Meridian Medical Center (MMC) was a 100-bed hospital located in a suburb of a medium-sized city. In its 40 years of operations, it had undergone several changes in ownership and was currently an investor-owned for-profit facility. MMC offered a wide range of services, but its survival had depended largely on its ability to identify niches that were not being filled by larger, betterfinanced providers in the area. MMC had become the major local provider of inpatient psychiatric and substance abuse treatment as well as weight management services. Its business was driven by personal referrals, word of mouth, and the reputation of its clinicians.

For five years, MMC had operated a fledgling occupational health program, primarily in response to the needs of nearby industries. Hospital staff treated minor injuries and illnesses (mostly on an urgent care basis) and the occasional emergency case. They also administered drug tests, tuberculosis tests, and other tests required for certain classes of employees. MMC administrators recognized a growing market for employee health programs in the area and planned a promotional campaign to pursue additional occupational health business. Before initiating the campaign, MMC took advantage of some of its unused space to create an occupational medicine center with a dedicated entrance. The intent of the program was to provide high-quality care in a comfortable setting and efficiently return employees to their job.

A much different means of attracting businesses was required for the occupational health program because clients were not likely to be self-referred but sent to the facility by their employers. Thus, this initiative required business-to-business marketing. MMC hired a salesperson to call on area employers and familiarize them with the program and its services. The salesperson’s ultimate goal was to establish relationships with local employers, which would guarantee they would use MMC for their occupational health needs.

The salesperson had a clinical background and thus could discuss occupational health services intelligently. The challenge was to use personal sales to convince employers that MMC was the best choice in the area. Fortunately, the occupational health field was not well organized in the city, so presenting MMC’s program as a dedicated resource generated a favorable response. In addition, the salesperson had to convince employers that sending their sick or injured employees to the emergency department or a private physician was not cost-effective or practical. Once MMC gained a foothold in a couple of companies, others began to express an interest in signing on.

Questions

1. How did MMC attract clients for its traditionally offered services (e.g., substance abuse, weight management)?

2. Why did occupational health require a different means of promotion from MMC’s traditional services?

3. Who were the actual customers for occupational health services?

4. What preparations were required of MMC prior to promoting its occupational health services?

5. Why was personal sales the method of choice for this business-tobusiness marketing initiative?

6. What other promotional techniques were used to supplement personal sales?

7. How did MMC differentiate its services from those provided by other health facilities?