How to rise above price and product to become an invaluable asset to your customers

With economic uncertainty, frequent mergers and acquisitions, and new product introductions, it is easy to get distracted from your main objective. Reps tend to move away from making recommendations that they know will help their practices in the long run and gravitate toward discussions that are more immediate and short-sighted. Pricing is almost always a primary conversation during times of consolidation and economic constraints. While this is a very important conversation to be prepared for, reps must do their best not to let this be the only type of conversation. Reps that have the ultimate success with their customers are the ones that continue to make recommendations during these tough times. Be prepared to offer alternatives, understand all applicable promotions and make recommendations based on what is the best fit for your customer.

Price
Providing the best price does not always translate into getting the most recognition. There is no sustainable position of respect or authority derived from being the cheapest. True, you cannot ignore pricing issues and pressures, but you cannot emphasize them either. In a recent survey, only 14 percent of participating veterinarians put price as their top concern when they were determining who to do business with. Eighty-six percent of those surveyed said that confidence in the salesperson, product selection, quality, and service outweighed price. Focus on what is important to customers and you’ll have fewer discussions based on price.

Vision
Sometimes reps can get frustrated with customers because of the struggle to get them to see the bigger picture. Look at it from their perspective, that of a small business owner. Most practitioners do not take the time to slow down and keep tabs on the industry trends or changes because they simply can’t fit it into their responsibilities. They get this information at state and national meetings, but the rest of the time they are running a business with all of the day-to-day challenges that come along with it. Practitioners need reps to be their eyes and ears into the latest industry trends. Consider your global view of industry news as a value you can provide. Become the person that brings them the information from the industry. Be sure you understand their needs and then tailor your information to their needs.

One message
Know what your partner in the field presents to your customers. It is necessary for you to understand what your field reps discuss with each of your customers so that you can present a unified message. Many veterinarians look to validate the information that is delivered to them. If you have knowledge of the same topics as your outside partner, you can serve as validation for each other. It is also beneficial to draw references to other veterinarians who may have benefitted from the information that you are passing along. Try to offer references other than you and your outside rep partner. Be careful not to make the validation with a practice that is viewed as a competitor. Often it is flattering to a veterinarian or staff member to be asked if they can be used as a reference for information referrals. This is something that only you can bring to the equation. By using your relationships and trust, you can create a network of practitioners and practice staff members. This network creation is not simply a validation or second opinion network. Asking someone to be a reference shows that you respect them and value their opinion. Providing references other than yourself shows confidence and the fact that you believe in what you are recommending. Being on the same page as your outside partner and providing veterinary references adds up to additional value that separates you from the competition.
Strive to provide a piece of information during each customer interaction. Before you know it, your customers will be asking you for opinions, recommendations and direction. They will no longer treat you as just a sales rep, but as a part of their decision-making process for their business. This takes time and dedication. It does not happen on every call. It does not happen with every clinic. But, if you focus on providing additional, relevant value to your customers, you will gain their respect and loyalty. You will become invaluable.

Todd Brodersen has more than 16 years of experience in the animal health industry, specifically in executive level sales and marketing management. Todd has first-hand knowledge in conceptualizing and implementing best practices in sales, marketing, distribution and procurement. Todd operates Same Page Consulting, Inc. out of his hometown of Omaha, Neb.