Since it’s Friday and I know that many of you stop reading the site cause you’ve already headed off for the weekend, I decided I’d keep it short and sweet this Friday. Plus, hopefully this joke will give you a great laugh to start the weekend.
Whats the difference between a EHR salesman and a used car salesman? The used car salesman KNOWS when he is lying!
Now you know why I have a category on this blog called EMR sales miscommunications.
Thanks to Mark Wright from Aquarius Imaging for giving me the joke.
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How classy…………
You know, the people that I know (myself included) that work in a sales/marketing capacity for vendors are honest, hard working, and genuinely care about the challenges that our customers face. We take great pride when a hospital solves a problems that they had when they use a product that we have sold them.
Of course, your derogatory comments certainly do not preclude you from taking advertising dollars from the same vendors that you disparage on your blog, does it?
I have followed your blog for a few years now, but I think that I am going to unsubscribe. Shame.
Hi Vendor Emp,
Sorry if this offended. That wasn’t my intent. As you can read in the post, the intent was to give people a laugh. Obviously that didn’t work for you, but likely did for many others.
I don’t see a joke (after all it is a joke) as derogatory at all. I certainly could and should have qualified that not all EHR sales people are this way. There are some good, honest ethical ones out there. In fact, I’d argue that the majority of them aren’t trying to be unethical. That’s why I call them EMR Sales Miscommunications instead of lies.
As far as my EMR advertisers, the ones that I’ve spoke to about this stuff before LOVE when I point out the EHR salespeople that do run around spreading misinformation and even tell outright lies. While you might be one of the honest ones, there are still far too many who mislead (many unknowingly) doctors during the EHR sales process. So, those EHR vendors that do have an honest sales process are happy for doctors to be skeptical of the salespeople and want to verify what’s being said. That gives them and their EHR salespeople an advantage.
So, I’m sorry if you were hurt by the joke, cause the intent was to make people laugh.
Yes, I am aware of what a joke is, thank you. Perhaps those that tell off-color racial jokes should be given a pass, just because, as you say; “the intent was to make people laugh?”
No one in my company would find humor in your little joke, and I work for one of the ones that give you advertising revenue.
Degrading another person’s chosen profession as rife with liars, whether others may find it humorous or not; is certainly disingenuous when you have no qualms about taking a hand-out from those same people.
If you dislike what we do, then that is fine, just say so. I could really care less, to be frank. Just don’t talk out of both sides of your mouth, like one of those people that try to use people that will tell jokes about African-Americans and then say that “they are not all like that………”
Stand by what you think. I think we would all respect honesty a little more than a backhanded apology.
I think I was quite straightforward and honest. You improperly assess my comments when you say that I’ve said that your chosen profession is rife with liars. As my previous comment said, there are some that are liars, there are some that spread misinformation, and there are others that do a good job. Saying there are some liars is far from saying a profession is rife with them. I don’t know how you get more honest than that.
If you and your company have a problem with the idea that some EHR salespeople provide misinformation, then they don’t see or talk to the doctors that I talk to. I’ll stand with the doctors who will appreciate the reminder to be careful during the EHR sales process.
The apology was sincere since I didn’t want to offend, but I still stand by my perspective on the various types of EHR salespeople in the industry. If you do lie or mislead, then I do dislike what you do. If you don’t, then I have no problem with what you do at all. Although, I’ll stick to talking about the industry in general and let others self identify where they stand.
It’s not disingenuous for me to make these comments and accept companies as advertisers. The content that’s created on the site is separate from the advertisers. There have certainly been plenty of times where advertisers haven’t liked things I’ve written and I’m sure there will be many more times. I’m ok with that since I have no hidden agenda on my site. I write what I see and hear.
An advertiser should be advertising on the site because of the value they get from the ads on the site. Not because they expect the ad to influence what I write. Thankfully most advertisers get the value from the ads even if they may not agree with all my perspectives. Not that it’s possible to write 2000 articles on EMR and healthcare IT and expect everyone to agree with you.
So glad to know that I have your validation on my chosen profession……….
I will no longer be subscribing to your blog. Good day.
I hope that you will work to eradicate the misinformation and lies that exist in your profession. Then, the joke won’t have any merit and we’ll all be better for it. Until then, I’ll keep doing what I can to help doctors get as good of information as possible and avoid being misled.
Oooooooooouc John; that hurts………………..
Good joke. Not offended at all; but considering how many of the providers are in CAVEMAN times in terms of paper/inefficiencies, there is not much lying required. Its there outfront, for all to see including the consumer who has to wait on the phone for 10 minutes to book an appointment in this day and age!!!! Actually not much selling required there John.
Cheers and have a wonderful weekend.
I was not oofended at all by your comments. I’ve heard them all my life and to tell to the truth when a doctor meets a vendor that isn’t lying he or she is truly impressed. I would like to see one thing: if you know of a vendor who is obviously lying, point them out in a subtle way so everyone knows but you are not liable under the law.
Thanks Anthony and Robert. Robert, I definitely do what I can to point out when EHR vendors are misleading providers. They’ve been some of my best posts actually.
IF I were in EHR sales, I might be offended…slightly…of course, there are plenty of “jokes” like this for consultants that I just laugh off because I know they don’t apply to me.
When I first read this I thought, sure the EHR salesman knows when he’s lying.
ROI. right.
Fire employees. That’s a great sales point.
You’ll go live in X weeks! Ha!
This is easy to use…and fast! Ha Ha!
Our support folks are responsive. Hurl!
I could go on for days.
Revisited this joke after some time; I still find it very funny and hilarious…………….. No offense to serious minded people; I am a salesman and I don’t mind people having a good laugh on us any time!!!!!!!!!!!
John, I have been reading your blog but did not have the time to post anything at all. My apologies. Things are well and hectic; I saw your post this morning on EHR Sales; its been extremely busy for us. We believe that we will have 10K Providers on line by end of 2014. Tractions is good and much more wider acceptance. Will keep you posted.
Keep up the good work
Anthony,
Really glad to hear that things are going so well. It’s definitely an exciting time to be in EHR sales. 10K providers is a really good number. I hope that you reach it.
I had noticed your missing voice in the comments, but I know how it goes when you get busy.