Professional Selling Skills

SteriTite Professional Selling Skills

ESTABLISH RAPPORT Customers have very little time to develop trust with new suppliers. They are increasingly trying to put more products through those they trust. That is why you are on the Case Medical Team.

DETERMINE NEEDS Before you start to talk about the product you need to ask good questions to determine the needs of your customers. Below are some examples of the kinds of open and closed probes that you want to ask.

Not Using Containers What are the challenges that most concern you in your department? Many of my customers are very short staffed how does that compare to your dept? Are you being asked to reduce costs in your department? What are some of the challenges associated with processing wrapped trays? Many of hospitals are experiencing problems with lost instruments. How does that compare with your experience? Does the OR complain about incomplete instrument sets? How do you keep track of what needs to be sharpened? Do you have to wrap multiple trays for one set?

Using Containers Tell me why you made a decision to go to sealed containers? What do you like about the change to containers? How many types of sterilization do you currently use? If you could improve the process what would you change? Do you know what your tray has been validated to do(weight, stacked baskets, lumens) Would it be important to you to know your tray has been validated and given a 510K for up to 22lbs, porous loads, lumens and multiple layers of baskets? How often are you sending containers out to be repaired? Do you find that you are using more than one container for a set? Do you ever experience wet loads?

TRIAL CLOSE After you have determined what the needs of the customer are, you need to summarize them, gain agreement that they are important to the customer then trial close. 1) Pat you have helped me understand that you need to free up some labor in your dept is that correct? You have said that you would like to find a way to better organize the instrument sets, is that correct? You also mentioned that you would like to have a way to protect the expensive sets from damage and loss, is that correct?

If I could show you how Case Medicals SteriTite sealed containers could help you free up labor, organize your sets, and reduce instrument repairs and replacements would you support the Hospital moving to our Containers?

2) Pat thank you for your time today. In our discussions you agreed that your Aesculap trays cost more than you thought because of the repairs that needed to be done on a frequent basis. You had more in inventory because the complete sets could not all be placed in one container. You also identified that you were still wrapping more trays because you couldn’t use the Aesculap containers for your heavy sets or in the STERRAD. You also agreed that the SteriTite sealed container would eliminate all of these problems, correct. Pat can you give me your support to give all your replacement orders for containers to me?

HANDLING OBJECTIONS The purpose of a trial close is to get the order if you can but it is often the way you get to the real objection. When you get the objection acknowledge it, restate the points of agreement and close again.

1) Pat, “I would love to buy your product but the Aesculap product is cheaper.”

Pat I understand how you feel, many hospitals felt that the Aesculap product was cheaper and they found that when you took into account all the factors like those you mentioned this morning; Repairs, more container inventory, and the need to continue wrapping a significant amount of your trays because they weren’t universal that the COST of the SteriTite containers was actually less. Would you agree?

2) Pat, “I like your product but Genesis is offering me all the trays for free if I buy their instruments”.

Pat I understand how you feel, many other hospitals felt that going with free containers was less expensive and they found that when they combined proposals from Case Medical and another company for instruments that they saved money over V Mueller with their free containers. If I can work with an instrument company and be competitive on the complete order will you support buying our containers?

3) Pat, “I like your product but my people think that it is too heavy.”

Pat I understand why you might feel that way. Case Medical has been taking significant market share away from Aesculap because of the superior quality. The only way that they have been able to combat us is by saying they don’t make their containers stronger because they would be too heavy. The truth is that our containers are stronger because they are designed and manufactured to be stronger and to last. When you compare our containers with their aluminum baskets vs the stainless steel baskets that Aesculap uses we are stronger, better heat conductors, and almost the same weight. Wouldn’t you agree that in order to get a universal container that is durable, flexible and eliminates wet packs that a few ounces more or less is insignificant? Can I get your support move to my SteriTite containers?

SUPPORT Once your customer has agreed to buy your product make sure that you support them by reinforcing all the benefits of their decision and how it will help their staff and the hospital. Remember to sell the disposables and introduce the solutions.