Reviewing what an effective office visit looks like, what you can do if an office visit doesn’t go to plan, and how you can make the most of future visits.
Whether you’re a veteran Pangea Health rep or have just started promoting your first partner, you might be wondering what the makings of an ‘effective office visit’ are. No two offices or visits are exactly alike, so to answer that question thoroughly we’ll be taking a look at the below questions individually:
- What does an effective office visit look like?
- What should I do if an office visit doesn’t go as planned?
- How can I make the most effective visits going forward?
Make sure to read to the very end for our tried and true recommendations on how to have engaging office visit conversations that convert!
What does an effective office visit look like?
An effective office visit is any positive interaction between a Pangea Health sales rep and a provider office’s staff or the provider themselves. Effective visits don’t always end with a demo being scheduled, that might take multiple visits with continuous reminders to the office about the value the partner offers. Dropping off additional marketing materials doesn’t hurt either!
So in practice what does an effective office visit consist of? Engaging an office employee, introducing yourself and the partner, describing the product or service being offered, and finding out if the office is interested in more information. That interest may look like filling out a survey, speaking with the provider and showing them a partner video, or having them schedule a demo after your visit. Any positive office interaction is effective.
What should you do if an office visit doesn’t go as planned?
It’s important to keep in mind that not every office will have the time to speak with you, will be interested in the partner, or will be able to keep a scheduled demo appointment - and none of those things reflect poorly on your skills as a salesperson. Let’s focus instead on the things you do control, one of which is how you proceed after a visit that you don’t feel went effectively.
Begin with what you felt could have been done better. Were you unable to engage the office staff? Did they not understand the value of the partner being promoted? Did they want to learn more but were hesitant to commit to a demo? Without overanalyzing, consider what you might have been able to do differently. At the beginning of your sales journey, there will likely be lots of room for improvement, but as you get more comfortable in the provider office setting and with the content of the partner you are promoting, your pitch should fall into a rhythm that feels natural and well-spoken. That said, there will always be some room for improvement in the introduction of yourself and the partner or the way you illustrate the value to the patient and the provider, workshop this as you learn what works well and what doesn't!
Depending on what could have gone better during the office visit, plan a repeat visit if the partner allows it. If you went in the morning and no one had time to speak with you, try again the following week in the afternoon. If the office staff seemed confused about the product, lead with a different pitch next time to see if you can communicate the value another way. Unless the office said that they felt the partner was a poor fit for their patients or they did not meet the targeting criteria set by the partner (more on that below), they will likely benefit from a repeat visit from you. It takes an average of 8 touchpoints to get an initial demo meeting scheduled, so don't hesitate to continue visiting an office unless they express that they are a poor fit.
How can I make the most effective visits going forward?
Office visits serve different purposes depending on who you ask, and there are a surprising number of people we could ask! Thankfully we only need to consider the office staff, the healthcare partner, and the provider (if you can talk to them) when making Pangea Health office visits. Most visits will start with greeting the office front desk staff, so we’ll start with how to promote most effectively to them.
Provider office waiting areas are busy places conducting important work, with no shortage of things that can slow down operations. The front desk staff is often responsible for appointment scheduling, record maintenance, billing and coding, and several other tasks - speaking with medical sales reps falls somewhere in the mix with varying priority depending on the circumstances. Ultimately, they are invested in connecting patients with positive outcomes, increasing convenience for the provider, and adding benefits to the office as a whole. With that in mind, here are some tips for effectively engaging the office front desk staff:
- While the partner you are promoting might be a patient-facing product or service, it is important to consider what value the healthcare provider might receive from their patient's utilization of the partner service or product. Will it save them or their office staff scheduling time? Will they receive additional information on their patient's health and well-being? Does it increase patient care efficiency? In your explanation of the partner’s product or service, focus on the value to the patient and the provider to receive the most interest possible from the office staff, this will lead to more surveys, more interested offices, and more commission payments for you!
- When a member of the office staff has agreed to answer a questionnaire, ask them for a business card so you can easily fill out the lead information questions before passing the device along to them. This will reduce the amount of time and attention required from that staff member who will likely appreciate the effort, and it gets you a business card you can reference in the future!
- All our partners have office specialties that they target for sales rep visits, you can find those specialties listed on the partner tab in the Pangea Health App. Be sure to only visit those targeted offices, visits made outside the shown specialties will not be eligible for commission payments.