The Annual Sales Meeting Part II

(This is an older post that many people missed about the Annual Sales Meeting.  The first one is extremely popular, but I actually think this one is just as humorous.  Enjoy!)

I haven't posted anything for a while but it's weird I've actually been out selling products! Isn't that amazing? Heh we all gotta pay the mortgage, or in some cases we gotta pay the mortgage, the car payment, tuition, food, groceries, etc. You get the idea.

Well to continue on with the National Sales Meeting Part II... after speaking to a few fellow reps, I found that these people are pretty much "staples" at sales meetings as well:

Weight Lifter Guy - It seems there's always one over bloated, or "swoll" guy at a National Sales Meeting. He talks about how much he can bench press and he's always eating Clif Bars, and snacking on anything with protein in it. He wants to maintain his "adverse reaction to a bee sting" like appearances for the ladies to admire. I think the problem is that most ladies don't admire this look...and so nothing ever happens for this dude. Whether he's single and wants to mingle or married, he's usually at the gym, or consoling himself with protein shakes, but most of the time he's by himself because people don't wanna hear how much you can squat. (I apologize for the assumed disgusting image now in your head)

The "I Was Robbed!" Salesperson - Each year there's always a sales rep, be it a man or woman, who thinks they got robbed for an award. You hear them complaining before, during, and after the awards ceremony. They bitch continuously and it really is annoying. "Well I had more growth in my territory than she did! Where's my award?", or they say things like, "Technically, his boss gave him that last account in November, but I was leading the whole year so I think I should get the award."

Hey loser. I have news for you - YOU LOST. GET OVER IT! I love winning just as much as Charlie Sheen but give me a break with the drunken lament. You didn't win an award, so friggin what? Who cares, there's always next year. Stop whining and start winning. By the end of the night after a few beers you feel like punching this person in the head just to shut them up.

The "Snitch" - There is always one sales rep at meetings who is like Cindy Brady and turns in everybody. He/She is listening in on conversations, spying on reps who are "hooking up", and reporting back to her manager all the things happening that are not in line with corporate policy. They also try to draw you into their little web by throwing out phrases like, "Did you hear what Rob said about Joe our CEO?....Do you agree with what he said? Joe can be a pain sometimes?"

Oh no you don't traitor...don't try to draw me into your little game. This person is like the "paparazzi" of the meeting too. They have a camera and are taking pictures of people getting far too drunk and then showing them the next morning to managers. They have a few drinks, talk shit, and generally don't know how to have a good time. They're too obsessed with their careers to actually enjoy life.

Strip Club Guys - These guys you won't see at every sales meeting because at times they're extremely covert and they don't want to get fired. But they are there, lurking in the shadows. They usually wait til everyone else has gone to bed and then they hit you up and see if you wanna go to a strip club. Or secretly they already checked online to see where the closest club is located. They're well organized and secretive because they don't want to get caught.

Believe me there are a lot of these reps, bosses, and even managers at National Meetings. They're usually married, or in some type of repressive relationship and the only time they get to see a "different" woman naked is at a strip club. And if you ever go out with them, they go absolutely crazy! They rubbed their faces in the girls chests, get lap dances for hours, and spend all their hard earned commissions getting all worked up over a woman they can't have. My favorite line ever from a fellow rep who coaxed me in to going out to eat and then an hour later we're at a strip club is this, "I think this girl really likes me?"

My response, "She's a stripper you ass. She's supposed to make you think she likes you. If you bought me drinks all night and stuffed money in my pants I'd give you a lap dance too. "

The Smart Sales Rep - Oddly enough these reps are in the minority at National Sales Meetings. They're the "goody-goody" reps. The reps who don't drink, don't smoke, and really don't even socialize. They write down everything, keep to themselves, say all the customary things, and don't leave their hotel rooms at night. They usually are responsible, call they're wife/husband and kids, and go to bed early so they can study for the next day's material. They're genuine and really good people. I usually find that I admire their focus and determination, but I also find them to be extremely BORING. Conversations with these reps usually put me to sleep and I find that most of they're jokes and humor come from kid shows like "Sponge Bob Square Pants" or they sing "Wiggles" songs.

"Wow, did you just quote Ernie from Sesame Street?"

These reps need to get out and live a little. It'd do them some good.

-M

Suckcessories from Qyoda: LEADERSHIP

LEADERSHIP:

To be able to lead others, one must be willing to take all the credit alone, lay all the blame on everyone else, and kiss a lot of butt...no matter how big. 

Doctor/Customer Profiles: Dr. Spock

Dr. Spock - I'm not referencing the famous baby doctor but rather the character from the "Star Trek" TV series.  These doctors are just like the famous Spock from television in that they seem to show no emotion and have no response to ANYTHING YOU SAY!  You could say that your drug, device, service, cures cancer and they will give you a flippant, "really..." , and then show you a raised eyebrow.  Dr. Spock is difficult to deal with because he/she seems to be nothing like you.  They are not that sociable, seem to hate people, and if their patient dies, their usual response is, "Well there goes my trip to Europe", or "Geez, they lasted longer than I thought they would".  Dr. Spock is not a very warm and fuzzy person.

In terms of personality types, Dr. Spock is what most people characterize as analytical.   They are thoughtful, always want to see the numbers, and they never rush to make decisions.  In fact, they'll take months to convince even when the evidence is overwhelming.  Even when selecting a restaurant or going on vacation they research everything before they make a decision.

If you have read a great deal on personality types, and subscribe to the "Under The Sea" analysis that some people use, they are an urchin, or an owl.  Who thinks up these ridiculous animal comparisons?  An urchin?  Really? I would hate for some person to classify me as an urchin.

Dr. Spock is not a person you want to have a beer with and talk sports, more than likely he/she will be characterized by these qualities:

• A collection of classic comic books, action figures, or baseball cards will be in his or her office.  (Yes women do collect that stuff nowadays)
• He/She will be more excited about a new article in the New England Journal of Medicine than the birth of a his/her nephew or niece.  "Ah it's my sister's third kid.  I hope this is the last one. Did you read that article on respiratory therapies..."
• Dr. Spock will be obsessed with you providing some type of clinical evidence for your product.  They need to see the numbers.  And even then, MAYBE they'll try it out...maybe.
• He/she could suffer from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.  If they won't shake your hand or they are constantly fidgeting with stuff on their desk, or they have a GIANT bottle of hand sanitizer in each room.  Which they use two and sometimes three times in a row,  even when they haven't touched a thing, chances are they have a problem or multiple problems. 
• Dr. Spock is extremely difficult to read.  Like a book written in Braille, that's how difficult he/she is to read.  You can never tell what they're thinking because they show no emotion, except maybe disdain for your existence.
• He/she is fascinated by the facts.  Just the facts.
• Snow Miser is the their favorite Christmas character because they have the personality of an ice cube. (No, not the famous rapper)

So how do you deal with this type of doctor/customer?  It's really not that simple.   They take a long time to get to know, but like all prospects you have to mirror their personality.  If they are low key, you need to be just as low key.  Don't get in their face. Dr. Spock will give you the Vulcan Death Grip if you get in his/her face.  In fact, they might even give you a boot to the ass.

I can remember a few years ago, where I had an attending physician who was a woman, and who fit the profile of a Dr. Spock.  She really seemed to be a non emotional, very tightly wound person.  And when I was first introduced to her, she said to a fellow doctor, "I wonder how long this one is gonna last?  He doesn't look very bright."
"Thank you doctor.  I'm pleased to meet you too.", I responded and offered my hand which she did not shake.
"Oh and he's a smart ass too.", she said and walked away.

