Medical sales and the post graduate meeting

I remembered my training course and the session on post graduate meetings and one day in the first week wandered into the local post graduate centre in Brighton to see if I could book a meeting. As chance would have it, a rep had cancelled for the next day, I jumped on the chance, my lucky day.

Just to explain the nature of these medical sales meetings, Gps have to continually update their knowledge through attending seminars for which they gain points (post graduate accreditation points). They need to collect a certain number of credits every year. The most common way of doing this is to visit the post graduate centre in the hospital at lunchtime for a talk that's accredited, usually by the local consultant.

The norm here is for a medical sales rep to sponsor the event (pay for their lunch!) and in return they get to put up their stand, with lots of goodies like branded pens and sticky pads in order to sell to Gps on their way in to the session. You will often be given a little ticket book, maybe a raffle ticket book, and to get their lunch they have to get a ticket off you. It all seemed rather well thought out.

So how did my first one go? Well it was rubbish! No other way to describe it. Although I thought I had the upper hand in the form of their meal ticket, the vast majority turned up late after the talk had started and promptly grabbed their ticket and ran in. That said they did find enough time to fill every available pocket with whatever they could scoop off my stand on their way. Within the space of 10 minutes I had given away my entire stock of goodies in return for ....well a bundle of vague nods and the odd 'hello'.

So do they generate medical sales results? Well yes, over time I learned a few smart tricks.

• Keep their meal tickets in your pocket, or at least out of sight....if they want to eat, they're going to have to talk to you! Most of them understand that you're not parting with money for nothing. Once they have to engage with you for their dinner, it's difficult for them to avoid a discussion about your products.

• Put only one item of your goodies on display with a sign, saying 'display only, please ask', keep the rest in a box, particularly if you have something good really posh pens! This avoids 10 junior doctors cleaning you out whilst you chat to a GP but again encourages them to talk to you.

• Keep a printed registration form to be completed to gain their ticket, have a column for their name, their surgery....and the best time you can visit them in their surgery. This last bit is excellent practise, it can generate access to some really 'difficult to see' doctors. Once you have this their hand writing (which you probably won't be able to read :o) ) the receptionist won't be able to turn you away.

• Target specific customers you wish to see on each occasion and have something 'specific' you wish to show them (like some new evidence or a relevant clinical paper). Once again this can be a excellent way to target difficult doctors, and if you are target just a few key people specifically, you are more likely to be successful.

In summary, you are funding lunch for these customers, they understand this and you must 'insist' that you get value for you money in the form of their ears for 5 minutes. Once they get used to the fact that they can't get away with simply grabbing your freebies and their lunch ticket, they won't expect to even try next time they see you.

Good luck.