December 10, 2009 » HCP RM: 2010’s #1 To Do

Everywhere in the industry these days, you hear talk about Healthcare Professional Relationship Marketing (HCP RM), Non-personal Promotion (NPP), and Channel Preference Marketing (CRM). Nearly every company has these programs on their “to do” list, but few are actually implementing them. Why is this? On November 4, 2009, Compass Healthcare Communications hosted its Innovation Lab Series workshop in Princeton, assembling a team of participants and expert panelists to discuss this very topic.

HCP RM: Why Now?

The old model for how to target and communicate with healthcare professionals has been turned on its head. The time physicians have to interact with sales forces continues to diminish and access to physicians is becoming increasingly difficult. Up to 35% of all physicians are now considered “no see” docs¹ and some states such as Massachusetts are imposing restrictions on sales rep activities. Add to this the fact that pharmaceutical companies are drastically cutting their sales forces and you have an environment that’s ripe for new and more effective ways to reach HCPs.

What HCP RM Is Not

They are not newsletters or mailers or phone calls created in a remote conference room and then force-fed to a recipient. They are not comprised of generic content that makes no provision for how the recipient wants to be communicated with, what his or her level of knowledge is with the brand, or where the recipient resides along the brand adoption continuum.

They are, instead, customer-focused programs, delivering the right message to the right audience segment at the right time using the right channel. The right message is one that is meaningful to the HCP.  Figuring this out means understanding who the HCP is—what their needs and interests are, what motivates them—so that you can truly service their needs, not just sell them stuff.

Where To Start

When many pharma marketers hear the term relationship marketing, they are quick to think of patient relationship marketing efforts such as compliance programs. But given that physicians either cannot or do not want to meet with reps and that many prefer other and more varied forms of contact, it’s clear that HCPs want to engage with the brand through several communication channels.

Building a successful HCP RM program is no easy feat. It all starts with understanding the different segments of your audience and delivering tailored, meaningful communications to them in the form, method or vehicle they prefer. Every disease state and therapeutic class is different.  Organizations will have to adopt a different mindset beyond just a rep knocking on a quickly closing door. Finding success in this area requires understanding your customers like never before in order to offer them meaningful information and tools that they actually want to use. By integrating these tactics and resources so they all work well together you can successfully shift from the mindset of physician “selling” to one of physician “service.”  Making that shift will strengthen your relationships with all your key targets—a critical requirement in moving HCPs closer toward ultimate brand loyalty.

¹ – SK, A, 2009