What a great first impression I had made upon her.  Not only did she not like me, but she also thought I looked stupid.  How was I going to melt the Ice Queen, and get her interested in my products?  She was very influential in the hospital and so I needed to find out more about her, in order to make an impression.  I spoke to all the nurses on the floor and coincidentally, they also referred to her as the Ice Queen.  The nurses informed me that in order for me to make an impression I had to "know my shit".  In other words, I needed to be just as fluent in her specialty so that she wouldn't embarrass me and dismiss me as another stupid rep.  So I studied, and reviewed articles and brought them to her, which she subsequently would interrogate me and test my knowledge on the subject.  It was a little scary, but I passed and eventually she started to warm up a bit. However she still wasn't using my product.

Then one day, I had a break through and it had nothing to do with medicine.  In the elevator, they were playing classical music for some reason and she happened to get into the elevator with me.  We had to go up to the 7th floor so I thought I would be polite.  I was not going to deliver a sales pitch, but be polite.

"Hello, good morning doctor.", I said.
"Good morning." , she responded and just stared straight ahead.  Typical. I heard the music and recognized it immediately from when I was a kid.
"Dvorak's 5th symphony.  I remember trying to play this when I was little."
She turned and said "What? Are you being serious?", as if she were incredulous or I had offended her.
"Yes I'm being serious.  8 years of violin lessons. ", and I was being serious. My parents had offered to give me lessons, and then forced me to take lessons, and then eventually I ended up losing interest in the violin altogether.
" Me too.  12 years.  Are you being honest with me?  You're not making that up?"
"Why would I make that up?" , I answered and the elevator stopped on the fourth floor.   Thank god.
" I don't know.  Maybe because I've never been very nice to you.  But you are persistent."
" More like a pain in the ass.", I said and laughed.
" Well mister pain in the ass, good to know we have something in common." She was quiet for a few seconds and then she asked, "Were you any good?"
" Second chair.  I imagine you were first."
" Yes I was.  How did you know?"
" You strike me as an over achiever.", I said and for the first time I heard her actually LAUGH.  And this time not at me, but with me. Just then the elevator stopped on the 7th floor.
" Come with me, mister pain in the ass, let's talk about this patient I have.", she said and she got off, and  I followed.  We stopped outside a patient's room.
" Believe it or not, I've been listening to what you've been saying and I want to try your product on this patient.  What we've been doing so far hasn't worked.", she said.
" Okay.  But I don't want you to give me a train wreck of a patient where I know it won't work.  What's his condition?"
" Oh wait.  Who's the doctor here?", she said, but she did it in a joking manner, which was good.  The barrier was now down.
" I just don't want you to try it for the first time and it not work and then you'll never give me another chance. Can we just review his condition to see if we've got a shot at healing him with my product."
"Fair enough.", she said and we went over every aspect of the patient's current condition and decided it might be worth a try.

She ended up using the product, liking it because it worked on the patient, and she became a big advocate for me in the hospital.  In fact, she was one of the main reasons it became one of my largest accounts.  Why?  Because I didn't give up, and I found something we had in common.  Despite, her steely demeanor, we shared a common childhood memory, and it worked to establish a relationship.  And in the process, it turned out she was not all Dr. Spock and she truly had a good sense of humor.  But I would never have found out, if I hadn't stuck to the facts, been persistent, and seized the opportunity.

It also helped to be taught/tortured with violin lessons as a child.

Keep in mind you don't have to have violin lessons to work with a Dr. Spock.  But you must do the following:

• Mirror their personality.- If they are subdued then you must be subdued.  Don't be a cheesy used car salesman.  
• Stick to the facts. -Doctors/Customers like this tend to focus on statistics.  
• Be persistent. -They will shut you down many times, but stay visible and accessible.
• Find something in common - Whether it's Dungeon and Dragons, or "The 40 Year Old Virgin", find something you can relate to them on a more personal level.
• Seize The Day - Carpe diem, is not just a quote from the movie "The Dead Poet's Society".  You rarely get an opportunity with these types of people so seize the moment.

More doctors/customer types to come.  Have a great day selling!

-M

Doctor/Customer Profiles: Dr. Shady

It's funny with all the changes in health care and the implications of AdvaMed, you think that all doctors would try to be ethical in their dealings with sales reps.  WRONG!  There are still doctors out there who think the rules don't apply to them, and they will ask you do something unethical in order to win their business.  These are the health care professionals whom I refer to as a Dr. Shady.  They are older, usually have been given a lot of free shit by pharma reps, medical device reps, manufacturer reps, and they expect the "gravy train" to keep on chugging along.  They kinda make me sick.

First of all, these assholes already make a lot of money, but they also have these little scary "side businesses" that they deal in, like they own a home health agency, or a nursing home.  Dr. Shady always knows how to best work the Medicare system to his/her advantage, and they take full advantage of the perks provided by Medicare.  In fact, they actively find the loops in the system and work them for more money.  I once had a Dr. Shady who kept applying the same skin graph to a patient because he made money on the reimbursement for not only the procedure but the product itself.   He even had his office manager set up a fake Durable Medical Equipment company so he could sell products to his patients.  Dr. Shady is what someone might call "sketchy".  In other words, everything he does walks a fine line between legal and illegal, and most of the time his work falls on the unethical side of the health care professional conduct line.

Dr. Shady has many of the following characteristics:

• He/she works in the ghetto but lives in Beverly Hills, because the rent is lower, and the patients don't complain, or in some cases they can't complain because they are illegal immigrants.
• He/she always asks for free samples.  Even when they have a closet full of shit.
• If you offer a free lunch for an in service with his/her staff, he/she will never say "no".  He/she is cheap and won't buy his/her staff lunch, but if you buy them lunch guaranteed he/she will take the credit for it.
• Dr Shady will always ask for a dinner for the staff and their spouses on you. Even though it's not an educational dinner and it's against AdvaMed guidelines to pay for it, Dr. Shady will respond, "Well the other rep from your competitor offered to do one, but I guess it's up to you."
• Dr. Shady is always being paid "under the table" for something.  Whether it's to order products from a certain manufacturer, to testify in court as an expert witness, or send patients to a particular nursing home or home health agency.  Kickbacks are routine for Dr. Shady.
• For some reason they even look a bit disheveled, as if they just rolled out of bed.  Most male versions of Dr. Shady traditionally sport the Albert Einstein haircut, or a greasy haired almost vampire look for some others.  One of my docs, looked like he was going to drain your blood,  instead of treat you. 
• They respond well to gifts, even though you're not supposed to provide any gifts except educational ones.  Still they expect something. 
• Dr. Shady will always look with fond memories of the old days when they consistently received free stuff. 
• Dr. Shady will never give you a straight answer.  
• Dr. Shady is cheap, cheap, cheap.  He/she would ask a homeless person for money.

A couple years back, I went into one of the largest clinics in East Los Angeles to work with a doctor who previously had ordered a lot of my company's product.   The orders had slowed down considerably when I was assigned to the territory.  I did an in service, meaning I demonstrated our product,  fed the staff lunch and the doctor never once observed the in service.  Instead he came by after I was finished and decided to grab some food.  I saw that as an opportunity to try and find out why the orders had dried up.

"Hi Dr. Freebie.  I haven't met you yet, I'm M, and I'm the new rep in the territory.", I said and extended my hand for him to shake.

"Hello M.  Please to meet you, don't my the bandage on my hand, just a mild case of scurvy.", he said and he shook my hand.  I laughed because I thought he was joking about the scurvy.

"You're not serious are you?  Scurvy?" I could see he was not laughing,and looked very serious. But who get's scurvy?  I only heard of someone getting scurvy on boat trips or treks across Antarctica.  How the hell does a doctor get scurvy?

