Involving Physicians in Marketing Healthcare

Excerpted from the book “Marketing Healthcare Services to Employers” by Frank H. Leone (Sea Hill Press, 2012)

When it comes to sales and marketing, occupational medicine physicians most usually are used sporadically for in-person calls with major clients and prospects. At times, this is an effective strategy, but in other cases, it can have a minimal impact or even be counter-productive.

Physician credibility

Deserved or not, physicians tend to project an image of credibility. A physician is often perceived as having reached the pinnacle of professional achievement. Non-physicians, including the typical employer contact, tend to hold physicians in high esteem and are likely to follow their recommendations.

RYAN Associates recently conducted a market research project in which a physician received exceptionally high praise from employers. As a result, the organization where he works—despite its limitations—benefited from this halo effect.

Why? Dr. X spends an inordinate amount of time with his patients, communicates with employers frequently and in-depth, and writes thorough, informative reports. Although the physician’s productivity is likely to be compromised by this detail-oriented approach to practice, his contribution to his organization’s image is off the charts.

Physician roles

A physician’s Midas touch can add a great deal to a program’s image and outreach capability. Although what works well for Dr. X may not work as well for Dr. Y, physicians can effectively do most of the following:

1. Be a website presence. Create a series of 30-second video recordings in which your physician offers gems about prevention, sound health practices, and other relevant topics. Place a new video each month on the home page of your website. This will spur interest in revisiting your website and showcase your physician. A side benefit is that it will give most physicians a morale boost.
2. Send out email blasts. When you send an email blast to employers, to alert them about a service offering or educational opportunity, it is usually sent by the service line director or sales professional. Why not send a number of such blasts under the name of your medical director? His or her name will add substance to your communication and increase the likelihood that the message will be read.
3. Project a pleasant demeanor. Most service websites provide a dry and unimaginative overview of their providers. The provider’s facial expression often looks like he or she learned their pet rabbit has died. Take care to personalize the physician’s biography and use a confident, congenial headshot. (Remember, a photo is worth a thousand words.)
4. Set the stage for a sales call. Imagine how valuable it would be to have your two most important initial sales calls each week preceded by a call from a physician. A physician’s time on the phone need not be lengthy; even a voice mail will do. The physician should state something akin to, “As the Medical Director for Work Well, I find it useful to learn a little about the challenges a company faces before they meet with our sales professional…”Just two credibility-building calls a week from a physician help position you for a successful sales call.
5. Be available during clinic tours. Clinic tours should include a brief face-to-face encounter with a physician. Even if the encounter is in the hallway, the physician can show a genuine interest in the prospect or client by asking a few simple questions germane to their workplace:“We take pride in our communication effectively with our employer clients. When it comes to communication, what is important to you?”“We find that workplace-specific knowledge helps us customize our services. Are there any unique aspects of your workplace that I should know about?”
6. Script voice mail messages. Send periodic voice mail blasts from a physician (e.g., “I am calling to advise you we are expanding our clinic hours as of July 1”) offers considerable value. It takes little time for the physician to leave such a message.
7. Write letters. I advocate using multiple modalities (email, voice mail, regular mail) to “stay in the face” of your prospects and clients. Send a letter to all companies on your mailing list once a quarter. One of those four letters should be sent annually from your Medical Director.
8. Be a public health advocate. If your physician is passionate about the public health aspects of his responsibilities, he or she is likely to want to speak periodically on related topics at community forums and employer gatherings.
9. Alternatively, if he or she does not enjoy public speaking, a cogent written advocacy piece can be an effective alternative. Letters to the editor of your local newspaper have a good chance of being published, as do more lengthy pieces for in-house and local employer publications. Involving Physicians in Marketing Healthcare Services to Employers Visions

The more your market views your providers as the authority, the more your services ride the credibility wave.

10. Obtain referrals from both internal and external sources. The credibility factor again. The committed provider can do wonders for their program by proactively reaching out to others for referrals and introductions. Such referrals may be made through other internal staff or from virtually anyone else throughout the community.Many people find it hard to turn down a physician. A physician can query fellow medical staff members, senior administrators, and department heads by stating: “You can really help our program if you can refer us to a contact of yours that may not be one of our clients. A personal introduction would even be better.”Use the same approach with contacts in the community. Physicians may know well-connected people within their neighborhood, country club, or various civic activities. A personal and credible introduction carries as much weight as twenty cold calls.
11. Participate periodically in high-profile sales calls. Coming full circle, in most cases, your physicians can be helpful participants in targeted sales calls provided he or she:
    • Clearly understands their role going in;
    • Does not dominate the sales call; and
    • Exhibits sincere interest in the company and your ability to customize services by taking at least a cursory walk-through of the workplace.

A physician’s credibility with your client and prospect community cannot be overstated. Service lines are encouraged to showcase their physicians as much as possible.

