Personal selling in health and medicine: using sales agents to engage audiences
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Personal selling in health and medicine: using sales agents to engage audiences James K. Elrod1 and John L. Fortenberry Jr.1,2*
Abstract Background: Personal selling—the use of sales agents to personally deliver messages to target audiences—is often not the first conveyance pathway that comes to mind when thinking about marketing communications in the health services industry. This is not surprising given that sales force roles are not as public and prominent as other promotional avenues, such as advertising and public relations. Further, the titles held by those in sales-oriented roles in the health services industry are usually more discreet, carrying designations such as community liaison, business development officer, and the like. Regardless of title, sales roles involve personally interacting with desired audiences to compel some sort of action, adding a vital form of communication that bolsters engagement opportunities. Discussion: Personal selling plays a critical role in the promotion of health services organizations. Perhaps most obviously, it is distinguished from its counterparts in the marketing communications mix by its use of people to deliver messages to desired audiences. Associated titles, duties, and expectations vary widely between and among those healthcare entities which make use of personal selling, as there is no pat formula for deployment within health services environments. To shed light on personal selling, this article presents an associated overview through the lens of Willis-Knighton Health System, sharing practical insights and experiences which can assist peer healthcare establishments in understanding, shaping, and honing sales roles within their own facilities. Conclusions: Taking advantage of the utility afforded by direct, personal interactions with audiences, personal selling provides a helpful communications resource that better enables healthcare providers to connect proficiently with target markets. It supplements other forms of marketing communication, operating synergistically to help healthcare institutions achieve their conveyance goals. Prudent deployment of this unique marketing communications method affords health and medical institutions with a capable conveyance asset that can provide great assistance in achieving communicative ambitions. Keywords: Personal selling, Marketing communications, Promotion, Hospitals, Healthcare
Background Meaningful audience engagements are essential for health and medical organizations, compelling patronage which fosters institutional growth and prosperity [1–5]. Success on this front yields the obvious benefits of viability and vitality for given health services organizations, * Correspondence: [email protected] 1 Willis-Knighton Health System, 2600 Greenwood Road, Shreveport, LA 71103, USA 2 LSU Shreveport, 1 University Place, Shreveport, LA 71115, USA
but it also delivers benefits that extend beyond the walls of these institutions, encouraging audiences to attend to their healthcare wants and needs, ul
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