The dynamics of closing a customer or closing an interviewer are very similar. If you are interviewing for a sales position, your ability to close well at the end of the interview is considered a strong indication of your sales ability.
I’ve seen many ways and reasons that people fail to close. It happens to both early career sales people and veteran sales managers.
One reason people fail to close is that they don’t think the timing is right. The interview or meeting may be rushed, or take an unexpected turn. Understand this: the time is always right to close. If you are short on time, it takes less than two seconds to say “Can I have your support?” and “What is the next step?”
Another common misstep results from the fact that many sales people take pride in their ability to read their customer and build rapport. If they feel that the customer (or interviewer) likes them, they begin to relax. Sometimes, too much. They forget that their fundamental responsibility as a salesperson is to move the sales process forward and to turn the prospect into a customer through getting a commitment.
The same holds true of interviewing. Yes, it’s great if you get a warm-and-fuzzy from the person you are interviewing with. However, your fundamental goal is to get that person to hire you: to take some action on your behalf.
In the Sandler Selling System, this is referred to as “need for approval” when having someone like you becomes more important than closing. Even if you think the prospect or interviewer is disinterested or maybe even dislikes you, you should still close. Closing is engaging someone in a direct way, and closing alone may awaken greater interest in them.
One of the biggest mistakes is not closing someone because you don’t think that person is the decision maker. Yes, you need to identify who the key decision makers are and expend your greatest energy on convincing them to support your cause. Along the way, you will encounter many influencers. Though they may not be the ultimate decision makers, you can bet they will share their opinion behind the scenes. When it comes to interviewing, you would not be meeting with that person if the decision maker did not value their input. In today’s world of collaborative decision making, you need everyone’s support.
If you’ve been in sales for any length of time, you’ve probably heard the acronym “A.B.C.”- or Always Be Closing. It applies every bit as much today as it ever has.
I don’t know if your mother ever said anything like this to you, but it is good advice for us all.
The words that come out of our mouths reflect our worldview: past, present and future. We should choose them carefully.
When I listen to salespeople tell me about what they would like to accomplish, I hear a many different ways that people express their hopes and desires for the future.
Some people are “kinda”, “sorta” “thinking about” one possibility or another. Their language reflects ambiguity and lack of commitment. How likely is their desired outcome? Not very. They don’t even seem sure that they really want it anyway.
Others speak with certainty. I hear them say “I will” a lot. They may not know exactly how or when they will arrive at their destination, but they are certain they will get there. Their choice of words reflects the commitment they’ve already made in their minds to achieving a goal, which is often half the battle.
Cheryl Richardson writes about this topic in her book, Stand Up For Your Life. “Do the words and phrases you use command respect and attention, or do they minimize your power and sense of self-worth?” she asks.
She points out the phrase “I’ll try” as one people use to keep expectations low or buy time. Rather than “trying”, why not commit outright? The next time you find yourself wavering or hoping, make a decision or commitment instead. Instead of putting your energy into making up your mind, put your energy into achieving your goal.
Consider the difference between…
“I try close to close them.” Say this aloud to your sales manager and you are already letting yourself off the hook in case it doesn’t happen.
Versus…
“I will close that sale.” Who is accountable and committed now?
This principle applies as well to the way we ask questions of others. Do ask your prospects “if possible” when they “might” “perhaps” do something? Or do you ask simply, plainly if they will? When you ask for a definitive answer or commitment, there is a greater likelihood you’ll hear the dreaded “No.”
Salespeople practice the art of listening with their customers. If however you listened to yourself for a day, what would you learn?
Recently, my daughter and I drove by a BMW dealership.
“What does BMW stand for?” she asked.
“Bayerische Motoren Werke,” I told her (or something close to that). “It’s German.”
“If I worked them, I would make a sign that said ‘Love Your Ride’.” She fanned her hand in front of her, visualizing it.
“That’s very good. Maybe someday you’ll be in marketing. That’s the kind of thing they do in marketing.”
“No!” She bounced upright in her seat. “I want to sell stuff!”
“Why?” I asked, bemused at her reaction.
“Because it’s fun,” she said.
I promise you, I have not brainwashed her. Her natural enthusiasm for sales is completely spontaneous.
