Nobody could have predicted how the pandemic would uproot medical device marketing and training. But there’s one prediction we can safely make today: The hoops we jumped through to keep sales reps engaged and trainers training—from their homes—did more than shift us to virtual meetings and presentations. It kicked open the door to new ideas that medical device makers can use today and after the pandemic.
But those new ideas aren’t necessarily obvious. Clients tell me they’re concerned that this new world order, where they’re limited to conferencing, animations, videos, and other forms of purely digital interaction, suffers from the loss of physicality. They’re investing more in digital but are concerned about reduced results due to the loss of physicality; hands-on, clinically relevant interactions that transfer knowledge viscerally to sales teams and clinicians.
This doesn’t have to be the case. Rather than look at medical device marketing as an either/or proposition—either clinically realistic physicality or 100% digital—we can bring these worlds together with a new hybrid approach. It’s possible to create unparalleled experiences by fusing digital with real-world custom anatomical medical models and set the stage for more effective medical device marketing and training that delivers returns long after the pandemic is over.
BEYOND SHOW AND TELL
The history of disruptive innovation has lessons for us. Look no further than telehealth, which last year erupted from a small number of early adopters to a primary healthcare delivery channel. Those indoctrinated into telehealth won’t abandon it after the pandemic, but they won’t be using it exclusively, either. A hybrid approach is emerging where telehealth consumers are blending virtual check-ins with physical visits.
How can you blend hands-on physical experiences and virtual interactions to deliver a more effective hybrid solution to your sales teams and clinicians? Think beyond show and tell. Think show, tell, and feel. Think about what you would do if you had a clinically responsive realistic physical model to incorporate into your virtual presentations. Instead of people multitasking while you’re presenting, think about your participants interacting with a hands-on model you sent them ahead of time. Imagine the model has been engineered to produce the specific “aha!” moment you need to drive adoption.
Here’s one of many examples I can share based on actual engagements I’ve had with Pulse MDM clients. Sclerotherapy is a procedure used to treat varicose and spider veins. The doctor injects a solution (normally a salt solution) directly into the diseased vein, causing the vein to close, and forcing blood to reroute through healthier veins.
THE POWER OF TOUCH
Sounds straightforward, but there’s a problem: It takes skill to find and treat tiny varicose veins; a skill that is impossible to acquire using purely digital techniques. The solution we came up with: Adding physicality to the virtual world. We helped our client develop an operable custom model that enhances digital training and sales presentations with a truly tactile experience.
The sclerotherapy model’s vessels contain blue food coloring in the vessels. When clinicians target and inject properly, the blue liquid is chased away by clear water, making the vessel lumen under the skin invisible, giving the appearance of the vessel closing.
Now our client can provide an interactive hybrid experience that uses digital video instruction married with real-world physicality to show, tell, and feel. Clinicians can feel the experience of finely targeting small varicose veins and feel the satisfaction of doing so successfully. This provides a level of enlightenment and confidence no digital technique can match.
This is only one example of how you can create a hybrid “show, tell, and feel” experience for sales and training that delivers better results than show and tell alone. In the end, it’s the difference between giving your clinicians models you point to versus models they touch and experience. Frankly, it’s the only way to ensure you deliver that “aha!” moment in today’s marketing and training environments.
Pulse Medical Demonstration Models Offers Flexible Solutions
It’s not an either/or decision. Here at Pulse Medical Demonstration Models, we have learned it’s a “best of both worlds” decision to blend what we’ve learned about using digital tools during the pandemic with what we know about using physically engaging anatomical medical models. Those who embrace this hybrid approach to medical device marketing and training will gain a distinct competitive advantage over those who fail to evolve. Contact Pulse today to learn more!