Homework, networking mean the cold call doesn’t have to be so cold anymore.
Editor’s note: Repertoire asked a couple of med/surg sales veterans about the current state of the cold call, following the release of a position from the American College of Physicians opposing “unsolicited communications.” It turns out ACP was not targeting med/surg or pharmaceutical reps. (See sidebar.) But “the status of the cold call” seemed like a fitting topic to pursue anyway.
Information resources available to distributor reps today differ from what was available when Ty Ford first began selling medical supplies in 2002. “So much information is available at your fingertips,” says Ford, vice president of sales for the Western U.S. region at Henry Schein. If reps use the many resources available, “it should never be a cold call at this point.”
Ford believes that cold calling – or “warm calling,” that is, cold calling with the right preparation – is extremely important for sales reps to develop their business. Account turnover is the normal course of business, he says. If reps aren’t continually looking for opportunities to grow their account base – in other words, if they are not prospecting – “they’re doing themselves and their organization a disservice.” Establishing strong networks – through local associations, manufacturing partners, and others – will help.
Victor Amat, owner and president of American Medical Supplies and Equipment in Miami, Fla., advises his sales reps to warm up their cold calls by leveraging their relationships with current customers. “We don’t buy from a stranger,” he observes. “We buy from who we like.” Getting a referral from a current customer can help bridge the gap between the rep and a prospective customer.
Do your homework
Reps who find ways to demonstrate their value will make it hard for prospective customers to keep their door closed, says Ford. New potential customers may have a myriad of objections, making the cold call a source of apprehension for reps. However, distribution companies such as Henry Schein offer ongoing training and support to help reps overcome these challenges and advise them on when may be the best time for calls to produce the most effective results.
Ford also notes that information technology can make it easier to avoid mistakes. For example, electronic data resources, such as Definitive Healthcare (a partner of Share Moving Media, Repertoire’s publisher), provide reps with information on key decision-makers at hospitals, physician practices, and integrated delivery networks.
“When you do your homework and you understand all aspects of the office – from the best timing, to what their needs are, to what they’re focused on as an organization,” the cold call will be more worthwhile for prospective customers, says Ford. “Aligning your goals with their goals is the key step.”
“Don’t just show up and say, ‘Hey, I sell medical supplies cheaper and I can get them to you faster,’” says Amat. It’s not always about saving money; it’s about being prepared and offering a solution.
American College of Physicians and ‘unsolicited communications’
At the end of 2016, the American College of Physicians (ACP) adopted a policy statement addressing unsolicited communications, aka “cold calling.” The statement reads, in part, “ACP opposes unsolicited communications (‘cold calling’) of pharmaceuticals, durable medical equipment, supplies, and healthcare services that target patients and/or physicians and/or other prescribing clinicians including via direct mail, telecommunications, or facsimile.”
When Repertoire contacted ACP for clarification, Hilary Daniel, senior analyst of health policy and regulatory affairs, said the statement is not in reference to pharmaceutical or medical device sales reps. “In this context, the ‘cold calls’ or unsolicited communications are primarily actions that target patients and are often done without physician knowledge.
“For example, if a Medicare patient is reordering diabetes test supplies over the phone and the person taking the order tells them they can also get a leg brace for free if they have diabetes-related leg pain….The patient agrees and the physician [receives] forms to sign off on something they have not recommended to the patient.”
According to the policy statement, “ACP believes this practice [unsolicited communications] can lead to inappropriate treatment, interferes with the patient-clinician relationship, adds unnecessary costs to the health care system, and raises legal issues.”
Daniel expands on that sentence: “Physicians are responsible for providing evidence-based, effective, and efficient care in the patient’s best interest….If a physician were to appropriately deny a request for a drug or medical device as the result of patient-targeted ‘cold calling,’ it may gradually lead to distrust between the patient and physician.”
To view the full statement on the ACP website, visit https://www.acponline.org/acp-newsroom/american-college-of-physicians-recently-adopted-position-statement-on-unsolicited-communications.