to drive better care by implement-ing;quality;indicators;to;measure
clinician performance, meant they
had to focus on the clinician need
to;perform;against;these;quality
indicators. The Crawford portfolio
includes a range of products that
decrease wound occurrence as well
as help promote wound healing. So
their strategy included the development of messages that clearly
articulated;and;quantified;these
product;benefits.;They;supported
their claims with researched-backed data.
“With this relevant positioning of both prevention and treatment,
our sales organization
has been able to explain how our products
can positively impact
quality indicators, such
as the prevention of
hospital-acquired pressure ulcers, or a decrease in the number
of HAIs. Once the decision has been made to
utilize Crawford products, our team can then
work with the clinicians and administrators to incorporate our
products into a facility’s protocol of care.”
This approach continues to guide
their focus on additional venues
where they can be successful by
reliably supporting standards of
care. “It has also helped drive our
resource allocation decisions, such
as the choice not to directly fo-cus;on;the;long-term;care;(LTC)
market.;There;are;about;14,000
LTC;facilities;across;the;U.S.,;and
we would not be able to provide
this;level;of;customer;experience;if
we;were;stretched;that;far.;How-ever, beyond burn care centers and
wound clinics, which we can attend to as we grow our direct sales
force, we needed to decide how to
access;the;5,000+;U.S.;hospitals.”
The analyses they performed in
building;out;their;5-year;strategic
plan;determined;that;acquiring
this broad base of customers was
going to be critical to success.
“To attempt this on a direct basis is
nearly impossible, and also unaligned with hospital goals such as
decreasing multiple invoices from
multiple vendors. In these larger-volume institutions, key players
are group-purchasing organization
(GPOs),;most;of;which;designate
a prime vendor distributor. Therefore, we have built a strategy that
incorporates elements of organic
growth in the post-acute environment, and strategic partnerships in
the acute environment.”
EXPERT SKILL IN DELIVERY
Having;a;solid;plan,;great;prod-
ucts, and a delivery system in
place;will;only;lead;to;success—es-
pecially;if;facing;fierce;competi-
tion—when;driven;by;deep;sales
and;marketing;expertise.;Although
he;was;the;underdog,;David;was
able to swing and release his rock
with such force and pinpoint ac-
curacy that he prevailed. Similarly,
the Crawford team possesses the
intelligence, skill and enthusiasm
to;successfully;execute;the;U.S.
strategy.
“We;set;out;to;hire;on;experience
and a will to win.” Terry says. “We
wanted people who could deliver
on the plan. We wanted Crawford
sales and marketing personnel to
have the maturity to anticipate
the challenges within their personal domains as well as within
the greater healthcare marketplace,
with its rapidly-evolving changes
in metrics, payment models, and
product-approval processes. Many
startups bring in academia-based
people.;However,;we;built;an;orga-nization;with;experienced;profes-sionals who understand the business drivers and are able to drive
action plans in ways that greatly
facilitate our sales processes.
“Anyone;on;our;team—
in;market-ing,;sales,;R&D—can;lead;and
effectively interact with customers.
We all possess a depth of understanding in our target therapeutic
areas that is rare in our industry.
Further, our insights deepen with
our commitment to having two-way conversations where we truly
listen to and learn from our customers, gaining insight to strength-en;our;offerings.;Having;a;team
where everyone has these skills has
really set us apart from the competition, and is the key reason we
have developed strong, trust-based,
customer relationships.”
