Savvy is a slang word derived from the French word savoir, meaning to know. It is often used when referring to “street smarts,” as in, “Don’t worry about her. She’ll be alright; she’s pretty savvy.” It describes a person who is shrewd and intelligent, who catches on easily and is a survivor. It also describes the exact kind of sales rep you should look to hire.
What would a savvy sales representative be like in the HME market? How would they function, what would they look for and how would they build revenue? Let me refine the qualities of a “savvy rep” so that you can either start becoming one yourself or you can begin locating one for your company.
They have their eyes and ears open at all times. They not only listen to what a referral source is saying, but also pick up signals regarding what the source may not want to talk about. They realize the referral source may want to share issues they might be having with your competitors, but they are reluctant to say what they feel. The savvy rep picks up the message and senses where the conversation is going. They are intense listeners regardless of what else is going on in the room.
They are talking to you while simultaneously “casing the area” for new contacts. They quickly notice that there are other social workers in the office, that the medical practice is much larger than they thought or that there are items of interest left behind by other sales reps who met with this same account. They quickly realize other salespeople have been calling on this account. The savvy rep almost seems to have eyes in back of his head. He also has the ability to talk with you and overhear conversations in other parts of the room.
They seem to know the ordering history of every account before they enter their office. They have memorized information about what the referral source has ordered, how frequently and who was the payor for those accounts. They are just plain smart, but that’s because they’ve done their homework.
They know their marketplace. They keep up with any new programs or service providers in their territory. If someone is changing positions they not only know where that person is going, but often who will be taking their place.
For each account they know the good sales days from the bad ones. They know the days and hours referral sources have their staff meetings, and even the hours when referral sources go to lunch.
Savvy sales people know about the industry. They keep up with the rules, understand about compliance issues and adhere to a long list of federal marketing guidelines
It’s okay if the salesperson is not savvy when you hire them—there is time to learn. Education and training are powerful forces for creating the salesperson that becomes a street smart overachiever. Anyone can become a savvy sales rep when they are taught what to look and listen for.
To warrant the description of “savvy” takes time, but these reps are usually fast learners and realize that people do business with people, not with those with the nicest notepads or tricolor pens. They create a sales message that people will remember.
Savvy salespeople have an abundance of one admirable trait: patience. They will make three or four (or more) calls waiting for that first order. They understand the law of averages and know that the more calls they make, the more likely they are to get new business. They will stay on top of the account until there is an issue with their competitor and the referral source agrees to give them a chance. They know that victory may not be immediate, but that in time they will reap the rewards of their efforts.
If you hire a smart person, in time you will have a savvy sales rep… it’s just that easy. Don’t hire people for who they know or what they promise you. Hire them for who they are today, and what they could become in time. Don’t hire promises but good, honest, sincere, dedicated people. Hire people who want to learn and are motivated, and soon you will have a savvy salesperson on your team. And who knows, maybe you have one now who can begin teaching others about how to build their own savvy traits.
Louis Feuer, MA, MSW, is president of Dynamic Seminars & Consulting and founder of MedComment Center, an online program for surveying patients and referral sources. He can be reached at 954-838-7504 or via www.medcommentcenter.com.