When she found out her brother needed to sell peaches to raise money for his cross country team, she turned to him, eyes shining with excitement, and asked, “Can I sell them for you?” Before we got home from the meeting, she had already contacted my sisters and sold two boxes of peaches.
The girl loves to close a deal.
She is also friendly, curious and strikes up conversations readily. She is competitive and driven. She is almost obsessive once she has an idea in mind of something she wants. She has been this way since she was a toddler. Sometimes a challenge to parent, but some day I know these qualities will serve her well.
More than any other profession, sales is seen as one that is personality-dependent. The stereotype of the glad-handing salesperson is the first image that comes to mind. But what attributes truly make the difference between top performing reps and everyone else who sells?
One survey assessment that I have used over the past five years with sales candidates is very personality-centric. It provides a graph of each candidate’s personality across several traits, based on the DISC profile. Over time, I have seen so many of these surveys that looking at the graph gives me an instant snapshot of someone’s personality. I never rely on the survey alone, but it is often fairly insightful.
After reviewing hundreds of these surveys and interviewing hundreds of sales people, I am not convinced that raw gregariousness is the key differentiator in sales success.
One of the successful sales managers I’ve had the pleasure of working with is someone I would characterize as quite shy. He often asks me to have candidates call him, rather than the other way around. Hardly the image of a salesperson who breaks down doors, but he has been extremely successful in his career for many years.
Based on what I know, his success is founded on integrity. People who have done business with him are utterly convinced that his word is good as gold. Over twenty-plus years, he has rarely faltered and has built an irreproachable reputation in his area.
In the final analysis, drive, commitment and integrity far outlast any good joke or backslapping. We sometimes refer to this golden combination of traits as “fire in the belly”. More than anything, dedicated determination is the true precursor to long-term sales success.
It’s a little early to tell if my daughter will end up in sales. Based on her personality, sales is something she might find rewarding. Ultimately, her success will be determined by her level of commitment. I have no doubt she could succeed, if she made that choice.
Have you?
I interviewed 2 great candidates who are currently in medical device sales. It made me think about some of the differences between medical device sales and a typical B2B sales position. When you move into medical device sales, it is definitely a step up in many ways- in responsibility, complexity and commitment
Both candidates talked about their efforts to convert surgeons from competitive products. Their success resulted from ferocious determination, research and a sophisticated level of clinical knowledge about their own and competitors’ products. In one case, there were 8-10 competitive plating systems on the market, and yet the rep was able to identify 5 competitive differentiators in his product.
A good product? Sounds like it. A rep who does his homework? Definitely. When you are a medical device rep you need to be as fluent as a surgeon on surgical techniques, clinical data and anatomy, and even more so on the options available on the market.
The other candidate talked about how there is zero room for error in medical device sales. Have to fidget with a copier or mailing machine that doesn’t work quite as expected during a demo? You can probably recover from that. Don’t have option C or D if needed in the OR? It might be the last time you’ll ever work with that customer.
“You can’t make mistakes. #1 there is a patient on the table. #2 there are too many competitors,” the rep said. To avoid any errors, he double, triple and quadruple checks his instruments and implants the day before the strategy. If he has to drive 8 hours from his rural territory to retrieve a missing instrument in the middle of the night before a case, oh well, he does it. Without question. “If there is a mistake, you better catch it far in advance, long before the customer ever knows.”
Although medical device sales is sexy and exciting, you need to seriously consider if you are prepared to make this level of commitment. Many successful sales representatives consider medical device sales not simply a job, not only a profession- but a lifestyle. That is how complete and total the commitment must be in order for you to maximize your success in this field.
Are you ready for it?
The other day I spoke to a sales trainer, who was a reference for a candidate. He talked about the difference between being a “pleaser” and an “adviser” to customers. The ultimate goal is for sales people to develop into advisers, someone whom customers look to for expert advice. It is an interesting and important distinction.
It lead me to consider the ways salespeople in medical device sales can achieve the role of an adviser in medical device sales. It is a combination of knowledge, commitment, work ethic and “paying it forward”.
1. Staying up on the newest clinical studies in your field. It is a great way to demonstrate your genuine interest and commitment to being a professional.
2. Preventative maintenance of customers’ equipment. Why wait until something breaks down? Doing preventative checks give you a good reason to show your customer that you are looking out for their best interests.
