How Being a Independent Sales Rep Can Be the Highest Paying in the Healthcare Sector

Many people come to the medical space because they want to make the money. Many leave without making a dime. Medical sales are by no means for the faint hearted, after all, how many no’s can you face, challenges to your knowledge or gatekeepers slam their window in your face each day?

Medical Sales is NOT the quick get rich scheme that people that come to this space hope for, but it CAN be. How so?

The formula to success means you need to have:

Commitment

If you are just here for the money then once you start making it, how much will you love your job? Commitment means aligning a sense of purpose with what you do that helps get you out of bed each day. Even after those days when you question ‘What in the world am I doing with my life?!’ If you’ve been in sales, you may happen by them frequently, as I did.

However, take the Forest Gump attitude and avoid disillusionment as you may be just 1 selection away from hitting a goldmine.

Most people leave medical sales as quickly as they come into it. They do so because they failed to FOLLOW UP. Following up requires commitment and a suit of armor that is impermeable to rejection. Make sure you have a thick skin and don’t take anything personally. Doctors are like Jekyll and Hyde. One day you see them and think they are rude and dismissive but the next time you see them they can be all ears. It’s all about timing.

Perseverance

Make a plan and stick to it! Most sales don’t happen because reps sidetrack and keep looking for the next bright, shiny object. That bright shiny object often comes as a new product thought to be the next holy grail of juicy commissions. New programs, we have found, often need to be tried and tested as often if things are too good to be true …. Well they are just that, too good to be true.

Build a strong portfolio of 3 to 5 products that include a door opener (which may not pay you loads but will easily open a conversation with the doctor), something that will pay you consistently each month in the form of recurring revenue – labs are GREAT for this and go for what we call ‘nice boring, business’. Lastly, have something that will pay the doctor a good revenue and will serve as a nice bonus for you. Once you feel good about the products you have – learn the ins and outs of them. Whatever you focus on, you will sell, but if you change direction every week – guaranteed – you will sell nothing!

Perseverance also means going back week after week to the same practice. Doctors need to be ‘brand aware’. In this case, YOU are the brand. They won’t be aware of you until you become memorable to them which typically takes repeat visits. It usually takes the human brain seeing something 5 times before it begins to remember it so it’s no surprise that 80% of sales occur after 5 to 12 visits.

Keep a tight call cycle that has you going back to the same practices on a weekly basis and you will be streaks ahead of your competitors.

Value

Always think about what VALUE you bring to the practice. If you’re a nice girl or guy, that doesn’t mean a doctor will buy from you, but it will certainly help you to have a more promising interaction. It takes more than that. What value can you bring to the practice? Find out their pain points. As an Every Ancillary Consultant, you have a pretty good chance that you have something in your portfolio that speaks to their pain points. Ask the doctor questions. What keeps them up at night? What is one thing that would make practicing medicine more enjoyable for them?

A long time ago, I heard someone say that there is no problem in business that money can’t fix. Most problems in business are caused by a lack of money. Doctors want more time for one. Money can buy them more time by adding mid-levels or using services such as Medical Transcription that free up their time. Get familiar with the products you have available to you and get in a conversation with your doctor so you can ensure you bring them value.

If you get these three things right, you can start to write your own paychecks and they can be whatever size you like, based on the products you promote, the commitment you have and your willingness to see the process through.

I didn’t say it would be easy, but I will say it’s worth it.

Every Ancillary provides over 40 products and services that help physicians find more time and more money while enhancing patient care. Position yourself as a Medical Consultant by going to www.everyancillary.com to give you everything you need to get started.