Staying Ahead with Training and Development
Putting yourself out there in the hearing industry can be an intimidating feat, but it could also be just the thing you need to take your practice, and your career, to the next level. The learning opportunities, team-building benefits, and unique experiences makes attending events like the CQ Sales Intensive and Reconnect ’24 worth it. In our latest member spotlight, Dr. Monica Cramer and Nicola Glover of Listen 2 Life Hearing Center describe their experience at the CQ Sales Intensive, share why they’re excited for Reconnect ’24, and discuss why these events are so important to the health of your practice.
“Don’t be afraid of being vulnerable, because that’s where we find the complete picture of what we are doing and what we can do.” ~ Dr. Monica Cramer, Listen 2 Life Hearing Center
Q&A with Dr. Monica Cramer & Nicola Glover of Listen 2 Life Hearing Center
Practice: Listen 2 Life Hearing Center
Locations: Chalfont, Philadelphia, East Norriton, Oaks, Souderton, Willow Grave PA
Number of locations: 6
Website: listen-2-life.com
1What made you decide to attend the CQ Sales Intensive?
Monica: I always like to be able to further my skills as a provider and any training will do that for me.
Nicola: I love getting to spend time focusing on your skills, but with your team. We’re able to go to a conference, hear other teams, and think, “we should do this.” It creates a lot of inspiration whenever we go. It’s just a neat way to not only grow as a person, but as a practice.
Nicola: I love getting to spend time focusing on your skills, but with your team. We’re able to go to a conference, hear other teams, and think, “we should do this.” It creates a lot of inspiration whenever we go. It’s just a neat way to not only grow as a person, but as a practice.
2What were your expectations going into the CQ Sales Intensive?
Monica: We had no idea what to expect, and getting all of the meeting information sent to us beforehand made it seem a little scary and intimidating. We were going in thinking we would be judged.
Nicola: The first introduction was signing a waiver for participation, and we were wondering what we got ourselves into.
Monica: In hindsight, signing the waiver made complete sense. Are you willing to be open and to share and to contribute the environment that you are in? It was so easy for us to open up. I don’t know if it was the group we were with plus the facilitators, or if it was just the facilitators encouraging everyone, but they made it comfortable to share everything, whether it was good or bad.
Nicola: The first introduction was signing a waiver for participation, and we were wondering what we got ourselves into.
Monica: In hindsight, signing the waiver made complete sense. Are you willing to be open and to share and to contribute the environment that you are in? It was so easy for us to open up. I don’t know if it was the group we were with plus the facilitators, or if it was just the facilitators encouraging everyone, but they made it comfortable to share everything, whether it was good or bad.
3What were some of your biggest takeaways from the CQ Sales Intensive?
Nicola: One of my biggest takeaways was to spend more time listening to patients and speak less during consultations. Often the roadblocks that we’re hitting are because we’re just not listening. We also learning that the way we demo is not as good as it could be. I don’t think it gets the same wow factor, so having a demo where you’re spending more time digging into the demo and getting to know patients’ experiences is beneficial. Those were two of the big takeaways I’d to work on and implement right away.
Monica: The thing that I came away with was that the product is the least important thing. We sell as providers and if we can get the patients to buy us as providers and the practice, then the product is the very last thing on that list. If they like us and they like the practice, they’re more likely to have a good experience with the product. Our relationship is the biggest part of the equation.
Monica: The thing that I came away with was that the product is the least important thing. We sell as providers and if we can get the patients to buy us as providers and the practice, then the product is the very last thing on that list. If they like us and they like the practice, they’re more likely to have a good experience with the product. Our relationship is the biggest part of the equation.
4What did you enjoy most about the event?
Nicola: The energy from the CQ members was engaging, and the people there made it feel like we weren’t just reacting to what people were telling us to do. It was like we were a full team. We had 30 people wondering how we can do better and how we can help people. It was really cool to be working together to find solutions. It was very much a united energy.
Monica: I liked connecting with providers from all over. We were East Coast providers at a mostly West Coast conference, which was very different. I don’t know if it would have been different on the East Coast, but we connected with providers, heard them say how their practices are run, and found ways that we can use those little bits of information that we glean from them so we can practice more effectively ourselves and as a team.
Monica: I liked connecting with providers from all over. We were East Coast providers at a mostly West Coast conference, which was very different. I don’t know if it would have been different on the East Coast, but we connected with providers, heard them say how their practices are run, and found ways that we can use those little bits of information that we glean from them so we can practice more effectively ourselves and as a team.
5Who from your practice is attending Reconnect ’24 and why?
Monica: Almost everyone. Having gone to the CQ Sales Intensive, we’re so much excited about it for everyone else’s sake.
6What are you looking forward to at Reconnect ’24?
Monica: I’m excited to see everyone else’s reactions to what we’re learning and to see what wasn’t covered at the sales intensive.
Nicola: I think about being able to reconnect with the people we met. At conferences, you often meet people and don’t know if or when you will see them again. It was fun to say “we will see you in February!”
Nicola: I think about being able to reconnect with the people we met. At conferences, you often meet people and don’t know if or when you will see them again. It was fun to say “we will see you in February!”
7Why is it important for your practice and practices like yours to attend industry events and trainings?
Monica: I think we get stuck in our ways a lot. It is good to be comfortable with where you are and what your process is, but then you’re just going to be stagnant and there’s no real room for growth. Also, you don’t know what you could be missing out on by changing the way you do things, even if it’s little tweaks here and there.
Nicola: We have a lot of different offices, so we’re not all in the same place and we don’t get to come together all the time. It’s fun to get to do events like this and see your team for four full days, which is nice when we do have many moving pieces and places with our clinic.
Nicola: We have a lot of different offices, so we’re not all in the same place and we don’t get to come together all the time. It’s fun to get to do events like this and see your team for four full days, which is nice when we do have many moving pieces and places with our clinic.
8What advice would you give to someone who is hesitant to attend an event like Reconnect or the CQ Sales Intensive?
Monica: Don’t be afraid of being vulnerable, because that’s where we get the most complete picture of what we are doing and what we can do. If you’re with a good group like we were, everyone can contribute. Nobody was afraid to say something or sound stupid, and it was all because we signed that contract to be vulnerable. It was worth it.
Nicola: I think sales is sometimes seen as a red flag. We’re health care providers, so I think going into it with knowing it’s not sales in the way that you should always force this product and just sell anyone and everyone. That’s not at all what they mean. They’re version of sales is figuring out how we help more people with the correct approach to their hearing health. I think that is a very important distinction.
Nicola: I think sales is sometimes seen as a red flag. We’re health care providers, so I think going into it with knowing it’s not sales in the way that you should always force this product and just sell anyone and everyone. That’s not at all what they mean. They’re version of sales is figuring out how we help more people with the correct approach to their hearing health. I think that is a very important distinction.
