Brian Taylor
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Make this the Year
Welcome to 2010! For many, it is a signal of a fresh start after the dismal economic times that we have all endured.
With the New Year comes optimistic outlooks, new products and, of course, rosy sales forecasts! But what better way to start slaying those sales dragons than to make it your resolution to get better at your profession than you were last year.
Certainly there are a number of things working in your favor. First of all, if you are reading this, chances are good that you have a sales job which is a prerequisite for having a sales forecast to go after.
The second positive factor, in my opinion, relates to the impact that the election of Scott Brown to the Senate in January has had on the healthcare legislation that was making its way though Congress. It effectively stopped the bill that we read so much about over the past year, which among many other things would have included significant taxes on medical devices which would have certainly impacted manufacturers, distributors and dental professionals.
At press time we still don’t know what the administration’s response will be, but I think it is safe to assume that nothing as dramatic or far-reaching will be enacted in the next six to 12 months. It appears that jobs and the economy will be the immediate focus. Many suspect that this will include tax cuts and incentives for small businesses to hire. So for a while at least, we should be able to breathe a sigh of relief and focus on the task at hand – growing business.
But growth isn’t just going to happen. Many dentists have been shell shocked and are only now slowly peeking out from under cover. They should welcome the political news as favorable, so they should be in a more open-minded mood when listening to your advice on how to improve the health of their practices by growing their revenue or streamlining their work processes.
This will take some homework on your part by trying to increase your own industry and product knowledge. Maybe you focus on learning more about a certain specialty and the types of procedures and products commonly associated with that type of practice. Perhaps you can set a personal goal of becoming the territory expert on a certain product category with the aim of growing your share of business within your existing customer base.
One example of such a category might be EMR, which we cover in this issue (page 18). This is a new arena for most and one that can be quite confusing. Acquainting yourself with practice management software is certainly a benefit if you are one who believes that EMR is taking hold in a number of your accounts. It certainly increases your value to be able to advise your customers when questions arise.
Maybe this is your year to improve at prospecting for equipment leads and sales. Make it a project to grow more knowledgeable in a specific area and take time to improve your sales presentation skills. Communicating the knowledge and value you bring to the customer is just as important as the knowledge itself.
Make 2010 the year that you follow through with your New Year’s resolution. It will make the year fly by!
Great selling!
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