Every, and I mean, every physician I work with says the same thing. I hate sales, and I don’t like salespeople.

I always chuckle when I hear   this because physicians are usually tremendous sales-people. They just don’t realize it. That’s point one. 

Point two is that outside medical practice, the ability to sell, to convince, to effectively persuade other people to your way of thinking, is one of the most highly valued assets any executive can have – any executive.  

Consider this, every day you’re convincing patients to have procedures, change habits, be compliant with treatment regimes, and myriad other objectives. I expect you to say, but I’m never forcing them to do anything, and you’re not. And, you may also say, I’m not selling, I’m convincing… I’m using my knowledge and credibility to build agreement. And, you’re right… the rest of us call that sales. 

What most physicians do is present patients with options and alternatives. It’s just that the physician’s preferred option or alternative is usually the one described in the “best terms” relative to expected outcomes and results. In the world of sales that is referred to as consultative intangible sales, considered the “high art form” of sales. I bet you didn’t know that. 

But again, you don’t consider what you do sales.  

Physicians consider sales the copier guy trying to unload a case of toner, the drug rep begging to have her book signed and take her drug, or some administrator trying to convince you to use the “standard” prosthesis…. And, you’re right, you don’t want their jobs and you don’t want to present yourself as that type of sales person. What these people are conducting is “direct tangible sales.” Whether you’re buying a pair of socks or a hip implant, it’s a quid pro quo: Direct, immediate and the outcome is tangible. 

The point is, you don’t want to sell yourself short on ability, nor do you want to compromise your ethical underpinnings. And, importantly, you should never be expected to do either.  

If selling becomes a part of your next career path, think Physician Liaison in any industry, your sales value is a combination of your credibility (which cannot be compromised) and your ability to understand both the affirmation and the resistance you receive from those you are selling to. You may think of sales as purely closing the deal, but it’s more than that. Sales is also vetting your product or service and learning why people like or dislike it, it gaining information to improve what you’re selling. 

You’ll probably never be called a salesperson, and I would usually recommend you not say you’re in sales, but failing to recognize and use your innate sales talents and even add to them with some formal study, will greatly enhance your value in your new career.

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