O CC U PAT I O N A L M E D I C I N E The Physician’s Role in Occupational Health Sales and Marketing ■ FRANK H. LEONE, MBA, MPH W hen it comes to sales and marketing, the involvement of a physician can make or break an occupational health initiative. Physicians project credibility and can easily win the respect of employers and employees. In many cases, a sales effort can go “over the top” simply by bringing a physician into play. I know many physicians who exude charm and would be an asset in virtually any sales scenario. On the other hand, a physician who lacks “people skills” or who comes across as a know-it-all can easily alienate prospects and clients. Consider these strategies: Ⅲ Know your market. A market with unique workplace ex- posures suggests a need for greater physician presence. Likewise, a new program or one that is not the market leader may wish to use its physicians to win market share and play catch-up. Many smaller markets are high-touch, person-to- person markets. For example, physician visibility is likely to have a greater impact in Pocatello (where everybody knows everybody) than in a metropolitan market like Chicago. Ⅲ Evaluate your sales strengths. The effectiveness of your sales team impacts the role of the physician. Programs with a strong sales presence may find there is less need to use a physician in a sales role. Ⅲ Consider personality. Physicians run the personality type gamut. If a physician is outgoing and an effective communicator, a program should encourage frequent trips to the workplace. Frank Leone is president and CEO of RYAN Associates and executive director of the National Association of Occupational Health Professionals. Mr. Leone is the author of numerous sales and marketing texts and periodicals, and has considerable experience training medical profes- sionals on sales and marketing techniques. E-mail him at fleone@naohp.com. w w w. j u c m . c o m On the other hand, many physicians are technically gifted but may be shy or lacking in people skills. In this instance, it is prudent to promote their technical expert- ise but keep their sales activity to a minimum. Ⅲ Define time commitment. The desired degree of physi- cian involvement should be spelled out in advance. A physician might participate in two worksite visits a week, for example. A dilemma for many programs involves us- ing a physician in sales without simultaneously eroding their physician’s finite clinical time. Planning Physician Participation Activity Workplace walkthrough Weekly Yearly Hours 1 50 75 Sit in on weekly sales call 1 50 75 Check-in calls to current clients 2 100 25 Call “hot prospects” Participate in quarterly telephone blitz Sign 1 set of letters 2 100 25 1 per quarter 4 1 n/a 1 1 Annual Commitment: 205 hours or 4 hours per week Ⅲ Establish parameters. Most physicians know little about handling objections, articulating features and benefits, or how to close. The tendency is for a physician to go too far rather than not far enough in these areas, potentially jeopardizing a virtually completed sale. A physician should visit the workplace to learn about working conditions and offer preliminary recommenda- tions, not to sell. The breadth of the physician’s role in any given type of activity should be clearly defined. Ⅲ Hand pick prospects. When scheduling a physician for a joint sales call, target those employers with high injury incidence rates, hazardous conditions, complex or un- usual job functions, and/or a large workforce. Ⅲ Plan ahead. Appropriate clinic personnel should call or JUCM T h e J o u r n a l o f U r g e n t C a r e M e d i c i n e | J a n u a r y 2 0 0 8 35