" I don't understand.  What's so funny? You never met anyone with scurvy before? "

" I apologize doctor if I insulted you, but no I haven't met anyone with scurvy before.  I'm sorry."

" Well I just don't like fruit and I've always had this vitamin C deficiency ever since I was a kid. "

"  Really, I'm sorry to hear that.  I hope it's not too bad.", I muttered, feeling embarrassed and wishing I could leave the office at that moment.

" It's not that bad really.  And it's not scurvy, I was just messing with you.  I cut my hand in the kitchen last week washing a wine glass.  It broke in my hand." he said loudly and was laughing the whole time.   "Man you are gullible.  Who the hell get's scurvy nowadays?  Who am I?  Earnest Shackleton?"  He got a big kick out of that joke. I however didn't really like the joke too much since it was on me.

"Good one doc. Very funny.", I said, and I chuckled a bit.

"Man I can't believe you fell for that!  That was really funny.  Well, thanks for coming in and buying my girls lunch.  I really appreciate it."

" No problem.  Happy to oblige.  I noticed that you didn't catch any of my presentation.  Did you want me to go over some stuff with you?"

" No.  I order a lot of your product.  I know what it does for my patients.  It's very good stuff, and the reimbursement is a amazing."

" Oh so you like it.  Well that's good.  And I noticed you DID order a lot of my product.  But you don't anymore why's that Doc?"

" It must be the other docs on my staff who aren't ordering.  Maybe you should do another in service for just the other doctors on my staff."

I saw this as viable opportunity and I was excited.  All I had to do was in service his other doctors and soon the order would start rolling in for me.  I jumped at the chance to answer him, "Really?  I would love to do an in service for the other doctors.  When do you think we can do it?"

" How about next Friday?  At Ruth's Chris Steak House?  I'll have the docs come and bring their spouses. What do you say?", he said and then smiled.  A big, toothy, all knowing smile.  As if to say, "Yes I just asked you to do something illegal.  So what?"

"Doctor, I'm afraid I can't do that.  Isn't it against AdvaMed guidelines?"

"Did you see that pretty rep from Eli Lilly who just left?"

" Yes I did.", and I did notice her right away.  She was like a lot of new pharma reps; young, attractive, flirtatious, and wearing a skirt that was so tight she could barely move her legs to walk in her 6 inch heels.  She even flirted with me on several occasions, just to see if I was her competition, which I wasn't.  Thank god. 

"She did one for me last week.  We didn't have any issues.  We do it all the time.  I can have 6 doctors there with their spouses and it'll take just a few hours. I'll pay for half the drinks."

Now he was throwing alcohol into the mix, which is also against AdvaMed guidelines.  I was not about to go down that road with him.

"I can't do that unless I have a guest speaker which I don't have at the moment, and I definitely can't pay for everyone's spouse.  I would get fired."

"Oh please.  You ARE a new rep.  Everyone does it.  Well if you want those docs to order then you might want to think about it.  You got any samples for me today, or are we done here?", now he most definitely was pissed.  I suppose I had insulted his character, or really the lack of character he displayed.  

" I have a few samples for you which I need you to just sign for and then I'm out of here.  Sorry to waste your time."

" It wasn't a waste of time.  My staff got a free lunch. Thanks for the samples, and have a good day.", he said flippantly, and then walked away down the hallway and disappeared into one of the rooms.  

I had a feeling that was the last time I would be doing an in service for Dr. Freebie and his staff.  And I was right, he never took my calls, never allowed another in service, and basically stopped ordering our product altogether.  At first I thought to myself that I had blown a huge opportunity, and I should have taken him up on his offer.  I was pretty distraught about the whole thing.  It was one of the largest clinics in my territory, and they weren't ordering my product.  It looked bad on my resume.  In fact I was so distraught I called my boss to ask for his advice.

"Hey Tim.  Listen I need your advice about one of my accounts.  He used to order a lot from us, but now he doesn't order at all.  I think I pissed him off."

" What doc?"

"Dr. Freebie.  He used to order a lot of product and then the orders went down, so I went to see him and now the well is dry.  No orders."

"Let me guess.  You met with him, he asked for a dinner for him and his docs and you turned him down.  Am I right?"

" Yeah, that's right. He was asking for all this questionable shit.  How did you know?"

" The reason you're in that position M is because the last rep didn't turn him down, and got their ass fired.  So you did the right thing.  Fuck that guy.  There's plenty of doctors out there who don't ask for free stuff.  Focus on them and you'll be fine."

Sound advice from a good manager.   Refuse Dr. Shady and he'll/she'll be annoyed, but oblige their requests and you'll be unemployed.   Have a great day selling!

-M

Doctor/Customer Profiles: Doctor Nice

We have all dealt with different types of personalities.  If you're selling auto parts you deal with douche bag owners who want to save a nickel on everything.  They're easy to read, all they give a damn about is price,  or if you're selling restaurant supplies, you deal with grumpy owners who think everyone is trying to rip them off.  Again, no problem figuring these people out, you save them a few cents and they're happy. And if you're in health care, it's the doctors who can be a major problem...,or an opportunity. The docs know they wield some power, so they often try to let you know,"who's your daddy/mommy". In the next few posts, I'll analyze each doctor/customer type I've encountered in last 15 years of selling:

1. Doctor Nice - What I find amusing is that personally I like these types of people, but speaking on a professional basis, they're so hard to deal with, because they want to make everyone happy.  If you were analyzing personality types they would be called amiable, sociable, or whatever the label, but to me they can be as much of a pain in the ass, as a Doctor Dickhead.  Dr. Nice lives in an altered reality of the shows "The Bachelor" and "The Bachelorette". Where everyone is trying to get their attention and they want to be nice to everyone, and see where the relationship goes.  That's wonderful for them, but all you really wish for is Dr. Nice to make up their damn mind and pick YOU! And only you of course. You don't want to be part of a polygamist cult, or something strange like "Sister Wives".

Generally these doctors will be very sociable, because this is the type of person that they are. They have awesome bedside manner, and can speak to you about anything from sports, to fashion, to cardiac catheters.  They want to be loved by everyone, and this is the problem.  You want them to tell you "there can only be one", but it's not gonna happen...sorry!  When I encounter a Dr. Nice, I usually talk about everything but my product, and try to develop a stronger relationship than the other reps whom I am competing with for the doctor's attention.  In fact, it's almost like I am on "The Bachelorette", because I feel like I only have so much time to get this doctor to "love" my product.

Most of the time these doctors are so great, that they have some other cause which they support that you can get behind as a rep.  Maybe it's Make A Wish Foundation, or Animal Shelters, or Save A Limb, but you need to work on fostering a more personal relationship with them in order to secure more business.  It's not like the old days when you could literally "buy" a doctors business, we have to be more involved with the doctors personally, in order to win them over.

Here are some characteristics of a Dr. Nice:

• Extremely amiable, will see you most of the time, even when they are busy.
• Pictures all over the walls of their hobbies, their interests, their families, and their accomplishments.
• Sociable with all reps, in fact they introduce you to the competition if you run into them in the hallway.  
• They have "Rodney King tendencies", meaning they want everyone to get along.
• Most of the time they have a cause they support, be it a cancer foundation, save the rain forest, feed the children, etc.
• They want you to like them. No they want you to love them.  They need acceptance from EVERYONE.
• They're "wish washy".  They will tell you they like your product so they don't hurt your feelings and then they'll order someone else's.
• They act like a 23 year old bachelor.  They can't commit  to anyone. 

