O.D. to O.D.

SALES: IT’S WHAT WE DO

MEET THE WANTS AND NEEDS OF EVERY CONSUMER

Scot Morris
O.D., F.A.A.O.
Chief Optometric Editor

LET ME start the new year with a simple question that I ask every audience. I am always curious about, and many times amazed at, the answers I hear. Here is the question: “Are you good at sales?”

You probably answered this question in one of two ways: (1.) “Yes.” Excellent! You should find this month’s theme right up your alley, and this magazine is full of all kinds of ideas on how to help make you even better. (2.) “No.” Why Not? After all, it is what we do.

“SALES”

We sell our education, knowledge, service and — even more personally — ourselves with every interaction we have every day. “Sales” is not a bad word. It is the foundation of what we do.

Let me relieve often self-imposed philosophical pressure to start this conversation. We do not have the right or responsibility to decide what a patient can afford! We do have the responsibility to provide each patient with his best options, and let him decide.

Our patients are paying us to be their consultant. If we take ourselves out of the decision-making process, the sales process becomes much simpler and much better for everyone. Most people who answer “No” to the aforementioned question have somehow inserted their opinions into the sales process. Stop.

SERVING OUR PATIENTS

The simple rules of selling are just that: simple. First, know who you are and what your goals are. Our goal is to sell an experience. We do this by providing the services and products that this patient needs and wants. If we fail to do this, then we fail to provide what the consumer needs.

We sell our services to help our consumers see better, look better or feel better. This is our job! So how do we do this? We need to determine where we educate, promote or sell our services and products and which products or services are ideal for each patient. To do these things, we need to think about the process the consumer goes through as he proceeds through our offices. We need to quickly determine what consumers’ real needs and wants are and should be. Lastly, we need to know our products and services and how they will benefit our consumers.

Sales is a skill set. One that anyone can learn, if he or she wants to and is willing to spend time learning the process and practicing it. It does take dedication and consistent, positive daily action.

A quick read that I have found invaluable to improving sales skills is Jeffrey Gitomer’s “Sales Bible.” Part of any process is to track our progress by monitoring a series of key performance indicators, also known as benchmark ratios, as Jay Binkowitz discusses on p. 57.

In the end, selling shouldn’t feel like selling. It should be providing everything that the consumer needs and wants. That is what we do, or at least what we should be doing? Are you? OM.