As a pharmaceutical or health industry professional you know what’s needed to advance the project at hand:
- For an advisory board - getting the right folks to share their expertise around a conference room
- For content - making sure the most influential thought leaders share their suggestions openly
- For an investigator meeting - sharing the data and engaging attendees in the most impactful way
These kinds of tasks have always required a substantial investment, such as hiring an outside firm or additional internal staff. Then there’s the budgeting required for months of work.
But what are you getting for that substantial investment? Are you getting actionable data that will directly drive your project forward?
Here are some more examples of traditional data gathering:
For KOL identification you’ll be purchasing extensive spreadsheets of thought leaders and specialists – and spend a few months until it’s ready. If you’re planning for a congress presence, yet another spreadsheet of every meeting in your therapeutic field - worldwide for the next 18 months.
But is any of this what you actually need right now?
Sometimes it is. However, what if you need relevant inside information that you can act on now? What if you need experts in the flesh, not just names and numbers on a spreadsheet?
How can you get your hands on resources that will really make a difference, now?
For instance: suppose you need to know the 5 top upcoming meetings right now so you can better plan per your budgets? Or, what if you need 20 thought leaders for an advisory board for a major congress in just three weeks? Suppose you want a great venue in London, Madrid, or Tokyo for a KOL dinner next week? What if you require a key expert for a piece of content that needs approval in just 1 month?
Faced with these kinds of challenges, all those expensive spreadsheets aren’t going to help very much, are they?
There Is a Better Way
There is a better, more economical, more effective way to meet these daunting tasks. You just have to think the impossible… into the possible.
In my career, I’ve taken on many formidable challenges:
- Got press coverage for a penny stock
- Organized meetings across the world in non-English speaking countries
- Found 5 KOLs who wanted to work with us… now
I didn’t have the luxury (or the budget) to pass these tasks off to a large team with world-wide resources. I did it all myself.
And you know what I learned? You don’t need those expensive teams of “specialists” and “organizers”. You just have to think differently. Here are some examples.
Build relationships with specialized groups in your space:
- For media, small press is still press, and it has a cumulative effect
- Advocacy groups and foundations – build those relationships and you won’t believe the amazing information and resources they can provide you
Here are some more suggestions on how to think differently for your business:
- Contact a key author - a lot of them want to help and will push you in the right direction
- Planning an important meeting abroad? You don’t have to learn Italian or Mandarin or hire an expensive group. Often times, a local tourism or professional office can provide suggestions, and their English is excellent
You Need an Advocate
You need someone that has the experience to make those 2 a.m. phone calls around the world, to reach influencers on your behalf. Thinking differently means working hard for you.
Good thing I like to work hard.
When we look at the surprising successes in industry, politics, or throughout history, it’s not the ones who spent the most money or had the most resources that necessarily succeeded. It’s the ones who think differently, do the best with what they have, work hard, and get it done.
These are just a few of my suggestions. Like to learn more? Please contact me here.
#thinkdifferently