3. Recommending other companies’ products. If you are a knowledgeable resource, you will be the one to get the first call when they need something.
4. Help doctors connect with referral sources. The more referrals you give, the more you’ll get to grow your own business
5. Treat everyone with respect and interest, even the janitor. The scrub tech, nurses, OR coordinator all can influence the surgeon’s perception of you. Besides, they deserve it. It’s not a bad idea to take out the garbage every once in while either.
6. Be a resource to the surgical staff. If they need or forgot something, go out of your way to help them out. If you try to make their lives easier, they will more than likely return the favor.
7. Understand issues that the doctor may face in his or her practice, outside of the operating room.
8. Longevity. It takes time to prove yourself in medical device sales. At two years, your customers are finally beginning to take you seriously. The longer you stay with the same company, the better your knowledge, reputation and relationships will be.
9. Own up, when the case does not go well. Don’t tuck your tail, but face up to the surgeon and have a professional exchange about what went wrong and how to correct things the next time. Likewise, after a really great case, don’t always bolt off to your next task. Take the opportunity to talk to the surgeon then to cement your relationship.
10. Improve the process. O.R. time is expensive. Find ways to save time or create other efficiencies. The surgeons and everyone up to the C-Level will appreciate your assistance in improving their business.
Thanks to Tim Tyrell-Smith, whose post called “10 Ways to Become a Person Of Influence” inspired this post. You can read more on his blog called Tim’s Strategy: Ideas for Job Search, Career & Life.
“So, in a competitive [sales] environment, how do you stand out and become someone others want to know?” Tim Tyrell-Smith
2009 was not a banner year for sales achievement in most industries. Economic conditions certainly played a role. Staying motivated through such a tough economy is probably one of the chief issues sales people and sales leaders faced last year. Some sales people steeled themselves by “refusing to participate” in the recession, and found ways to exceed their quotas and grow their business nonetheless. Many individuals and companies did not.
In good times and bad, motivation always plays a key role in sales success. That is why I find this RSA Animate Entitled “Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us” so fascinating. It is based on a talk from Dan Pink about the science behind what motivates people, which he has written about in his book Drive. Thank you to Jim Stroud at The Recruiter’s Lounge for bringing this to my attention.
For me, this topic raises a lot of interesting questions, especially with regard to sales.
Sales people are supposed to be different from the rest of the population is several important ways, one of them being that they are MONEY-motivated. If there were ever a situation where people are often presumed to be “better smelling horses”- sales is it.
I do not doubt that there are some people who are very money-motivated, but what if there are not enough of them to staff your sales force? Or any sales force?
- One solution may be to stack the odds slightly in your favor by hiring a more money-motivated sales people than your competition, if this is even possible.
- Or maybe, the competitive advantage comes from build a sales culture that takes into account that most sales people aren’t solely money-motivated.
If you take the message of the video seriously, it would seem that the greater opportunity for success comes from finding other or additional ways to motivate sales people than simply money.
What if you could engage and motivate the majority of your sales force that isn’t driven exclusively by financial gains? How much would that be worth? In marketshare? In revenue? In profits? What if upon closer examination, you discovered that what motivated your top performers was not actually money?
For sales people, would you be more motivated if you looked at your work through the lens of mastery, autonomy and purpose? What if your company encouraged and provided you with opportunities to pursue these aims? Is that the type of environment in which you could be productive and want to remain for a long time?
In such a framework, a few questions come to the forefront as important for fostering highly-motivated sales people:
1. Sales Training
Does your company have a serious and on-going commitment to sales training? Are new reps given sufficient training to put them on the path towards mastery of their products? After initial training, what opportunities are reps given to continue to improve their skills?
Are there any important awards or recognition given for achieving sales mastery, independent of quota attainment? Even if you have some of these in place, are they sufficient or should their visibility and importance be enhanced? How do you demonstrated that training, learning and on-going development are a priority in your sales organization?
As an individual sales person, do you set aside time to improve your skills and abilities? How do you feel when you do so? What resources have you invested in or uncovered to improve your abilities? If you don’t feel like a master of your craft, what are the deficits in your skills and how can you improve upon them? Have you set a goal for the one area you need to improve the most?