Last year, I had a Dr. Nice in one of my clinics and I asked him point blank, "Doc, why are you not using my product for all your needs?"

He answered, "Well let's not upset the apple cart.  Your product and Susan's and Mark's all function pretty similarly in the patients. And you all have clinical evidence to support it.  So I just want to keep everyone happy and heal my patients."

"What if I were to tell you that Susan's company and Mark's company were founded by former Nazi's?  What would you say to that?", was my planned response but instead I decided to take a lighter road to win his business. 


"Okay doctor.  I don't want you to have to choose sides, but in your professional opinion which product heals the patients faster?", is what I actually said to him.


"Well your product does, but not by that much.  Maybe a day or two depending on the patient.  And in some cases their product works better.  It depends.  But overall yours is more effective."


"Okay.  Well then maybe you might wanna use our product a few more times than theirs, just for the benefit of the patient.  Not me.  For the patient. I know you wanna keep everyone happy."


"Good point.  I'll keep that in mind M.  Hey, how's that dog of yours?", he said changing the subject  in order to avoid my focus on the business.


"Good.  Thanks. We have a charity walk for dogs next weekend.  You should bring Rose and the family, it's for a good cause."

"You know I have an animal rescue that I work with in the area.  Did you know that?"

"Yes, we talked about it before. In fact you mention it every time I stop by.  You're like a rep yourself."

He chuckled, "Well it's something I feel very strongly about.  These poor dogs need homes."


"I know doc.  In fact, I think you wanted me to volunteer a couple days a month. ", I said and I wondered what he was thinking. 

He laughed, "Still waiting for you to volunteer.  It's only a couple days and really helps out the animals.  We need responsible volunteers.  Some of the ones we get aren't all that punctual. What do you think? It's for a good cause?"

"Who's selling who here doc?", I said and then laughed. I thought about it for a moment, and then said, "I'll do it. It'll be good for me."

He smiled, "Great!" he said and shook my hand. "Check with Rose and she'll let you know what days we could use you. I really appreciate this."

"No problem doc.  Happy to do it.", I said, yet honestly I really wasn't that happy.  But I figured it was a way to strengthen our relationship, get to know him better, and help some dogs out in the process.

"Good, and I'll be happy to order a little MORE of your product.", he said, smiled, and headed back into an examination room.

I was not expecting that reaction at all! With Dr. Nice, it's all about the relationship.  Follow up on their causes, their beliefs, and their personal lives.  If you can help them out, do it! And perhaps maybe  they'll order more from you.

Good luck and good selling

-M

Social Media and How It Can Help You

 


  

Social Media - This is a medium that cannot be overlooked by any sales rep, sales manager, regional manager or CEO.  Social Media is the newest form of advertising for either yourself, your product, or your service and it is monumental to the success of you as a sales person and your company.  I could write a book on this subject, but unfortunately it wouldn't be any good, and you probably wouldn't get much out of it.  However, there are many authors and books on social media and the "new sales" environment which I can recommend.  Here are just a few:




“Social Media 101” by Chris Brogan – This book will show you how to start a blog, how to set up a marketing strategy for social media, including facebook, twitter, foursquare, and Linkedin.  If you don’t know what the hell I’m writing about then you are in serious need of some lessons in social media and you should read this book.

“Sales 2.0” by Anneke Seley & Brent Holloway – This book gives real life case studies on how companies became successful by marrying sales and the new online media landscape to be successful.  It is a great transitional book that relates selling in the new era of technology and social media.  It shows how companies were able to transition with the new technology to improve both their top line and their bottom line in the process.  It is a great reader if you're living in the Dark Ages and want to understand how to move on to the Renaissance.     

“Tribes” by Seth Godin – I personally like most of Seth Godin’s books although there are rare occasions when I think he’s full of shit.  But what he really does, is get you to think outside the normal realm of sales, or business for that matter.  He was a very successful manager and became an even more successful writer.  He thinks outside of the norm, and he get his readers to do the same.  This book shows you how to start building a “tribe” of enthusiastic supporters to help you in sales, service, or whatever else.  It is a great read and can help you build a loyal following no matter what you’re selling.   

Social Media Sites You Should Know

facebook – If you’re company doesn’t have a facebook page, then whomever is handling the marketing, is an idiot.   The biggest social networking sight is a great place to get things started and create a “buzz” about your product(s).  You can even set up advertising for CHEAP, and I mean CHEAP!  If your company doesn’t see fit to help you out with a page, then I would create my own page to promote products.  Of course check with your company's "marketing police" before you start using their logo, but this is a great tool. You would be a fool not to take advantage of the coverage that facebook offers.  And believe me it’s easy to set up a company or personal page.  If I can do it, then anyone can.  The site guides you through the process until you’re page is set up and it even explains how to create an ad.  It’s as simple as 1, 2, 2 ½…3.   With facebook you can do a number of things, including:

• Create a page for yourself or your company
• Invite friends to view your page or "like" your page
• Advertise your page to specific targeted customers or prospects
• Build a brand name through this social media site.

twitter – Here is another social media phenomenon that can help you’re business.  However, I don’t think it’s as great as facebook, it does have it’s advantages.  Imagine being able to tell all your customers at one time that you were holding a promotion, and with just a few clicks on your computer or smart phone, it was done.

“Offering 25% discount on all products for one month if you order today.”

It is a great tool for any company or sales person, to have an IMMEDIATE social interaction with their customers.  You just send out a“tweet” and if your customer is signed up as a follower they get a message on their phone instantly.   It is a quick, painless, social interaction that is what has now become the norm, rather than the exception.  Sales people who prefer the old style of calling, need to get used to this new form of communication in order to be even more successful. 


The only problem with twitter is not enough people are on it, and those who are signed up for twitter are most likely under 16 years of age and follow the Kardashians.  As a result, you might not be that popular at first, but don't get discouraged.

myspace – If you’re stupid enough to still be using myspace then you are a social media dinosaur.  Get out of social media immediately and turn over your social media marketing campaign to someone who has a clue what’s going on in the world.  

Google + - Let’s face it Google is the biggest company on the Internet and it has the greatest presence so it was just a matter of time before they tried to create something to rival facebook.  So now we have Google + , or Google Plus, which is a social network created for people who have signed on to Google and want to network with friends in business, personal, and other interests.  With this application you or your company can take advantage of all the great Internet applications which Google offers.  Applications such as AdSense, Google Business apps and a whole lot more.  This site creates “circles” of influence which you can share with customers. 


As a side note, Google frightens me a bit because they seem to be connected to everything.  How about the creepy photos from Google maps of your home, your business, and everywhere in between.  I almost feel like the eyes of Google are upon me, and watching me type this write now...scary.  

Linkedin – This is more of a business networking site than anything else, but it can be a portal for you to find customers.  If you’re not on Linkedin, then you should be, because millions of busy business professionals visit the site daily.  In addition to being a way to reach existing customers and new customers, it is also a business networking site that can help you find a job , make connections with other people in your industry, and a vehicle to share your ideas.  It can also be a major pain in the ass because of all the idiots trying to recruit you, but it’s always nice to be wanted.  Create an account for yourself and make sure your company has a profile as well.  This site is a great tool to make contact with people in a strictly business environment. 

These are just a few of the basic sites to get you started, but keep in mind something new is being developed DAILY. And if you are really into the whole tech thing, check out mashable.com and it will give you ideas on how sites can work for you. Remember people are coming up with new ideas on the hour and it's important for you to keep up with the social media landscape in order to be successful.  If you or your company doesn't want to change, then you'll be left behind while everyone else is progressing forward.

