by Cari Sass
How much do you dread those annoying sales calls? The ones where you can’t even get a word in to explain that you’re not interested or that what they are selling does not meet your need? As the end of the year approaches, these types of calls seem to ramp up. When I start allocating budgets for the coming year and look for new opportunities to make sales and increase our market share, one approach I’ve always appreciated is the soft sell from a trusted resource.
Building relationships and providing your prospects with useful, valuable information creates trust and loyalty to your product and/or service. Instead of flooding your messaging with why your product is great and why pharmacists should purchase it, provide information they can use to expand their knowledge about a particular condition or offer tools to help them navigate a conversation with their patients. By doing this, you position yourself as a knowledgeable, trusted resource, and they view you as the expert. You also ensure your brand or product is top of mind when one of their patients is looking for a recommendation.
We recently developed a support kit for pharmacists on behalf of a 
manufacturer that is a perfect example. Yes, there were some sales-pitch pieces in it, but they were presented in a very non-intrusive way. The kit included a cover letter explaining the benefits of the product from a consumer and pharmacy-owner standpoint, a category navigation sheet which described where to place the product on shelf and why, a window cling to create interest and drive traffic to the product on shelf, and shelf signs with simple, clear messaging. Three additional items that were part of this kit illustrated to the pharmacists that this company was interested in more than just selling their product – they want to be known as a trusted resource.
- A product navigation guide was designed for pharmacists to use to walk through treatment options with their patients and help them choose the correct product to meet their needs.
- Product samples were included to be shared with patients.
- A pharmacist counseling guide packed with valuable content including how to start a conversation with a patient or caregiver, a medical description of the condition associated with the product and management options, as well as how individuals shop the category and make their final product selection. It even gave tips on lifestyle measures to help patients manage their condition, which in turn, gave the pharmacist the knowledge to be viewed as a trusted expert to their customers.
As you plan your marketing efforts for 2016, keep in mind the power of being a trusted resource that pharmacists can turn to for guidance and knowledge. Consider arming them with tools to assist in communicating with their customers. In turn, when customers are looking for a recommendation, your product will be top of mind.