Know the Issues, then Offer Solutions    Infection Prevention sales team gets down to root causes with infectious disease professionals

To put their customers' purchasing decisions in context, the Infection Prevention Division set up an in-depth workshop with the leading national organization for infection prevention professionals. For the Infection Prevention Division, explaining the benefits of its products to potential customers was no longer enough. In an increasingly crowded market space, the division knew it needed to do more. "We realized we needed to change our relationship with our customers -- from talking about our products to partnering with them," said Mitch Coyne, marketing manager, Infection Prevention. "If I as a sales rep go in and talk about a product without understanding the root cause of the problem I'm offering a solution for, how do I know how best to position the product?" he said.

"Our reps gained a greater understanding of the challenges our customers face daily. Craig Wadzink Sales and Development Manager Infection Prevention Division"

To enhance the sales team's understanding of the context of a purchase decision, the division set up a multi-day workshop with the leading national organization for infection prevention professionals, the Association for Professionals in Infection Control (APIC). At the conclusion of the workshop, participants would be tested on what they had learned. Those who passed (virtually all did) would be given APIC recognition, which could be used on their business cards and electronic signature.

First-ever partnership
"This is the first time APIC has ever done this with an industry partner," said Craig Wadzink, Sales and Development Manager, Infection Prevention. "We're breaking new ground." For two-and-a-half days in January, the entire 3M sales team--along with marketing and technical services people and a handful of business leaders-- met with infection prevention practitioners from across the country. Topics ranged from the epidemiology of infectious disease to the role of the infection control practitioner in a hospital. Special emphasis was placed on learning specific scientific processes and terminology.

"This is the first time APIC has ever done this with an industry partner. Craig Wadzink Sales and Development Manager Infection Prevention Division"

Customer-centered learning
"The APIC recognition has increased our level of credibility and confidence," said Coyne. "It is enabling us to be seen as a solutions partner."

"One of the key things our people learned was how to speak the customer's language," said Wadzink. "We want our people to be trusted advisers. To do that, you need to be very good at speaking their language." The Infection Prevention Division is collecting metrics on the impact of this workshop to assess value for future training programs.

Hands-on Training
In March, advanced new hires in the Infection Prevention Division spent two days at Century College getting hands-on training in the college's simulated hospital. Featuring speakers from local hospitals, the workshop helped the sales reps see 3M products from the customers' point of view. "We are bringing the outside in," said Craig Wadzink, sales development manager. "We are helping new hires move from content to context"