By: Susan Boydell | sboydell@barlowmccarthy.com
Marketing and physician relations teams have often had a love-hate relationship. Physician relations wants “stuff” from marketing, and marketing usually has other priorities. I’ve worked on both sides, and I’m here to tell you, both teams need each other!
Both marketing and physician relations share the goal of growing business for their hospitals or health systems. Marketing is seen as the experts to understand the needs and expectations of the consumer. And no surprise, physician relations is the same for the physician audience. In my opinion, one is no more important than the other. Both are needed to be successful.
So, how do we better collaborate? Here are five tips to not only improve your relationship with marketing, but create a win-win bond that works for everyone.
- Focus on what works for the customer. Marketing and physician relations professionals often operate independently from one another, especially when it comes to interacting with physicians. Traditionally, marketing sees the physician relations function as a vehicle to get “their” message out. Physician relations representatives look to marketing for collateral to use in the field with physicians. Here is some advice for both teams- throw those thoughts out! I hate to say it, but physicians don’t read marketing materials, and “tell and sell” doesn’t work in the field. Marketing is good at packaging the right message, so it resonates with the customer. In this case, physician relations understands the needs of the physician customer, so it’s the job of physician relations to educate marketing on messages that resonate. Think about how you will use those messages.
- In dialogue with the physician
- To make it easier for a referral coordinator to refer a patient
- As a proof source to frame a message of differentiation
All three are different. The first requires that you can articulate the right points at the right time with a physician. The second might require a reference sheet for a referral coordinator, and the last might be something you can show on an iPad to support your claim of differentiation. Marketing can help with all three.
- Coordinating strategies. With today’s work pace, we sometimes forget to take the time and make sure our strategies are aligned, and the right hand knows what the left hand is doing. This requires a planned and proactive approach. One of our clients hosted a half-day workshop with 40 marketing and physician relations team members. This experience allowed physician liaisons and marketers alike to describe their respective ‘day-in-the-life’ activities and share strategies and challenges with one another. Marketing found out more about physicians’ needs and concerns from a first-hand perspective to develop strategic plans to enhance business. Physician liaisons learned about market changes and technology advances that could impact physician practices and a lot about the value of the health system brand and their ability to enhance it with the physician audience.
- Sharing voice of customer learnings. If there is one thing the pandemic has taught us it is the power of understanding the voice of the customer. In many cases, physician relations, has been the only connection with independent practices. They have had limited ability to have their voice heard in a time of tremendous need. Create a forum for sharing insights with not only leadership but with marketing. In the early stages of the pandemic, physician relations could get first-hand knowledge of not only physician concerns but what they were hearing from their patients. Consider working with your marketing team to “test” physician and sometimes patient messaging to make sure it resonates and reinforces the benefit both teams hope to communicate.
Consider this a starting point to better collaboration with marketing. This is absolutely a win-win for both departments. I’m a true believer both will do better together than apart.
Are the challenges outlined here just the tip of the iceberg for you? Let’s set up a time to discuss your communication struggles. I am happy to help you work through some specific resolutions. Please reach out at sboydell@barlowmccarthy.com so we can set up a time to talk.