Need help is marketing a great service to doctors

biznessman

Hi SuN community,
I have started a technology consulting company with the mission of helping small businesses acquire the right technologies to become more efficient and productive. Apart from the consulting services I provide, I have created a managed and integrated communication package for doctors and health care professionals. This package includes data, telephone and security features that automates many of their daily tasks, help them provide facilities their patients expect and cuts their losses due to patients not showing up.
Doctors like this package a lot, that is not a problem. But I need a very effective marketing strategy to get in front of adequate number of them and present the package in person. I have started with the doctors that I know but their count is limited and I am not meeting my goal of making certain  number of appointments per week (4 for now). Here are the options I think I have with my 7000 marketing budget for 6 months; but I truly need expert advice.
1- Hire a telemarketing company to call doctors offices and make appointments for me.
2- Participate in couple of shows in 2008
3- Mailing campaign? I really don`t know if it is effective!
4- Post an ad in Criags list and ask anyone who knows a doctor (with certain criteria) to make an appointment for me for a one time appointment setting fee.
5- Hook up with sales persons who sell all kind of stuff to doctors offices and pay them a one time appointment setting fee to get me in touch with doctors.
Has anybody been involved in marketing projects to doctors? Or in general can you help me with your bright ideas?
Thanks very much for reading and I appreciate your response.

biznessman

Thanks for your input. I thought the doctors who actually own their business would be the best candidate to decide about the investment on the package. Since the product cuts their losses and helps them make more money, they as business owners might be interested. Am I wrong?
Office managers are good targets but are they the decision makers? Lets say I get the office managers names. What to do next? You think the telemarketing option is the way to go?

biznessman

Thanks very much for your response Craig. I do have tri-fold brochures already printed in large quantity. I can do a mailing campaign, thats easy but I have never used a telemarketing company to do cold calling off of a list on my behalf. Do you have any suggestions about that?

LogoMotives

Most states, and good-sized cities, have medical associations that publish newsletters and magazines for the doctor members.  Years ago I was the art director for a group of such medical publications and many practice management services advertised in the publications.  Often companies provided the publications with news releases about their new services, resulting in editorial features in the publications.
Medical associations also often have member seminars, workshops and conferences that might provide opportunities to market/promote your efforts.
The AMA site might be a good place to start.
- J.

Sully

These all sound like good ideas but nothing is as good as having an inside sales person do direct calling. Just have them digin to a "calling list" in the same room as you.  Make sure they have a bullet point layout of your companies offerings and they have the basic answer for rejections.
Depending on your office situation you can set it up in a few different ways.Sully12/4/2007 11:40 PM

biznessman

Thanks LogoMotives for your input. I agree thats a good strategy.
Sully:
You think hiring an inside sales person is more effective than hiring a telemarketing company?
As I mentioned my marketing budget is fairly limited to 7k - 10k for 3 quarters of 2008.

jwatkins

Get sick! That`s $7000 divided by the $25 co-pay equals 280 doctors!
Once you`re in with that nagging cough symptom that will not go away (at least until the 7 grand runs out), you can pitch them on your products.

biznessman

Thanks Joann, I like your ideas and will get more information about these events.

biznessman

In my experience, office managers are the primary gatekeepers and
usually end up with about 90% of the decision-making strength. Of
course the doctors sign the check and make the final decision, but in
almost all cases it`s because their office manager sold them on the
idea.

Craig, I think you are absolutely right. I was going the wrong way thinking about getting in direct touch with doctors. I am learning this practically as doctors I meet with want to sit down with their office managers and go over the whole thing. You think sending direct mail to office managers is a good strategy or its better if I hire a telemarketing company to make cold calls and get appointments for me?

biznessman

Get sick! That`s $7000 divided by the $25 co-pay equals 280 doctors!Once you`re in with that nagging cough symptom that will not go away (at least until the 7 grand runs out), you can pitch them on your products.

Sorry no insurance. So thats actually 7k divided by a lot more that 25! Not doable.