Some of you may have already taken computer classes back in high school. And right now, some of you might be wondering, what use were those programming lessons to you? It may have served those who wished to pursue a career in the fields of software engineering, IT, and electronic hardware but what about the others?
What if you wanted to be a doctor for instance? How much computer know-how did you really need?
In case you haven’t noticed it yet, the attitude being described emulates the sentiment of most medical professionals towards the integration of IT. Dave Chase, a contributor of Forbes, sums it up nicely, “I know of no industry where technology is as despised as it is in health care. It’s a statement that it took government money to incentivize healthcare providers to finally do what virtually every other industry has done — apply IT to streamline processes.”
And yes, there has been such a move by the U.S. government in order to encourage the implementation of medical software technology and ensure their compliance with its regularization.
One reason as to why this is so however is due to the fact that most professionals simply do not understand how the system works and there is lack of communication between the vendors, the buyers, and the actual users of the system.
This apparently is not something just limited to those in the medical field but is also shared by employees across industries. In turn, the cause is also the same: a lack of education on what the system does and how they can maximize its use. Miscommunication happens and drama ensues because expectations about the technology were not set.
As a supplier however, you can make things easier for them by offering to educate your potential clients on what your software can do. This can be done usually through events such as webinars, tradeshows, walkthroughs, or even good, old-fashioned appointment setting.
The reason for this is obviously because you can’t lay out that much information through smaller channels of communication (e.g. email, phone call, mobile). On the other hand, you still need qualified sales leads so that you’ll have the necessary information to see if the particular person you’re calling shows adequate interest. That interest is also very important because it makes them eager to learn more and thus, more open to the conveniences of integrating IT for streamlined healthcare. On the other hand, it also filters out the more common objections so that once the meeting has started, you can now only focus on the issues that are complex and more unique to the prospect’s situation.
The fact that government mandates were needed to really push this particular industry should give you a strong hint regarding the challenges and opposition your product faces in your target market. Still, tensions and prejudices can be diminished with just a bit of education. Use appointment to be more educational and informative about the benefits of IT. Computer lessons don’t have to end once you’ve finished school.
