Walk Like a Giant, Sell Like a Madman

15.2. Taking a Lesson from Your Dentist

Most dentists hire a receptionist to answer phones, greet patients, process insurance information, and bill patients. They hire dental hygienists to clean teeth, take X-rays, and prepare patients for any special care that only the dentist is qualified to deliver.

If your dentist runs an efficient office, he or she probably spends about 5 to 10 minutes with you for your six-month checkup, primarily to find out how you're doing and quickly examine the inside of your mouth for any potential problems. Your dentist offloads all the lower-level tasks and then focuses on higher-level tasks, such as fixing cavities, capping teeth, and referring patients to specialists.

To maximize your own efficiency as a salesperson, take a lesson from your dentist and learn to streamline procedures. Apply the assembly line approach to making sales and processing your transactions. (See Chapter 7, "Assembly Line Selling.")