Sales Research Sales research is a critical part of a sales company's product launch role. At one point in time, I worked for an orthopedic medical rehab company. This company provided rehab equipment to post op patients that were in the recovery room as well as in their homes. We had a good reputation in the community and had many accounts that called on us with no hesitation. They knew they could count on us to deliver top notch service and care to their patients. As a matter of fact, as a result of sales research, we developed what we called a pre-op program with the surgeons that used us on a regular basis. We had access to the surgeon's surgery schedule a week ahead of time so we could prepare the patients for their rehab process prior to them going into surgery. We made an appointment with the patient that was due to have surgery and asked to meet them at their home to set up their post op surgery equipment. Sales research has shown that when patients are introduced t rehab equipment in their home prior to surgery, they are much more willing and likely to comply with the post op rehab protocols that are ordered by the surgeon than if the rehab equipment was simply delivered to the patient's homes after the surgery. Prior to the surgery, the patients were in a much better place to lean and be open to suggestion as they were not in pain and medicated. This resulted in the patient's physical outcomes being much higher. They were much more likely to use the unit that was delivered to them before their surgery. Not only were they more likely to actually use the unit, the actually were more likely to stick to the exercise protocol ordered by the physician. This produced remarkably positive physical results in the patient's rehabilitation progress. These results yielded nothing but good press and more orders for our rehab equipment! Sales research has been a large part of the success of the company I have been referring to, and should be an essential part of and sales company's effort in going forward in any market. It is also important, however to be sure that you have the infrastructure in your company to handle a sudden boost in sales as a result of this new approach to orthopedic post operative care for outpatient surgery patients. A sales research program affected the status quo. The "problem" came when we began growing so large (due to a marketing and growth effort on the part of the sales department) that we were having trouble servicing our current clients. I have been in more than one situation in which the front end of an organization that has had their primary focus on sales and marketing, much to the demise of the rest of the infrastructure of the company. This, in turn, folded upon itself when there were not enough internal people to support the overflow of sales. Related Articles Sales Reps Sales Representative