with the paperwork and appreciate the issues that are important to their referral sources, some do not understand what actually makes the sale possible.
A sale is not just about the full line of products you have in your warehouse. It is not just about having a state-of-the-art piece of medical equipment. It is not just about the location of your store. It is not just about your new disease state management or compliance program.
It is all about the “fit.”
Products and programs must fit with the needs of your customers. While your products may be interesting and exciting, they will only hold true value for those who need them. You cannot create a need; you can only identify it and explain how what you offer fits for the customer.
If fit is so important, then how do you know if what you have actually does fit? Begin by asking questions, not by selling products. Find out about the challenges your customer is facing. For the professional referral source, this may mean listening to them define what they need and expect from a home care provider. What types of patients do they work with, and what products do they need to provide them? Let the customer guide the selling process.
When customers talk, listen so that you can understand the landscape. When you hear about the problems and the obstacles they have, your mind should be focusing on what you can provide that will meet their needs. What do you have that fits?
Your fit may be a product line, a maintenance program, a compliance program, the hours of your store, your retail location, your willingness to meet the patient in the hospital, the follow-up reports you provide or your interest in presenting educational programs for the referral source staff.
Some strategies to consider when determining “fit” include:
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Paying careful attention when the customer is talking.
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Taking brief notes about what customers say is important to them.
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Circling on your note pad the issues or items they continue to talk about.
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Listening for words and phrases like: “This is what I require;” “This is what I need or would like;” “This is the problem that I am having with other providers;” “These are the rules I have set up;” “Never …” and “Make sure you … .”
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Checking the customer's tone of voice and body posture can also alert you to what they feel is important.
Fit also has to do with relationships and personality. Your sense of humor may need to be a closer match to that of your customer. Your adherence to details may need to be the same as those you are working with. Your concern for the patient may need to match that of the social worker or nurse with whom you are talking.
When personalities fit well together, the selling relationship may be improved. While you don't need to be a schizophrenic to be a successful salesperson, you do need to be sensitive to the personality of the customer.
Also keep in mind that a sales call is a time to build a positive relationship and focus on the customer's problems, not your own. No one wants to work with a salesperson who complains about his own company, or even about the industry.
The key for ensuring that you can offer the right fit is to listen carefully to the customer — whether a patient, caregiver or a referral source — while thinking about your company's inventory of services and products. As the customer responds to your questions, think about what you and your company have to offer that will meet his needs. Your role as a salesperson is not to make it fit but to ensure it is the right fit.
When you can provide just the right product or program for the customer, you will have his business.
Louis Feuer is president of Dynamic Seminars & Consulting Inc. and the founder and director of the DSC Teleconference Series, a teleconference training program. He can be reached at www.DynamicSeminars.com or by phone at 954/435-8182.
