One of the challenges in medical sales is disseminating the right messages to the right doctors at the right time. Previously, I discussed how to identify the right customer and pass the right message; today’s post will focus on when to pass the message, knowing fully well that timing is critical.
This is equally because the degree of difficulty of the “targeting at right time” challenge is unique to each specific message, campaign and customer. Moreover, due to the limited access to doctors, which is steadily increasing year after year, the task of reaching the customer at the right time is even more demanding.
Also, already before the COVID-19 pandemic, many physicians began to restrict visits from pharma reps in some way, and the majority of offices had variable access policies governing pharma rep visits. Medical device sales reps are facing the same challenges and this is why this subject is so important. So stick around as we discuss targeting and how to do it at the right time.
What does it mean “at the right time”?
Imagine this – you have just bought a new house and received an advertisement about new houses. Do you think you will pay attention to it? Your answer will most likely be “No” and that’s because like other consumers you’re more interested when the promotion of products and services is most relevant to your current needs and life experiences.
For instance, someone who just bought a home might be more receptive to home insurance or a kitchen makeover/remodeling.
In the same light, physicians are more open to receiving and responding positively to marketing when it is pertinent to a current need. For this reason, the sales rep must consider the specific buying cycle of the product and examine the customer journey to be sure the timing is right to make a presentation, a test, or an offer.
By considering the physician’s journey, sales reps are also able to speak to the target audience about their needs.
Reaching the customer at the right time
When dealing with physicians, timing is relevant, and presenting a product at the right time is as important as speaking to the right audience.
Even messages that are very well designed and crafted with the correct target audience in mind are not effective if they are not addressing the needs of the customer according to the buying cycle.
Similarly, visiting a doctor and promoting a product at the right time requires knowing your target audience very well. Even more so, you need to know where the individual customer is in terms of making a “buying” decision and what he or she considers important at each stage of the buying process.
Researching and identifying all the steps of the customer journey is fundamental to engaging with the right message at the right time. Moreover, specific moments in the customer’s life can help the sales rep in convincing the customer thanks to a specific change in the customer’s behavior.
For example, if the physician is normally following the guidelines and he or she was skeptical about the evidence supporting your product and now finally your product is included in the most recent clinical practice guidelines this is the right time to visit him or her with this message.
Another example is if the waiting list for the surgeon is getting longer for any reason and your product is a good alternative for the patient waiting to be treated surgically. That’s a very good time to pass this message.
Why reaching customers at the right time is important in medical sales
Like in advertising, reaching the right people at the right time is an essential part of a marketing campaign success. For a medical sales rep it is crucial to ensure a personalized message that speaks to an individual customer in a specific step of the buying journey or a specific moment of the customer’s life.
Back in the day, medical sales mainly focused on reach and frequency. The reach is the total number of different doctors exposed to messages of the sales rep and frequency, meaning the number of times per year the target customer has contact with the sales rep.
Today, sales reps who want to be considered a resource by doctors need to reach them with the right product, the right message, and at the right time. The pandemic forced many businesses to adapt their business models. For instance, fitness centers seemed offering online classes or restaurants promoting delivery services. Medical sales were impacted too and, in my opinion, need to evolve to reach the right customers at the right time.
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