By Jim Poggi
Even as diagnostics rapidly evolve, success in the physician office lab still comes down to trust, discipline and mastering the fundamentals.
When we think about selling into the physician office lab, we frequently think about the exciting advances in testing and how to position these advances with our customers and prospects. HPV is on the verge of replacing PAP smears, at-home tests for STIs, respiratory diseases and others are shifting the market to embrace consumers. New molecular tests are changing the market for cancer diagnostics and patient management in ways we could not have predicted 20 years ago.
But, despite the progress and new assays, it’s still all about selling. And the best professional selling is all about knowing and adhering to the basics.
With that backdrop, this month and next I intend to take us back to the basics of selling lab in the physician office. Please don’t groan and turn the page. Why I am encouraging us to go back to basics will make sense as I provide the rationale.
Leonardo DaVinci is credited with saying “simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” Powerful words that sound like the right approach to successful lab consulting with our customers and prospects.
However, in my experience, real life tends to get in the way. We feel the “gravitational tug” from many areas that keep us from engaging in knowing, understanding and practicing the basics every day. Sales quotas, customer demands, operational issues, family needs and so many other things intervene. Without a strong commitment to practicing the basics well, we slip into crisis intervention mode: we focus on the issue making the most noise in our lives at any time and declare victory when we have found a way to solve it.
This is not success. It is allowing our environment to control us. I do not know a single truly successful person who attained greatness by solving every random problem that came their way daily. When I think about how the successful folks I know became successful, the answer is always the same: They set a specific long-term goal that was important to them and never wavered from their commitment to it. Then they established a series of simple, attainable near-term goals, each part of the overall strategy, and persisted until they overcame the obstacles that stood in their way.
Like every formula for success, it sounds simple until you try it in real life. I plan to share some of the basics of being a successful lab consultant in this column, with the assumption that your fundamental objective may be to become a highly successful lab sales consultant. If it is not, put your specific objective where you can see it daily as a reminder of what is important in your business life. But no matter what your goal is, read on since knowing and practicing the basics is fundamental to success no matter what you are selling.
Establish and maintain trust
This is a goal that sounds easy until you practice it every day in your personal and professional life. Were you on time for your customer meetings? Did you follow up and provide the information you committed to? Was the information complete, and did it answer the customer’s question?
If the answer to any of these questions is “no,” then you need to reset and commit to a higher level of excellence.
Make sure your schedule leaves some time for unexpected issues. In your customer communication, leave some room for changes in timing. I eventually learned to communicate that “I plan” to follow up or provide further information rather than a firm commitment to a date. This leaves room for the unexpected and, if properly communicated, makes sense to the customer also. “I plan to have the instructions for use back to your lab director by Friday, as long as I can get in touch with my lab manufacturer. If I cannot get them by then, I will text your lab director and work to a more realistic date. Does this work for you?”
Both you and the customer make a commitment to your plan and follow up with the understanding that you do not fully control the outcome. It solves some of the problems of real life getting in the way.
An interesting by-product of developing a deep and respectful relationship with your customers
is the likelihood of strong referrals. Much of my growth in the lab business came from referrals from satisfied customers. Customer dissatisfaction is all over the internet and dissatisfaction is communicated more broadly than satisfaction. Be aware that one dissatisfied customer is likely to spread the word to multiple prospects.
Know your customers
This is another item that sounds like mastery is easily attainable. In my career, I often felt I had attained it when my contact list was packed with the names and contact information for all my key customers as well as my top prospects.
I was wrong. Making an account list does not mean knowing your customers. It means knowing who works for your key customers.
But, do you know the basic concerns of your customers and what drives and motivates them? You need to be confident that you know their overall practice objectives and motivation:
- How do they define success?
- How does lab fit into their overall goals?
- What is their opinion and even previous experience with lab?
- What is the culture of their practice/business?
- Who makes the decisions?
- How do they make important decisions?
- Who influences these decisions?
- What do they believe may be holding them back from achieving their objectives?
For customers that could not articulate their decision-making process, I had success by simply asking: “Tell me how a recent important decision was made.” Then I sat back quietly and listened carefully. If you are talking to the right person, you will learn a lot. Until you can confidently understand these elements of their healthcare and business objectives, you do not know your customer.
Timing is also an important issue. When should you probe for this information? Deep dive quarterly business reviews are important and typically the right venue to tease out this information. But, so are our everyday sales calls. You can triangulate what you learn in quarterly business reviews during routine sales calls. Does the staff have the same opinion? Are they informed and motivated to attain the overall business objectives of the practice?
You need to be committed to learn more about your customers’ goals and objectives during each sales call. Fly-by sales calls do not get the job done. Every call needs to have a specific measurable objective. My advice is to slow down, set thoughtful objectives for your sales calls and take the time to engage your customers to learn something new, or to confirm what you thought was true.
What if a key customer does not have time for this type of sales call? What do you do? Ask for time for a proper meeting and explain why it is important.
Example: “I have seen the layout and systems in use in your laboratory. I would like to learn more about your overall laboratory objectives, the value you are getting from your lab systems, how you use them and whether you would invest in each of them again.
Why? Because I want to be able to offer you lab solutions that provide your practice and patients with the most value. I cannot do that effectively unless I understand the systems in your lab and how they relate to your overall objectives for your laboratory. My company offers a wide range of lab solutions and I will not be useful to you if I cannot offer solutions that meet your needs and add value for your practice.”
You may be able to come up with a better word track, but asking the customer to help you learn is the core objective. If you have established mutual trust and respect, they will be willing to share their objectives and where they need help. If you still cannot get time for a sit down and deep dive with the customer, it is likely that your relationship is not where you think it is or where you need it to be. In that case, it may be best to rely on the advice of a coach in the account if you have developed one and ask how you can gain the trust of the decision maker and deepen your relationship. If you do not have a coach, your key objective is most likely to be to develop one.
Next issue, we’ll cover three more fundamentals for physician office lab sales. In a field defined by rapid innovation, it’s easy to chase what’s new – but lasting success still belongs to those who master what matters most. Commit to the fundamentals, practice them with discipline, and you’ll build a foundation that no market shift can shake.