Sales.

That one word by itself can conjure a vast array of feelings. For most of us, those feelings are negative. The USMLE Step 1 [option 2: “having a personal life during Med school”] can seem easy in comparison to selling yourself to your patients. If you cannot sell yourself to your patients, who can? How will they find you?

The biggest myth in the sales world is the idea that “a product will sale itself.” You can not fall into the trap of thinking that all you must do is provide top notch service and sit back and watch your customers storm the doors of your practice.

Watch the teacher become the student as J.R. appears on the show Unblinded. J.R. joins a competition program where he faces off against John Baker, but the real opponent is himself as the ultimate goal of this is self-improvement. You can think of Unblinded as a masterclass series by Sean Callagy as he tries to help you learn to bring someone from awareness of your product to saying “yes” they need your product.

 

For some, bedside manner can be very difficult to master. It is a skill that can be learned, refined, and constantly made better by practice. The same is true with sales. There are certain goals or steps to keep in mind when talking to a potential customer for the first time.

To break down the ideas explored in this video into the most basic concepts, you want to establish two parts to a sales pitch. These two parts do not need to be timed, though in this video for the competition part, they are! The first step to master is to become a master at listening. Your potential customer is coming to you because they need something. It is up to you to figure out exactly what they need. You want to strive to make a connection, EVEN IF THAT MEANS REFERRING THEM TO SOMEONE ELSE! If you determine that you are not in the best position to help someone and you refer them to someone who can, you have made the strongest possible connection you can make. That customer will trust you.

In this video, J.R. starts off simply by asking what the problem is. This is a simple, direct approach that will get the conversation started. As the customer explains his or her situation, you want to ask follow up questions to make sure you fully understand their previous experiences, what made them unhappy with their previous experiences because this will clue you in on what service you need to provide to exceed their expectation.

J.R. then asks where she (the customer in the video) wants to be a year from now. This question, or one similar, is important because it provides a long-term goal, so you both can get an understanding of what you are working towards. It also helps establish the idea that there usually is not an over night cure. A truly integrated health plan will be a life style commitment that can result in attaining immediate goals but will also focus on the long term positive impact that can be attained.

By the end of the first phase you should have been able to listen to the customer and together identify the problem and the long-term goal to reach. Now you have something at stake for both of you.

The second part of sales is getting the “yes” by establishing the fact that they need your service. With the knowledge of their problem and their long term goal, you can now tell them how you can help them achieve their vision. In this video, J.R. lays out the broad overview of his plan for how he would approach this customer.

The word sales can conjure up all kinds of negative feelings, but the activity of selling is not inherently bad or evil. You set the tone for your sales strategy by your own values. If you are truly an honest and moral person, your sales will be filled with integrity and trust. Your sales department is a reflection of your own character. You can make it be whatever you want it to be.

Watch the video to compare J.R.’s technique to John Baker’s technique. You will gain a lot of insight into your own methods by watching others. You will want to have a notebook with you as you watch the video as they both get some amazing feedback from some guest judges that will likely benefit you as well.

To learn more about Sean and the Unblinded movement check out www.unblindedmastery.com