Know-How Exchange : Strategy

While I have some experience with healthcare marketing, it isn't totally current and things are changing fast. That said, I would guess your problem is that the company's reputation is slipping because of the operational issues, and that makes it doubly difficult to close new business with the medical community.

Referrals from the medical community are hard to get in good times, but once the physician community accepts you they're very loyal. It's just as hard for your competitors to unseat you as it is for you to convert one of their customers.

But once you disappoint them or have one of their patients say something negative about you, they will abandon you immediately. They don't want to taint their own reputations, and they certainly don't want to risk losing patients because of something YOU did.

So your challenge from a marketing standpoint is to make absolutely sure the operational issues are fixed, and then to proactively acknowledge the problems of the past, explain that they are now fixed, and encourage the medical community to give you another chance to prove yourselves.

As for advertising direct to consumers, that's certainly an alternate strategy, but it requires (a) a substantial investment, and (b) a relatively long time to see results. And while you're waiting for it to kick in and generate some business, you'll still need the referrals and the sales force.

Now for the real rub: Even if consumers accept your advertising and ask their doctors about you, the doctors are STILL the gatekeepers and can tell their patients about how things went badly last time they had an experience with you. That would be the kiss of death, because you'll have spent the money to generate consumer awareness, and then be "squashed" by the very thing you were trying to sidestep.

Net: You cannot ignore the operational issues that got you into this mess ... whether your assignment is marketing or not. In fact, you can actually compound the problem if you proactively try to market a product that has some serious problems -- or perception of same -- and not acknowledge them and demonstrate that they've been fixed.

I think first you should address-- why were doc's referring you before and stopped? You have a break down there that must be fixed. I do lunch n learns with my clients, but it gets to a point where "they know what I do"-- so you have to keep it new and fresh. Or, of course they don't need another lunch. They aren't learning anything.

You can have empathy for your sales team, but this "its not their fault" is sympathy. Sympathy will hold you back. It gives the team a reason and excuse. They know you "understand" so they don't push. Have empathy for their tough job. But your company cannot carry a team that is not producing revenue for the company.

Your situation where you are told to "go sell what you have" is not unique. And the battle between sales, marketing and administration is ungoing and will forever continue. As someone in sales most my life though, I have fought many battles with the "higher ups" to retain my clients. But you pick those battles. Some you win, some you won't. But fighting those battles for my clients is one of the values I bring. In a perfect world, we all do what we are supposed to do, deliver on time and never have to deliver bad news...

Every monkey falls from the tree now and then-- and then get back up into it. It may be an administrative error, but it's the sales reps job to hold some hands at times and get the client thru it, and preserve the relationship. While the breakdown may not be your reps, they are still responsible for preserving the relationship. I am not speaking from theory here-- do it every day for a factory error.

While many co's market direct to the consumer, they still retain their reps. They pull thru sales by going to the consumer. It's not an either- or-- again, they still retain their reps. So, if you decide to go that route, it should be part, but not all of your marketing plan.

Clearly you need to be wherever docs are going for information. The direct-to-consumer is a different issue in my mind. Not every consumer will "ask your doctor about X".

I know enough docs personally to know that they do want to meet with reps but time just doesn't allow it.

One mistake many sales organizations make is saying they value the front line without actually listening to them. You should expect your sales team to be coming in with ideas as to how they can get in, not complaining that they can't do so. But take those ideas to heart and try them.

Michael

Anything I could add at this point would be redundant.

Just like to comment that you have some GREAT responses here !!!!!!!!

Years of experience distilled...