How To Find Key Opinion Leaders (KOL) to Support Your Technology
Ted
in Key Opinion Leaders, KOL, KOL management, Marketing, Marketing Management, Medical Device Marketing
Reading time: 2 – 4 minutes
In the last post we talked about the importance of KOLs to the efforts of medical device companies large and small. Yet, many small companies believe KOLs are beyond their reach financially. This is not true.
In every medical specialty market there are the high level KOLs that everyone knows. They can be expensive to work with. Furthermore, they are extremely busy and may be difficult to engage in meetings and phone calls. A smaller company needs a KOL that has the time and interest to be truly involved in their technologies. You want someone who will answer your emails and return your phone calls when you need their input.
Fortunately, depending on the size of the medical specialty, there is usually a second and third level of KOLs. These individuals do a fair amount of writing, speaking and educating. They are respected. If they support a technology, it will open their colleagues’ minds. Another approach is a “regional” KOL. Some specialties have so many professionals that not everyone recognizes the national KOLs. But they will know their local and regional KOLs. A good example would be the dentistry community. A dentist in Philadelphia may be more familiar with a dentist KOL that does most of his/her speaking and educating in the mid-Atlantic area of the US.
So where do you find them?
First, if you have developed a medical device technology you must have one or two doctor friends that have given you feedback and encouraged your work. Call them and ask them to recommend a KOL. Preferably, someone that is within a 200 hundred miles so you can have face to face visits if necessary.
Second, look at the editorial boards of the medical specialty magazines. Some magazines break their editorial boards down by sub-specialty, so it is easy find the doctors that would be most interested in your technology. In the ophthalmology market, I notice that a lot of these board members while being highly respected, are not yet the highest level KOLs. These kinds of doctors could be perfect. Now, go back to your doctor “friends” and ask them if they know any of these doctors you found on the editorial boards. If they do, ask if they can make an introduction by email.
Finally, take a look at the speaker agendas for some of the CME or CE meetings that have taken place in your region. This could be a state or province meeting or city meeting of the specialty you are targeting. Look at the names of the speakers. Some may be from your region and may make a good regional KOL.
Don’t be shy. If you do not have someone that can make an introduction for you, find another way. Call their office and leave a message for the doctor. Be sure to leave your title. Use Linked In. Are you advertising in one or more of the specialty magazines? If so, ask the account manager from that magazine to make an introduction.
If you have other suggestions for finding KOLs, let me know.
In the next post we discuss how to gain the interest of the KOL.
