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
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