Interview with Tony Alessandra Ph.D., Siemens Marketing Consultant and Professional Speaker
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AO/Beck: Tony, it's a pleasure to speak with you again. I had the honor of being in your audience during the Siemen's Business Development Conference in Chicago in the Spring of 2001.
Alessandra: Yes, that was quite an event. We covered a lot of territory at that meeting.
AO/Beck: Yes we did. Nonetheless, before we get to those issues, I'd like to tell the readers a little about you. I believe you have an MBA and a doctorate?
Alessandra: Yes, that's correct. My MBA is from the University of Connecticut, and my doctorate is in Marketing from Georgia State University.
AO/Beck: And regarding your presentation style, I can say that you are entertaining and you command the audience. Watching and listening to you is not at all the same as listening to me drone on about intraoperative cranial nerve monitoring or electroneuronography, rather it's quite a bit more like watching and learning from Johnny Carson. I know you are a member of the Speaker's Roundtable and you were inducted into the Speakers Hall of Fame, which places you in a rather exclusive group of the top 20 professional speakers.
Alessandra: Thank you, that's very kind of you to note that. I try to deliver strong content in an interesting and entertaining way. I think of myself as a MOTIVATING speaker.
AO/Beck: I know you've written 14 books, and the titles of those books sort of tell the story; Charisma, The Platinum Rule, Collaborative Selling, Non-Manipulative Selling, and of course many others. The basic theme that runs through these books is that success is not arbitrary. If we understand the issues and the emotions, and if apply that knowledge skillfully, we're set-up to win.
Alessandra: That's a good way to summarize it. As professionals, you guys know your skills set, you know your medical, audiologic, and academic requirements, but what we often need to work on are the communication skills that allow us to better understand the patient and other professionals in order to effectively communicate to meet their needs. We need to meet them on their terms and solve their problems with them, in terms that they desire and they understand.
AO/Beck: Tony, as a professional, what are your observations of our industry?
Alessandra: I am impressed. I think you guys realize that your industry and your professions are not very well recognized out there, but you are all working towards more recognition and more professionalism. Those are difficult things to accomplish, but you're going in the right direction. Additionally, I think the manufacturers' sales people are extremely well informed about the products and the issues, and they are more consultative than is found in many industries. Those are all very positive things. I know that the profession and the industry work together well and that groups like Siemens are very much involved in upgrading not only their products, but also the skills of the professionals. So basically, Yes. I was impressed. You guys are essentially all pulling in the same direction-- better education, better training, higher levels of skill, more patient satisfaction, and better results. Very impressive goals.
AO/Beck: If you had to boil it down to its essence, what are the skills the audiologists and the hearing aid specialists need to attend to?
Alessandra: Despite having fairly solid basic business skills, the marketing, sales, and service issues need much more attention. I think of that as Relationship Building.
AO/Beck: Please define relationship building.
Alessandra: Relationship building starts with the fact that most audiologists have to deal with their patients in an ongoing, long-term relationship. The audiologists need to have excellent bedside manner. That is, although the technical skills are very important, the patients remember you based on your people skills. The patient expects that you're a doctor and that you'll have excellent technical skills. They expect that pretty much any of you will give them a competent diagnosis. The thing that brings them back is that they like you and they like working with you because of your excellent people skills.
AO/Beck: So despite all of our education and titles and knowledge that we have worked so hard for, those are pretty much a given in the eyes of the patient?
Alessandra: Exactly. You're a doctor. The patients know the drill. They are going to see you, get tested and evaluated, and probably get better if they listen to you. But they can go to any other competent doctor too and get pretty much the same outcome. The reason they come back and the reason they refer others to you is because they like you, you make them feel important, and you fulfill their needs. There was a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, which reported that physicians that were never sued were viewed by their patients as being concerned, accessible, and willing to answer questions. Conversely, physicians that were more likely to be sued were viewed by their patients as arrogant, rude, or rushing the visit. These are common themes and they are well known. People skills are very important.
AO/Beck: In your article titled The Platinum Rule, the opening sentence is An indisputable business fact is that people do business with people they like.
Alessandra: That's right. Very basic message there, very simple, and totally true.
It boils down to the Platinum Rule.
AO/Beck: And that is?
Alessandra: The Platinum rule is treating people the way they want to be treated.
AO/Beck: One thing I recall from the lecture in Chicago was the way you profiled people into four basic behavioral styles, to better determine who the patient is, and what they needed from us as the professional.
Alessandra: Yes, that's right. The behavioral profile is used to help people develop stronger business and personal relationships, and it is very useful for developing interpersonal skills.
