Doctors’ gatekeepers pride themselves on their ability to protect their boss’ time and attention. Maybe they secretly wanted to be NFL offensive line players.
However, even when your message gets past the gatekeeper, you have one more hurdle: capturing your prospect’s conscious attention.
A part of the “primitive unconscious brain” called the reticular activating system (RAS) acts like an internal gatekeeper deciding which sounds, sights, smells, feelings and information will be presented to the conscious brain.
In general the information that gets through the internal gatekeeper falls into two basic categories: keeping you safe, or delivering something of interest to you.
To get past the doctors’ internal gatekeeper, you must understand what’s important to your prospect. What keeps them up at night? What do they fear? What causes them pain?
Even when the information gets through to the conscious brain, doctors develop exquisite discipline about focussing on what’s important at the moment. They have “motion-induced blindness,” ignoring things outside of their immediate focus.
Here are some tips to get doctors’ attention and be seen and heard:
Address topics that interest doctors. Generally these have a high emotional content:
- Paying less in taxes
- Not outliving their money
- Making work optional
- Leaving a legacy
- Projecting an image of success
- Feeling like they belong within social circles.
Make sure that your message is client-focussed. Use the word “you.”
Paint word pictures. Help prospects see what you’re talking about with their minds’ eye.
Offer before and after picturesby telling stories about other doctors.
Use medical metaphors.
Generally you DO NOT engage the deciding part of the brain through logic or numbers. You engage doctors by meeting them where they are, and helping them with the problems that are causing them pain.
My best,
Dr. Vicki
PS Would You Like to Work with More Doctors?
Check out the Cracking the Physician Code Course. You will learn to build a physician-friendly practice step-by-step. Click here to watch the last module of the course that lays out an overview.
© 2019. Vicki Rackner MD. All rights reserved.
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Vicki Rackner MD is an author, speaker and consultant who offers a bridge between the world of medicine and the world of business. She helps businesses acquire physician clients, and she helps physicians thrive. Click here to get a complimentary copy of her latest book The Myth of the Rich Doctor .