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November 25, 2007 |
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Ten Truths from the Rookie of the Year
I received this from a friend in medical device sales , and
I thought it was a good reminder of what we need to do each
day in the field.
"Well, I've been kinda busy lately, but I'm back with a good
one. Last week, our 2006 Rookie of the Year made a
presentation to our most recent training class. They were
hanging on his every word, despite the fact that it was
Thursday afternoon and they were starting to feel a little
worse-for-wear at that point.
The new reps were in the "what-in-the-hell-have-I-gotten-myself-into" phase of their career with us that I've mentioned before, feeling just a little overwhelmed. I think it was reassuring for them to hear that even the Rookie of the Year felt like he was spinning his wheels when he first started. He had a lot of great ideas that he shared with the group about how he gained traction in his territory. Here are ten which contributed to his successful start. 1. 6:30 am to 4:00 pm: you must be in the O.R. everyday with your customers. Get up and out, be ready to step into the O.R. at the start of the day and don't leave until the day is done. An "office day" is prime time lost. Nothing matters as much as being with your customers. If it's a beautiful Friday afternoon and you want to go play golf, you had better take a couple of doctors along with you. 2. Get to know everyone on a first name basis. The nurses, the scrub techs, the guy who mops the floor, not just the docs. 3. Set up a regular, weekly call schedule which includes seeing your major accounts every single week. "If they aren't buying from you, it's because you aren't calling on them," he said. He makes it sounds pretty simple, doesn't he? Be consistent- apparently it works. 4. Make the most of your time. Stuck in the O.R. during a four hour case? Time to fire up your PDA and pack it with info on that account. For his 100 or so accounts, he has dozens of names and phone numbers, docs, biomeds, nurses, pricing and many other details for each account in his PDA. He bought a printer for his car so he can print out quotes on the spot or while he's driving. 5. Profile your targets. He has a profile for every doctor in his territory, which includes background information such as where they went to school, organizations they belong to, how many kids they have, which products they are currently using, frequency of different types of procedures, etc., including pictures. These profiles are constantly evolving, more information being added all the time. When he pulls up to the account, he can review his binder for useful information. 6.Take care of your accounts. He has a check list that he uses to review equipment. If he finds anything wrong, he lets the biomeds know. A little preventative maintenance goes a long way to keep things running smoothly, and it's another reason for him to show his face and prove to his accounts that he's looking out for their best interests. 7. Immediate follow-through. For examples, if a doctor agrees that s/he's interested in meeting with him to try out a new product on saw bones, as soon as he leaves the doctor's side, he'll put in a call to schedule a time with his office. In this and other scenarios, he made a point of saying "My next call..." to emphasize the importance of prompt follow-up. 8. Leverage your relationships with key surgeons. He has partnered with an influential doctor in his area to put on labs for other surgeons who want to learn new techniques. It's a great way for the Rookie to introduce himself and his products to an interested audience. An added benefit is that he's helping his key surgeon grow his own business, which only serves to make their relationship stronger. 9. Develop strong relationships with everyone else in the company. Distributor, product managers, customer service- you need everyone on your team. Don't be afraid to ask. One hallmark of a successful rep seems to be that they ask more questions and make more calls to marketing and their distributors, which may be the direct result of activity level. They are constantly learning and fully engage the resources available to them in a positive way. If he wants samples, he makes his case, offers a reason why it will be beneficial or how it's going to help him gain more business. He asks rather than demands. 10. Treat it like your own business. The Rookie has a sales coach. He's hired an intern who helps him with his profiles. He invests time, money and effort to continuing growing and improving. It's obvious he enjoys what he does, but he also takes it very seriously. He takes total ownership."
The Piano StoryA mother wished to encourage her small girl's interest in the piano and so took her a local concert featuring an excellent pianist. In the entrance foyer the mother met an old friend and the two stopped to talk. The little girl was keen to see inside the hall and so wandered off, unnoticed by her mother. The girl's mother became concerned when she entered the hall and could see no sign of her daughter. The staff were notified and an announcement was made asking the audience to look out for the little lost girl. With the concert due to start, the little girl had still not been found. In preparation for the pianist's entrance, the curtains drew aside, to reveal the little girl sitting at the great piano, focused in concentration, quietly picking out the notes of 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star'. The audience's amusement turned to curiosity when the pianist entered the stage, walked up to the little girl, and said "Keep playing." The pianist sat down beside her, listened for a few seconds, and whispered some more words of encouragement. He then began quietly to play a bass accompaniment, and then a few bars later reached around the little girl to add more accompaniment. At the end of the impromptu performance the audience applauded loudly as the pianist took the little girl back to her seat to be reunited with her mother. The experience was inspirational for everyone, not least the small girl. It takes just a few moments to make somebody's day, to help someone with their own personal aims and dreams - especially someone who looks up to you for encouragement and support.
Rookies come in all shapes and sizes, some even play the piano......
Passion makes the world go around. It is it the spark that drives creativity. When you care enough to put your heart into your work, passion will keep you going through thick and thin.
Join my colleagues and I, on our quest to meet the people that are pursuing or living their life's passion and making a difference in their world.
Watch as they share their stories of inspiration and motivation behind the passion.
Check out the pilot episode, www.PassionQuest.tv
Until next time, how will you sell with Purpose and Passion today?
Steve Porcaro "The Surgical Sales Coach"
Working with people and organizations to sell more of their products, services, and ideas.
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