The Better Outcomes Show Rafael E. Salazar II, MHS, OTR/L

Are you making this mistake in healthcare sales?
You're doing healthcare sales wrong. At least, a lot of people are making the same mistake in sales calls or demos. I talk to a lot of healthcare startups and tech companies who are trying to drive sales and awareness. But they're going about it all wrong.
They're not doing anything crazy, like spamming people in the LinedIn Message Inbox (cause that's just annoying, am I right?) But, they're messing things up when they get into a discovery or demo call. They spend most, if not all, of the time with a prospective prospect "presenting" them with all of the value add, features, benefits, etc. But they glance over the MOST IMPORTANT part of these initial conversations: understanding the prospective customer's situation, context, and value-drivers..
Many healthcare sales folks spend too much time trying to "convince" a prospect that their solution will solve their problems. But they never actually take the time to understand what problem the prospective customer actually wants to solve.  All sales, including healthcare sales, need to first start with a simple conversation.
And that conversation has 2 goals:
1) Understanding the prospect's situation & the nature of the problem they are seeking to solve2) Determining whether there's a good fit between your solution and their problem; and whether that fit warrants moving to the next step
Sometimes, the answer is "no", and that's fine; but it's not fine to waste too much time getting to that ultimate conclusion. The goal in any initial demo or discovery conversation is to understand whether or not you should even continue the conversation. The faster you answer that question, the more efficient your sales process becomes. So stop presenting or trying to bombard prospects with your solution's benefits or features, and spend more time trying to actually understand the prospect's situation. Then see if there's a fit between that situation/problem and your solution.
What we cover in this Episode:
-The importance of positioning on lead generation-Understanding the role that specific value plays in a healthcare sales conversation-Driving sales with conversations-How to craft a value proposition for your healthcare business-Understanding the barriers to adoption of healthcare solutions-Aligning business models and incentives in the healthcare sales process-Achieving Better Outcomes by replacing demo presentations with value conversations
Learn More: https://rehabupracticesolutions.comPodcast: https://www.betteroutcomes.showGet the Book: https://amzn.to/3M2UZ6xBook a call with me: https://calendly.com/rehabu/discoveryConnect with Me: https://www.rafisalazar.com

How do discover and communicate Value in Healthcare Technology?
In my work helping healthcare technology companies developing positioning strategies, the topic of value and return on investment for the buyer plays a major role. An effective positioning strategy involves answering the question "value to whom?". The challenge in that effort revolves around actually being able to define, describe, and communicate those value drivers. To effectively communicate value in healthcare technology, you must first uncover the specific value drivers your product or service addresses.
So, this week, I sit down with Craig Solid from the Solid Research Group to discuss uncovering value in healthcare technology. Craig has been on the show before to discuss Return on Investment Studies and Value in Healthcare. This week, he's back to discuss value in healthcare technology.
What we cover in this Episode:
-Understanding the targeted buyer in a healthcare technology buying decision-Creating digital (or in-person) communities for healthcare providers-Using content and knowledge translation to start a healthcare business that doesn't require patient care-How to craft a value proposition for your healthcare business-Leveraging technology to start & scale a business that leverages your clinical skills-Achieving Better Outcomes by taking control of your healthcare career through business ownership
Learn More: https://rehabupracticesolutions.comPodcast: https://www.betteroutcomes.showGet the Book: https://amzn.to/3M2UZ6xBook a call with me: https://calendly.com/rehabu/discoveryConnect with Me: https://www.rafisalazar.com
Full Show Notes: https://rehabupracticesolutions.com/better-outcomes-131

How do you start a healthcare business with no funding?
Let's play a constrain-based game. You are a clinician and want to start a business that leverages your clinical degree/skills. It can be direct clinical care (like a practice), some sort of clinical innovation (like a device/invention) or an infrastructure play (like a software or professional services solution). Here's the constraint:  You can't get any outside funding for this venture. No loans & no investors; you're bootstrapping this thing. You are going to start a healthcare business with no funding.
Here's what you want for this business:
It can provide the same (ideally higher) income as you would earn as a staff clinician in a relatively short timeframe (you don't want to spend 5 years in side gig mode)It can scale without your direct input (you eventually don't want to be the one directly providing the service or solution)
What we cover in this Episode:
-Understanding some of the drivers that lead people to choose healthcare as a career-Creating digital (or in-person) communities for healthcare providers-Using content and knowledge translation to start a healthcare business that doesn't require patient care-How to craft a value proposition for your healthcare business-Leveraging technology to start & scale a business that leverages your clinical skills-Achieving Better Outcomes by taking control of your healthcare career through business ownership
Learn More: https://rehabupracticesolutions.comPodcast: https://www.betteroutcomes.showGet the Book: https://amzn.to/3M2UZ6xBook a call with me: https://calendly.com/rehabu/discoveryConnect with Me: https://www.rafisalazar.com

