What do Sales Reps need to know in order to be successful in the industry?
1) Sales Basics
Sure, you know how to use medical terminology properly and even understand the details in the sales literature produced by your employer, but do you know the basics of sales? Are you able to close a deal? Do you know how to put together and present a sales pitch? All of these things are crucial for a medical sales rep to know.
Some of the many things involved in sales include:
- Finding Leads – At the outset, finding leads sounds simple. All that you need to do is a Google search, right? In actuality, there’s a bit more to it. You also have to find the right people, their contact information, make sure you’re adhering to hospital policies and so on. A good training program will teach you all of this.
- Using Sales Tools – There are a number of different sales tools available. From internet and app-based programs to paper-based methods, it can be tricky to find the ones that work best for you. Your medical sales training program should include some information about these tools to help you make those decisions.
- Setting Realistic Goals – Finally, there are goals. Yes, your medical products company will set some for you, such as sales targets you need to hit on a quarterly or half-yearly basis. However, in order to meet them, you also need to set some goals of your own. Setting realistic goals is something that can easily be taught in a sales training program.
2) How to Develop Customer Relationships
Not only do salespeople need to know how to find customers and sales leads, but they also need to know how to develop those relationships. After all, sales don’t usually take place after one phone call or email. A sales pitch, as well as some follow-up calls made within a reasonable timeline, are required to build the relationship. Covering this in a sales training program helps sales reps understand how to create a relationship in order to meet their goals.
3) Determining Pain Points
Pain points are one of the most important aspects to be able to discern. In order to put together an effective sales pitch, you need to present those pain points to your customer, so you can solve their problems. Their pain points are what you’ll use as an effective sales tool. After all, you’re offering them a solution: your product and it needs to be emphasized just how useful that product will be in their day-to-day job. By teaching how to identify these pain points, your sales team will be able to put together useful pitches and make those sales.
4) General Business Skills
Some general business skills are required in order to be a successful medical sales rep. You need to be able to communicate professionally with your customers, as well as understand their business from their particular perspective. The more you know about business in general, the better off you’ll be when it comes to working with customers and making sales.
5) Important Medical Terminology
While medical sales reps might already know some important terminology, thanks to those biology, anatomy and physiology courses, there’s always more to learn. There may be specific terms used by people in a specific industry niche, like pharmaceuticals or biotech, that the sales reps need to know in order to understand the literature and speak to their customers.
By: MedReps