-M

A Tip From Qyoda

When people advise you to avoid  "negative" people, that's asinine advice.  We are all negative at some point in our lives.  Should we avoid ourselves?  A good sales rep deals well with all people: the good and the bad.  

So You Just Got Laid Off...Now What?

I just got a phone call last week that my old company laid off 300 reps.  How bad does that suck? Even reps that were above their goals!  WTF is that all about?

Well, I can tell you it's not because of their performance they were laid off, it's because the company is losing market share and in order to meet stock holders expectations they have to cut costs.  As a pretty good manager in my day, let's assume they are trying to geographically excise reps.  In other words, if your territories cross with another good rep, especially a veteran rep, then you're fucked!  Newer reps get laid off sooner, it's just the nature of the "beast".  It probably shouldn't be that way, but business is like the army or marines, the grunts do most of the work, and suffer most of the casualties.

So now you're out of a job.  You may be married, you may have kids, and you most likely have a mortgage payment(s) to make.  Hopefully you received some type of severance in the deal, and this will hold you over for a few months.  Here are some helpful tips to make you feel better about your situation, and to keep you from feeling sorry for yourself.

1. Don't Panic - If you were a good rep before than you're still a good rep now.  One day doesn't make a difference, whether you're employed or not.  And if you have a good resume, you're gonna be alright.  The thing to do is not panic, because if you panic then chances are your wife and kids will panic or even your dog will panic.  We don't need Spot peeing on the living room carpet.  Inside, you can be freaking out, but you must maintain an outward appearance of composure.  Just think like Fonzie from "Happy Days", and be cool.

2. Don't Get Wasted - Losing you're job is a horrific experience, and I've been through it, but don't go out and get wasted because you're bummed about your situation.  The last thing you need is a DUI to go with your unemployment check.  I know so many people who go out and get drunk the very first night they find out they got fired.  It doesn't help the situation at all, because when you wake up in the morning you're still unemployed and now you have a hang over.  Celebrate your freedom but in moderation.  No one wants to interview a rep who smells like stale beer and has vomit stains on their shirt/blouse.

3. Sign Up For medreps.com - This site is awesome!  When I was laid off, I signed up, polished up my resume and "blasted" it to 1200 recruiters.  Within 5 days, I had 4 interviews set up and I felt a helluva lot better about my situation.  In fact, I had so many offers I took my time picking the right company for me.  No one wants to be job shopping, especially around the holidays, which was when I was laid off.  Merry fucking Christmas, you're fired!  This is a great resource for any health care rep, and be sure to send out your resume during the week.  Don't blast it on the weekend because no one will see it.  Even recruiters take weekends off.

4. Utilize Your Contacts - Two days after I was laid off, one of my customers actually offered me a job.  How awesome is that! The job didn't pay well, so I respectfully declined, but it felt so good to know that someone wanted my services.  It was like getting dumped and then finding out somebody you didn't know was always attracted to you.  Surprise!  You're not a total loser.
If you have customers, other sales reps, anyone who can help you out, just call them.  It doesn't hurt to let people know that you're looking.  You didn't put yourself in this situation, the company did.

5. Post Anonymous Messages On The Internet - I didn't do this, but in order for you to feel better about yourself, you should talk shit on every message board you can about your old company.  Why?  Because you'll feel better and then other reps will get the message that the company sucks.  Unfortunately this isn't the old days, when people stayed with the same company for 40 years and retired, and I assume you're not planning on going back.  So talk trash; hell even make stuff up.  Why not?  They're not gonna hire you back and if you send out anonymous messages, how will they know it's even you.  Here's a tip though, don't go crazy and start sending messages that can be traced back to you like:

"I worked for this friggin company for 3 years in Syracuse NY, and I've hated it since I friggin started on December 12th 2009.  My district manager Ted was such an asshole I hope his whole family gets cancer."

That's not entirely anonymous, and if you were counting on old Ted for a letter of recommendation, you can forget it.  Be elite and be discreet, but give it to them good on the Internet.

More to come later!  Good luck in your search and remember to keep your chin up.

-M

"Doctor I Think You Missed Something?"

Years ago, when I was just coming off a promising career as a sales manager in business to business sales, I did a ride along with a sales rep for a surgical company.  In fact, I did several ride alongs but I remember this one distinctly because of the humorous exchange between the doctor and the rep.  Mind you, this was my first foray into the surgical field, and specifically the operating room, so I was very impressionable and this operation definitely had an effect on me.  And what I learned is that in some cases, the sales rep seems to know more about the surgical procedure than the doctor.

It was a simple laprascopic surgery but the rep was promoting a new product which the doctor had never used before. The sales rep prepared me for the surgery with a minor pep talk.

"Okay, don't let all the blood and guts bother you.  It's nothing, but also be ready cause this is an older doc and he's not used to using these newer products."
" How old could he be?  And if he's that old why is he still doing surgery?"
" He graduated with Jonas Salk that's how old he is, and I have no friggin idea why people are still letting him operate on them. He shakes a lot, but oddly it's his body that shakes, not his hands. "
" You're not serious about the Jonas Salk thing are you?  Isn't that the guy that discovered the polio vaccine."
" Yes and yes."
" Holy shit.  That's scary."
" Wait'll you see this guy.  He has not aged well, and by not aged well I mean he could actual be dead but he doesn't know it."
" Great! I'm looking forward to this.  The crypt keeper will be performing surgery today."
" He looks a little better than that.  Not much, but just a little."

    As we prepped for the surgery, the doctor came in and the rep was correct, he had not aged well, but there was no way he had been through med school with Jonas Salk.  He was bent over, and moved fairly slowly, but his hands seemed steady and he was in good spirits.  He seemed like a nice old man, but not someone I would like to have performing surgery on me.  More like someone I would like to see getting ice cream with his grand children rather than performing surgery on one of my relatives. Unless of course it was a relative I wasn't terribly fond of, then I would encourage him to be that person's surgeon.

   Sadly, the surgery took a lot longer than both the rep and I had anticipated.  The reason was that the doctor was old, but extremely thorough, and had so many questions that it seemed the surgery would never be completed.  Maybe he was thorough or maybe he suffered from what I would call "Operational Alzheimer's".  An affliction which older docs have, where they can't remember anything and ask the nurses and reps what's the next step in the procedure.  In fact, it was taking so long,  I was concerned that I might actually die of boredom, despite this being one of my earliest experiences in the OR. Initially I was excited to be observing a surgery, but 3 hours into the procedure,  and I was dying to check my text messages or even look at my phone.  As my mind wandered between old episodes of "Seinfeld" and who the Lakers were playing that night, the doctor moved very deliberately and very, very, slowly, always double checking his work.  He was thorough which is a great quality for a surgeon to have, and as the procedure was coming to a close, the doctor seemed very please with the results.

"I like this product.  It makes it easier to grab things. Much better than the one I was using.  Okay let's wrap this up."
" Doctor, I think you missed something?", the rep said trying to be polite.  He was referring to a tissue retrieval bag that was still inside the patient.
" Oh! Thank you.", the doctor said, and then started doing something else and completely ignored the bag.
"No doctor.  Look. The retrieval bag is still inside the patient.  You should probably remove that before you finish up.", the rep said politely.
" Oh yeah. I always forget one thing or another. One time I left a kitten inside of a patient. The patient complained of a purring sound coming from her stomach for weeks." he said with a completely deadpan delivery.  The sales rep and I just looked at each other, and then the doctor started laughing.
" You don't really think I'm that absent minded do you?" he asked.
" No. Not at all.", the rep said and then chuckled a bit awkwardly, still unsure if the story was true.
" The older you get son, the more you'll count on young people like yourself to help. I appreciate you coming in and guiding me through today.  With all the the new things coming out, it's hard to keep up."
" My pleasure doc. Anything to help out, and thanks for having me.", he answered.
" Well let's finish up.  Where are my damn glasses.", the doctor asked one of the nurses.
" On top of your head doctor.", she answered.
He laughed, "Thanks.  Don't know what I'd do without you Mindy."
" It's Sandy doctor, and frankly I don't either.", she replied.

