Hiring a salesperson for your infusion center is a significant step toward expanding your reach and building a stronger network of referring physicians. Here’s a roadmap for maximizing the impact of your new sales hire to help ensure they drive meaningful relationships, increase referrals, and elevate your infusion center’s reputation as the go-to option in your community.
Clarify Your Value Proposition
The first task for your salesperson is understanding—and clearly articulating—your center’s unique value proposition. This is the core reason prescribers should refer to your center. Are you known for specialized therapies, fast and efficient insurance navigation, patient comfort, or exceptional bedside care?
And, what are your competitors weaknesses? If possible, turn these into your strengths and part of your value proposition.
Ensure your salesperson has a well-rounded understanding of what makes your center stand out, as this will be their cornerstone in building relationships with physicians and specialists.
Direct Outreach to Potential Referrers
With a solid understanding of your value proposition, it’s time for your salesperson to directly engage with potential referring physicians. Ideally, they will first target key specialties like Neurology, Gastroenterology, Rheumatology, Allergy/Immunology, Cardiology, and Ophthalmology. Other secondary specialties, including Internal Medicine, Family Medicine, Functional Medicine, and Wound Care, are also valuable networks to cultivate after the key specialties.
A structured approach is crucial:
• Build a Contact List: Start by creating a comprehensive list of target practices, verifying contact information is current, and gathering some intelligence on them. Who are they owned by? Do they have an infusion chair in their office? Do you have access to any market data showing what or where they are currently ordering?
• Anticipate Needs: Based on the information gathered, determine the angle you’ll take. What are some needs that this physician may need? Is there a hot new drug their specialty uses? Perhaps a common pain point in the specialty? Is there a drug the specialty orders that the competitors don’t offer or an insurance they don’t accept (that you do)?
• Schedule Visits: Regular visits are key to building relationships. These face-to-face interactions lay the groundwork for trust and allow your salesperson to introduce your services directly to the people referring patients. And, we prefer scheduled visits, when possible. Start there, but drop in on any offices where you aren’t able to schedule a visit.
• Establish a Cadence: Create a consistent cadence of interactions to keep the conversation ongoing. With each visit, your salesperson can provide value, share useful resources, and ask questions that lead to meaningful insights. These visits continue even after they start referring. The cadence may change, but nurturing the relationship is vital as well. In subsequent visits, ask what you can do to improve, if there are other therapies they need, etc.
It’s important that the compensation package allows for enough time to cultivate these relationships so that your salesperson can invest in maintaining strong ties with referring practices long-term.
Build and Leverage a Network
The next layer of outreach includes networking with the local healthcare community. This can include medical office managers associations, Medical Group Management Association, specialty groups (like women in healthcare), Independent Physician Associations, nurses associations, medical societies, hospital liaisons, and other sales reps. Research the groups to see what specialties are represented and if targets on your list are members. If a prospect is sponsoring or speaking at an event, attend and make a connection! Attending relevant events, both online and in person, can significantly broaden your referral network.
Additionally, your salesperson should tap into the power of soft networking by updating their LinkedIn profile to reflect their role at your center, sharing positive updates and industry insights that showcase the value of your infusion center. A well-networked salesperson can generate new interest and referrals by engaging their existing connections.
Support, Incentivize, and Encourage Feedback
As the leader, your role is to provide the structure, tools, and incentives to help your salesperson succeed. This includes:
• Clear Metrics: Establish clear performance metrics aligned with your goals, such as new referral sources acquired and the retention of existing referrers.
• Incentives: Design a compensation plan that rewards new business and maintains ongoing relationships, focusing on the value both aspects bring to your center.
• Resources: Ensure your salesperson has a budget for coffee meetups, lunches, and branded materials for prospective referrers.
• Receptivity to Feedback: Regularly meet with your salesperson to discuss feedback from their outreach. This can provide valuable insights on what prescribers need, potential adjustments in offerings, and improvement areas in your center’s processes.
Brummitt Group is Here to Support You
Brummitt Group can provide essential support in refining your strategy and helping your salesperson thrive. From crafting a value proposition that resonates with physicians to building effective sales materials and creating prospect lists, we’re here to enhance your outreach efforts. Let us help your salesperson make the most of their role, strengthening your center’s presence and fostering long-lasting partnerships.
