[johnb]

I'm gonna leave their names out of all this unless someone wants to talk with my privately. I've worked in sales for the majority of my working career. I never considered myself a "salesman" but more of a consultant. I never used any closing techniques that you get with telemarketers, many used car sales men, or time share folks. If you've been around long enough, you've come into contact with commission sales people that just want to influence you with whatever persuasive trick so they can get paid. My approach was, if I help solve this person's problem, then compensation will flow naturally and I'll pick up referrals and it worked very well for me professionally. However, I've worked with people that use the "sales techniques" such as "standing room" only or the all time favorite "suggestive close". I can almost guarantee that these surgeons have participated in sales training as I recognized sales techniques. Back in early 2002, they got busted defrauding medicare and had to pay back millions. There was a high profile case in our newpaper where a young man was paralyzed from misplaced pedicle screws. As I've said before, the surgeon I used is very skilled. Two people I know first hand, one with a charite and the other a fusion, are doing extremely well. I imagine you hone your technique when your real good at talking folks into surgery.