Are You Going to Sell to Me the Way You Want to Sell to Me or the Way I Want to Buy?
Every day, business leaders are frustrated that their organizations are not growing as planned. New products or services are not gaining traction, or once successful offerings are declining. They often blame tough times, budget cuts, or intense competition that forces prices down. Those realities may be true, but they do not mean every organization is destined to fail. The ones that continue to grow understand their industry, their customers, needs and challenges as well as how those customers want—and need—to buy.
In healthcare, successful organizations build strong, long term trusted relationships that support ongoing conversations that evolve into being able to suggest solutions or provide education and information to specific challenges or being able to adjust to sudden guideline or regulatory changes. These relationships bring value to their customers. In this segment especially, understanding how to build and sustain trust is critical, the industry depends heavily on it.
Key recommendations
1. Understand the industry and your customer
Get to know the details that truly matter to your customer. I once worked with a nonprofit trade organization that served healthcare facilities managers and held monthly lunch meetings. Vendors attended regularly and presented their products, but only a few facilities managers showed up. The meetings were designed for vendors, not for the people the organization was created to serve.
When I was asked to help, my first question was, “Why don’t they attend?” The initial answer was, “They’re too busy,” which didn’t align with the fact that large facilities were paying dues and supporting the organization financially. My next question was, “Have you called any of the facilities managers to ask what they think of the meetings?” The answer was no.
The core problem was simple: no one had asked the customers what they wanted and needed. Questions like “What would you like to get out of this organization?” are essential. A committee formed focus groups and held face-to-face meetings with facilities managers. A key discovery was that they were pleased to be asked and shared valuable feedback.
Their main concerns were:
- The meeting time was inconvenient; they preferred a later meeting, such as 3:00 p.m., followed by networking so they could end their day afterward.
- Topics did not address their immediate issues; they wanted to hear from peers facing the same challenges.
- A single hour at midday did not provide the interaction and peer support they needed.
In response, the organization restructured its meetings, created a board of directors composed entirely of facilities managers, and developed educational programs focused on their real issues. Membership grew four percent in one year, and the sessions began attracting nonmembers, creating a new revenue stream by charging a premium for their attendance. Vendors who attended could now hear firsthand what their customers were struggling with and become part of the solution instead of just pitching products.
2. Understand how customers see your product being used
If you think you have a great product, ask your customers how they see it being used. We often assume that, because we see a need and design a solution, customers will use it in the way we envision. That mindset limits opportunity.
I once sold a solid surface material typically used for countertops. My initial plan was to focus on healthcare facilities and sell countertops and sinks for patient rooms. Instead of stopping there, I learned everything I could about healthcare environments: surfaces, patient safety, infection prevention, regulatory compliance, room turnover, and cleaning and disinfection. Through conversations with customers, I discovered that hospitals also needed durable, cleanable wall surfaces in high traffic corridors, operating rooms, and patient bathrooms.
At the time, operating room walls were usually ceramic tile or drywall, both easily damaged and difficult to clean, which created infection prevention concerns. By listening and asking questions, we identified new applications for the product that went far beyond countertops. To support these projects, we developed two practical implementation paths: train the hospital’s in-house construction team to fabricate and install the material with manufacturer certification, or train and certify an existing contractor already approved by the health system and pair them with a qualified fabricator. None of this would have happened if the conversation had stayed focused solely on selling more countertops.
During this same period, another company introduced acoustic sound panels for healthcare settings. The product performed well in reducing noise, but the team had overlooked one essential question from customers: “How do you clean them?” The panels were nearly ready for production before they realized they needed testing and clear guidance on cleaning and disinfection in a hospital environment. In healthcare, infection prevention is always top of mind, and representatives must provide solid information—and data—showing that products can be safely cleaned with the facility’s standard disinfectants.
3. Service-related businesses in healthcare
These principles apply just as strongly to service providers. I work with building service contractors (BSCs) who support healthcare facilities with environmental services—cleaning, disinfection, and broader environmental services (EVS) functions—as well as contractors who usually focus on other markets such as education and hospitality. Many are eager to “get into healthcare,” but I also hear from healthcare professionals who see, too often, how untrained EVS staff become an unintended liability because they are not prepared to work safely in clinical environments. Healthcare is a highly regulated, specialized discipline where patient safety and infection prevention are always at the forefront. Success depends on trusted long‑term relationships and a deep understanding of regulations, guidelines, and the day‑to‑day realities of care delivery. Service providers are not on the sidelines; they are part of a multidisciplinary team that includes infection preventionists, facilities leaders, clinicians, epidemiologists, and patient safety experts.
Taking a quick computer training program does not work. Healthcare professionals demand hands-on training in a facility with ongoing follow-up to ensure that the competencies and skills that were trained are being implemented. If you want to enter or grow in this space, start by becoming educated. Attend webinars and training programs focused on healthcare, environmental hygiene, and infection prevention. Build relationships with a few healthcare professionals and ask open‑ended questions such as,
“Tell me about your job,” “What challenges do you face day to day when it comes to cleaning and disinfection?” “What do you wish EVS professionals knew?” and “How would you like to partner with EVS professionals?” These conversations are invaluable for understanding real‑world expectations and for beginning a genuine, collaborative partnership.
This is not a field where a short online course and a polished proposal are enough. To succeed, you must develop real expertise in environmental hygiene, infection prevention, outbreak mitigation, and patient safety, and be able to offer practical, evidence‑informed solutions for cleaning, disinfection, and reduction of healthcare‑associated infections (HAIs). Healthcare cleaning is a specialized discipline where lives—including your own—are at stake. It demands a working knowledge of microbiology, cross contamination, regulatory requirements, and infection‑prevention practices. Once these relationships begin to be developed, healthcare professionals become loyal long-term partners.
Summary
Growth and long-term success do not come from selling the way you want to sell; they come from understanding how your customers want to buy and what risks they are trying to manage. Organizations that listen deeply, ask thoughtful questions, and align products or services with real world clinical and operational needs to build trust while also helping to reduce risk to patients and mitigate HAIs. By showing up as knowledgeable problem solvers who can support safer environments of care—through better products, processes, and training—you become an essential part of both your customer’s success and their infection prevention strategy.
