Consulting Tips: How to Market Yourself to New Facilities
As a long-term pharmacy consultant, the industry you work for faces many obstacles. From reimbursement management and expansion of services to constantly changing government regulations, those who work under this umbrella understand the depth of potential issues they could face without proper guidance. That’s where your role becomes highly attractive and appealing to long-term care facilities and pharmacies in need.
However, It takes more than an interview or discussion about your resume to gain partnership with long-term care facilities, however. Understanding how to market yourself as an expert in the industry will help you build professional relationships and earn you a role as a consultant to new facilities in your area.
Here are a few ways to market yourself to different LTC facilities:
Network often
Networking, regardless of the industry you’re in, is a valuable tool you can use to develop strong relationships and connections as a professional. If you’re new to the world of networking, start by using online resources to connect with other health care workers. LinkedIn can be a great place to start, guiding you to reach out to other professionals in the industry who are working in a similar setting as you are or plan to be.
On the other hand, if you’ve been in the consultancy or health care scene for a while, this doesn’t mean you should stop networking. In fact, the more connections you have, the better. Continue attending in-person conferences and virtual events to meet other people who can help you advance in your career and gain more clients as a consultant.
Use your connections to your advantage
If you already have a strong network of contacts, make sure these are the first group of individuals you reach out to when you begin marketing yourself to new facilities. Med Ed 101 suggested speaking directly to any nurse leaders or facility administrators that you know who might be looking for an LTC pharmacy consultant. If they don’t have an opportunity to share with you, perhaps they know someone who does, thus growing your networking even more.
Remember: While it can come in handy to have connections with other consultants, competition is fierce. Consult with your network and carve an area of opportunity where there is white space and you are positioned for longer-term success.
Dig into the wants and needs of each individual facility
It’s your job to get to know each facility you want to work with and understand their goals for the future. Once goals are identified, you can create an individualized care plan that makes your services tailor-made to their needs.
As you navigate prospective conversations, make sure you differentiate yourself from your competition. This could involve creating co-branded marketing materials that already position your solutions alongside your prospective clients, or discussing the technologies you leverage to keep pace with rapidly changing demands. Solving your customers' pain points is key, so ensure you're uniquely positioned to do so while advancing core mission goals.
Keep-up with specializations and soft skills
It should come as no surprise to you that the health care industry is constantly changing. New laws and policies, change to current legislation, and the simple reaction to potential volatility can make one process or procedure that you followed become obsolete. This means clients’ expectations will also be evolving on a regular basis.
While many pharmacists and consultant pharmacists regularly attend CE accredited sessions to their continuing education and stay ahead of industry and regulatory developments, it shouldn't stop there. Consider brushing up on soft skills like communication to improve team and client interpersonal relations. As was quoted in a recent webinar with industry expert, Lou Ann Brubaker, "People will forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel." - Maya Angelou
Sources:
https://www.btpharmacyconsulting.com/blog/interview-tips-for-growing-and-managing-a-consulting-firm
https://www.meded101.com/get-work-long-term-care-consultant-pharmacist/
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