I said, “You have pharmaceutical salespeople.”
The client, surprised in the video call, asked, “Why do you say that?”
I explained, “One way to characterize solution salespeople is to differentiate them between pharmaceutical salespeople and medical salespeople.”
Using an analogy, I said: when someone feels unwell, they visit a doctor. The doctor examines them, takes their blood pressure, investigates their lifestyle, and orders a series of tests: a complete blood count, urine analysis, ultrasound, stress echo, etc. This specialized attention adds significant value due to the doctor’s expertise and professional knowledge. Such a consultation can cost between $100 and $150.
The patient undergoes the tests, which can cost between $300 and $400. Then they return to the doctor with the results, who makes a diagnosis and proposes a treatment. This treatment includes medication, for which the doctor writes prescriptions, and possibly an exercise routine, rest, and diet.
The patient leaves the doctor’s office and goes to the corner pharmacy, presents the prescription to the pharmacist, who prepares the budget, say $75. The patient then goes to the pharmacy across the street and requests another quote, which turns out to be $64, $11 less, so they decide to buy there.
As I told this analogy, my client looked at me as if they didn’t understand the relation to their sales team. I pointed out that their salespeople were completely reactive. The customer requests a product, the salesperson finds it on the shelf, quotes it, and presents it. They don’t know what the illness is nor have they seen the tests; they are only interested in selling the product. And since there are two pharmacies selling the same products, the one willing to sacrifice more margin gets the sale.
On the other hand, the doctor, thanks to their knowledge, charges much more than the pharmacist. The difference is that the doctor delves into the patient’s problem, makes a diagnosis, and proposes a cure.
Many customers tend to “self-medicate,” expressing their needs in terms of the products they know. They may often request a medication that doesn’t resolve their real problem. For example, if someone has a stomachache and takes an antispasmodic, they might be hiding a more serious illness.
The value the doctor (or the medical salesperson, in our analogy) adds is the knowledge of the problem. If, as a medical salesperson, I can provide a good response to the customer and solve their problem, they will return again and again, establishing a relationship based on value, not price.
If you think you have an ecosystem of pharmaceutical salespeople, get in touch with us; we will be happy to help.