Sad but true.

Be a resource to your customers, some of them need you more than others.  Have a good day selling!

-M

Sales Tips From QYoda

We will no longer offer sales tips from Nick Handy.  Unfortunately Nick was killed in a stampede of senior citizens at a flea market in Florida.  I was told they were offering  bright checkered pants, and polyester pant suits for just a dollar each. Apparently as the wave of seniors slowly rolled towards him, Nick didn't have time to evade the onslaught of motorized scooters headed his way.  He was run over multiple times and we will miss his wit, his voluminous sales knowledge, and his obvious lack of productivity.

However in his stead, we have hired international sales guru Qyoda to pass on the bits of sales knowledge which he learned from over 900 years of living.  We welcome Qyoda to the staff here at the Darkside, and here is his first tidbit of wisdom.

"Each obstacle presents an opportunity for a sale.  Unless that obstacle happens to be a large slug like alien named Jabba, then there's really no opportunity there, and you should just move on to the next prospect. "

How To Lose An Employee In Ten Months - Part Deux

I know that HR managers realize how much it cost to hire and train an employee, but I'm not sure that middle management or even upper management, grasps the concept of the costs involved in turning over a sales rep.  I was at a national sales meeting and the CEO stood up in front of the reps, wearing a polo shirt, khaki pants, and boat deck shoes; very business casual almost to the point of  beach casual.  And then he said, "If you're below quota then you either need to get your butt in gear, or you need to get your butt out of here."  Spoken like a true idiot who's never sold a thing in his life.  I think he thought it was funny, but no one was laughing at what he said, they were probably laughing at his outfit.  What moron wears Sperry Top-Siders to an annual meeting? I was looking around at some of the reps wondering if we were on the "Love Boat".  Where is Doc, Gopher, and Julie?

There was a major problem with his message.  Number one, this guy needed to get some fashion sense, or at least respect his employees enough to not look like he just got back from an America's Cup race.  And number two, he was forcing his employees to make a career decision which was going to have a huge effect on his bottom line. He had no clue as to the costs involved in turning over a rep, even an under performing rep. Well if you review the studies regarding employee turnover, the costs are astounding. Even I was surprised at how much money is lost.

According to a study by the Society For Human Resource Management conducted in 2008, it can cost a company as much as 60% of the employee;s annual salary to just replace that employee. Moreover, the associated costs of turnover, such as training, lost production, and lost revenue, is approximated at 90-200% or the former employee's annual salary.   The percentage is higher for "specialized" employees, and believe it or not people you are special.  So with this message, that CEO could have pushed out 10 reps with an annual salary of say $60,000 which might cost his company up to $900,000.   That's a lot of Sperry Top-Siders!

So this is just one example of how managers can lose an employee and the associated costs.  Here are a few more examples for poor managers to follow and good managers to avoid:

1. Play Favorites- Nothing upsets employees more than a manager who plays favorites.  And speaking from a management point of view it's hard not to play favorites.  Managers are drawn to people who perform and have an extreme distaste for employees who are not meeting their goals.  However, an effective boss is one who disregards the numbers and treats everyone the same.  Even I have been guilty of this and have lost employees.

Every manager is guilty of liking some employees more than others, and some like them a little too much.  I remember one manager who always hired these incredibly beautiful women to work with him.  They would have little to no experience in sales and yet he would bring them in, and they would sell.  I guess the customers were too busy staring at their breasts to look at the contracts they were signing.  His formula worked for a while, until some of his other reps started complaining that he was spending too much time doing ride alongs with his "spokesmodels".  He was doing ride alongs apparently, but not in the car, and eventually the two lovely ladies found out he was sleeping with each of them, and he was fired for sexual harassment.  That's an extreme example, but to be honest, one that I've seen played out at least a dozen times.  Guys, keep it in your pants.

2. Work Them To Death- Years and years ago we used to hire college grads and then work the hell out of them to see if they would be "management material".  I don't even know what that means, but judging from my experience I guess being "management material" involves being able to hold a cup of coffee the right way, type with 2 fingers on your computer, bark orders that make no sense, and displaying an innate ability to ignore employee requests.  So I guess most of these young people could be developed into "management material".

In order to help them on their career path, we would have them work 60 hours per week minimum. Why?  The company wanted to "thin the herd".  In other words, the college grads who weren't committed would eventually quit and the one's who stayed were the type of person we wanted to have working for us. Their efforts showed commitment, or perhaps, that they should be "committed" for putting up with all the crap we threw at them.  It's a formula that Enterprise Rent-A-Car still uses to this day.  It's the philosophy of "Churn'em and Burn'em".  Any of you that have ever worked for Enterprise know exactly where I'm coming from, and hopefully you've already left that place.

If you're a manager that wants to pair down your sales team, just start requiring them to do 10 calls per day and pretty soon, you won't have any reps left.  Good luck with that...

3. Promises, Promises, Promises - Supportive management is great for a new employee, especially a new rep, but as a leader you never make promises you can't keep.  It's just a bad idea.  New employees need to be helped along because most of the time,  they have no clue where to start.  I find it amusing that in health care, the first 4 weeks with many companies you are required to do "Home Study". Which means you lie around in your pj's and read clinical papers and you take tests.  Sometimes online, and sometimes not, but you really do nothing for 4 weeks, besides sit around the house and read.  It's boring as hell, and then suddenly, BOOM! You're out in the field trying to sell a product you only know from papers.

My first foray into health care, I asked my new boss when he was going to ride with me and he would make plans, and then cancel.  He did this to me 3 times, and finally I just called him and asked:

 "Seriously Jim, are you ever gonna ride with me?  I just started and I need a little help. You keep making promises and then breaking them.  What's the deal?"

His answer, "Yeah, you seem to be figuring it out on your own, so no I'm probably not gonna be able to ride with you.  I have other reps who aren't doing so well, and I need to get them up to speed.   You'll figure it out.  That's why I hired you."

"Wow. Uh...okay. Thanks for the support.", I responded.

" You're welcome.", he said.

" Fuck you.", I said,  but of course I had already hung up the phone.   I'm not a complete idiot.

If you want to lose an employee quickly and demotivate them, then just keep making promises and breaking them.  It's like any relationship, you have to follow through on your commitments.

4. Be Consistently, Inconsistent- Employees hate managers who are always changing the rules. Whether it's in relations to commissions, vacations, reimbursement, or anything.  People want to know what the rules are and they want management to follow them consistently.  Not change them every month, every 6 months, or every year.  Stability is what employees want in their company and especially in their sales team leader.

How many sales reps out there have received their quotas after the fiscal year has already started? So suddenly you went from being rep of the year in December to already being behind 20% in February because that's when you received your quota.  Companies that don't acknowledge that their reps need their quotas early so they can get started on next year, are missing out on lost revenue, and in turn they're just upsetting the sales rep.  If a company is going to have quotas then they need to consistently get them to the field in time for the reps to do something about it, not after the year has already started. By then, both the rep and his/her manager are already behind their goal. How motivating is that?

5. Create A Poor Work Environment - Some of you might be asking yourself, "What does this mean?"
A poor work environment does necessarily mean that you are working in a sweat shop where they won't allow you to go to the bathroom, or you're a victim of the slave trade.  A poor work environment can be created by just one lousy manager working for what might be a great company.

