The Pledge of the Healthcare Consultant

Throughout my education and career, I have heard reference that there should be a pledge or oath in consulting comparable to the Hippocratic Oath that doctors take, pledging to “do no harm”. Many have viewed consulting as an expensive solution to problems that companies already have answers to. I have worked on both sides of the equation and while there are exceptions to everything, I believe that most people - even consultants - strive to do their best, and do no harm while completing their daily work.

Have you ever noticed that end results seem so obvious once something is complete? For example, trade ads that are particularly clever stick with customers and drive a call to action. Communication campaigns sound simple and seem basic when we look back at the final product, but when we look at trends and record-breaking response rates; we notice that there was nothing basic about it. Even SuperBowl ads that hit the mark and seem so perfect for the moment make us think “I could have done that, it is so simple – genius!” The final product shouldn’t feel awkward or focus on what it took to get there; it should be a simple thing that resonates with the end-user—something that feels right and just makes sense.

A lot of work goes into making things appear simple, and that is where consultants come in. Our clients often seek a strategic platform that will provide measurable results and allow them to sense and respond to healthcare customers over a continuum of communications through various channels. In other words, we help our healthcare and medical device clients connect with their customers. As marketing consultants, we analyze segment trends and individual engagement information that helps clients identify how to move individuals and groups through the marketing funnel from stranger, to acquaintance, to friend. As healthcare consultants, we know that the end-user helps patients or saves lives, and connecting with them matters. One of the great things about our business model is that the concept of sense and respond drives our decision making. It is our job help clients identify what is working and what is not working, which helps them make informed marketing and budget decisions. We make it our business to take care of all those details so that our clients can focus on their day-to-day needs.

As Mark Twain once said “I would have written you a shorter letter, but I didn’t have the time.” It really is difficult to simplify things, but our goal and pledge as consultants is to do this in a strategic way that provides measureable results that truly help our clients.

By: Laura Kalies