2. Input from the Field
By the nature of their work, most outside sales people enjoy a fair level of autonomy. The aspect of autonomy that the video highlights is being self-directed and being able to shape one’s work.
Many sales people express great satisfaction at being able to find solutions for their customer’s needs, but what if this process were periodically turned inward, toward their own company and work flow? Are sales people’s suggestions for improvement- in products, customer service, in their own selling processes- listened to and acted on? Is there a forum or process for receiving such input from the field? Is such input welcomed, invited? Does the company seek out such input on a regular basis, and given it, how does the company respond? If a sales representative offers a great suggestion that is adopted, how is their contribution recognized?
Are sales people encouraged to share ideas and selling strategies, and if so how is such communication encouraged and facilitated? If a sales person comes up with a creative way or strategy to close a deal, does the management consider it, or shut it down?
As a salesperson, what is one thing that would greatly improve your day-to-day selling? Have you asked for it? Do you seek out additional resources and share ideas with others in your company?
3. Mission- Is there a specific mission for the sales force? What specifically is the sales force trying to do for their customers and why does it matter? The mission of the sales force should be tied to the company mission, but a sales mission that has a meaningful motive tied to specific sales objectives could be even more powerful and motivating. Does the sales force know what that mission is? Can it be expressed in a phrase or single sentence? Is it grand enough that it inspires, eg Steven Jobs’ putting “a ding in the universe”? (Note: salespeople at Apple stores are not commissioned, and yet sales have grown at rates that would make any sales leader envious.) If a salesperson does something exceptional for their customers, how is it recognized?
As a sales professional, do you have a personal mission statement that expresses what you are looking to achieve? Are you selling a product you are passionate about? Why or why not? Should or could you be more passionate about your products, and if so, why? What difference are you making for your customers?
What questions does this video raise for you about sales motivation?
“Should every company eliminate commissions for its sales staff? Probably not. But should entrepreneurs, managers, and the rest of us step back every now and again and question the supposedly fixed laws of the universe? Definitely.” – Dan Pink, “Forget carrots and sticks, they don’t always work” May 22, 2010 from the Daily Telegraph.
LinkedIn is growing by leaps and bounds. It is considered the pre-eminent business social networking site on the Internet. There are more than 60 million business professionals who have LinkedIn profiles, including an increasing number of surgeons and hospital administrators.
Here is a quick primer of how you can use LinkedIn as a medical device sales representative:
- Build a quality profile for yourself. In your summary, include your value proposition for customers: the products you offer and how you can benefit potential clients. Including a picture on your profile is a must.
- Start building your network by inviting people you know to join your network. Don’t be shy about accepting invitations. It will help you build your network. If you truly do not want to connect with someone, “archive” their invitation. Once you are connected with someone, be sure to interact with them from time to time.
- Join a few key groups- this will expand your reach of people you can send messages to. For instance, there is a group called “Orthopedic Surgeons” that might provide you with some good connections.
- Use the search function to research and connect with potential customers in your area- surgeons, hospital administrators, OR Staff, C-Level contacts. LinkedIn profiles are often rich with background information that could prove incredibly useful during the sales process.
- Once you’ve begun building your network, ask your current customers for recommendations. These testimonials will build your credibility as you reach out to new potential customers.
Be sure to send me an invite to join your network! You can find me at http://www.linkedin.com/in/lisamcmedicalsalesrecruiter
“Networking is simply the cultivating of mutually beneficial, give and take, win-win relationships. It works best, however, when emphasizing the ‘give’ part.” -– Bob Burg, Author and Speaker
If just for fun, you read the Bureau of Labor Statics’ Occupational Outlook Handbook, you will notice there is a bell curve of earnings for most jobs. Sales is no different. The top 5-10% in a given field often earn almost twice as much as the median income. Within each company, a similar distribution is often evident among the earnings of sales people, especially when compensation structures are heavily commission based.
Here are a few observations from my years of sales recruiting of what to do if you want to be in the upper echelon of earnings…
1. Refuse to Lose Top sales reps compete hard for every deal, no matter how small. One sales manager told me that the top rep in the country one year was “picking up nickles and dimes”. This rep ended up breaking the record for the most revenue ever sold in a single year.
