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Let your sales reps help you succeed
by Agustin L. Gonzalez, OD, FAAO
All of my optometry friends complain about their sales reps.
Too much talking, not enough discounts, too many niceties, they never show up or they’re always in my office, too few samples, a waste of time meeting with them.
It does not matter if it is contact lenses, pharma, spectacle lenses, frames – we all have the paranoid mentality that the sales rep is after "my pocketbook." If you see beyond the immediate relationship, this could not be further from the truth.
What we do not realize is that the sales rep honestly wants you to succeed as much or even more than they want to make money. Once they have made their product work for you, they gain in word of mouth and the bank!
They are a hyper-competitive group. They do not want you to fail with their product, not because of you, but because it makes them look bad. Think about it this way: They would not be wasting their time if they did not honestly believe you could benefit from their product.
Yes, I know we are skeptical and often do not listen to their advice. We have a biased opinion that often taints our thinking on how to best leverage and position their product in our office and be successful.
Interacting with optical, frame, contact lens and pharmaceutical sales forces is the single best free and honest practice management resource there is. They will answer questions straightforwardly and honestly, which may not be what you want to hear. They are willing to be there for you with their products and willing to guide you and share their secrets. Realize that sales reps have visited many offices and see what works and what doesn't.
Sales reps want you to use their product in a manner complementary to your practice. That is what they want, and that is what they do best: Make you win using their products, help patients along the way and make everyone look good.
Yes, salespeople are compensated when they can sell the products, but to do this they must strategically position their product in your office to create sales and they know how to help you do this. Just listen, they want to sell you a product to solve a problem, benefit a patient and leverage an opportunity for you.
Next time the "rep" comes in, start by having a conversation. Ask them, “How has your product benefited other practices? How can I best leverage your product and benefit my patients"? This should be your starting point in this relationship, not the cookies or the free lunches.
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Agustin L. Gonzalez, OD, FAAO, ABCMO, practices at Eye and Vision’s North Texas Center for Dry Eye and Ocular Surface Disease. He also founded a dry eye clinic in the North Texas area and has a special interest in cornea and external disease. Gonzalez is a member of the Primary Care Optometry News Editorial Board. He can be reached at: gonzalez.agu@gmail.com.
Disclosure: Gonzalez reports no relevant financial disclosures.