Data vs. Sales: Which Comes First in Driving Growth

Too many healthcare organizations today are spending a ton of money on external data before using available internal data or having a sales strategy and professionally trained sales team(s) in place.

Internal Data – If you’re Getting Paid, You have Internal Data

Too many healthcare organizations are putting the cart before the horse and spending an exorbitant amount of money purchasing referral databases/CRM systems before:

1. Effectively evaluating and using their own [free] internal data, and
2. Having the right people or team in place to strategically use data to drive measurable results.

Before spending limited resources on external data systems, organizations should make sure their internal data has been exhausted.

Don’t even try and sell me on “We don’t have good internal data!” I hear and disprove that myth every day as we launch Physician Liaison/Sales Programs. My response is always if you’re getting paid on claims, you have timely and reliable internal data that can be used starting TODAY.
Lack of internal data is rarely the problem (or at least one that can’t easily be resolved). 90% of the time the difficulties stem from internal processes or politics. It can be as easy as the data has never been requested in an organized or understandable fashion, so a “no data available” assumption is born. Models can easily be built to show referral trends by individual physicians in all key strategic growth areas. This can truly be the easiest and quickest part!

External Data – Remember First Things First

My husband always says, “A new map doesn’t make the old car get there faster.” He is a car-guy, but I thought it was an excellent metaphor to drive home my message.

While external data can help get closer to the “whole picture” in terms of referral data, this investment shouldn’t be your first step. If you haven’t purchased external data just hold off long enough to use internal referral data and launch an effective sales/liaison program.

Purchasing external data is not the problem; purchasing data before using what is freely available, only to be viewed around the boardroom table and then shelved most certainly is a problem! Data has a short shelf life.

If you have already purchased external data, let me ask:

1. What’s your expected return on investment?
2. Are you confident that your organization has the expertise to use the data to bring incremental business?
3. Who is the strategic navigator (not navigators) of the data to ensure ROI? Who owns it?

The Vehicle – The Right People

Just as you wouldn’t buy gasoline before purchasing a vehicle, it is strategically wise to first allocate resources for the team that will use both internal and external data to drive growth. The vehicle that will drive long-term growth is a professionally trained sales staff. Receiving, understanding, processing, and responding quickly to reliable and relevant data is the successful combination for focus and growth.

Neither sales without data, nor data without sales will offer a successful long-term growth strategy.

Obtaining Measurable Results

Measurable results happen when organizations combine a skilled team with timely market and referral data. Many organizations are in need of advanced training for today’s physician liaisons and integration teams.

At Tiller-Hewitt we understand the importance of both internal and external data in building laser-focused sales teams that enjoy long-term measurable results. Our program is designed to maximize the strategic use of all data sources, and equip highly-trained liaisons with a proven system and structure that generates maximum long-term incremental market share growth.