Notes on a Previous Blog

Last Monday, June 9th, I had an entry about body language and that it is really hard to miss the message that a customer sends by looking at a clock or a watch.

A nurse practitioner called me to provide some input about the almost total lack of appreciation of her and her staff's time by pharmaceutical reps. It seems that most of the reps pop into this office unannounced and don't hesitate to stand in the hall, in the way until somebody on the staff signs a "call sheet" to prove that the offending salesperson has in fact had their body in the office of this particular practice. This practitioner said that those salespeople have been told that this form of "selling" is not appreciated and these pharm reps do not get many, if any, orders or prescriptions placed.

However, there are a few that call in advance and generally stop in before the day fills up with patients. One rep would frequently bring fruit parfaits for the whole office early in the morning and was very respectful of the medical offices' time.

This case study of what not to do allows once again for this to be said; It is imperative to build a relationship with your clients. Part of this requires respect for the client and the amount of time the client can afford to give. DON'T think that now is the time to tell everything you know out of fear that you'll never be seen again. Be succinct. Be factual. If the client wants to talk more, take all the time that is given and listen. By knowing what is important to the client, the next time you call for an appointment you'll be able to hit the hot buttons thus have time allotted to you.