The art of being an impactful MSL includes ensuring communication lines stay open and avoid ghosting altogether. A lofty goal but can be reality if you are bringing value to the KOL and their patients. Here are some ideas…
Upon reflection have you realized you don’t know this KOL’s preferred method of communication? Ask the KOL directly… text or email? Voicemail? Carrier pigeon? Consider asking them what they really, really hate about MSL communications…. many will happily tell you story after story. Implant in your brain: W.A.I.T. (Why Am I Talking?) just listen for the preferred and the non-preferred. That you even asked gives you bonus points. Whether you believe in ghosts or not, I’ll bet they like the attention when they discover that you are listening. Start this conversation when you profile a KOL and check back periodically to ensure things haven’t changed.
One aspect of preferences is frequency of communication. Some KOLs appreciate more frequent contact while others thrive on contact for a specific topic. Be sure you’ve included this question… maybe ghosting is due to what they consider to be an overwhelming number of communications. Maybe they focus on emails on Friday afternoon and, in fact, haven’t ghosted you at all, they just haven’t gotten to it just yet.
What is the content of the email you’ve sent… just “checking in” or have you made a specific request? Was your email too vague for them to understand that a response was expected? Get to the point and ensure the subject line is clear. Develop the habit of scheduling the next meeting at this meeting… Or a “May I call you next month”… With “What’s the best way to keep you updated on the latest information?” Getting your next meeting on the calendar helps to avoid the opportunity to get ghosted altogether.
Are you struggling with how and when you should reach out to the KOL again? Ensure you’ve given them at least a week to respond, responding to the same email chain (if that was your original mode of communication) and using words that garner their attention. The book “Exactly what to say” by Phil M Jones gives some phrases that may be effective to generate results. In this scenario using a “When would be…” or “I’m guessing you haven’t…” or “If you give me a chance…” opening line may do the trick.
This week pay very close attention to what you find yourself paying attention to…you too ‘ghost’ and don’t know it…but often you do know! What would bring you back?