The global healthcare IT market is projected to hit $66 billion by 2020, according to a report from Global Industry Analysts. The growth is driven by strong emphasis on improving the profitability of healthcare institutions, increasing demand for quality healthcare services, and growing acceptance of mHealth and eHealth practices.
Technology marketers who want to take advantage of this growth are quickly learning that talking to healthcare providers requires a unique approach.
I talked directly to medical professionals who are responsible for making technology purchasing decisions, and collected nine pieces of advice:
- Know the organization’s access points and develop the right relationships.
Many organizations require vendors to access their decision makers through a particular department, such as the materials management, biomedical departments, or the IT department and its CIO or IT department manager. Quality relationships with these gatekeeper departments can be critical in accelerating a sale.
When hospitals affiliate with larger healthcare groups, the decision makers within the system affiliation may be located regionally. They often consolidate technological solutions for 10 to 200 facilities, and they may require a single source solution for many products.
- Avoid the floor if you want to access practitioners
A Deep-dive Into Specialty Pharma
A specialty drug is a class of prescription medications used to treat complex, chronic or rare medical conditions. Although this classification was originally intended to define the treatment of rare, also termed “orphan” diseases, affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the US, more recently, specialty drugs have emerged as the cornerstone of treatment for chronic and complex diseases such as cancer, autoimmune conditions, diabetes, hepatitis C, and HIV/AIDS.
Gaining access to a floor nurse or physician is nearly impossible. A better route is to approach them through decision-making committees, which drive the strategic planning and prioritization for capital expenditures.
Standard decision committees include the nursing informatics department and the IT governing board. Shared governance committees are a combination of nursing and leadership, committed to improving quality of care, safety, and work life. It’s much easier for a field marketer to address these committees than to try to get time in a clinical setting.
- Research your prospect’s IT investment history
It’s important to know how mature an organization is in its technology development. If their technology has been stagnant or immature, they may be preparing for a cycle of large capital IT spending. If this is the case, you want to be on the front side of their search for technology. Have they just undergone a major upgrade? If so, they may be in a down cycle of spending as other demands take priority.
Typically there is an annual budget for IT development, and by asking a few simple questions, you can determine if the budget is going up or down in the next cycle.
- Address integration
Many vendors avoid addressing integration. But until any particular technology is part of the solution, it will be perceived as just another siloed IT problem. Healthcare IT decision makers are looking for vendors that know all of the facts, are truthful with the capabilities, and are forthright about integration.
- Build credibility by showcasing clinical experience
Healthcare providers will be more interested if the marketer or salesperson has a clinical background and training.
If you can’t walk the walk in terms of professional medical training, then at least take every opportunity to walk the corridors. Observe how care is delivered on the front line to increase your empathy for the practical challenges faced by each participant in the healthcare supply chain.
Healthcare IT marketers will learn more in a day spent listening to nurses and physicians, than in a month of internal planning meetings.
- Take an educational approach to your marketing
Education plays a uniquely important role in healthcare IT marketing. Introducing new technology can be exciting but also intimidating.
Studies have shown that adult learners retain approximately 10 percent of what they see; 30 to 40 percent of what they see and hear; and 90 percent of they see, hear, and do. By letting nurses interact and get hands-on with your technology, you increase the chances for a sale.
- Consider the importance of human connections in a high tech environment
Despite all of its advantages, healthcare technology can be a source of frustration for healthcare providers, who overwhelmingly care about their patients and want to offer them a high-touch, human experience. Marketers who demonstrate how their technology will enhance interactions with patients and increase the personal connection will find a more receptive customer.
Does your technology improve or inhibit these human connections? Be prepared to sell the high-touch benefit of your technology, even if it is a downstream benefit.
- Give the gift of time
Healthcare providers are typically too busy to regularly take scheduled breaks, often work overtime, and still feel like they missed opportunities to give optimal care. The intense demands of their work make time their most valuable commodity.
Any time given up to consider your proposition is a considerable gift. Get to the point quickly, be succinct, and cut out marketing buzzwords and IT jargon. Rather than market with cheap branded giveaways, bring lunch. Lunch saves them time.
- It’s not all about you. Track other healthcare trends.
Brands that market an electronic billing solution, for example, should be aware of advancements in telemedicine. Other key trends in healthcare IT include:
- Data security
- Predictive modeling and big data
- Comprehensive patient portals
- Medical apps for mobile devises (Windows phone app, med scape, up to date)
- Self- scheduling
- BYOD (bring your own device)
- Patient portals
- RP-VITA (Remote Presence Virtual + Independent Telemedicine Assistant)
It’s more important than ever for technology marketers to understand the nuances of selling into healthcare providers and institutions.
