Rehab sales: Gain commitment

A. So far, we've established a relationship with our prospect (a prospect is someone you want as a customer) by:

Understanding their needs

Aligning expectations

Increasing their awareness of your capabilities

Gaining acceptance of your solution and the benefits thereof

What we need next is their commitment to apply your solution. Often, at this point since you've gotten this far, this commitment might seem unspoken and a slam-dunk. Don't be fooled. Remember that the end of the cycle is 'repurchase', not just 'purchase' and I use the term purchase synonymously with application. What we want is your prospect's commitment to use your solutions from now on. For this, you have to ask.

There are a couple ways to gain your prospect's commitment. In cold-hearted selling language you simply ask for the order. But it's not cold-hearted at all, really. If you've done things right up to this point, your expectations are aligned and since you are both convinced that your solution is the best, asking for your prospect's commitment is probably what they are expecting.

“Thanks for the opportunity to help today. Do I have your permission to get this started right away?” But don't stop there…

“Ms. Jones, will you try my services and solutions for your next four clients?”

”May I count on being able to provide help to you for your next four CP kids?”

“Thanks for your support. Are we able to set-up a regular schedule today?”

Shameless plug ahead: I am now going to ask for your help. We desperately need outcomes studies. Please work with your company's clinical management team to develop or use existing tools so that you can ask your customers to participate. Reliable, broad-based outcomes will provide proof sources that can be used to support funding approvals, reimbursement levels, accurate coding, and a host of other things—including making you more convincing—that will help provide seating and mobility to the people that need it.