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Continuing the convo I started last week and continued yesterday, let’s get 100% clear what it means to “sell” in the context of elective treatments.

When you hear me say “Sell your treatments” or “Sell the heck out of it” I do NOT mean that you should be like a used car salesman using every trick and tactic to get prospective patients to buy. Why?

1. You don’t need to. 2. That approach doesn’t work anymore. 3. There are way more effective ways to convey value and present a buying decision.

Are we clear on this? We don’t hard sell. We don’t teach our clients to hard sell. We don’t recommend you hard sell. You don’t need to hard sell.

“Sales” is the short-hand term we use to describe the process of helping a patient make the decision that’s right for them, even if (especially when) it’s outside of their comfort zone.

If you don’t like the word “sales” that’s ok. I get it, it’s a loaded term with baggage. But don’t let that hold you back from embracing what “sales” (or whatever you want to call it) can do for your practice.

Swap out “sales” if you want. Call it “communications” for a minute.

(Which I may like even more. Here’s why…)

You might think of “selling” as something you’re either doing or not doing. Like you can turn it on or turn it off.

And you might think of “selling” as something that’s done only by “sales people” – your schedulers or counselors.

But when I say “communication”…

There’s no off switch to communication. You are always communicating something… in some way… to someone.

If I walk in the house, give my wife a big hug and kiss, and ask her how her afternoon has been… I’ve communicated with her.

If I walk in the house, completely ignore her, and go straight into my office… I’ve also communicated with her!

 

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Same thing goes in your practice, when you and your team are communicating with prospects, patients or even other team members.

Your words (that you say or don’t say), your cadence, your facial expression, the speed of your voice, your body language…

Everything is communication. The question becomes “Is your team communicating the value of your practice in a clear way that differentiates you and helps your prospects make the right decision for them?”

In a nutshell, that is the question we address in our “sales” training. And as you can see, this requires so much more than your standard “sales processes” and “sales people” to be successful.

Which is why at first, clients come in wanting us to coach their sales teams. Then we show them this value-focused communication style we teach, and they want to enroll their entire patient-facing team in the bootcamp (techs, navigators, doctors, etc.). Makes perfect sense.

Sales coaching. Value Communication Training. Call it whatever you want, but it’s a requirement. That is if you’d like a busy, growing practice, premium priced procedures and most importantly, a team that has 100% clarity and belief that you are the best practice in the world.

You know you’re the best. But if your team cannot clearly communicate this to your prospects, you have an expensive problem that needs to get fixed asap.

That’s all I have for you today. Make it a great Wednesday!

 – Troy “Communicate” Cole

Taking today to follow-up on last week’s sales-related essay, which elicited some interesting responses. (If you missed it, check it out here)

I even had someone reply, “I don’t think I’ve ever disagreed with and agreed with someone so much at the same time!”

(Which is great, nuanced feedback btw!)

Let’s dig a deeper into the topic of “sales” and one area of last week’s essay where I could have been more clear in the message.

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At one point I addressed the question, “If you have the cure for cancer, how hard would you ‘sell’ to help a terminal cancer patient choose the treatment?”

And I basically said… you’d sell the heck out of the cure. A couple folks replied along the lines of “Well yeah, but a lot of what we’re doing on the elective side isn’t medically necessary. So it’s not the same.”

Agreed. But look at the cancer example again from a practical standpoint. What would you actually do if you were treating a terminal cancer patient, and you had the cure?

You likely would NOT just say, “Here’s the info on the cure. Let me know what you want to do.”

But on the flip side, you probably wouldn’t (or shouldn’t?) say, “You have to do this! Oh my gosh this is the best thing. YOU must get started right NOW.”

Neither of those are awful responses. But neither of these responses serve the patient at the highest level.

So what is the right way to “sell” in that situation? Or even in a situation where a procedure isn’t medically necessary, like LASIK or a Mommy Makeover?

What we teach (and what you probably naturally do) is:

1. ASK – Start by asking questions. Figure out what the patient actually wants and needs and why.
2. PROCESS – In this case, you weigh their answers against the risks of having the treatment.
3. RECOMMEND – And finally – based on your knowledge of your treatments and the patient – you will make your professional recommendation. And you’ll frame your presentation in way that the patient can understand and is useful to their decision making process.

Now, you might call that selling. You might call that communicating. You might call that informing.

Whatever you call it, this is how you help the patient to make the decision that’s right for them. (The #1 Rule of Modern Sales)

And each member of your team has their own version of this process that they need to go through during the part of the Patient Journey they’re responsible for.

But if your entire team doesn’t know how to do this (which most don’t, in our experience), then you are losing prospective patients. Daily.

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I hope this adds more color to the ways you can think about the “sales process.”

And if not, let me know. Happy to clarify further.

Curious – Do you agree with our approach, or do you think I’m totally off-base?

• Troy “Sales or Whatever You Wanna Call It” Cole

Recently a practice told me “We don’t like the S word – Sales. We don’t believe in selling, and we don’t use that word here.”

Yeah, OK.

They wanted to talk to me because their surgery numbers were 20% of what they should have been for a practice of their size, longevity and surgical experience.

Do you think their negative attitude toward selling has something to do with their weak surgery volume? If so… you would be correct.

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Show me a highly successful elective/refractive practice that has an anti-sales culture. They’re few and far between, if they even exist at all.

Here’s the thing…

Most people think they’re against sales… when really they’re just scared of sales. It stems from a lack of confidence in their skills, in their technology, in their ability to help people or in their ability to communicate your value.

“We shouldn’t be selling anything. People should come to their conclusions on their own.”

Oh really? Did you say the same thing about masks? About the vaccine?

Maybe you did. And kudos if so. But most people (when being honest) were all about selling/persuading/influencing others on these topics.

And if you had the cure for cancer, but a terminal patient was skeptical… hesitant… didn’t understand…

Would you throw up your hands and say, “Well, when they decide for themselves, then we’ll help them!”

No. Of course not. You’re gonna sell the heck out of that cancer cure to save your patient’s life.

So this idea that “there’s no place in medicine for sales” is ridiculous. And it’s time to get over it and look at sales for what it actually is…

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Sales is simply helping people make the decision that’s right for them. That’s the whole game.

Which means educating people. Leading them. Empowering them. Getting them out of their own way.

Your patients are required to make a new, difficult decision when they trust you with their treatment. Not only does this require you to walk through a sales process with them… it’s actually your moral obligation to do so.

If they aren’t sold on your practice, your tech, your skills, your premium price point… they won’t move forward. Which means they don’t better themselves. They’re stuck in a life of mediocrity and restrictions. All because you don’t want to sell?

Enough’s enough.

If you’re in the pro-sales camp, keep up the great work. You will get the lion’s share of patients if you’re doing it the right way.

If you’re not into sales, or you have an anti-sales philosophy, I respectfully request you take a critical look at your position. Sales does not have to be this sleazy, hardcore, off-putting thing.

In fact in our E3 training programs, we teach exactly the opposite of the typical “used car salesman” vibe that’s stuck in so many people’s heads. We show your team the persuasive ways to Educate, Exhibit Authority, Empower Patients. Does that sound so bad?

Of course not. I venture to guess these 3 core principles are completely in line with your values. And the process works like gangbusters when implemented in the proper way.

Do the 3 Es and you’re off to the races. And if you’re not sure where to start, or you want expert guidance on the process, shoot me a message.

Now get out there and sell a life-changing treatment to someone today.

 – Troy “Sales is Good” Cole