How can clinicians leverage technology and insights to go Direct to Employer and MSK Management in their practice?
Learn More: https://rehabupracticesolutions.comPodcast: https://www.betteroutcomes.showGet the Book: https://amzn.to/3M2UZ6xBook a call with me: https://calendly.com/rehabu/discoveryConnect with Me: https://www.rafisalazar.com
It's no secret that healthcare organizations have been facing downward pricing pressure for years. Part of this comes from the fact that, in a fee for service model for reimbursement, the easiest lever for payers to pull when it comes to reducing the cost of healthcare is the price. Payers, in an attempt to control costs, resort to either limiting service coverage or paying providers less. As a result, many healthcare provider organizations have shifted from insurance-based models of care to direct to payer or direct to consumer business models, including cash-based practice and direct to employer and MSK management. They do this because they can bypass the low fee schedules of the insurance companies. The problem is that, at the end of the day, they're still stuck in the fee for service model of healthcare, which, as I describe in my book, incentivizes high volume, minimally acceptable quality care. That's where leveraging technology, data, and clinical content comes into play. Incorporating those into practice allows clinic owners and practices to tap into more value-based reimbursement and contracting.
So, this week, I sit down with Zach Walston, PT, DPT from Second Door Health. (https://rehabupracticesolutions.com/better-outcomes-129) Zach was a guest on the podcast in the past, and now he's the head of clinical content and clinical strategy at Second Door Health.
What we cover in this Episode:
-The challenges of a fee for service healthcare model of reimbursement -Going direct to consumer in healthcare private practice-Using content and knowledge translation to increase patient engagement -The value proposition in a direct to employer model of MSK management -Leveraging technology to streamline workflows, increase patient engagement, and create a positive return on investment for payers-Achieving Better Outcomes by building a platform to enable clinicians to go direct to employer for MSK management 

Ever Considered Exploring Executive Leadership in Healthcare as Part of Your Career?
I recently ran a poll on LinkedIn about what people wanted to hear more about on the podcast. Business & Entrepreneurship/Career in Healthcare took the win the a large margin. So, I figured I'd begin including topics around career advancement, entrepreneurship, business leadership, maybe even healthcare operations & organizational management on more episodes. So, this week, I'm starting by sharing my experience going through the CEO recruiting, interview, and selection process for one of the boards I sit on. During dinner with the search consultant our board hired, they mentioned a quote in passing that stuck with me for the next several days.
I asked what that executive search consultant saw in candidates that made them think that the candidate would be successful as a leader. The search consultant said, almost in passing, "Well, the quest of management is to make better what cannot be made perfect." I walked away from that conversation with a few insights and thoughts based on that quote.
What we cover in this Episode:
-The importance of strategically selecting healthcare leadership & executives-Challenges involving hiring & firing healthcare leaders & and executives-Tailoring your messaging to the stage in the hiring (buying) cycle -How the recruiting, interviewing, and hiring process mimics healthcare sales-Why peaking your mind and saying what you're thinking improves your chances in a competitive hiring process-A little bit about my history and work as a positioning strategist & healthcare consultant -Achieving Better Outcomes by building leadership skills & a strong leadership philosophy 

AI Doctor: The Rise of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare - A Guide for Users, Buyers, Builders, and Investors
AI get's all the attention in the news these days. From ChatGPT to AI Scribes, it seems that every industry has found a plethora of use cases for artificial intelligence. But what about an AI Doctor? Are we close to a world where an AI-driven software or platform guides healthcare service delivery? I've maintained the idea that technology in general, and especially AI in specific, should really be looked at as a way to enhance service delivery by clinicians, rather than implemented as a replacement for them. Healthcare is, after all, a human experience. And, there are issued and challenges when it comes to implementing tech into a healthcare environment.
This week, I sit down with Ron Razmi, MD to discuss his new book AI Doctor: The Rise of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare. Dr. Razmi shares his insights generated from his time in a healthcare tech startup, consulting for McKinsey, and thoughts around building, selling, and investing in healthcare technology.
 
What we cover in this Episode:
Dr. Ron's experience working in healthcare as a clinician and on large consulting projects What Artificial Intelligence really is and how it can be used or deployedChallenges and barriers to adoption of healthcare technology in provider organizationsThe importance of understanding the healthcare tech buyer's business modelUnderstanding how data is critical in training algorithms and developing softwareCrafting an effective value proposition and positioning strategy for a healthcare technology solutionAchieving Better Outcomes by aligning all stakeholders involved in the implementation of artificial intelligence in healthcare 
We post videos of certain podcast episodes, including this episode, which can find on the YouTube Channel.
 
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Connect with Dr. Razmi
LinkedIn (Ron Razmi, MD)ZOI CapitalGet the Book: AI Doctor 
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If you enjoyed this episode: Join Rafael E. Salazar II, MHS, OTR/L (Rafi), principal of Rehab U Practice Solutions and host of The Better Outcomes Show as he explores the possibilities of a new healthcare. Guests range from clinicians trying new techniques and treatments to executives and entrepreneurs exploring new service delivery methods, business models, and organizational structures. You can sign-up to receive new episodes delivered directly to your inbox by filling out the form below.  Learn more about Rehab U Practice Solutions by reading The Manifesto for a New Healthcare, or listen to Episode 000. Or, grab a copy of the book: Better Outcomes: A Guide to Humanizing Healthcare.
 
Are You Ready to Humanize Healthcare?
If you run an innovative healthcare company and are looking to develop a strategy that leverages best practices, new technology, and marketing/messaging in a way that returns the focus of healthcare to people, please reach out. I'd love to talk with you about how Rehab U Practice Solutions can help help you craft an business development strategy that leverages positioning, market research, stakeholder alignment to drive business development strategy for specific healthcare stakeholders.