Financial Advisors Ask, "Should I Attend Medical Meetings?"

Are you a financial advisor who wonders, "Should I invest to attend medical meetings to engage more doctor prospects?" You'll take away:
*The business argument for attending medical meetings
*The kinds of meeting choices you haves
*Ways to optimize the ROI
*Questions to answer before paying the sponsorship fee.

Click here to download your complimentary "Medical Meeting ROI Calculator" worksheet. https://www.academyofphysicianengagement.com/ROI-worksheet

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Transcript

Introduction

Hello, are you a financial advisor who's ever wondered?
Hey, is attending medical meetings a good investment of my time in marketing dollars?
Today, I'd like to help you figure out how to get answers for yourself.
I'd like to share with you the options of what kinds of meetings are available for you. I'd like to offer you sort of a little banquet of activities that you might want to consider if you're at a medical meeting. I'd like to share with you how you can really optimize your return on investment. And last, I'd like to offer you some questions that you can ask before you make a commitment to attending a medical meeting.

About the Speaker

If we've not met before, I'm Dr. Vicki Rackner, the founder of Engaging Doctors.
I'm a retired surgeon who has spent the past 15 years helping financial advisors accelerate their business growth by working with more doctor clients.
Why do I do this?
It comes from my commitment to helping doctors.
Doctors want to thrive, and quite often, their finances are a limiting step.
I know that if I provide you with great information about how to build business relationships with doctors, that means that the next 10 or 20 or 50 doctor clients that you help will be in a better position to thrive.

Why Attend Medical Meetings?

So let's dive right in. Why might you be interested in attending a medical meeting?
 Well, there are some great business arguments.

The first is that doctors are very busy. Even if the doctor really wants to meet with you, if their case goes longer than expected, or somebody comes into the emergency room, they might wind up rescheduling with you.
 And sometimes you have to reschedule two or three times before you can finally meet with a doctor.

When you are at a medical meeting, the doctors have signed out of their practice.
 They are there to learn. You have an opportunity to engage with hundreds of doctors over the course of several days.
 Think about how challenging it would be to have conversations with that many doctors individually.

Types of Medical Meetings

So what kind of meetings are available to you?
 Well, there are all sorts of meetings.

There are large national meetings.
 There are regional meetings.
 There are specialty-specific meetings, like cardiologists or oncologists.
 There are general meetings like the American Medical Association or the American College of Physicians.
 There are also meetings that are local, hospital-based, or sometimes they're part of medical societies.

Virtual and Hybrid Options

There are also hybrid meetings where some parts are in-person, some are online.
 And then there are virtual meetings where doctors just attend from the comfort of their own homes or offices.
 You can often access an attendee list or exhibit.
 And even though you may not be there in person, you can still meet doctors, follow up with them, and begin building relationships.

Ways to Participate

So what are your options?

• You could be an exhibitor — that means you have a booth. Doctors walk by and hopefully engage you in conversation.
  
  
  
• You can also go as a registrant — just sign up and attend. You're in the hallways, sitting at tables, attending sessions, and meeting people.
  
  
  
• You can sponsor events — lunches, coffee breaks, or receptions.
  
  
  
• You might speak at an event.
  
  
  
• Or you can host a meeting in parallel with the main event — like a breakfast or dinner.
  
  
  

It all depends on the rules of the meeting and your budget.

Maximizing ROI

So how do you optimize your return on investment?

1. Choose wisely
    Be where your ideal clients will be.
   
   
   
2. Be prepared
    Have your materials ready. Know your talking points. Practice your pitch.
   
   
   
3. Engage
    Don’t just sit at your booth. Get up, talk to people, be friendly.
   
   
   
4. Follow up
    This is the most important step. Collect business cards or scan badges — but follow up and build the relationship.
   
   
   
5. Evaluate
    After the meeting, assess what worked, what didn’t, and what to do differently next time.
   
   
   

Key Questions Before Attending

Here are some questions to ask before you attend:

• Who’s attending the meeting?
  
  
  
• How many people will be there?
  
  
  
• Can I get a list of attendees?
  
  
  
• What are the rules for engagement?
  
  
  
• Can I speak, exhibit, or sponsor?
  
  
  
• What is the cost?
  
  
  
• How much time will it take?
  
  
  
• What’s the potential ROI?
  
  
  

Closing Thoughts

I hope this helps you think more strategically about medical meetings.
 And if you'd like to learn more about how to turn these into profitable engagements, reach out to me.