In my last year at a very well known uniform company, the new general manager, turned over 14 supervisors and managers in a little over a year. What's even more amazing, is that he took a well performing plant and was able to reduce the profit by 8%. and shrink the revenue.  Why? He created a poor work environment.

(I know that I keep citing personal references, but listen people I have no other examples but my own. If anyone would like to add comments feel free, but I can't promise I'll be nice in my response.)

I came in at the end of the fiscal year, and tried to explain to him how much turnover was costing the company, how disgruntled our employees were, and how we had to create a "friendlier" work environment for our people.  What do you think was his response?

As you're reading this dialogue, picture a short little man, who is balding, with gray hair, and sweating so profusely he has a towel on his desk to wipe his brow.  Now picture him inhaling a helium balloon and then speaking loudly at you, as if you were deaf.

"Who's talking about me?  Who was it?"
" Richard, I didn't say it was you.  I said we, as in WE have to create a better environment."
" Well who's complaining about us?  I need you to tell me who it is?"
" Why is that important?  The important thing is some people are not happy and we need to motivate them to get this plant back on track."
" Well it's important to me.  I need to know so I can get them out of here."
" You're still going to have a problem, even if we fire everyone, well especially if you fire everyone."
" Jim always taught me.  If someone isn't on board then there a cancer, and a cancer needs to be cut out."
" What? You're comparing our employees to cancer?  That's ridiculous.  Okay say it is a cancer, then let's use chemo therapy to treat it, not cut everybody."
" Are you undermining me? What have you been saying about me?"
" What in god's name are you talking about.  Richard we need to try and get the employees back on our side."
" Well who said there not on my side.  They may not be on your side, but they're on my side."
" Okay Richard.  I'll figure it out how to create a better work environment so the employees like me better.  I guess it's all my fault."
" Maybe it is.  I don't know why Jim brought you in here anyway.  Take care of that, that's what you're supposed to do. Isn't it?"
" Whatever." I said and got up to leave.
" Are you being insubordinate?", be squawked.  He was what people would call a "seagull manager". The kind who flies in, makes a lot of noise, and shits on everything.
" This isn't the army Richard, and the war is over.  I'm gonna go try and rework the numbers. "
" You do that.", he said and went back to two finger typing email responses.

    I was mortified.  He had no idea what the hell he was doing and here he was trying to lead a group of over 300 people.  He had created a work environment of fear, intimidation, and back stabbing. I was brought in to help him but he didn't want my help, he was afraid I was going to take his job.  I left after only 6 months, and he was fired immediately thereafter.  How appropriate that his name was Richard, because he truly was a Dick.


If you're a manager reading this please don't follow these examples, and if you're a rep, please call your manager on the carpet when they're not doing their job.  Have a great day selling!


-M  

How To Lose An Employee In Ten Weeks Or Less

I think this post is geared more towards sales managers, or managers in general, rather than employees. In my career I've been a customer service manager, a service manager, a sales manager, a branch manager, and even a general manager.  I've managed teams as small as 4 people and as big as 250 employees. One thing that I've learned is that I did well only because of my people, and I always did well.  That's the truth.   So I tried to hire the best people and then train them well so they could be successful and in turn I would be successful.  As a result both my professional and personal life improved, and I made life long friends in the process. 

However there are MANY, MANY, managers in the field who don't understand this concept.  They don't lead their employees, instead they manipulate them.  If you want to fail as a manager here are 5 things you can do to ensure your complete and utter failure as a leader and as a human being:

1.) Lie to your employees : Nothing is worse than a manager who is dishonest.  The foundation for every relationship is trust and if your employees don't trust you then they won't work hard for you.  I'm not saying you need to practice full disclosure but you can't be lying to your employees all the time.  I had one manager that would make a joke when I asked him a serious question because he couldn't handle telling the truth.  It was ridiculous and eventually he was fired but I couldn't understand why he had such a hard time being honest.  You wanna lose an employee early on, lie to them in the interview.  The minute they figure out you lied, then you've lost credibility and eventual you'll lose the employee.

2.) Mess with their money - I find it amusing that manager's don't get this concept.  If you hire someone at 40K then pay them 40K.  Don't tell them that the base is actually 38K but with commissions it will be well over 40K.  That's not what they were promised and it's not what they were expecting.  They were expecting a base of 40K and then the commissions.  In addition, don't offer them something in writing and then change it later on.  Like a car allowance, or phone reimbursement, or even a company car.  If you committed to them in writing then honor the damn piece of paper!  How much will it cost you to lose that employee?  A lot more than the nickel and dimes you're saving on phone bills. 

3.) Manage through intimidation - In the past, this was a common way for managers to get employees to do their jobs, but it doesn't work anymore because good employees just leave to find another job.  I know the economy is bad and there are a myriad of employees out there to chose from but why take a chance hiring someone else if you're not committed to their success?  Intimidating them is only going to cause resentment and eventually they're going to quit.  It's that simple.  Why would anyone stay in an abusive relationship when they don't need to?  A good employee will always be able to find a good job.

4.) Micro Management - "In business management, micromanagement is a management style where a manager closely observes or controls the work of his or her subordinates or employees. Micromanagement generally has a negative connotation." -Wikipedia

I remember going into an interview and telling the VP, "Do not micro manage me, cause if you do I can guarantee you I will quit.  I want to be successful or fail on my terms.  If you hire me, it's because you have confidence in my ability to get the job done, not because you have to look over my shoulder to see if I'm doing everything right."  Two years later, he was promoted, a new VP came in who tried to micro manage me, and I quit.  In my exit interview I told the HR person, they should fire that new VP he doesn't know how to lead people.  5 years later, and that moron is still in place.  Why?  He's best friends with the company president...politics.

5.) Have an open, but closed door policy - Every company I have ever worked with,  claims they have an "open door" policy when it comes to addressing employee concerns.  That is bullshit. I have had managers, good managers, who had open door policies and they were very successful.  However when a company says it has an "open door" to voice concerns and then the people who file through the open door are labeled a "whiner" or a "trouble maker", then that's no really an open door.  It's more like a swinging door.  One you would find in a kitchen, saloon, or a roach motel. 
"Employees check in but they don't check out."   Smart employees will pick up on a company that doesn't address people's concerns and they'll go work for one that does.

These are only 5 tips, but there are many more to come in future posts.  Follow the Darkside if you dare.

-M

Who The Hell Are You?



Disrespect is something I cannot tolerate from anybody, whether it's a clerk in a store, a person walking down the street glaring at me, a doctor not giving me the time of day, or the owner of a business blowing me off like he's/she's the president of the UN and he/she has a full schedule.  It's just improper behavior and it's not how I was raised. Think of all the times people are so focused on their little circle of influence that they ignore you, and won't even grant you the courtesy of a "hello".
My response to people who show a lack of respect, "Who the hell are you?"

Well, not in those exact words,but I find that if someone is disrespectful, that behavior needs to be addressed.  If not, they will never respect you and never pay attention to what you have to offer.  So here's a little trick that I use, when a doctor, business owner, nurse, janitor, or anyone is not polite.  I flip the situation on them.  In other words, I no longer act like a sales rep, but I propose that I am a potential customer.  Here'a a perfect example:

Last week, I was in a clinic talking the same old crap, to the same old grumpy lady in the front desk, and asking if I could speak to clinic manager.  Here's how the conversation went.

