5 Reasons you need sales skills as a healthcare entrepreneur

Oh the topic of sales - many healthcare providers I work with tell me that they don't like to come across as "salesy." The reality is you're either selling or being sold to. If you're not selling your service or your products to those in need, who will?

Here are 5 sales skills for any healthcare business owner:

Products are easy, services are not.

Anyone can sell a product based on its functionality and what problem it will potentially solve. A product is a tangible thing. You can touch it, hold it, smell it, wear it, etc. But what about a service? Services are intangible things. Think about it, can anyone "try out" being pregnant? Or "try out" their knee replacement before they decide to go with it? Can they sample the experience at your PT office to see if will help their shoulder pain? 

This is why it is important you are able to adequately explain why people should use your service or ancillary products as a healthcare provider. People will buy from you simply because you are a healthcare provider and made a recommendation. Hell, people who play doctors on tv even have authority to influence people to buy products. 

Sales is service.

Have you ever gone to buy a new car and the sales person just showed you a car THEY thought was new and top of the line and had every gidget and gadget on the planet? But, they failed to ask you what was important to you in a new car?

This is an important aspect of sales. Find out the what and the why behind your ideal patient's desire to get better. What is it they want to be able to do  and why do they want to be able to do it? Then talk to them about your services and how working with you will accomplish that result. 

When you do this you are selling yourself and your service in a manner that speaks to your ideal patient and it shows that you actually care about their needs. No one cares how much you know until they know how much you care. 

Marketing gets them in the door, sales makes them a customer.

I'm often inundated with the marketing people who advertise, "30 leads a month for your practice. Guaranteed." How many of you also get these? 

30 Leads a month is great! If... you can close those leads. Sales is being confident in your ability to speak to people about your services and offer them a solution to their problem. Why should they pick you over the other practice down the street? If you're not confident in your approach, people will sense that. 

Asking for the close. 

Patient: "So much will this cost?"

Provider: "Well, uhhh, its $45. Is that ok?"

This response shows that you do not believe your product is worth the amount you're asking for it. Tell people, "You're in luck! It's only $45." Don't approach your ancillaries with a timid, "I hope you can afford this attitude." Approach your close with the idea in mind that the product you're offering will help them and it is essential they use it. 

Who are you to assume that people can't afford or won't buy the products and services you offer?!

Sales is NOT unethical in healthcare.

I have many healthcare providers tell they feel selling to their clients is unethical - for varying reasons that simply make no sense. Here is something I believe to be unethical - If you have a product or a service that will undoubtedly help someone, it would be unethical of you not to sell it to them. 

Get over your own limiting beliefs about being sold to and start moving to help people by selling them the products and services you have. 

Conclusion

As healthcare providers we need to get away from the thought process that selling is cheesy just because we're uncomfortable doing it. Read that again.

We need to start looking at sales as a way to give people the best outcomes possible. It's also a way you can maximize revenue per patient in your office so that you don't have to increase the volume of patients thus lowering the quality of service. 

This does not give you the leeway to just sell whatever the hell you want to pump up the revenue. Rather, it gives you a way to better identify with your patients needs and give them the outcome they seek.