So, what makes healthcare sales so difficult?
And, why is it more difficult than it has been in the past?
In The Pain of Healthcare Sales blog post, we began to explore the different factors driving the difficulty of decision making in healthcare sales. You can catch up on the first of those four factors by reading The Demise of Cowboy blog post. The second of those four factors outlined in Dr. Tom McDougal’s book, Selling to the Pain, is:
The Rise of Information Overload
The Rise of Information Overload is something we encounter on a daily basis as we are bombarded with a continual stream of information. While McDougal does agree that the accessibility and ease of access to information is not always a bad thing; he points out how The Rise of Information Overload has made healthcare sales much more difficult.
The Rise of Information Overload impacts the selling process because it increases the likelihood of a good opportunity getting lost in a sea of opportunities. Everyone experiences information overload and this leads to the necessity for healthcare decision makers to make quick decisions. Your solution could have been something the hospital needed and would have wanted, but none of that matters if you are drowned out by the information overload.
As a hospital CEO, I realized that 95% of the time I would not commit to continue to listen to an opportunity after I heard the first brief pitch.” -Dr. Tom McDougal
To gain the healthcare executive’s attention, it is imperative that your Value Proposition Message communicates your solution in a concise and attention-grabbing format. Information overload has greatly transitioned hospitals’ and health systems’ decision process into a snap sifting process.
The Rise of Information Overload is just one piece of the puzzle impacting the difficulty of decision making. Next week will will cover the third factor, Increased Competition for the Decision Maker’s Attention.
If you want to learn more about the solutions to the pain of healthcare sales you can contact Gylen Castle for consultation services or purchase a copy of the book on the Gylen Castle website or Amazon.
