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?
- 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