As I move further into the world of bio-tech, life sciences and big Pharma, I’m realizing what a good job hospitality has done training their sales associates.
Life sciences (financial services, insurance, software and security, too) seem a lot less hospitable.
Maybe because it really is brain surgery or at least the drugs and support that help you recover from same.
But showing care, compassion, building excitement and making next steps frictionless are simple, smart steps for anyone – everyone! – requiring results.
Being persuasive is aligning your message/need with what matters to them. That isn’t brain surgery.
Yet, one regional manager intended to “inspire” sellers to use a particular process. Except his email was filled with fear and demands instead of positivity, personalization and motivation to improve performance.
A seller emailed a prospective prescriber writing, “All I need is a quick 10 minutes” but gave absolutely no reason for that prescriber to take even that amount of time to meet, other than the sales rep’s need.
And what the heck is “a quick 10 minutes” anyway? Are we working the theory of relativity here? (“Put your hand on a hot stove for a minute, and it seems like an hour. Sit with a pretty girl for an hour, and it seems like a minute. That’s relativity!”)
How you say what you say matters.
Do you motivate your teams based on fear or focus?
Do you influence based on brain-friendly tools of persuasion or “because I said so!”?
Do you sell based on what you want and need instead of what helps the buyer?
Do you engage with authenticity or desperation?
Do you only transact or do you elevate?
Being hospitable means helping the other person feel comfortable and confident fulfilling your request. It means providing a warm, friendly, welcoming feeling.
And it starts with the next email you write….
BONUS
Whether communicating internally or externally, your job is to persuade/motivate/inspire your recipient to do what you want her to do in a positively authentic way.
The most efficient way of accomplishing something doesn’t make it the most effective, and the last thing anyone needs today is more fear and stress.
Reread your last email. How hospitable was it?
Before you go…Looking for practical, specific ideas to position your team for success when recovery comes? Sue provides engaging, fully customized virtual training that will energize your team – and their sales results.
To learn more about virtual training possibilities custom fit to your needs, please email Sue@SpeakerSue.com or call (+1-480-575-9711). Your team will thank you for giving them the tools they need now.
PS. What comments, ideas or stories do you have to add to today’s post? You can do me a huge favor by adding your insights and comments, or forwarding the post. Thanks for your help!