By Terri Ross, Terri Ross Consulting

Mastering the art of sales is the most critical skill you need to learn to launch or scale your practice. Like any new skill, it can feel uncomfortable at first, but continued practice at honing your craft is the key.

Sales is like oxygen and the lifeline of your practice. Learning to shift your mindset around "selling" to "educating" your patients with clarity, confidence and connection is the roadmap to success in business.

Do you ever wonder what makes some providers so successful at educating patients and converting sales? According to some of the top sales experts in the world, there are a few key traits that separate good salespeople from great ones.

1. Have clearly defined goals and be results-oriented. Great salespeople know that selling is all about solving a problem. It's about connecting, building trust and offering a solution to what is concerning the customer. Think about what the patient wants, why they are there and how you can help them achieve their goals. Review the schedule every morning. Have a team "huddle" and review who is coming in, why they are coming in and your opportunity to cross-sell. (For example, would they benefit from a pre- and post-plan?) Start the day with a clear intention. Write down specific goals and focus on them every day. The more positive and enthusiastic you become, the more you will achieve. Instead of focusing on the potential problems or "ones who didn't convert," focus on the results and the patients for whom you are able to produce results. It's a game changer.
2. Be self-confident. The top 20% of sales people make 80% of the sales and have the drive to be the best. Make a commitment to excellence and becoming the best in your field. Keep going every day, learn new skills and new tools, and do not give up. Become unstoppable. Believe in yourself.
3. Be fearless. Fear of failure and fear of rejection are what hold most people back. Being fearless does not mean you are never afraid—it just means you are brave and do it anyway. Adopt an "I can do it" mindset. Fortune is in the follow-up. Make 100 calls a day to past clients. Detach from the outcome and don't worry about "no"—just focus on "yes." This is how you become fearless.
4. Be enthusiastic. The more you love what you do and are enthusiastic about the services you provide, the more your clients are going to pick up on it—enthusiasm is contagious. The more passionate you are, the better you truly can approach educating vs. selling. Shift the focus to your patient and help them make the best buying decision to fulfill their needs.
5. Know your products and services. Know the details about the procedures, products and services you offer. Patients are going to have questions, and you need to have answers to frequently asked questions rehearsed in your head. The more you run through this, the more you will be prepared to handle objections easily.
6. Listen and build relationships. Take a genuine interest in your patients. Listen. Acknowledge. Explore and respond. Their buying decision is very important to them. Show you care. Be empathetic. Take notes. Get details. Remember the little things that were important to them. Determine their pain points.
7. Follow up. As I said earlier, the true fortune is in the follow-up. If your patient is not ready to make a decision during your consultation and you are not able to convert them right away, how do you follow up? Only 25% of people make that follow-up phone call. Most sales close after five to eight touch points. Is your staff following up with phone calls, texts and emails? Do you take the time to make a personal follow-up phone call? Are you utilizing reach and frequency strategies to send out newsletters, testimonials from other patients, etc.? Persistence pays off. Mix up your strategies. See what works best for you and track it.

As Grant Cardone— one of the leading sales, motivation, leadership and business experts in the world—says, "The key is to keep training, keep learning and keep honing your skills if you want to be the best."

Terri Ross brings more than 20 years of sales and management experience to the field, having worked with leading-edge medical device companies such as Zeltiq, Medicis, EMD Serono, Merck Schering Plough and Indigo Medical, a surgical division of Johnson.

Ross' vast knowledge and experience as a sales director managing upwards of $20M in revenue and successful teams has allowed her to become a renowned plastic surgery management consultant helping aesthetic practices thrive.

To optimize revenues and business performance, Ross' practice management consulting services help physicians evaluate practice processes including, but not limited to, overall-operating efficiencies, staff skill assessment, customer service and operating efficiency strategies. The goal is to develop a comprehensive plan of action to improve productivity, quality, efficiency and return on investment.