Is Reaching out to researchers to educate them about your new products not as rewarding as it once was?
Maybe it's time to look inward, and again outward as we take a step back to look at how we (the science laboratory sales and product supply community) positively impacts the lives of researchers, and in turn, those that they impact- yes including patients of diseases that we may not even know the names of and the families that support them.
How about evaluating the impact of extended reach to professors and even K-12 teachers, students, and staff as they take advantage of the new developments and efficiencies in the products that we are promoting?
Perhaps you don't see it (or don't look closely enough) but when we place a better product or more advanced analytical instrument in the hands of researchers seeking the answers to problems such as researching clogged arteries, discovering new drugs or even basic science research we are not only increasing our scientific sales success but we helping them along the path of scientific and social progress.
As science sales and marketing professionals we are part of a community that works together, sometimes competitively together, towards a common goal of bringing better tools and equipment into the hands of researchers. The researchers may be in diverse fields and the tools and instruments we produce and promote may be very different. However, each new advance in the efficiency, utility or cost of these laboratory tools can help with the efficiency or extend the use of the tool in solving those research challenges that the life science and physical science research communities are actively seeking solutions for.
Ellen Kleinerman at The Cleveland Clinic put out a wonderful article last spring, Positive Psychology uses science to help people find happiness, which highlighted various keys to happiness and mentioned that looking inward is a key component in finding happiness. Included as part of this piece Sonja Lyubomirsky from University of California and Martin Seligman from University of Pennsylvania point out what it takes to have a happy life.
The Science Sales Professional's version of Ellen Kleinerman's rendition of the Lyubomirsky/Seligman list could be:
1. Be thankful for all the stuff you are taking for granted now.
2. Enjoy the little things- they really are the big things.
3. Be nice, be kind, help others, and do this often.
4. Forgive everyone for everything- especially if you don't want to.
5. Say thank you and mean it.
6. Spend time with friends and family.
7. Be active, smile and laugh lots.
8. Chillax! Find ways to de-stress and relax.
We can do these things personally and professionally in the scientific sales community too.
At Biotechnology Calendar, Inc., we see ourselves as active participants of positive change in the science research process. It is part of our mission to introduce a large variety of research tools to the laboratory researchers who can best use them. Since we do this regularly and frequently we can impact positive change in the research process steadily even though the changes themselves are incremental.
Our advice to researchers is "look to see what new tools are out there that can help you do your research more efficiently." It will make you happy to do your research better because you will be helping others.
Our advice to science suppliers is "make yourself visible to to your audience." Your job as suppliers is to let the research community know about how your tool(s) can help them do their research better. The more ways that you can make yourself visible to this audience and actively connect with them, the more you help the science community and the world in general.
If you can communicate your product's value to your audience and your audience sees a need for the value you are communicating, your product will sell. And you will help the science research process and benefit the science community as a whole.
If you'd like to get your products visible on top university campuses we can help in a lot of ways. Sign up to receive a free report on top science markets which includes relevant science community and funding statistics. Contact www.biotech-calendar.com for information on easy access science markets and marketing programs and view the 2011 schedule of science market events.
If you have an example of how your product has positively impacted the science research process, progress, or community we'd like to hear it! Please share your comments (and stories) below.