Doctor's Office Idea

[Dave020]

Excellent post, Bob.

With regard to russelltw's post about food and drug reps, unless you are a female who is eye candy forget it. The females that the drug companies hire are really foxes. A guy doesn't stand a chance against them.

9 out of 10 that come through my doctor's office while I sit in the waiting room (and they never have to wait LOL) are stone foxes in short skirts and professional (but sexy professional) business clothing.

1 out of 10 is a young man who could easily get on a TV show like "The Bachelor".

 

[arnguy]

Dave, those gals could sell ice cubes to Eskimos!

 

[Newby]

My next door neighbor is a doctor and he gets so many food gifts that he throws me some of them occasionally.

Last time he gave me a cake from Stone Cold Creamery (the Midnight Delight) that was so rich you had to do 10-miles on a treadmill every time you ate a slice.

It was given to him by his Lipitor rep. Now I need Lipitor just because I ate that cake.

You can't take Milk Duds to compete with the Midnight Delight.

 

[briko3]

Screw the office....the original idea was to do something small and nice for the receptionist. They deal with crap all day long and it's something for her to keep on her desk and enjoy. If she wants to share it fine, if not great. The point is she'll get you to the person you need to talk to if you make her feel important.

 

[on7of9]

Screw the office....the original idea was to do something small and nice for the receptionist. They deal with crap all day long and it's something for her to keep on her desk and enjoy. If she wants to share it fine, if not great. The point is she'll get you to the person you need to talk to if you make her feel important.

i will have to vote on that. i have a gatekeeper. most of the time she does a good job. she has been doing it for years. the pitney bowes people hire only models, i think - waltz's right to the general manager's office(my boss). like in 'cabaret' - right this way your table is waiting... but, if a young man properly dress for my area, not necessarily good looking, stops her with a small unpretentious gift, then engages her. i never hear the damn end of it. she starts looking for work for them. "Oh! what about....?' i have used them just to shut her up. they have never made through on the phone in eleven years. actually, her instincts have been right. my 2 cents from looking from the inside out. btw, gatekeeper - think Queen Latifah, with an attitude.

 

[VaDwayne]

I have an idea that I want to run past the forum and see what everyone thinks. I have spoke to a guy who does this, but he sells medical equipment.

He will show up without an appointment early in the moring and take in a small tin with M&M's or some other small candy to the receptionist. He will ask for the office manager or head nurse etc and try to sell them his product. His is a product for kids, so he only goes after pediatric offices.

He says he gets there early in the mornings, always before 9 and more times than not, he gets to see who he is trying to see, simply by delivering candy to the receptionist or whoever the office lady is.

I want to do this for commercial insurance for practices (GL, commercial auto, work comp). I think it has some merit, I can talk about being a young, local agent that will take care of them. My Dad is a doctor so I can tell them, I understand the medical community etc...

Does anyone have any suggestions or ways to make this idea better?

Is it a good idea? Bad idea? Waste of time?

Thanks in advance for any comments or critiques!

I am sort of new to the commercial end of this business. Although things are going well, I am looking for ways to get to the decision maker, that is the most important step. I personally will never leave candy, or anything similar to that.

The doctor, who is the decision maker, will never see the candy. The receptionists are going to toss your card and eat all of the candy themselves. The doctor has so many people coming in and giving him stuff, especially pharmaceutical reps., that you will be just 1 in a 100 who left him something. Do something that makes you stand out from the crowd..

When I managed an auto dealership, I received free samples of crap on a daily basis, and most of it would be given to a salesperson, or thrown in the trash, and didn't make a difference unless it was a new product in an interesting package. Nobody likes clutter, so the crap has to go somewhere, and the trash is a good place.


Find a way to get to the decision maker while going around the gate keeper.

 

[moonlightandmargaritas]

Last time he gave me a cake from Stone Cold Creamery

Was this place named after Stone Cold Steve Austin?

 

[briko3]

Dwayne, you're missing the point. You're not giving information along with the candy...you're building a relationship with the receptionist. You might not get to him that day, but I can tell you when you show back up the next time she'll remember who you are. Have you ever heard of Ben Feldman? If not you need to find his book.

 

[scagnt83]

My next door neighbor is a doctor and he gets so many food gifts that he throws me some of them occasionally.

Last time he gave me a cake from Stone Cold Creamery (the Midnight Delight) that was so rich you had to do 10-miles on a treadmill every time you ate a slice.

It was given to him by his Lipitor rep. Now I need Lipitor just because I ate that cake.

You can't take Milk Duds to compete with the Midnight Delight.

LOL. I hear you.
Before i got into the insurance business I worked as a bartender/server at the top fine dinning restaurant in town.

I waited on numerous Pharmaceutical rep parties thrown for doctors and surgeons.
If you can compete with $200 dollar bottles of wine and $100 dollar a plate entrees then you are close to being in the same league.
Plus the drug samples that they give out... especially the viagra guy!!!

Most of us cant compete with that... or if we can it doesnt make sense to. Yes wooing the receptionist might help your cause some (especially in smaller offices), but not to the extent that you will need to get into most doctors offices.

And these high end parties are nothing compared to the amount of money they spend on lunches for the whole staff...
I dated a girl who was the office manager at a doctors office. They had their lunch bought 4 days a week by drug reps....

 

[VaDwayne]

Dwayne, you're missing the point. You're not giving information along with the candy...you're building a relationship with the receptionist. You might not get to him that day, but I can tell you when you show back up the next time she'll remember who you are. Have you ever heard of Ben Feldman? If not you need to find his book.

I actually do get the point but I don't see the receptionist doing much for the agent at all, other than eating his candy. Maybe the office manager or someone with a little more power but not a receptionist in a doctors office, especially a busy one.

Cold call the office on the phone, get the decision makers name, ask for that person by name when you show up at the office or when you call back. Do some research and go around the blocker?

When I mentioned information, I was referring to your personal information like your business card.