Are you a turn-off? Fatal blunders killing your customer relationships

Please welcome Guest Blogger, Lara Marlin Hull. Lara spent many years in the lab at Amylin Pharmaceuticals as a “bench monkey” and brings a fresh scientific voice to improving sales to scientists. We love her take on scientist relationships. Feel free to ask her a few questions.
Enjoy! – Rusty and Mark

by Lara Marlin Hull

Your customer relationships are your goldmine.  Once you get to move your scientist from Lead to Prospect, you’ve gotten your foot officially in the door – not easy in the life sciences industry.

As a former bench monkey figuring out all the sales and marketing magic that happens on the other side of the lab door, I still marvel at the power behind the idea (bear with me) of each scientist /prospective customer also representing this lab, this building, this campus - for years – way more valuable than a mere sale!

All the more reason to keep the relationship alive.  I’ll share some examples of customer relationship flops I have either experienced or heard about around the centrifuge.  They definitely don’t represent the typical scenario – but they help to illustrate my point that these situations wouldn’t have to end in misery.

Guiding Question

From what I’ve seen, “Is this good for my customer relationship?” could be an easy way to decide if tactics are going to be effective.

In any case, some of these missteps would put anyone in the doghouse  so don’t let them happen to you.

1.  Unfulfilled Promises

If there is one lot you can be realistic with, its scientists.  It’s nice for us to talk about you getting us a lower price than the current vendor, but if you can’t make that happen (or even have an inkling that you can’t), don’t say it, and really don’t promise it!   Imagine running a painstakingly long series of assays to compare media because New Vendor promised cheaper prices than Old Vendor.  After months of work, you find that New Vendor’s quote is, in fact, more than Old Vendor – !

Ask Guiding Question.  Answer – Never. Ever.

2.  Turn it Down a Notch

Going to 11 should only happen sometimes.  We’re ready to get to know you and for you to get to know us at this point.  Incessant calls and emails are too in-your-face.  Especially if the call is to say that you’re downstairs and can we just meet for a few minutes (I’m in the lab)!  Useful sales tactic?  All I know is that when your officemate says “Hey, stalker sales guy is on the phone”, the message is that this wasn’t a fruitful endeavor for you or this Prospective Relationship.

Ask Guiding Question.

Note- I’ve seen The Pop-Over revamped and wildly successful for building relationships with prospective scientists, but that’s for a different day.

3.  Be on the same page

Navigating the scientist-rep relationship is a Choose Your Own Adventure – are you on the same page as your scientist?

Scientist:  I will be purchasing millions of dollars in plates from you, if this Prospective Relationship pans out.  Just two things, keep our discussions private for now (political issues with current vendor – typical), and we’ll also need the price quote so we can move forward.

On Same Page –Needs and issues gathered by rep from the folks in the lab.  Prices discussed.  Sales strategies and tactics aligned.  Happy Scientists.  Checks cashed.

On Different Page –Wildly exaggerated information about the possible purchase is leaked by overzealous rep to any and everyone.  Never received price quote, and Company and Vendor were mislead regarding status of purchase (which was never made).  Scientist, burned badly by the incident after ducking blame for rep’s antics, passionately retells story to anyone else considering/using/looking at this vendor’s product.  : (

Ask Guiding Question.

Summary

Like I said, these are some extreme examples – of course, in any relationship there are bumps in the road –most don’t do irreparable damage.  But in an industry like our’s, every move is critical – there aren’t always more fish in the sea.

Lara Marlin Hull

Lara has spent the last several years developing and running cell-based assays in various areas of drug and target discovery. Now, she is a student and new practitioner of marketing and social media, and still a lover of science. She is interested in how marketing concepts and practices apply to the life sciences industry and in reaching and engaging scientists - as a special kind of customer all to themselves. Lara is also on LinkedIn.

Twitter - More Posts