We’ve been interviewing several MedTech sales managers this past week. One question we posed was: What do you think are the keys to a sales rep’s success? The first answer we heard was “follow-up”. We smiled … MedTech and other B2B customers we’ve surveyed over the years have universally told us that what was most important to them in a salesperson is, “do what you said you will do” – or in other words, follow-up … keep your promises.
It was interesting that “knowledge about their products” didn’t make the survey short list – it was expected that successful sales reps “know what they’re selling.” Simply put, it’s the ticket to the dance. Plus, the buyers noted that today they have a wide variety of online sources for finding out about products.
But, in the buyer’s eyes, following up is one of the fundamentals for building trust and establishing a business relationship that separates those top sales reps from the others.
As sales reps seek ways to create value for customers – it’s important to note that value is not created solely by what you’re selling. Of course sales reps must be able to position solutions in a compelling way and talk about the value-adds the company can provide.
But salespeople can create customer value by how they sell, as well as, what they sell. Following up is key. It creates customer value – and sets the stage to increase the likelihood of future sales success.
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