By Brian Chou, OD, 
FAAO
January 21, 2015
Most of us know what it’s like interacting with aggressive sales reps. They’re the reason we dodge them as if we were cockroaches scampering for cover when the light goes on. Some are so pushy and rude, if we see them coming through the door, we run for the safety of the back office faster than if armed thugs were coming in for a smash-and-grab robbery.
These reps seek our money, whether from us or our patients, without always having our best interests, or those of our patients’, at heart. I’ve been stood up by reps who reserved appointments with me. Others have barged in without an appointment demanding to speak to me when I’m completely booked. I’ve had reps make exorbitant and unsupported claims about their products, trying to teach me how to practice. Some reps have stalked at the office check-in to ensnare me as I try attending to my next patient. Yet others have redecorated the office without permission, littering their point-of purchase brochures through the office as if they were marking their territory by urinating on as many fire hydrants as possible. I recognize that sales reps have performance targets to meet, as their livelihood depends on it. Still, these behaviors are irksome.
I could list dozens of shady tactics I’ve observed by sales reps, yet I’ll save my breath and simply present three zingers:
THE TROJAN HORSE. A new patient scheduled an emergency medical appointment for “eye irritation,” yet the exam findings were completely normal. He ended up pitching his search engine optimization and web-presence services. By the end, it was clear that he had faked his eye problem to make a sales call. At least he paid for the exam.
THE FAKE REFERRAL. A representative for a patient-lead generation service claimed that another optometrist in my city was having so much success with the service, that this optometrist told the rep to talk to me. Not so! I spoke with this optometrist, whom I knew well. My colleague was surprised to find out that he was being used to endorse the service without his permission. The kicker was that he was actually unhappy with the service and was about to pull the plug on it.
THE REPORTER IMPERSONATOR. One rep left a phone message with my staff, allegedly wanting to interview me for a trade publication. I’ve done several media interviews, so this was not an unusual request. I called back and he inquired about the challenges of clinical practice. Turns out, it was all a front for selling their practice management services. Once he collected information about the areas of business that I felt could be improved upon, he pitched a service to help.
I’ve found that the best ways to manage and weed out undesirable relationships with sales representatives include the following:
DECLINE FREEBIES. Take caution in accepting meals or items of value from reps. The danger in accepting these items is that you’ll feel indebted to them, with some sales reps believing that they are then entitled to contact you freely. Additionally, be mindful that with the Sunshine Act, payments and items of value given to you may become available for the public to view and misinterpret.
HAVE A POLICY AND A FORM. Implement a standardized policy in your office for sales representatives who wish to meet with the doctor/owner. One helpful approach is creating and using a standardized form which your staff can hand to reps who desire to reach the owner. The form allows the rep to write down their contact information and explain briefly the purpose of their proposed meeting or promoted products and services.
BE SELECTIVE, BE UPFRONT. To the representatives I interact with directly, I will honestly explain to them that while my business is solicited all the time with new or competitive products and services, my partner and I will still evaluate their merits with an open mind. That said, I mention that we turn down about 90 percent of proposals. Some of the new products and services may, in fact, improve patient care, reduce costs, improve efficiency, enhance perception or increase profitability. Yet our high selectivity allows us to concentrate our limited resources on the few initiatives that make the greatest and most compelling improvements.
To be clear, I do not intend to paint all sales reps as rude and shameless promoters. This is hardly the case, and I am blessed to have excellent relationships with many wonderful company reps. These individuals are often hard working, and serve as valuable resources to serve your patients and practice. The best ones will listen to your needs and respect that no one understands your patient base and demographics like you, while also exhibiting awareness that they must bring you value. Still, there are enough sales reps who just don’t get it. For those gadflies, you can manage their intrusion by following the aforementioned strategies.
How do you manage sales offers, including those presented by shady means? What is the best way to handle under-handed sales reps?
Brian Chou, OD, FAAO, is a partner with EyeLux Optometry in San Diego, Calif. To contact him: chou@refractivesource.com.
