Successful healthcare account management is all about building the right relationships. While any relationship could be beneficial in the right circumstances, some offer more clear value than others. An AM looking to fill out their roster with lucrative long-term accounts will want to focus their outreach efforts on key decision-makers within healthcare organizations. Today, we will take a closer look at who key decision makers are, where you can find them, and how you can win them over.
Who Are Key Decision Makers?
Key decision-makers are members of an organization who have significant influence over purchasing decisions. These people represent important points of contact for account managers looking to establish a business relationship with a healthcare or pharmaceutical organization.
By reaching out to and building relationships with these individuals, an account manager can gain a significant sales advantage. AMs should strive to become trusted advisors to these people to maximize their current and future sales potential.
Networking Across Three Levels
There are three main levels in any healthcare organization’s structure: strategic, operational, and tactical. Each of these levels contains key decision-makers who could be valuable additions to an AM’s network.
- Strategic staff is at the top of the organization. They are responsible for the company’s overall strategy and vision, and they control most of its budget as well. Strategic players are the most valuable type of contact for AMs, but they are rare and hard to reach. A good relationship with one of these people could easily net you millions of dollars in sales.
- Operational staff is in the middle of the organization’s power structure. They are the managers, team leaders, vice presidents, and other mid-tier professionals that oversee most of the company’s day-to-day work. They have some decision-making power and are the most common point of contact for most AMs.
- Tactical staff is the personnel in charge of the company’s primary functions. Although they have little influence over major purchasing decisions, getting to know them can still provide an AM with a valuable insider perspective. These people may also rise to higher positions later in their professional lives, increasing their potential sales value.
Fine-Tuning Your Sales Approach
It is not enough to simply identify a key decision-maker. You must also determine the right way to approach them.
Each type of personnel will respond to different sales tactics based on their job function. For instance, people on the tactical level might be more interested in a new drug’s effectiveness and novel applications, whereas those on the operational or strategic levels are more likely to want things explained to them in monetary terms. Tailoring your approach to the needs of each level helps you build closer relationships that you can later leverage for sales.
It is also important to consider the priorities of different departments. For instance, someone in the sales department will have different priorities than someone in the marketing or compliance departments. Approaching these people with the information and metrics that are most relevant to them will give your services clear value and prove that you understand their needs.
Contact Us to Purchase this Primer on Key Decision Makers Today
Are you ready to take your understanding of key decision makers to the next level? Our primer on Key Decision Makers has all of the up-to-the-minute statistics, metrics, and tactical information you need to forge the relationships that will help you build your account roster and your career. Purchase the full version on our website or contact us today for more information on any of our account management training offerings.