AO/Beck: I believe some of the basic articles you've written on these topics are available on your website?
Alessandra: Yes they are. The articles are free and the readers are welcome to review them along with many other free materials, including the free Platinum Rule test. The Website address is www.alessandra.com
AO/Beck: Can you please cover a few of the basic points for us?
Alessandra: Sure. I'll just review a few of the bullet points and then invite your readers to surf onto the website to download the articles and the additional support. First, collaborative salespeople focus more on studying customer needs and assuring customer satisfaction. You guys are in a service business, and the service needs to be plentiful, and it needs to appear seamless. Prescription before diagnosis...is malpractice. Basically, you need to communicate, and you need to listen attentively. You must not only come up with your actual diagnosis, but then you must identify the needs of that individual patient, and then solve their problem. If you jump in with the answer before they feel like you've listened to the whole question...that's placing the prescription before the diagnosis, and that's essentially malpractice! Diagnosis comes first, treatment second! People don't buy hearing aids or assistive listening devices because they're made to understand, they buy because they feel understood. This again, is a key point and one that is pivotal. When two people want to do business together, they won't let the details stand in the way. That is, if the patient likes you, they'll be back. This profession, like most others, is not really oriented on the price of the product. The issue is the quality of the service and the professionalism of the doctor and his or her staff. Meeting and exceeding the patients' needs. I could go on, but these statements and observations are all supported on my Website.
AO/Beck: I also recall that you mentioned in Chicago that one key issue was listening. Of course it seems intuitive, but we're not all as good at listening as we might be.
Alessandra: Correct. Audiologists know a lot about hearing, but listening is different. You have to be certain the patient knows you are listening, paying attention, asking them to clarify, and you need to show them you're listening by paraphrasing and restating their issues and being interested -all very important aspects of listening. If you're fiddling around with the computer, or keeping someone on hold while you're with the patient, they pick up on those things and they feel like you're not fulfilling their needs.
AO/Beck: Tony, you really have lots of valuable information and insight which can certainly impact our practices. I wish we had more time to go into details on these topics, but probably the best thing to do is defer to you and the website, www.Alessandra.com.
Alessandra: That's fine Doug. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to address the Audiology Online audience as part of my ongoing relationship with Siemens.
AO/Beck: You're more than welcome. It's fun speaking with you and I am very appreciative of your knowledge and time. Thank you for joining me.
Click here to visit the Siemens Hearing Instruments website.
Alessandra: Yes, that was quite an event. We covered a lot of territory at that meeting.
AO/Beck: Yes we did. Nonetheless, before we get to those issues, I'd like to tell the readers a little about you. I believe you have an MBA and a doctorate?
Alessandra: Yes, that's correct. My MBA is from the University of Connecticut, and my doctorate is in Marketing from Georgia State University.
AO/Beck: And regarding your presentation style, I can say that you are entertaining and you command the audience. Watching and listening to you is not at all the same as listening to me drone on about intraoperative cranial nerve monitoring or electroneuronography, rather it's quite a bit more like watching and learning from Johnny Carson. I know you are a member of the Speaker's Roundtable and you were inducted into the Speakers Hall of Fame, which places you in a rather exclusive group of the top 20 professional speakers.
Alessandra: Thank you, that's very kind of you to note that. I try to deliver strong content in an interesting and entertaining way. I think of myself as a MOTIVATING speaker.
AO/Beck: I know you've written 14 books, and the titles of those books sort of tell the story; Charisma, The Platinum Rule, Collaborative Selling, Non-Manipulative Selling, and of course many others. The basic theme that runs through these books is that success is not arbitrary. If we understand the issues and the emotions, and if apply that knowledge skillfully, we're set-up to win.
Alessandra: That's a good way to summarize it. As professionals, you guys know your skills set, you know your medical, audiologic, and academic requirements, but what we often need to work on are the communication skills that allow us to better understand the patient and other professionals in order to effectively communicate to meet their needs. We need to meet them on their terms and solve their problems with them, in terms that they desire and they understand.
AO/Beck: Tony, as a professional, what are your observations of our industry?
Alessandra: I am impressed. I think you guys realize that your industry and your professions are not very well recognized out there, but you are all working towards more recognition and more professionalism. Those are difficult things to accomplish, but you're going in the right direction. Additionally, I think the manufacturers' sales people are extremely well informed about the products and the issues, and they are more consultative than is found in many industries. Those are all very positive things. I know that the profession and the industry work together well and that groups like Siemens are very much involved in upgrading not only their products, but also the skills of the professionals. So basically, Yes. I was impressed. You guys are essentially all pulling in the same direction-- better education, better training, higher levels of skill, more patient satisfaction, and better results. Very impressive goals.