Managing the physician’s role

To better manage the role of the physician in sales and marketing, think of their contribution as a continuum in which their value may range from extraordinary to counter-productive. In order to find their place on this continuum, you should:

• Know your market. The degree of physician commitment is related to the nature of your market. More industrialized markets or ones with more unique workplace exposures require a greater on-site physician presence. Likewise, a new service or one that is not the market leader should use its physician more often as a vehicle for winning market share and playing catch-up. Many smaller markets remain high touch, person-to-person markets. Physician visibility is more critical in a community like Pocatello, Idaho, (where everybody knows everybody) than in a metropolitan market like Chicago.
• Evaluate sales strengths. The effectiveness of your sales team is an important variable in the role your physicians will play in sales and marketing. If your service has a strong, experienced sales team or an exceptional sales professional, you may find there is less need to use a physician in a sales role.
• Consider the personality factor. Physicians, like other professionals, tend to run the gamut of personality types. If a physician is outgoing and an effective communicator, encourage frequent trips to the workplace. Many physicians are technically gifted but may be shy or otherwise lacking in people skills. In this instance, promote their technical expertise, but keep their sales and marketing activities to a minimum.
• Define the physician’s time commitment. The degree of the physician’s involvement should be spelled out in advance. The physician might be expected to participate in two worksite visits every Wednesday afternoon for the first year and one visit per week thereafter. A typical dilemma for many programs with a strong physician is that they want to use him or her more often for sales and marketing activities without simultaneously eroding the physician’s finite time availability. Even the most successful programs find it difficult to make the best use of a physician’s time.
• Establish parameters for participation. Most physicians have little or no training in sales and marketing and are likely to know little about handling objections, discerning between features and benefits, or how to close. Physicians have a tendency to go too far rather than not far enough in these areas, potentially jeopardizing a virtually completed sale. The breadth of the physician’s role in any given type of activity should be clearly defined. The physician visits a workplace to learn about working conditions and offer preliminary recommendations, not to sell. The physician should be prepared to ask questions about current working conditions and long-term plans and provide ad hoc advice. A physician is a physician, and should be able to recognize his or her own limits on the sales side.
• Handpick prospects. When a physician participates in a sales call, target employers with high-injury incidence rates, hazardous conditions, complex or unusual job functions, and a large workforce. A targeted sales approach is based on market research and part of the program’s overall marketing and sales plan.
• Plan ahead. The service line director should call or visit a company before the physician’s visit. The purpose of the call is to obtain a preliminary sketch of special problems, critical job tasks, and current health and safety practices. The site-visit team should develop a game plan before meeting at the company. Preparing for a specially planned visit tends to enhance the physician’s value in the eyes of the employer.
• Match the physician with senior management.
  The most effective long-term relationship between providers and employers invariably involves a commitment from the company’s senior managers. Physician presence at the worksite provides an excellent opportunity to meet senior company management—if only briefly. Such a meeting may go a long way toward establishing a sense of management commitment toward your program.
• Emphasize planning. The provider-employer relationship is greatly enhanced if it includes a long-term game plan for ensuring optimal health status. Physician involvement is an excellent opportunity to gauge the quality of the current plan and offer suggestions for developing a more comprehensive one.
• Offer further contact. Your physician should conclude his or her visit with an invitation for the employer prospect to contact the physician, as necessary. Although most inquiries are likely to be made through the service line director (or other administrative personnel), the clearly stated availability of physician time is a compelling feature to most employers.
• Remember to follow up. A follow-up letter or email from the physician should be sent immediately after a site visit. The letter should summarize key issues and recommendations and project a sense of commitment to the employer.
• Hire smart. A service line is often so eager to have a physician with experience at hand that it overlooks or minimizes the personality issue. If a physician’s role is to see patients all day, this may work; if you want the physician to assume an active public relations role, this must be factored into your hiring criteria. Place the personality factor near the top of your physician hiring criteria.
  
  Advice for the Medical Director/Physician: The physician should:
• Be available. Sales and marketing should be part of a physician’s description; the physician should be willing to jump in as needed to answer questions and help retain existing clients.
• Take the lead with internal marketing. Physician credibility with employers is no less true within your own organization. Gaining the buy-in and understanding of senior management and related departments is an issue that the physician must address.
• Market at the individual patient level. The physician’s bedside manner is a subtle yet crucial aspect of your service’s image
• Buy into the plan. Provide input into, understand, and embrace your service’s marketing plan.
  
  
  

Obesity in Nurses Linked to Adverse Work Schedules

For nurses engaged in long hours or other adverse work schedules, the risk of obesity is associated with a lack of opportunities for exercise and sleep, as indicated by a study in the August issue of the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. Alison M. Trinkoff and colleagues from the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore conducted an analysis of data from over 1,700 female nurses. The study focused on factors related to obesity in nurses with adverse work schedules, such as long hours, high work burden, required on-call or overtime, and/or lack of rest.

Obesity-related factors were compared between approximately 700 nurses meeting adverse work schedule criteria and 1,000 nurses with more favorable work schedules. Both groups showed around 55 percent of nurses being overweight or obese. However, the risk factors for overweight or obesity differed between the groups.

In the group with adverse work schedules, nurses with obesity experienced less sleep, less restful sleep, and less exercise. They were also more likely to care for children or dependents. On the contrary, for nurses with favorable work schedules, obesity was linked to more unhealthy behaviors, such as smoking and alcohol use, and more physical lifting of children or dependents. Factors reflecting job stress also played a role in obesity risk.

Long hours, shiftwork, and other nonstandard work schedules have previously been associated with higher rates of obesity. For the many nurses working under such adverse schedules, special attention may be necessary to prevent obesity and protect health. The study suggests that adverse work schedules could be a significant work-related factor contributing to nurse obesity. In addition to addressing the lack of opportunities for healthy behaviors, nurses with adverse schedules may face challenges in accessing healthy foods. The authors recommend that organizations, especially for nurses with unfavorable work schedules, should support improvements in schedules and promote the ability to practice healthy behaviors.