Disciplined Time Management Drives Your 2011 Marketing Plan
Discipline on the “sales side” involves two significant issues: time management and playing the numbers game. Time management is the essence of effective sales. It’s mathematical: carve out 20% more time for sales and your numbers go up by 20% or more. Monitor your time allocation through the maintenance of honest weekly time sheets. Do not drift away from this commitment; keep your timesheets going through both good times and bad, look for shortfalls on …
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November 2010
Just Say ‘No’ to Cold Calls
In sales, the term “cold call” may mean different things to different people. I define a cold call as an unannounced visit to a prospect company, whether the intention is to seek an unscheduled meeting or to drop off literature and/or gifts. I do not consider an initial telephone call a cold call, presuming it follows an introductory letter and/or email correspondence advising the prospect of the impending call.
Read MoreUnderstanding the True Value of the Occupational Health Product
Your clinic needs to sell occupational health services based on their perceived value to the buyer. Hence, you must learn to assess each buyer’s perception of what constitutes value to them before discussing your services. Traditionally, such an assessment is done through the use of astute questioning (e.g., “What is most important to you in selecting an external provider of occupational health services?”). Once you have an understanding of what motivates the prospective buyer, only …
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June 2010
Turning Rejection Into Opportunity
A quarter of a century ago, a former colleague of mine who specialized in stress management told me that everyone experiences stress; what matters is how one manages it. Analogous advice would seem to apply to sales: “Every sales professional experiences rejection. What matters is how they manage that rejection.” This month’s column features a plan for learning how to live with rejection, and turning it to your advantage.
Read MoreExceptional Relationships Lead to Exceptional Sales
May 2010
SellingWellness Services to Employers
Somewhere between the episodic nature of the typical urgent care visit and the steady relationship between patient and primary provider lies a need for employers—your occupational medicine customers and prospects—to support the health of their employees. This need may be especially great with many companies having trimmed their workforces; fewer employees doing more work than ever before means there is real economic value in keeping those workers well and on the job.
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