Job Profile: Sales
Sales is one of the most underrated non-traditional job options.
Most people think: “I could never do sales - I could never sell stuff to people.”
I’ve got a tough pill for you to swallow so buckle up: to be an effective PT you have to be a good salesperson.
PTs and Salespeople have more in common than they may realize.
99% of PTs became PTs because they “want to help people.”
How can you help people if they aren’t showing up for therapy?
How do you get them to show up?
You sell them.
Think about some of your most rewarding moments as a physical therapist.
I generally think of patients who were in an incredibly tough spot and needed my help.
Showing up for therapy was really hard.
I used my skills as a therapist to guide them to show up and get it done despite the many obstacles they were facing.
Guess what?
Guidance is simply a more palatable word for “selling.”
I get it - being a salesperson can have a negative connotation.
And that’s the problem we need to overcome.
As a profession, we need to get more comfortable with the idea of helping and selling at the same time.
The more you sell, the more you can help.
Here is a recap of a lecture I gave on this at the APTA’s Private Practice Conference in 2023: Sales Lessons for your PT Staff (the live replay is available to APTA Members).
Not a PT?
One of the best things PTs and Salespeople have in common is how much they want to help each other.
I didn’t become a highly specialized therapist in the ICU without mentorship.
I had tons of help along the way.
Same with Sales.
Sales is a very tight-knit community of people who are there to celebrate your wins and commiserate in your losses.
There is a lot of information out there and it can quickly become overwhelming.
Here are the top 5 resources I leveraged on my journey, beyond the support I got internally from my team at Prompt Health, from an entry-level salesperson to a leadership role in just over a year
Josh Braun: Find a salesperson whose methodology you identify with the most and stick with that. Otherwise, it’s too confusing. Josh is that for me. He's got plenty of free resources, Badass B2B Growth Guide & Poke the Bear courses, and Tongue Tied Flash cards.
Women in Sales : WIS is an incredible community created to support, you guessed it, Wome in Sales! It’s super welcoming if you are looking to break into sales or are already a pro. It can be intimidating at first - don’t be shy! Everyone has to start somewhere. It's spearheaded by Alexine Mudawar. Be sure to join the Slack group and go to in-person events when you can!
Jen Allen-Knuth for sales advice
Samantha McKenna for sales, networking, and career advice!
Aspireship - Affordable, entry-level sales course that covers all the basics. Tell them we sent you!
Betts Compensation Guide - Great source for realistic salary expectations.
OK, I’m interested, can you give me some interview tips?
