Many industries have undergone a rapid revolution during 2020, especially healthcare. The coronavirus pandemic has accelerated certain trends for how medical practices make purchasing decisions.
Multiple surveys have shown that roughly half of physicians no longer do in-person visits with sales reps…and that is before the pandemic! It is safe to assume that many of the remaining half have instituted protocols to limit in-person visits, making it more difficult for sales professionals accustomed to this sales model.
As a medical sales professional looking ahead to 2021, now more than ever it is imperative to evaluate your strategy for the new year.
Here are 21 tips to grow your medical sales business in 2021:
21 – Understand Pain Points
Success in medical sales comes down to connecting a doctor’s pain points to the value of your product or service. What their pain points may have been at the beginning of 2020 are most certainly going to be different in 2021. Think about what impact the pandemic has had on healthcare organizations, both directly from the virus and the indirect costs to the practice.
20 – Pick Hot Programs
The beauty of being an independent rep is that you can offer a comprehensive portfolio of products and services. The pandemic has made some programs less relevant, but others that directly or indirectly address COVID-19 have exploded in popularity. Find out which ancillaries are most relevant and add them to your bag.
19 – Focus on Patient Benefits
Many patients are struggling right now both physically and emotionally. Healthcare providers chose their profession because they want to help improve people’s lives. Keeping your focus on highlighting different ways patients can benefit from whatever you are promoting will resonate with your audience.
18 – Commit to Training
One of the top reasons that physicians cite why they no longer see sales reps is that they feel the reps do not deliver enough valuable information. This starts with fully understanding your programs. Dedicate part of each week to educating yourself on what you are selling so you can be a resource for your customers.
17 – Stay on Top of Industry Trends
With healthcare constantly evolving, keeping up with industry trends will make you more valuable. Are there new regulatory issues? Changes in payment models? Emerging technologies? Set your google alerts for keywords that may affect your clients, read industry publications, join LinkedIn groups, etc.
16 – Organize your CRM
One of the 7-Habits of Highly Effective People is to “sharpen the saw.” As you look ahead to 2021, this is a good time to audit your CRM to make sure it is optimized. Multiple studies have shown that reps who use CRM far outperform those who do not.
15 – Use Multichannel Engagement
Multichannel engagement refers to the practice of interacting with customers using a combination of indirect and direct communication channels. Research shows that it takes between 6 and 8 marketing touches to even generate a qualified lead. If you spread these touches out through multiple channels, you increase the possibility of getting through to your audience and ultimately increasing your customer base.
14 – Use Email Drip Campaigns
Since it takes multiple touches to generate a qualified lead, sending out a single email is not likely to bear fruit. Set up email drip campaigns customized for each market segment. Usually, 4-5 emails spread out over 3-4 weeks is recommended.
13 – Use LinkedIn
Roughly half of physicians use LinkedIn, so it is a great medium to connect, build relationships, and post quality content to establish credibility. Make sure your profile reflects the professional image that you want to convey. Get into the habit of posting meaningful content regularly, participate in groups, and add thoughtful comments to discussions.
12 – Write Your Goals
As you think about what you want to accomplish in the new year, set aggressive but achievable goals. The key to success is to write those goals on paper, create benchmarks with an action plan to get there, then create daily habits to support your action plan.
11 – Consistency of Effort
Let’s face it, medical sales can be a rollercoaster ride. The most successful reps do not let their success dictate their emotions. It’s easy to be motivated when you are coming off of a hot month, but the true professional can divorce themselves from their emotions and focus on sticking to their game plan even when they are going through a rough patch.
10 – Focus on Storytelling
One mistake that people new to sales often make is focusing their sales calls around features and benefits. That is an antiquated strategy. Stories resonate a lot more with people than facts and figures. Think about a specific case where a patient benefited or a doctor you were able to help with a problem and tell that story.
9 – Find a Mentor
You are never too experienced to have a mentor. Having someone who has had years of success to help guide you can boost your confidence by helping you improve on areas of weakness and show you a clearer path to accomplishing your goals.
8 – Make Peer-to-Peer Connections
When you work as an independent rep, it is easy to fall into the trap of seeing the industry as a zero-sum game. Be mindful that there are plenty of opportunities for everyone. Reps who collaborate create a symbiotic relationship where all parties benefit. This can take the form of promoting each other’s content, writing references for each other, or sharing best practices.
7 – Ask for Referrals
Attracting new doctors can be an extremely difficult endeavor. A shortcut many reps forget is to ask for referrals from doctors you are already working with. Referrals are your most valuable sales leads. A personal recommendation from a colleague is worth a lot more than any sales brochure. Plus, it can save you a lot of time not having to work through a bureaucratic network of gatekeepers.
6 – Pre-Call Planning
Whether you are doing in-person or virtual sales calls, the importance of pre-call planning cannot be overstated. Pre-call planning will help you make more efficient use of the limited time you have with your doctor, add more value to the call, and ultimately yield better results.
5 – Use Video Messaging
In recent years, the use of video messaging platforms has become more popular. Video messaging can dramatically increase your engagement, fostering a more personal connection with your clients. Platforms like BombBomb can help you stand apart from all the other reps vying for a doctors’ attention by allowing you to tailor your messaging to each audience.
4 – Blog Regularly
In medical sales, the benefit of blogging is it helps you establish credibility. 60% of consumers feel more positive about a company after reading custom content on its site. Establishing credibility is critical to success in medical sales. In addition, blogging can help create inbound leads. In fact, it has been shown that companies that blog twice per month generate 70% more leads than those who do not.
3 – Update Your Website
Many industries have undergone a rapid revolution during 2020, especially healthcare. The coronavirus pandemic has accelerated certain trends for how medical practices make purchasing decisions.
2 – Reevaluate Your Why
By now most people understand that people will not buy into WHAT you are selling unless you communicate your WHY. What motivates you to do what you do? With all of the changes that have occurred in 2020, it is a good time to take stock and reevaluate what truly gets you up in the morning, and why should anyone care what you have to say?
1 – Go Virtual
Since more than half of your doctors are restricting in-person access, that is going to severely limit your opportunities unless you adopt a new strategy.
The good news is that healthcare organizations still have needs, they are just less reliant on sales reps coming into their office to get information.
Integrating virtual sales presents a tremendous opportunity to engage with doctors most reps are ignoring. You will find a broader market with less competition, and higher engagement from your customers.
If you are interested in honing your virtual sales skill, you can download our FREE Virtual Medical Sales Playbook.
