How Doctors Think and How you Should Too Tip #1

How fast can you talk under pressure? Many years ago, working with a team of Medical Science Liaisons preparing to present to a panel determining if their drug would be on formulary, an interesting thing happened. Oh! And they had a three-minute time limit for the presentation! If you’ve ever listened to the sped-up details at the end of a commercial with the prescribed warnings, then you can imagine the scene.

It happens not only in front of a formulary panel but also in any, I repeat any, presentation where we feel pressed for time.

The natural reaction is three-fold: talk fast, talk faster, and then breathe. In the pharma business, this is known as “show up and throw up.”

If we only knew that it was not about us and our drug, it was about the receiver’s understanding of our drug. Yes, the data was important and so was the presentation of that data. At a restaurant they call it “the presentation.” How your food looks is a reflection how it will taste.

So instead of talk, talk faster, and breathe…we might now think “Breathe, Inquire (or Hook), and Focus on the Pain/Relief (of the KOL)” because your KOL has a problem that you can help them solve…you become their physician in a sense.

Breathing is a good thing, often overlooked, but definitely a good thing. It helps you relax and decreases your anxiety when feeling pressed for time. If you have worked with a trainer, a physical therapist, undergone a medical procedure, or anticipated death on a roller coaster, we often hold our breath. I have no idea why we do this other than to justify the employment of the professionals above!

So, for today… Breathe the next time you are pressed. Next time: the inner mind of your doctor. Until then… Breathe!

The art of being an impactful Medical Science Liaison (MSL)

I'm thrilled to announce a new LinkedIn group dedicated to the art of being an impactful Medical Science Liaison (MSL). In collaboration with Kimberly Cremers, PharmD we’re bringing you key strategies and perspectives to elevate your role as an MSL.

Join our vibrant community where we discuss crucial topics and share insights to enhance your effectiveness and engagement. This week, we’re exploring how to understand your Key Opinion Leader’s (KOL) interests. Next week, we’ll dive into the fascinating topic of how doctors think—and how you can align your thinking with theirs.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to connect with fellow MSLs, exchange ideas, and grow together. Join us now and be part of an inspiring community dedicated to professional excellence and collaboration.

We can’t wait for you to get involved! Join here

UNDERSTANDING YOUR KOL'S INTERESTS TIP #2

Use the nuances of conversation to unveil the KOL’s uniqueness!

1) Pay attention to the smallest most granular detail you can. Consider looking for the unusual, the hunch the KOL played, the emotion you heard in their voice, the almost pastoral understanding and sensitivity they displayed. Play the “dumb nut” and even if you do know a bit about it, let the physician teach you by asking for their insights. Let their expertise overpower the conversation with you listening and asking good questions from your natural curiosity. It may be moment or a minute or more…this gives you a deeper understanding of how this KOL thinks. An additional win is that the KOL gets to speak to what is most important to them. Do this and you will be vastly more distinctive than anyone else the KOL meets that day.

2) Ask if they will give you a summary of the rounds they just completed or of the patients they encountered that day. Empathize whenever possible by hearing any of these emotions: sad, mad, glad, scared, hurt, excited. A physical therapist we knew on one of her first days was told to get a patient of bed to start walking. She did and he dropped dead on the floor. Devastated she withdrew to the locker room in tears… and then received a call from the patient’s physician. “This was not your fault; you did nothing wrong. I’m happy to talk to you when we figure this out, but I know one thing, this was not your fault.” Imagine hearing that story from a KOL. Likely the emotion fills the room. My question would be, “How did you know how to do that? They can’t possibly have told you that in medical school.” What the KOL says next will be gold so listen very carefully. W.A.I.T. (why and I talking?) and when you hear or see gold, the famous Chicago psychiatrist Dr. Rudolf Dreikurs advised, “Dig!”

3) Ask them about their biggest challenge practicing medicine today. You may feel you know this answer to this question already and don’t want to prompt a tough subject for which you can’t control (like the price of drugs or your drug specifically), but you may be surprised by how much they appreciate this question. While my experience says the challenge will not be about my product, be ready for the tough objection in case it is. If you receive a superficial answer, probe deeper to unveil the real challenge. Listen closely to their response as that may be the key to understanding their uniqueness and an opportunity to provide value in the future.

One aspect of art of being an MSL is fluidly navigating conversations to expose information that makes your KOL unique. Once you have these insights, how can you provide the most value for the KOL and their patients?

Understanding your KOL's Interests Tip #1

How well do you know your KOL and their interests? We all know this is job number 1 for any MSL. We look them up online, we scan the walls in their office, comment on their fishing trip photo, etc. But really, everyone does that. Our job is to help you distinguish yourself, so you don’t look like everyone else. Don’t lose your competitive advantage and more so your distinctiveness. Stand out in your KOL’s mind as the MSL that knows the art of the role, providing value with every interaction.

Investigate the KOL’s areas of interest, practice, research, or focus. While you need to use all resources available to you internally (across your company (including commercial)) and externally (the KOL’s office staff, the office/institutions website, google, Ovid, etc.), dig deeper to discover what makes this KOL unique. This can be from your perspective, or how they believe they are unique in their field.

Did they teach you something today? Did you ask them to do so? Is there a part of what they do that is so unique to you (or should be) that you focus your attention on that for a while? “Today Dr. ____ I want to let you know the latest ____ about ____, but I also have another agenda that is strictly personal. May I begin with that?” (then wait….) You can then say, “Last time we met you mentioned _____about one of your patients and ever since I wanted to ask you about how you knew that? So, if you don’t mind a few minutes on…How did you know that?!” This is critical and far more important than the fish on the wall or their golf handicap. Engaging in this kind of conversation is an intimate look into what you need most from them: How they think.

If you know how someone thinks, you are ahead of the game. We can observe behavior but discovering how they think is a huge deal. It is everything, actually. Let the commercial folks talk about fishing and golf: you can have the most intimate of professional conversations by affirming what is most important to this KOL, their unique ‘take’ on the world, on their patients, on your drug. Tailoring the topic of your scientific exchange to their specific need and interest is good, noticing their unique ‘take’ is even better. “You know as I visit other KOLs they are of the mindset that ______, but you don’t. Can you tell me your thinking on that?”

So, for today think about how you can unveil the uniqueness of your KOLs and stand out in the eyes. Our next post will dive deeper into the nuances of the conversation and what we can learn.