When to Delight and When to Sell

Just to be clear, I love the Marriott hotel chain. However, I couldn't help tell this story and how it relates to our lives in healthcare sales...

I’m a Jersey boy who has lived in Nashville for the past 11 years. Growing up - we rang in the New Year by watching the New York City ball drop.

So when I moved to the central time zone, New Years Eve hasn't been the same because you have to watch the New York City ball drop at 11PM CST.

This year was going to be different. I was spending New Years Eve at the Marriott in Marco Island Florida. I was eagerly anticipating a real-time ball drop.

(Yes I stayed up waaaaaaaay past my 8:00pm bedtime.)

So when we arrived at the Marriott, I was pumped to hear the hotel was planning a celebratory bash. In an effort to keep guests on campus and spending money, they were bringing in a DJ, huge outdoor dance floor, AND big screens broadcasting the NYC Times Square festivities.

Let the festivities begin

When the party rolled around, hundreds of hotel guest poured into the courtyard. Grand-parents devoured free or d’oeuvres. Little kids took advantage of their extended curfews. And the parents - they were enjoying a phenomenal venue and many cocktails.

At 11:50PM, the DJ directed everyone to the dance floor for a "special message” on the big screens. The crowd grew visibly excited with anticipation...

Unfortunately, they had some technical difficulties. (Queue the deflated trombone music).

Eventually the audio-visual guys took care of the gremlins and the DJ redirected the attention to the 100 inch big screens flanking the dance floor.

The video flickered and images of laughing children, romantic walks along the beach and wholesome family fun flashed before our eyes. As time went on, the crowd realized their big surprise was actually...a freaking commercial for Marriott Vacations Club!

The party screeched to a halt because someone at the hotel made the poor decision to play a self-serving infomercial.

The guests immediately scattered from the dance floor. Not a single eye ball watched the screens.

The big flop

A few minutes later, I saw a small crowd gather around a guest holding a cell phone. He was streaming the NYC ball drop.

The small group began the celebratory chant...

"10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 Happy New Year!"

I looked up to the big screens to see a middle-aged dad with him six-pack abs frolicking in the sand with his blonde headed kids and their perfectly straight teeth. The technical difficulties had pushed the self-indulging promotion past the 12:00AM ball drop.

We missed the countdown!

As guest started to realize what had just happened they grew audibly disgruntled. 5-year-old kids started booing. Intoxicated grandmothers were hissing. The crowd erupted in a wave of negativity!

Yeah, but healthcare is different...

Unlike the travel industry, healthcare is heavily regulated.

Compliance mandates the constant regurgitation of package inserts, citing clinical trials and repeating of side effect profiles.

As Healthcare Sales Professionals, we are obligated to stay well within the bounds of compliance.

But -

As someone who has made the healthcare sales equivalent of this Marriott blunder – be cognizant when you mix selling with delighting. You could do more damage than good.

If you are a Healthcare Sales Professional or looking to break into the industry, you can learn more here.