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    Getting past the Gate Keeper with a Digital Sales & Marketing Strategy

     
    by Jan Beery on Mar 7, 2017 10:30:00 AM

    Gatekeeper.jpgThe best way to get past the gatekeeper is to have the prospect come to you. Can I get an “Amen?!”

    By 2020, 80% of the buying process is expected to occur without any direct human-to-human interaction. (Forrester)

    When you see a stat like this, what comes to mind?

     For me, it solidifies not only for KBK’s business, but also our client’s business, the critical importance of being present for that first touch in a buyer’s journey. Honestly, I think we’re about there now with how people are researching, and making the majority of their buying decision long before connecting with a sales person.

    In the healthcare industry, we see providers trying to enhance patient experience, improve patient outcomes, and do this cost effectively. When we see headlines like this, Home health care industry braces for another Medicare cut, it raises cause for concern on a multitude of levels. Or this one…. Why Are Hospitals Cutting Costs? The challenge for the healthcare industry? Deliver quality care, using quality products, quality services and do it all at the same time, oh, and do it cost effectively.

    The problem from a business perspective is, the service providers are stretched very thin and shouldering high expectations. The manufacturers, distributors and service providers in the healthcare industry are expected to deliver quality products and services to the market, also in a cost effective manner.

    The result, you can’t get any facetime with the clinicians because they don’t have the facetime to give you. Every minute of every day is committed. So what does the clinician do? They research online for solutions to the problems they have, and the best option available. There’s no time to do the dog and pony show of all the different vendors coming in. The clinical buyer has to weed out quickly exactly what they need, and who is the best option for fulfilling that need.

    Where they’re doing this research, is online. A quick question to google will provide them with a multitude of options. Here’s an example.

    google-searchers.png

    This is just the top of this search. One quick question in google, and we’ve got no less than 10+ pages of answers. With an intriguing title and content snippet, we find information that drives us into a website. This website could be a manufacturer, a distributor, a periodical with a link to a resource, etc.

    The healthcare provider is no different than anyone else. We all do our research online, when and how it’s the most convenient for us. We’ve seen over and over, prospects researching at all times of the day and night. Sales teams are not able to make contact with potential customers as quickly, and as timely.

    90% of B2B buyers say when they are ready they will find you. (Cascade Insights)

    Enter a digital sales and marketing program. The best way to approach implementing such a program, is to consider eliminating a lot of the sales person’s frustration by providing a lead nurturing extension of your team.

    Our digital sales team, is well aligned with your sales team to build out a program that will help answer questions for the potential customer at the beginning of their research. The goal then is to continue to provide answers from first touch, to a hand off to sales to take a sales qualified lead to becoming a customer.

    So where do you start?

    • In our experience, the most effective approach, is to do a comprehensive assessment for a clear view of  what is going on with the website currently. This is the first touch for your prospects.
      • This includes an assessment of the website look and feel, content, deliverables for a customer, etc.
    • The next step is to assess the internal assets of the team. What do you have as far as internal resources to manage a digital sales program?
    • We look at the content, is it answering questions? Providing solutions? Is it confusing? Is it frustrating to navigate to an answer?
    • We take a look at existing leads. How are they acquired? How are they nurtured? Are they viable? What happens with them next?
    • Social media is a critical piece in digital sales/marketing. Does the organization have a social presence? If so, where? What is the strategy? Is there one? What’s being posted? Why?

    Our approach is to then provide a comprehensive report so you have a foundation, as an organization to look at where to begin. Once you understand where you are, we help you identify the best course of action with where to go, and how to get there.

    Your customers are being pressured from all sides of the clinical setting they serve. The more education and solutions you provide, in the environment of online access, the further down the buying cycle they’ll be, and closer to becoming a lifelong customer.

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