Nothing’s Personal
Sales reps who show office managers respect have an easier time earning it back. And that means never taking ‘No’ personally.
If you think dental office managers spend their time answering phones, you are right. But, only partly so. They also assist the dentist, handle insurance and billing issues, place orders, handle repairs and more.
The bottom line is, office managers are busy. They shoulder a lot of responsibility and their time is valuable, so sales reps should be considerate of their time, according to Tammie Moree, a Benco Dental sales rep. And, she should know. With 12 years of experience as a dental office manager, followed by five years of consulting work and, recently, experience as a dental sales rep, Moree has worked all sides. "I managed small general dental practices, as well as multi-practice offices with several associates and dental implant and oral surgery specialties," she says.
Eventually, a dentist called her for help with an office setup. He liked the job Moree did, and passed along her name to others, and before she knew it, Moree had her own dental consulting business. "It helps when you know all aspects of a dental practice," she explains. "Plus, I had the networking skills. And these are the things that count most to being a great sales rep," she says, noting that her decision to join the sales team at Benco Dental made perfect sense to her.
Show respect
"Sales reps should show respect for the office manager’s job," says Moree. "More often than not, when the rep comes in to talk to the manager, the dentist is tapping his or her foot and getting nervous about the time. The dentist wants the office manager back to work, especially in an office where the staff is well-paid." So, the last thing reps want to do is take up an hour or so of the office manager’s time, she adds.
That’s not to say office managers don’t enjoy working with sales reps. For Moree, her interaction with reps was a highlight of her job. "I valued the one-on-one relationship," she says. "I enjoyed learning about new products they brought to the table." In fact, she especially valued the education her reps provided, she points out. "As an office manager, I was in charge of doing the ordering for the practices I worked for. Then, when I moved into the consulting side of the business, I trained others to do the ordering." In both capacities, she counted on her sales reps to manage equipment repairs, and often met with them over lunch to discuss new products.
"The best thing a rep can do is to make the office manager feel important," Moree continues. "Reps should check in with the office manager to see that [his or her] needs are met. Bring a gift bag. If the office manager runs out of a product, provide quick service. Be a Johnny-on-the-spot." And, it certainly doesn’t hurt to become a great knowledge base for the office, she adds.
"Reps should truly understand what the office manager’s role in the office is," says Moree. If they knew all of the responsibilities office managers shoulder, "it would make them much more sensitive," she points out. Indeed, timing is everything. One of the biggest mistakes reps make is "being too pushy," she says. "They should never show up at the dental office five minutes before lunch or at the end of the day."
That said, even if they arrive at the office at a reasonable time, they shouldn’t take it personally if the office manager simply doesn’t have time to talk, she adds. "Sales reps should establish the best day and time to meet with their customers, and then be flexible, as this can change. [After all,] patients call with emergencies." As a sales rep, she always believes customers when they say they are too busy to talk. "Even when they tell me three times [in a row] that they’re busy, I believe them," she says. "I tell them, ‘Being busy is a good thing. I’ll come back later.’ It makes me that much more persistent."
Loving it
Making the transition from office manager/consultant to sales rep was a big step for Moree. "I was hesitant to make such a big change," she recalls. "At the time, I was helping a dentist open a practice. A sales rep friend approached me and asked if I would sell [dental products] for him. He suggested I try it on my days off."
As it turned out, this was the perfect move for her. "I love sales!" she says. "I’m a people person, and I know what I’m doing. I’m selling the products I was purchasing for 17 years. My background has definitely helped me work with office managers and dentists today." About 70 percent of the time, she deals directly with the office managers, she adds. The other 30 percent of the time, she works with dentists.
Becoming a great sales rep calls for excellent communication skills, a positive attitude, a thorough knowledge base and an understanding of/compassion for the customer, notes Moree. "Great sales reps need to be the type of people who are motivated to push ahead and never give up."
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