MSL’s (work) lives revolve around KOL meetings and getting insights. Uncovering KOL’s perceptions and motivations is way harder than it sounds. MSLs don’t walk into a meeting and the physician just unloads all the details around their decision-making process. A lot of thought and strategic thinking is required to gather great insights.

Pre-meeting planning is an essential, yet frequently neglected, component that can make or break the effectiveness of MSL interactions with KOLs. But what if we told you that one of the most critical steps in this process is often overlooked? This article covers a critical pre-meeting planning step MSLs can’t afford to miss if they want to:

• Build relationships with KOLs
• Maximize their meetings
• Gather great insights

What Happens When MSLs Do Not Pre-Meeting Plan

In the video, Catherine describes a situation that plagues every MSL. You walk into the meeting thinking you have 30 minutes. But when you arrive, you discover that due to unforeseen circumstances, you only have five minutes. If you haven’t done your pre-meeting planning, this situation can quickly go downhill. You need to think fast and know exactly how you want to drive this conversation. Otherwise, you might miss out on the chance to ask the most crucial question entirely.

This scenario is more common than you might think. Many MSLs go into meetings unprepared, thinking they’ll just go with the flow. However, without a clear plan, you’re likely to leave the meeting without gathering the info you need.

How Pre-Meeting Planning Makes KOL Meetings More Effective

Pre-meeting planning ensures that every interaction with a KOL is intentional and aligned with both the KOL’s interests and your company’s strategy. By preparing in advance, you can maximize the value of even the shortest meetings, ensuring that you leave with high-quality, actionable insights.

The Critical Pre-Meeting Planning Step MSLs Can’t Afford to Miss: Harmonizing Company Objectives and KOL Interests

One common mistake MSLs make is focusing solely on either the KOL’s interests or the company’s objectives, without harmonizing the two. The real hack lies in integrating these aspects. By doing so, you ensure that your meetings are not only productive but also aligned with the bigger picture, resulting in insights that are both valuable and actionable.

Moreover, without harmonizing objectives, MSLs might find themselves focusing too much on what they think the KOL wants to talk about, rather than what is strategically important for the company. This can result in a collection of data that, while interesting, fails to move the needle in terms of influencing company strategy or decision-making.

When MSLs enter a meeting with a clear understanding of both the KOL’s priorities and their company’s strategic objectives, they are better positioned to steer the conversation in a way that satisfies both. This requires a deep understanding of the current medical strategy, as well as the ability to anticipate what information will be most valuable to bring back to the team.

How to Harmonize Effectively

To harmonize strategy and KOL’s interests effectively, start by thoroughly understanding your company’s medical strategy. Review recent strategy documents, align with cross-functional teams, and stay updated on any shifts in focus or priority. Then, during your pre-meeting planning, identify how these objectives align with the KOL’s recent activities, interests, or areas of expertise.

Ask yourself:

• What are the insights I need to gather from this meeting?
• How do these align with the KOL’s recent publications, presentations, or clinical interests?
•  What specific questions can I ask that will draw out insights relevant to both the KOL’s interests and the company’s strategic needs?

Practical Tips for Effective Pre-Meeting Planning

There is no one way to pre-meeting plan. It’s about finding a system that works for you. If you need some ideas or just want to start testing something out, check out this Pre-Meeting Planning template. It’s designed to harmonize strategy with KOL insights and incorporates elements of relationship building, like relationship builders.

Here are some additional tips to consider when implementing your pre-meeting planning system:

• Time Management: Allocate sufficient time for pre-meeting planning. While it may seem time-consuming, investing an hour in planning can save you weeks or even months in follow-up meetings.
• Consistency: Make pre-meeting planning a consistent part of your routine. The more you do it, the more efficient and effective you’ll become.
• Prioritize: If time is limited, prioritize your questions and objectives. Know the one key insight you need from the meeting and focus on that.
• Strategic Thinking: Use pre-meeting planning as an opportunity to strengthen your strategic thinking skills. Consider not just the immediate objectives, but how the meeting fits into the broader strategy and goals.