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If you’re an independent pharmacy owner, you might already have an idea of how “sales” is supposed to look. Maybe you picture a man in a suit with slicked-back hair who uses every technique in the book to get someone to buy.

We get it: salespeople and selling have a terrible reputation. But the fact remains that if you are running an independent pharmacy, you are, by default, in sales. Selling is a form of communication, and a necessary skill you need to learn if you want to level up your business.

Read on to learn Amanda Gore’s emotional approach to sales and how she uses neuroscience principles to understand human behavior. Hear from Amanda Gore at the 2019 PDS Super-Conference, as she discusses how to connect, educate, and leverage non-traditional sales skills to influence audiences in a way that builds trust and grows your pharmacy.

The Name of the Pharmacy Game: Adaptability

Before we dive into discussing sales skills, keep in mind that owning a business is difficult and you’ll face obstacles that will discourage you. In the independent pharmacy industry, you’ll have to deal with things that are beyond your control, such as legislation, opaque pricing, and reimbursement structures.

There’s no way around it: it’s the price you pay to be an entrepreneur. The solution?

Staying adaptable and learning new skills that will impact growth in your business. Effectively and ethically ‘selling’ your services, ideas, and products is the next evolution for independent pharmacy.

Developing a Modern Sales Mindset

The first step to mastering sales is getting rid of any preconceived notions. Remember, selling is not about not “manipulating” people to do something. The truth is that you’re always selling. When you’re pitching new ideas to your team or working to increase signups for a pharmacy program, you’re selling.

To be more effective, you must change your perception of your pharmacy patients. Picture everyone that comes into your business as someone that needs your help and the expertise of your pharmacy team. Your pharmacy is not merely a place to get prescriptions filled–it’s a crucial part of the neighborhood where people go to be happy and healthy.

If you have a product that you genuinely believe will help solve your friend’s problem or cure their illness, wouldn’t you do everything you can to convince them to buy it?

Listen Properly (Hardly Anyone Does) & Create Non-Verbal Connections

With the rising popularity of social media, we’re more connected than ever before. However, many of us are still unable to develop real human connections. That’s why as an independent pharmacy owner, you must practice ‘true listening’ with your patients.

Real listening is about…

being present with everyone you interact with: your patients, your team, or your prescribers.
striving to understand what the other person is trying to convey.
paying attention to the other person’s body language, making eye contact, smiling, and giving them your undivided attention.

You’ll realize that just by caring about the subject and addressing your customers’ concerns, your patients will find their way back to your pharmacy time and time again.

A New Way of Thinking

Your independent pharmacy is a cornerstone in the community. Every day, people are placing their health and wellness in your hands. The personalized care you provide for the community IS the competitive advantage against chains and big-box retailers.

Embrace your role and start connecting with your patients. You can ethically affect positive change in the health and wellness of your community without sacrificing profitability. It’s your duty and responsibility as an independent pharmacy owner to learn how to sell, so you can help solve your customers’ problems.

Sales Skills for Pharmacy Owners

Independent pharmacies face challenges and roadblocks at every turn, and the need to implement non-traditional revenue streams is greater now than ever. But how can you and your team overcome the difficulty of approaching doctors, administrators, and even patients with your collaboration ideas? How can you do that comfortably and ethically?

The skill you need: Sales. Professional, non-traditional sales skills.

Learn how to effectively communicate and sell to the audiences that are critical to the success of your business, specifically prescribers, practice managers, patients, and even your own team.

PDS is proud to bring you the Annual Pharmacy Business Super-Conference with three days of actionable content. Independent doesn’t mean alone. Gain the knowledge and strategies shared by 1,600+ thriving pharmacy owners.

Are you looking to increase your number of patient transactions? How about getting patients to take advantage of your unique products and services? The most straightforward and practical answer is to use the subtle art of sales.

There is often a negative association with the word ‘sales.’ Hearing the word ‘salesperson’ likely conjures up some particular images and ideas for most people. In the best light, they are of a typical salesperson, aggressive, pushy at one end, and ‘con-artist’ or manipulative at the other.

If you’re thinking that you’re ‘selling’ to your patients, frame it another way. The fact is that you’re doing a very important job in the community by helping them solve their health and wellness problems.

Imagine if your best friend tells you he’s struggling with a problem, and you have a solution, wouldn’t you speak up and say something about it?

If you have a product or service that can help others, it is your moral obligation as a healthcare provider to share it with them.

The rest of this post will cover how you can use Dr. Cialdini’s principles of persuasion to communicate new treatment options to your patients and increase sales.

Scarcity: Patients Love Limited-Time Deals (And Things They Have Less Of)

Leverage the emotional impact of FOMO (or the fear of missing out) to increase sales.

To apply this principle to your pharmacy business, offer limited-time deals for different audiences.
Scarce products and offers feel exclusive and valuable to consumers.

One way to showcase a limited time product is by placing it in a smaller end-cap area with signage that conveys urgency and scarcity.

When you’re discussing the product, highlight what they stand to lose by not taking action and speak to the specific issues the patient might be experiencing.

You can also experiment with offering exclusive perks reserved only for top customers. Once people realize that being a repeat customer comes with rewards, they’ll be more ready to act on purchases. In turn, you’ll increase revenue and often, your average transaction value as well.

Assure Your Patients You’re An Expert

Make sure you establish your credibility to your customers.

Why? Although we’ll never admit it, we want others to tell us exactly what to do. Especially by experts that we trust. You can do this by making recommendations, displaying your certifications where your patients can see them, and answering any questions your patients might have.

If you show that you and your team are trained experts, your patients will also be more willing to try new products or services that you recommend.

Offer events and classes that educate your patients, if you continually provide value around healthcare and wellness, your pharmacy will soon be known as a healthcare destination for the community.

People discuss excellent and awful experiences. If you’re providing great customer service, you can bet that you’ll start seeing the referrals come through the door. High patient satisfaction and experiences will ultimately drive more sales.

Consistency Is Key: Start With Small Commitments for Big Sales

When you’re selling something (especially if it’s a high-ticket item that people don’t buy on impulse), try to get your patient to commit to something small first.

As a pharmacy owner, this could be a free trial or samples of new products.

After they agree or “say yes” to you once, they’ll be more willing to “say yes” again to stay consistent with their previous action.

If you use this principle, you can break down many of the barriers your patients have when shopping, and over time, your patients will agree to bigger and more expensive recommendations.

The important thing to remember is to nurture your relationship with them and get several “yeses” first.

Influence at Work: Building a Better Pharmacy

Remember, using these principles to influence your patients isn’t wrong if you’re applying them ethically. Your mission as a healthcare professional is to help people who come to you with health and wellness challenges.

In fact, if you master ethical persuasion, you’ll be able to improve the lives of patients you wouldn’t have been able to otherwise.