Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians tend to be unaware of the emotional satisfaction that customers seek and the influence they exert over them. Many take a rational rather than an emotional approach to sales. In order to capitalise on opportunities, they need to improve their commercial, communication and management skills. Krauthammer designed a four-day Optometry Development Programme aimed at improving participants’ communication and sales skills in an ethical way. The programme covered issues like asking questions that reveal customers’ needs and desires, handling objections, active listening skills, and motivation. It also tackled the handover from Optometrist to Dispensing Optician, a key moment to secure a customer’s buying decision

Prior to its merger with Merck, Serono decided to overhaul its sales approach in the face of stiff competition. The company’s strength in building long-term relationships with doctors had to be complemented with consultative selling skills. For several years now, Krauthammer and Serono have been involved in an intense partnership. One key result of this, is that Serono has achieved its goal of creating a new sales and coaching culture. There is a single, globally consistent approach to teaching, doing and evaluating sales that is supported by the same materials, language and principles.

Pliva Croatis decided that sales and marketing staff in key Central and Eastern European (CEE) markets need to be trained. Krauthammer questions PLIVA’s assessment. While the need for a new sales approach remains, Krauthammer’s digging reveals another important need. It turned out that PLIVA is experiencing fluctuations in the number of people, and that it needs to fast increase loyalty and enthusiasm among staff. Based on this, Krauthammer suggest a comprehensive sales and management training. PLIVA awards the project to Krauthammer.