With each passing year, expectations are growing and yet physician relations staff are running into more and more internal barriers, which slow down their ability to have field success. Attitudes emerge; the internal pace is crazy for everyone. It is a fact of life that hospital operations staff has limited knowledge of relationship sales process; they devote little time to learning it. Their energy is dedicated to care delivery and immediate response to situations they can solve. The result: they will not gain more insight (i.e. help us more) unless we make it easy and provide value.
Here are some areas that can support your internal message strategy (internal sales plan). Consider the deficits with your internal team and then define a plan to gently inform and involve the internal leaders and increase their understanding of your relationship development process.
1. Understand today’s sales cycle
There is very limited understanding about what it takes to earn a new referral or establish a new relationship. Many internal stakeholders believe the role of the field staff is to “just go tell them what we offer…” In the old days that worked, but today it is far more complicated. The cycle of getting through gatekeepers, discovery, adding value, bringing in the right resources and tools and closing to the desired outcome is complex. Involve internal stakeholders, especially service line leaders, in creating that series of deliverables that can advance the relationship (your sales funnel). Help them understand that “tell-and-sell” is dead and realize that, today, it takes multiple messages and consistent advancement to earn new business.
2. Earning is a team effort
Even the best field staff in the world needs the support of internal experts, a leader’s voice and solid tools to advance the relationship. Content experts are critical to gain commitment from a doctor and his or her practice. The best field staff has internal stakeholders who can support the message, offer depth on a topic, validate the organization’s goals or help with messages that show interest. It works best when the rep can stage a visit, assist the stakeholder in framing “their part,” and then “close” it. Getting internal stakeholders involved first-hand requires good preparation and a strong internal message, but it is often the difference maker. If they need to be sold on the idea, use your best skills and be persistent.
3. It’s not just products and services; it’s the relationship
With a few exceptions, our doctors can get a similar offering at another facility. Earning new referrals just can’t be about the product. Earning referrals starts and ends with the relationship — and much of that comes down to the relationship they have with their representative. Field staff can demonstrate the type of special relationships they have with their target physicians by sharing the right internal intelligence and giving the right feedback to our internal stakeholders. Let the internal stakeholders understand your level of engagement with the practice by bringing that “outside-in” perspective from physicians to the internal audience.
4. Create a shared debrief system
For those physicians and practices that you have moved, either to a contract or to a new referral relationship, consider a formal debrief with the internal stakeholders. List those elements that were promised, the physician expectations, what you as a field rep can do to ensure you deliver on the promise and ways that internal stakeholders need to make sure they are delivering. It takes so much effort to earn new relationships, it’s important to formalize the back-end and make sure everyone works to keep the business once it comes our way.
For many reps, it is frustrating to deal with internal stakeholders who simply don’t “get it.” They want business but have limited understanding of the work it takes to earn new referrals in today’s climate. Shoring up relationships internally, increasing internal involvement, gently educating on sales process and the physicians expectations are all part of an internal sales plan what will reap rewards!
If you want to talk a bit more or need a little help putting these practices in place shoot me an email at kbarlow@barlowmccarthy.com.