Focus Magazine - Fall 2017 - 22

FEATURESTORY

Two Steps to Openings
that Give Control
■ By Blaine C. Stephenson

W

e spend a lot of time training
new reps on the clinical
aspects of our therapies, the
exclusive solutions we oﬀer and core
marketing messages, but just as
important - if not more important -
are the selling skills involved in
framing up the topics of engagement
with our physicians. You're either
gaining share or losing share in your
interactions. How you "open" the
conversation determines whether the
physician is going to invest their time
with you.
What is the challenge with opening
a conversation? Microso conducted
a study that clocked the average
human attention span at just eight
seconds in 2013. e average human
attention span was 12 seconds in
2000.  at's a 33 percent decrease in
just 13 short years.  A goldfish has an
average attention span of nine
seconds. 
So, what is the blueprint or
template to an opening that
diﬀerentiates us from everybody else
and captures the attention of a
physician in that short span of time?
We know that we will be asked the
"what's new" question all the time and
yet I still see reps caught oﬀ guard
with that elementary, two-word
inquiry. We are purposeful in
spending dedicated time to
developing and practicing what we
call preplanned spontaneity in
response to a doctor's simple probing
question.
When a doctor asks, "What's New"
how do we:

22

* Gain credibility?
* Infuse empathy?
* Take Control of the Conversation
within eight seconds?
e methodology or template
incorporates a two-step process.

Step 1
Your opening remark should begin
with a third-party reference from one
of three diﬀerent categories: people,
publications or practices. Let's address
these one at a time, beginning with
the first source, people.
Highlight the experts. When
highlighting people, emphasize their
titles. Infuse descriptors such as
national or global in their appellation.
ese detailed title references give you
instant credibility in just two-seconds.
* I was recently speaking with the
senior product engineer
regarding...
* I was at a national conference and
one of the keynote speakers
highlighted...

* We just had a conference call with
the global product manager and I
raised the issue you had
regarding...
Second source, highlight
"publications" such as journals,
studies, or reviews.
* I came across an article from
Harvard Business Review that
described...
* ere's a recent publication of a
study regarding...
By highlighting published
resources, it not only gives credibility,
but it demonstrates that you are a
student of the game. You become the
trusted consultant to your physician.
You are the resource for new and
relevant information that doctors
value.
ird source, give tactful exposure
to what other "practices" are doing.
We have the advantage of countless
interactions to gain insight from other
physicians and practices and just
observe, inquire and learn best

FOCUS | Fall 2017 | www.L-TEN.org
http://www.L-TEN.org
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