2. Maximize Resources They are in regular contact with various people at all levels of their own company- marketing, customer service, technical support, sales support, finance, other sales representatives, their manager, and senior management. They ask for help and input, discuss deals, and are always learning more. They never assume they know it all, even after years of experience. They constantly seek to improve their product knowledge and willingly offer assistance to others.
3. Discipline They are consistent in their efforts, 5 days a week, 50+ weeks a year. Friday afternoon at 4:30 pm, when others are coasting and winding up for the week, they are still working as intensely as any Tuesday morning. They spend their days in front of customers, and use evening hours to complete paperwork and prepare for the next day.
4. Written goals They set goals of what they want to achieve financially, and why. They know exactly what it is going to take on a day-by-day and week-by-week basis to achieve their goals: how many calls and appointments it will take depending on their closing ratio. They analyze there territory to know where it makes sense to spend their time. They know their numbers backwards and forwards. They plan their work, and work their plan.
5. Longevity Success is a marathon, not a sprint, especially when it comes to complex, technical, consultative sales. Although driven, top reps do not expect too much too soon, but know that doing the right things consistently will pay off in the long-run. They know that making it in medical sales is not like winning the lottery. They are in it for the long-haul and outlast their competition. They demonstrate emotional control, not getting too discouraged by any disappointment, and likewise not so excited about any triumph that they ease up for even a minute.
Recently, I heard about a top rep who won a multi-six-figure deal… 3 months after a purchase order had been awarded to the competition. Pretty amazing. Now is that a great salesperson, or what?
In a similar vein, I interviewed a candidate recently who stole a deal after the competitor’s product had already been purchased and shipped. Since the candidate was “late to the dance”, he annoyed the O.R. supervisor by asking for a trial of his product. He stayed persistent and got the support of the surgeons, and was able to trial his product for a week. The competitive rep caught wind of what was going on, and in the candidate’s words, the trial became a “slugfest” (fortunately, not literally).
In the end, the hospital shipped back the competitor’s unit and bought 3 of the candidate’s product instead. So not only did he supplant the competitor’s product, he sold the hospital 2 additional units. So it is not as though this deal was won on price.
Examples like these are worth pondering, as well as admiring.
I think one of the tough things in similar situations would be to determine how much time to devote to pursuing such deals. Especially when it comes to converting capital business, the opportunity to do so may arise only every few years, so a hard fought, uphill battle might make a lot of sense.
In the first case, the competition had had the business for 10+ years. Not anymore!
There are many factors that must have come into play, including the skill, experience and determination of the sales rep, confidence in his products, and whole lot of tenacity to overcome many obstacles.
In the latter case, the rep was new to the territory, and perhaps eager to have an impact. I appreciate how he was willing to take a few risks to make things happen. In the end, he told me was able to make amends with the O.R. supervisor who was so annoyed in the beginning. A lot of reps talk about the importance of having good relationships with their customers, but reps also need to be willing to “rock the boat” in order to achieve their ultimate goal when appropriate.
How fierce a competitor are you? When do you decide it’s time to give up and move on? Let the deal go? Especially in the last couple of years, when capital budgets have been tight, deals like these may be the ones that have made the difference between making quota, or blowing it out.
As I think back to top performing reps I’ve interviewed, more than a few seem to have a proven ability to steal deals. Maybe this is one of the little extras that makes them a little better than the rest.
So the next time you come “late to the dance,” why not shake things up a bit? Maybe it is not too late after all. Maybe you should steal that deal.
The impossible is often the untried. ~Jim Goodwin
One of the highlights of being a recruiter is calling to congratulate someone on their new position. I got to do that today, for a marketing candidate. I had to leave a message though.
About an hour later, the candidate called me back. He thanked me for the opportunity and told me he was excited, and then he asked me what he could have done better in the interview process.
I thought to myself, “This guy is going to be awesome!”
I mean he got the job, and he still wanted to know what he could have done better. Here is someone totally committed to success. (It wasn’t the first time I had noticed this about him.) And then he asked me what I thought he needed to do to be successful in the job as quickly as possible. I offered him a few ideas, and then I told him, “Keep asking that question. That is a really good question. You’ll get great feedback and people will really appreciate that you are so committed to being successful.”
So, now the real fun begins. I can’t wait to see what he is going to accomplish. Watch out.
