The Top of the Sales Arc: Part 2

Low Profile; High Power

Just What The Customer Ordered

To learn more about the start of the sales arc, please click here.

 

During the initial phase of the sales arc the hearing aid practitioner takes the time to learn about the lifestyle and preferences of the client. An in-take form is prepared and properly filed. And, if scheduled, the hearing professional may conduct a hearing evaluation to complete the data gathering phase.

 

At this phase of the sales arc the dispenser can assume that the client has decided to make a purchase. (Why else spend all of that time and having a hearing evaluation?) So, it’s time to turn to the priority list prepared by the client.

 

Part 2 of the Sales Arc: Matching the Client with the Right Device

Part 2 of the sales arc focuses on fitting the right hearing device to suit the needs of the buyer. For example, the number one preference of one client might be discretion. “I don’t want people to know I wear a hearing aid.”

 

If that consumer experiences mild hearing loss a CIC is the appropriate choice to meet the customer’s number one priority. But what about the patient who experiences moderate to severe loss of hearing? A CIC may not provide enough “juice” to address severe hearing loss.

 

Educating the Consumer About Hearing Technology

Even the most astute consumer won’t know much about the state of hearing aid technology. That’s where you come in. When it comes to hearing aid tech and the menu of options, the hearing aid dispenser is in the best position to fit hearing device to hearing need.

 

So, you do your research. If you find a CIC that’ll deliver the boost required by the buyer with severe hearing loss, that’s one option. But, remember, you’re a teacher. So, lay out other options at the top of the sales arc – options that the consumer wouldn’t be expected to know. For example…

 

…a typical buyer who walks into your store is probably unaware of the advancements made in the past few years with the use of digital technology. Many still perceive hearing aids as clunky, heavy and totally unattractive. At this point in the education process, the dispenser should point out other viable options – especially in the case of moderate to severe hearing loss.

 

All it takes is a single look and a quick fitting for the consumer to understand the state of current hearing technology. Today, the more powerful BTEs come in low-profile packages but still deliver the power required to address the buyer’s severe hearing loss.

 

Now, this isn’t part of the selling process. That’s been done. Your job, at this stage in the sales arc, is to lay out the consumers’ options and to detail the pros and cons of each.

 

You are the professional. So make your recommendations:

 

• Without the consumer’s priorities in mind, make your best recommendation based on the hearing evaluation results alone. The buyer may change his or her mind based on need once that need has been determined.

 

• Next, make your best recommendation based on the consumers’ lists of priorities. For example, if convenience ranks as a high priority, introduce the buyer to the state-of-the-art features including automatic reminders that the wearer has an appointment with you next week.

 

• Describe the pros and cons of each type of hearing aid. We’re not talking brands at this stage. Just hearing aid styles and how consumers feel about them, both positively and negatively.

 

Let the consumer decide. I can’t state this more emphatically. Yes, you’re the expert but the consumer will be the one wearing the device each day. Never push. However, if the consumer’s decision won’t solve the hearing loss, you have a professional obligation to point that out. In other words, try to fit device to consumer and vice-versa based on your understanding of the consumer and the range of hearing aids available.

 

Financing

Once the decision has been made, you may have to discuss financing. (We all know how expensive a good pair of hearing aids are.) If your store offers financing (and it should) this will be discussed with all terms laid out in simple, easy-to-understand language. There is no room for subterfuge if your store finances the purchase. It is totally unprofessional and not in the best interests of your buyer.

 

• If possible, fit the buyer with a pair of devices. Recommending a single device may save money but it won’t produce a satisfying listening experience.

 

• Complete the transaction with a detailed invoice, a payment schedule (if you provide financing) and the collection of a down payment if that’s part of the agreement.

 

• Fit the device to the consumer’s ear shape. Adjust channels based on hearing evaluation results and client preferences. Also, explain the controls to the patient – things like manual volume control, feedback squelch and so on.

 

• Make sure you educate the patient on the transition phase – something about which I discuss in the final part of the sales arc series. Many of your buyers will assume that hearing will be “normal” – just like in the olden days. Part of your job is to prepare the patient to adapt to a new kind of hearing.

 

• Make sure the client has all contact information.

 

What you want when a buyer leaves your store is a confident, educated and satisfied customer. This is not only an aspect of your professionalism, it’s the best way to build your business and reach the top of the sales arc more often.