Elevate your medtech sales strategy with pre-call planning

The medical device industry is fiercely competitive. To stand out and secure those crucial sales, a well-defined medtech sales strategy is essential. A key component of this strategy is thorough pre-call planning. This involves gathering relevant data and formulating insightful questions tailored to each customer or prospect.

It’s not just about showcasing your device’s features and benefits – it’s about aligning your sales approach to the specific needs and challenges of the healthcare facilities and providers you’re targeting. Effective pre-call planning can make the difference between a successful sales engagement and a missed opportunity.

This blog, adapted from our comprehensive e-book, explores the critical role pre-call planning plays in the medical device sales process. For a deeper dive into these concepts and a roadmap to successful medtech sales, download the e-book.

What is the value of pre-call planning in sales?

Think of a pre-call plan as the foundation for a successful sales interaction. If your on-site or virtual meeting is the customer interaction, then the pre-call planning step is the work you do before that interaction. Pre-call planning should be done before each customer meeting. It allows you to: 

• Build credibility: When you demonstrate a deep understanding of your target’s specific challenges, they perceive you as a knowledgeable and trustworthy partner.
• Tailor your message: Generic pitches rarely win deals. Pre-call planning allows you to customize your approach, highlighting how your device directly addresses their unique pain points.
• Increase sales success: A well-prepared pitch resonates far better with the customer. You’ll be able to anticipate their questions, address concerns proactively, and ultimately, close more deals.

Data to use for medtech pre-call planning

What information you gather for your pre-call plan should align with where the account is within the sales process, your segmentation criteria, and what you know to be important about the specific account you’re targeting. Let’s explore this concept in more depth, looking at various healthcare providers and the relevant data and probing questions you can put to work for each.

Hospitals & integrated delivery networks (IDNs)

Often managing a vast patient population and facing complex budget constraints, hospitals and IDNs prioritize solutions that demonstrate both clinical and financial value.

Relevant data:

• Economic data: Budget cycles, financial performance, and reimbursement trends
• Clinical data: Patient demographics, disease prevalence, and outcomes data
• Claims data: Review historical claims for relevant diagnosis or procedure codes associated with your device

Probing questions and qualification strategies:

• How are medical device budgets allocated, and what factors influence these decisions?
• Can you share any recent initiatives or challenges related to reimbursement that might impact device adoption?

By understanding financial constraints and reimbursement concerns, you can present your device not just as a cost, but as a potential cost-saver or revenue generator.

Physicians and physician groups

Independent practices or physician groups face their own set of economic realities. Let’s explore the data points and probing questions that can inform your pre-call planning for these providers. 

Relevant data:

• Economic data: Physician practice revenue, payor mix, and financial stability
• Clinical data: Patient population, treatment preferences, and outcomes data
• Claims data: Review historical claims for relevant diagnosis or procedure codes associated with your device

Probing questions and qualification strategies:

• What patient demographic do you serve, and how might that impact the adoption of new medical devices?
• Are there any specific challenges or opportunities related to reimbursement for procedures involving your device?

Understanding the patient population and reimbursement realities of your target physicians allows you to tailor your value proposition accordingly.

Ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs)

Focused on efficiency and patient satisfaction, ASCs prioritize solutions that streamline procedures and improve outcomes within a cost-effective framework.

Relevant data:

• Economic data: Profitability, case volume, and reimbursement structures
• Clinical data: Procedural preferences, patient satisfaction, and complication rates
• Claims data: Review historical claims for relevant diagnosis or procedure codes associated with your device 

Probing questions and qualification strategies:

• How do you prioritize selecting medical devices for your center? What factors are crucial in your decision-making process?
• Can you provide insights into your experiences with reimbursement for procedures involving our type of medical device?

By understanding their focus on efficiency, profitability, and patient satisfaction, you can demonstrate how your device contributes to these surgery center goals.

Imaging centers

High-quality diagnostics and efficient patient flow are paramount for imaging centers. Understanding their equipment utilization and budgetary considerations is key.

Relevant data:

• Economic data: Equipment utilization, imaging volume, and reimbursement trends
• Clinical data: Diagnostic capabilities, patient flow, and radiologist preferences
• Claims data: Review historical claims for relevant diagnosis or procedure codes associated with your device

Probing questions and qualification strategies:

• What are your key considerations when evaluating and adopting new imaging technologies?
• How do reimbursement trends impact your decisions regarding the use of advanced imaging devices?

By understanding their focus on diagnostic accuracy, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness, you can position your device as a valuable tool for imaging specialists.

Clinics

Clinics also face the challenge of balancing patient care with operational efficiency and budgetary constraints.

Relevant data:

• Economic data: Funding sources, patient volume, and operational efficiency
• Clinical data: Disease prevalence, patient demographics, and treatment protocols
• Claims data: Review historical claims for relevant diagnosis or procedure codes associated with your device 

Probing questions and qualification strategies:

• How do you currently manage patient care, and in what ways might our medical device complement your existing processes or align with your clinic’s goals?
• Are there any specific challenges in terms of reimbursement or patient access that our device can address?

Understanding their patient care model and financial constraints allows you to demonstrate how your device improves outcomes while remaining accessible.

Long-term care facilities

Balancing resident care with tight budgets is a constant concern for long-term care facilities. Demonstrating the cost-effectiveness and improved resident outcomes of your device is critical.

Relevant data:

• Economic data: Budget constraints, funding sources, and financial stability
• Clinical data: Resident demographics, prevalent conditions, and care protocols
• Claims data: Review historical claims for relevant diagnosis or procedure codes associated with your device

Probing questions and qualification strategies:

• What are the primary factors influencing your budget decisions for medical devices in long-term care?
• How does the reimbursement landscape affect your ability to adopt innovative technologies in long-term care settings?

By understanding their budgetary pressures and reimbursement limitations, you can focus on the cost-effectiveness of your device and its potential to improve resident care within their financial constraints.

Learn more

Pre-call planning is an ongoing process, but the effort you invest upfront will pay dividends. By taking the time to research and understand the specific needs of your prospects, you can ensure your sales calls are informative, engaging, and ultimately, successful.

For a more comprehensive look into pre-call planning for medical devices, download our e-book. Want to put these insights into action even faster? Book a demo of our newest medtech solution Carevoyance and gain access to the intelligence you need to streamline your medical device sales process and maximize your impact.