The circumstances of the past year forced healthcare reps to change almost every aspect of how they do business – and some of those changes are here to stay.
So as we settle into a new normal, what are some key things that reps can do to sell more in 2021? On a recent podcast, Repertoire publisher Scott Adams talked to MedPro’s Manny Losada and Gino Liongson, as well as Brian Sullivan, a former Welch Allen rep who’s become a leading sales trainer with his company, PRECISE Selling, to discuss actionable things that listeners can implement into their daily routine.
Adapting to the Reality of Virtual Meetings
The abruptness of the changes brought on by the pandemic left sales reps in a lurch. Trying to do things that had worked in person didn’t always translate to being effective in a virtual setting, said Manny. In short, virtual “happy hours” and other similar tactics just weren’t cutting it. Circumstances had changed, so the approach had to change as well. “We knew we had to be dynamic,” Gino said. “We had to be able to pivot and be creative in order for us to grow on the opposite end of this.”
Full Attack Mode
Brian said last year he noticed that while some companies were laying low or taking a “wait and see” approach, there were others who took advantage of the situation and shifted into full attack mode. “Those are the companies who last year actually did really well,” Brian said. “And those are the ones who were totally primed to crush it in 2021.”
So what is this attack mode? To Brian, it’s simple: “If you’re reaching more people than your competitors, you’re going to do better than them.”
New Skills
Brian said his hope is that the last year forced us to be better at both picking up the phone and selling virtually. “If we can do virtual presentations that save a whole bunch of time, yet still accomplish the goal, then we should be doing more of those than ever,” he said. “I hope it doesn’t change because frankly, I seem to be looking in more people’s faces throughout the course of the day now than I was last February at this time. People will take meetings through Zoom where otherwise, maybe they wouldn’t let you walk through their front door.”
What the Future Holds
When it comes to the “new norm” and what the future is going to be, Manny had a few insights. “Think about the impact of who we’re becoming now – better communicators. That’s going to lead to better sales leaders,” he said. “And when that combination comes back together, where we do have access and have the ability to get back in front of customers and combine that with who we are today, the aggregate is going to be a much more successful resource in sales reach, communicating, relationships, and networking than ever before… I think the combination of some of that coming back, coupled with what we were forced to experience and learn is going to be powerful.”