AO/Beck: If you had to boil it down to its essence, what are the skills the audiologists and the hearing aid specialists need to attend to?
Alessandra: Despite having fairly solid basic business skills, the marketing, sales, and service issues need much more attention. I think of that as Relationship Building.
AO/Beck: Please define relationship building.
Alessandra: Relationship building starts with the fact that most audiologists have to deal with their patients in an ongoing, long-term relationship. The audiologists need to have excellent bedside manner. That is, although the technical skills are very important, the patients remember you based on your people skills. The patient expects that you're a doctor and that you'll have excellent technical skills. They expect that pretty much any of you will give them a competent diagnosis. The thing that brings them back is that they like you and they like working with you because of your excellent people skills.
AO/Beck: So despite all of our education and titles and knowledge that we have worked so hard for, those are pretty much a given in the eyes of the patient?
Alessandra: Exactly. You're a doctor. The patients know the drill. They are going to see you, get tested and evaluated, and probably get better if they listen to you. But they can go to any other competent doctor too and get pretty much the same outcome. The reason they come back and the reason they refer others to you is because they like you, you make them feel important, and you fulfill their needs. There was a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, which reported that physicians that were never sued were viewed by their patients as being concerned, accessible, and willing to answer questions. Conversely, physicians that were more likely to be sued were viewed by their patients as arrogant, rude, or rushing the visit. These are common themes and they are well known. People skills are very important.
AO/Beck: In your article titled The Platinum Rule, the opening sentence is An indisputable business fact is that people do business with people they like.
Alessandra: That's right. Very basic message there, very simple, and totally true.
It boils down to the Platinum Rule.
AO/Beck: And that is?
Alessandra: The Platinum rule is treating people the way they want to be treated.
AO/Beck: One thing I recall from the lecture in Chicago was the way you profiled people into four basic behavioral styles, to better determine who the patient is, and what they needed from us as the professional.
Alessandra: Yes, that's right. The behavioral profile is used to help people develop stronger business and personal relationships, and it is very useful for developing interpersonal skills.
AO/Beck: I believe some of the basic articles you've written on these topics are available on your website?
Alessandra: Yes they are. The articles are free and the readers are welcome to review them along with many other free materials, including the free Platinum Rule test. The Website address is www.alessandra.com
AO/Beck: Can you please cover a few of the basic points for us?
Alessandra: Sure. I'll just review a few of the bullet points and then invite your readers to surf onto the website to download the articles and the additional support. First, collaborative salespeople focus more on studying customer needs and assuring customer satisfaction. You guys are in a service business, and the service needs to be plentiful, and it needs to appear seamless. Prescription before diagnosis...is malpractice. Basically, you need to communicate, and you need to listen attentively. You must not only come up with your actual diagnosis, but then you must identify the needs of that individual patient, and then solve their problem. If you jump in with the answer before they feel like you've listened to the whole question...that's placing the prescription before the diagnosis, and that's essentially malpractice! Diagnosis comes first, treatment second! People don't buy hearing aids or assistive listening devices because they're made to understand, they buy because they feel understood. This again, is a key point and one that is pivotal. When two people want to do business together, they won't let the details stand in the way. That is, if the patient likes you, they'll be back. This profession, like most others, is not really oriented on the price of the product. The issue is the quality of the service and the professionalism of the doctor and his or her staff. Meeting and exceeding the patients' needs. I could go on, but these statements and observations are all supported on my Website.
AO/Beck: I also recall that you mentioned in Chicago that one key issue was listening. Of course it seems intuitive, but we're not all as good at listening as we might be.
Alessandra: Correct. Audiologists know a lot about hearing, but listening is different. You have to be certain the patient knows you are listening, paying attention, asking them to clarify, and you need to show them you're listening by paraphrasing and restating their issues and being interested -all very important aspects of listening. If you're fiddling around with the computer, or keeping someone on hold while you're with the patient, they pick up on those things and they feel like you're not fulfilling their needs.
AO/Beck: Tony, you really have lots of valuable information and insight which can certainly impact our practices. I wish we had more time to go into details on these topics, but probably the best thing to do is defer to you and the website, www.Alessandra.com.
Alessandra: That's fine Doug. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to address the Audiology Online audience as part of my ongoing relationship with Siemens.
AO/Beck: You're more than welcome. It's fun speaking with you and I am very appreciative of your knowledge and time. Thank you for joining me.
Click here to visit the Siemens Hearing Instruments website.
