Branding Your Salesforce

It would seem that the sales terrain for equipment and supply reps is more complicated than ever before.

Not only have industry consolidation and pricing pressure shrunk the sales market, but practitioners have also placed a crackdown on the time they’re willing to spend with reps.

In 2016, AccessMonitor™ performed a study specifically on medical practices that showed the number of “repaccessible” physicians, or physicians who meet with 70% or more of reps who request meetings, dropped two percentage points in 2015 alone. Some medical practitioners have even enacted a closeddoor policy (Medscape) to avoid interruptions.

Every practice, whether medical, dental, veterinary or otherwise, must deal with sales reps on some level. After all, they need the equipment and supplies the reps have to offer. But too often practitioners’ view of reps is highly negative, and salespeople tend to be seen as a nuisance at best, or flatout dismissed at worst. Perhaps some of the onus falls onto the reps and companies themselves, as many have failed to build lasting relationships and show practitioners they exist to benefit their practices.

Overcoming the “rep-perception” can be a struggle for any tech or equipment company, but like every challenge, it can be mastered with a fresh approach and an accompanying strategy.

Recreating the Rep

As long as a sales team is seen as unwanted or unhelpful, you’ll never make progress within practices. Reps need to be more than just salespeople – they need to be trusted industry advisors. They need to be individuals who help practices in tangible ways rather than just delivering sales pitches and vanishing into the ether.

Consider the individuals you trust most. They’re knowledgeable, consistent and available – never pushy or disingenuous. Rebranding your reps doesn’t mean just changing the name of your sales team or making some other superficial modification. Rather, it should be a complete rebuild of who your reps are and what they offer.

Let’s dig deeper into how this should look in practice.

Transformational Tactics

The first step to rebranding your salesforce is finding your team’s strengths. What aspect of your sales team makes them stand out from all the rest? This will be the focus of your rebrand campaign. For instance, if your team is especially proficient in their knowledge and use of practice technology, they may be branded as tech experts who can help practitioners troubleshoot their technology or assess their needs and deficiencies.

Next, in order for a rep rebrand to succeed, it needs to first be enacted within the mind of the sales team. Their outlook on themselves must shift if anyone else is to view them in a new light. Thus, the salesforce’s new perspective should be, “This is who I am,” not, “This is what I sell.” They are now solutions experts: not just individuals trying to sell a product.

Once the mentality is formed and fully integrated into your team, you can then unveil this new salesforce to the public through messaging conveying that your new team is not primarily in sales – their main focus is aiding practices.

Since online research plays a pivotal role in practitioner purchase and problem-solving decisions, your new messaging should be disseminated and supported by digital campaigns. Content, social media, display and retargeting all need to be implemented and interwoven to create a comprehensive, multichanneled effort that cements your expert sales team firmly in the mind of the audience.

Now, it’s critical that in-person efforts not be neglected during this rebranding transition. Remember that this campaign is first and foremost about the practitioner-rep relationship – while you’re approaching these associations from a new angle, the personal aspect must still remain and be a significant focal point of your campaign.

Use your team’s expertise to develop an in-person event that allows your sales team to get their feet in practice doors – this time, not as sales reps, but as solutions advisors. They may offer a free product tune-up, training or practice advice to help practitioners with their challenges and give them something of value. By presenting your services to the practice, you forge solid relationships and position your team as partners who are there to assist practitioners – be it through simple advice or through selling a product solution.

When Vendors Become Consultants

As market share shrinks and practitioners become less inclined to sacrifice their time to reps, your success depends more than ever on your sales team’s ability to gain inroads and develop relationships. And this will all boil down to creating a reputation for your salesforce as expert practice assistants that offer valuable resources and services – not played-out sales gimmicks.

A rebrand of your sales team will reshape practitioners’ perceptions and expectations, allowing you to gain the opportunity to transform them into lifelong customers. But this approach not only garners opportunities – it also propels your name into an industry mainstay, and one that’s synonymous with practice advancement and unparalleled solutions. And this, in the end, will be what sets you apart in a competitive and complex industry.