"Good morning Tina.  How are you today?"
"Yeah, yeah, what are you selling today?", she said with what look to me like a 2 day old beard.  I wasn't really sure what Tina was, but I was assuming by the name, she was a woman.
"You're always so cheerful in the morning Tina. Same stuff I was selling before. But I do need to speak to Sonia today."
"She's busy.", she said and just then Sonia walked by with a cup of coffee and waved at me.
"She doesn't look terribly busy can you check with her?"
"I can. But I told you she's busy.  What's this about?"she asked, while I tried to ignore the wart just above her eye.  It looked painfully large and menacing.
"I have a patient I want to refer to the clinic."
"What?" , she said and her face changed and all of the sudden the "shoe" was on the other foot.
"I said I have a patient I want to refer to the clinic.  An HBO patient."
"Really?" , she looked shocked.  Her face relaxed and her wart, which was once menacing, now looked like just another giant wart above a burly woman's eyebrow.
"Yes really." , I said very matter of factly.
"Wait a second, I'll see if she's busy.", she snapped and got up from behind her desk and went looking for the clinic manager.  Five minutes later I was sitting down with Sonia and discussing a patient I had ran into at a dialysis clinic with an ulcer that needed treating.  The clinic manager who had been nice but still had not thrown any business my way, was very appreciative. 
"I didn't know you went into those types of clinics.", she said,   We should pair up on some calls."
" For sure just so long as we're helping one another, I can bring you in and introduce you to my contacts.'
"Great!  Oh I think we have an order for you guys.  You work with Health___ right?"
" Yep."
It was really that simple.  Not all calls will go this way, but it was worth the effort.

    Keep in mind that you may be a sales rep, but there are times when you may just be that business, clinic, or counter person's next customer.  If you're having trouble with a particular account, try flipping roles with the prospect and you may earn the respect you deserve.  Have a good day selling!

-M

There's No Crying In Sales

I just got back from a regional meeting and boy are they ever fun! Actually, they are fun when the "meeting" part is over with, and you get to eat, drink, and have fun with your fellow reps, but other than that; those types of meetings are stressful.  Especially if you're behind your quota, which fortunately I'm not, they can be a nightmare for reps.  Let's face it, the way quotas are set in healthcare sales is truly fucked up.  I'm gonna say it, because when I first got into healthcare sales, I blew my numbers out of the water and the next thing I know, the company is DOUBLING my quota.  I already had the highest revenue in the region and they decided oh well he can DOUBLE that total next year.  What the fuck is wrong with people?  Oh yeah I did 1.5 million in sales, I can do 3 million easy.  That's right people my quota was $3 million dollars!  Since I had been doing so well I went to my boss for advice.'

"Jim, I think we have a problem with my quota."
"What's the problem?"
" It doubled? That's the problem.  I won't make any commissions next year."
" Yeah I noticed it was kind of high."
" Kind of high?  It's 3 million dollars Jim.  What the hell is that all about?  When I got to my territory it was wasn't even producing $800,000."
" I know and you did great this past year.  In 6 months you took that territory from 95th to 5th in the country.  Too bad you didn't start the year with us, you would have gone on the "Winners Circle" trip."

As an aside here, why is it that managers like to tell you what might have been? As if this is some type of encouragement or compliment?  It's pretty stupid in my opinion, and just pisses off the rep. I was dumbfounded by his response.
"Jim, is that supposed to make me fucking feel better?  I COULD HAVE gone on the trip if I had been with the company a year.  Oh that's awesome.  Thanks for the pat on the back."
"Heh watch the language.  Well I'm just saying you're doing great and we think you'll continue to do great."
"But I won't make any money."
" You can do it. You just need to focus on more capital sales."
" Why didn't they make the quota an average of the whole year?  It seems like they just took the last 3 months when I was killing it?"
" Well that's how we base the numbers.  The last 3 months."
" Well that's stupid. If you have a great last 3 months as a rep, you're screwed.  I shoulda slept through the winter like a bear."
" Yeah I don't know why they do that? It does seem a little unfair." , he said sounding as perplexed as me about the whole situation.  Keep in mind, this man had worked in healthcare for 25 years.
" That's your answer? Listen Jim, this affects you as well.  The region did well so your quota has to be really high too.  Is there any chance we can have them adjusted?"
" No chance.  I've worked in this business a lot and the only time they get adjusted is when the company is paying reps TOO much money."
" Well that's a sound business philosophy.  Screw the people bringing in the business.  Thanks for the pep talk Jim.  I feel so much better."
" Any time.  Call me if you need anything."
I didn't even respond.  I just laughed and then said, "Yeah. Okay."

    So in short, if you do extremely well one year, you're screwed for the next, which leads us to the regional meeting.  This is when the senior management comes in and either applauds your efforts or tells your manager as they are leaving, "Fire these poor bastards.  They suck".  Which is not what any manager or rep wants to hear.  Primarily, because if you're a manager, and you need to be told to fire a rep, then you won't be a manager for much longer.  And secondly, because they make all the sales reps do presentations on the "State Of The Territory", and what the rep's plans are for improvement, and if the senior manager doesn't like the presentation, or the rep..."sayonara, adios, chao, and adieu" to that underperforming rep.  No stress at all. Right?

   Each of us was required to do a presentation and then there was a "question and answer" session at the end, but usually it occurred while you were in the middle of your presentation.  I put them in quotes because it wasn't really questions and answers but more like interrogation or adulation. Questions were asked to either tear a rep down or build them up.  There was very little room for in between.  The questions are listed below with their actual meaning listed to the right:

Questions for sales reps who were below quota

"How do you manage your time?"                    "What the hell are you doing out there? Nothing obviously."
"What are your plans to improve?"                   "How are you going to keep this ship from sinking you loser?"
"What's preventing you from hitting quota?"    "You're so fired, but I have to ask this question."
"What's your biggest obstacle?"                       "Besides the obvious, why are you so shitty at this job?"
"How many calls do you make a day?"           "I know you're not working but again I have to ask this."
"Is your day planned geographically?"            "Do you drive around all day and hope a patient hits your car?"
"What time table do you have for improvement?"     "When you fail, on what day can I expect to fire you?"

Questions for sales reps who were above quota

"What do you think has made you successful?"        "Tell these idiots how it's done.  Impart some wisdom."
"What are you doing differently this year?"            "What did you do this year to keep from getting fired?"
"Who do you call on for each product line?"          "I have no idea what you do or where you go, so enlighten me?"
"What marketing pieces did you use this year?"      "I've never looked at our marketing pieces. Can you show me one?"
"What would you tell a rep who's behind quota?"      "I love you and I would sleep with you if it wasn't against policy."
" What do you plan to do with all your commissions?"      "Where are you taking me to dinner for being so nice to you?"


     During one of the presenations, a rep was being grilled by a senior VP, and she broke down and started to cry.  I almost started to chuckle, because I thought to myself:

 "There's no way they are gonna let her slide because she's crying.  There's no crying in sales! She is just making it worse.  She'll probably be fired right after this meeting."

    Remarkably, her tears worked!  I was shocked. She was given sympathy by both her manager and the senior VP.  Everyone was sighing and consoling her and asking her if there was anything they could do to help her achieve her goals.  A few well placed tears and this woman was getting off without even a hint of even constructive criticism.  Meanwhile, the reps that followed her were grilled more than a burnt ribeye steak.  They were made to feel like shit, rather than given sound advice on how to improve their situation.  I sat and watched as each rep presented and was soundly ridiculed for their performance, their dress, and even their demeanor.  It was appalling and frightening at the same time.  I was befuddled by how easily senior management had been manipulated. 

 I sat there dumbfounded, completely shocked by the strange turn of events., until someone shook me and said, "Okay M, it's your turn to present."

I broke from my reverie, stood up, and as I started speaking I felt my eyes welling up with tears...

-M









   

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