The Physician Meeting

Physicians need a very good reason to call you. Spend some time thinking about why you would change providers if you were a physician. Physicians are stressed for time, many working in situations where overbooking is an everyday occurrence and lunch is not just a time to eat but to think. They often work on salary, have a certain number of patients to see each day, spend hours documenting their work and continually worry about making a mistake. The newspapers are full of stories about physicians being sued and outrageous liability insurance premiums. They would like to do less paperwork, worry less about patients and feel more confident that they have referred their patient to the right provider.

Your sales call may be seen as an intrusion into the physician’s busy workday. You usually arrive having no appointment, are squeezed in between patients and then have to compete for the physician’s attention. Your competition includes pharmaceutical representatives, other home care salespeople and a long list of those who want to sell products that they claim will make life easier for the physician and/or his staff.

If you do get the opportunity to make a presentation to the physician, remember that:

• You will have only a very short time to talk with the doctor.
• You must decide before entering the office what you are going to say.
• You must talk about something that will affect patient care, documentation, safety, liability, treatment plan compliance, or the efficiency or productivity of the office.
• You are not making simply a friendly visit but are meeting for an important reason.
• You need to stay focused on your message. Decide how you will present your message and say it effectively in the shortest period of time.

In your meeting, you will want to ask the doctor some questions. Here are some pointers:

• Do not ask questions for which you already know the answer: “Doctor, do you take care of respiratory patients?” or “Doctor, can you tell me about your practice?” The doctor assumes you already know about his practice. These are questions that generate information you should have obtained already.
• Do not ramble on without engaging the physician in the conversation.
• Often it is best simply to ask the doctor what you can do to make the referral process easier.
• Present your information in an objective manner without any derogatory comments about the competition.
• Increase your value to the physician by bringing him new medical/product information or new ways your company’s services can help.

While these strategies will make your sales call somewhat structured, you do need to be flexible. Some doctors want you to appreciate the fact that they have “another life” that may include children, hobbies and other interests.

You may see pictures in the office indicating this other life. They may be there not only for the physician’s pleasure but also to generate conversation. Look around, and you may just see the right subject for your next comment.

When you do meet with the physician, just telling the doctor that your company exists is not the answer; you must have a reason for existing. Understand that the doctor is referring patients to another home care provider, so you are actually asking him to change allegiance and possibly hurt a friendship. Physicians need a very good reason to call you. Spend some time thinking about why you would change providers if you were a physician.

At the conclusion of your meeting, ask the doctor, “Based upon our talk today, may I call you again in a few weeks to follow-up on our discussion?” Then, make sure you always have something new to talk about. And remember that although you may not receive immediate access to the physician, there are others in the office who may be just as important, such as the office manager, clinical director or the physician’s primary nurse assistant.

Being given the opportunity to go behind the physician’s door could ultimately lead to some exciting new business. Patience, Professionalism, and Persistence — it’s all about those “P” words. Oh, and the Physician!

Louis Feuer is president of Dynamic Seminars & Consulting Inc. and the founder and director of the DSC Teleconference Series, a teleconference training program. He can be reached at www.DynamicSeminars.com or by phone at 954/435-8182.