How To Avoid Lumpy KOL Meetings

Access to KOLs will only become more limited and engagement metrics will only go up, resulting in more pressure on MSLs. To excel in their role and meet metrics, many MSLs scramble to get meetings, resulting in times when there are a ton of meetings and then times that are dry (no meetings). This up and down in the frequency of meetings is what is meant by “lumpy”. Keep reading for a pro tip on how to avoid having lumpy KOL meetings and ensure that MSLs consistently have meetings across the whole year.

What Are Lumpy KOL Meetings?

 

The term lumpy here refers to the frequency of meetings with KOLs over time. There are times with tons of meetings and then times with no meetings. Imagine a chart with time on the x-axis and the number of meetings on the y-axis.

 

Ideally, MSLs are consistently meeting with KOLs across the year and this chart would look like this:

Ideal Frequency of KOL Meetings over time

What happens in reality is more like this:

What having lumpy KOL Meetings looks like

How do Lumpy KOL Meetings Happen & Why is it Not Ideal

 

When it comes to setting up meetings, most MSLs do not have a system for outreach, follow-up, and pre-meeting planning.

What most MSLs do looks something like this:

  1. Realize they are behind in their engagement metrics
  2. Panic
  3. Start reaching out like crazy to get meetings set up

This results in a flurry of activity and a lump of meetings 1-3 months down the road. The MSL is then busy with all those meetings and fails to set up the next round of meetings. The cycle repeats.

The MSL is in a constant stress cycle where every few months they panic. There is a way to break this exhausting cycle of lots of meetings and then no meetings!

 

How to Avoid Having Lumpy KOL Meetings

 

The trick to avoiding lumpy KOL meetings is to consistently spend time setting up meetings. This means every single week reaching out to KOLs to set up meetings to get the calendar filled out across the year.

Instead of doing it when you see an empty calendar and become worried about meeting metrics, every week you spend time doing outreach and follow-up.

The results are amazing! It means consistently having meetings year-round, meeting metrics, and way less stress.

 

Resources to Help Avoid Having Lumpy KOL Meetings

 

The best thing to do is set up a weekly process that holds you accountable to your meeting setting activities.

Step 1 is to figure out how much outreach you need to do per week. Work backwards from your metrics. Check out the How To Plan Your Month for Maximum Impact system and the example metric of having 60 KOL meetings per quarter. Then break this into the tasks you need to complete and the time it takes. The key step is to schedule when you will complete those tasks on your calendar.

Check out the MSL Impact Bundle. The Habits for Success template help you break your milestones and metrics into the weekly habits that you need to create.

 

Creating a routine is key here. Have a system that enables you to consistently do your outreach and follow-ups each week. Check out this weekly reset article to inspire you. Time management and productivity is not one size fits all. You have to experiment and figure out what works for you.

MSL Impact Bundle Templates

Conclusions: How to Avoid Having Lumpy KOL Meetings

 

Having lumpy KOL meetings is exhausting and stressful. Consistency pays off here. When an MSL dedicates time each week to setting up meetings, they avoid the cycle of having lots of meetings and then times with no meetings at all.

Developing a system for how you structure your week and prioritize work is key. It also helps develop a healthy relationship with metrics. They aren’t so scary when you have a trusted system to ensure that you are meeting.

Share your thoughts! I want to know what you all think. Do you have a system for consistently setting up meetings? Is this foreign to you?

 

Comment down below or share with me on LinkedIn.

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