I have been dealing with a chronic injury for the past five years which has led to countless doctor’s appointments. While this is not my preference, it has given me the opportunity to notice several connections between the ways doctors go about (or should go about) their appointments and the activities of sales people.
The main correlation that I have seen between the two is the importance of a sold relationship between the two parties. I got to know a lot of doctors while hopping from doctor to doctor in order to find someone who could give answers to my injury. Because of this, I quickly learned the crucial nature of doctors forming connections with their patients before offering their advice. I had one doctor who spent roughly 30 seconds with me and then proceeded to tell me what his plan was. Needless to say, I was not too keen to take his advice as I did not feel like he truly cared about my pain and just wanted to move on to the next client. In contrast, the first time I met with my current surgeon, he spent a significant about of time getting to know my history, how this injury was affecting me, and what I thought a good course of action was. Afterwards, when he gave me his planned course of healing, I was a lot more apt to listen and follow because I felt like he cared.
This is similar to the notion discussed in class, that the seller must have a relationship with the potential client before attempting to sell to them. This allows the client to feel like they are more than just a sale to the seller and that their opinions actually matter to them. This period bonding provides time for trust to build between the individuals and furthers the relationship past the point of a one-time sale, whether it’s for a specific product or a medical service.
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