You're getting meetings with procurement but not the clinicians who actually use your product
In NHS technology adoption, clinical champion is not a nice-to-have, it's a prerequisite. Procurement decisions that lack clinical advocacy rarely conclude positively. Getting to the right clinician early changes everything.
- steps
- 7
- steps
- to start
- 1 day per 5 accounts
- to start
The short answer
Procurement runs the process; clinicians and service managers decide what goes into it. Reach clinicians through their own channels: the pathway problem they are publicly working on, specialty meetings and a peer who already uses you. Ask for 20 minutes about their problem, not a demo.
7 steps
Do it yourself: step by step
0 of 7 done
For each account, find the clinical lead for the service, the clinical director and the specialist nurse or AHP lead who runs the pathway. Use trust websites, specialty society pages and published audits
- Time
- 1 day per 5 accounts
- Typical cost
- Free
- Who does it
- SDR or analyst
Done when: 3 named clinical contacts per account
This problem is Solvable.
Copy this script
Clinician outreach email and first-call script
Free to copy, adapt and use. No sign-up.
Outreach email
Subject: [their problem in 5 words, e.g. Follow-up demand in [specialty] clinic]
Dear Dr [surname],
I read [your audit / abstract / the trust board paper] on [specific problem, e.g. routine follow-up demand in [specialty]]. [Name of colleague at another trust], who leads [service] at [trust], suggested you might be working on the same thing.
We work with [number] [specialty] services on [outcome in their metric, e.g. reducing routine follow-ups]. At [reference site] the team saw [result, with period].
Would 20 minutes in the next few weeks be useful? I would like to understand how your pathway works before showing you anything.
Kind regards, [Name], [role], [company] [phone] If you would rather not hear from me again, reply and I will not contact you further.
---
First call script (20 minutes)
Open (2 minutes) "Thank you for the time. I would like to spend most of this understanding your pathway. If at the end it looks like we can help, I will show you something brief. Is that all right?"
Their pathway (10 minutes)
- "Walk me through what happens from referral to discharge for [patient group]."
- "Where does it back up?"
- "Which numbers are you asked about at your divisional meeting?"
- "What have you tried already?"
- "Who else would need to agree to any change, operationally and on the digital side?"
Map (5 minutes) "From what you said, the pressure is [x]. At [reference site] that looked like [y], and the change was [z]. Does that sound comparable?"
Next step (3 minutes) "Would it help if I spoke to [operational owner] with you, or sent you a one-page summary you could share?"
Record: problem, metric, other decision-makers, next step and date.
Avoid these
Common mistakes
- Opening with a demo before understanding the pathway.
- Treating procurement as the decision-maker because they are the ones who reply.
- Sending a rep with no clinical credibility to a consultant meeting alone.
- Ignoring specialist nurses and AHPs who run the pathway day to day.
- Reading silence during clinic or on-call weeks as a no.
Free personal check
Done by Paul Robinson, not software
I'll look at how you reach clinicians and show you how to get in before procurement does
What I need from you
- 7 tap answers about your outreach
- One line on what you sell
What you get
- Where your outreach misses the clinical owner
- Better first asks for clinicians
- The three changes that matter most
Within 2 working days
No sign-in, no sales call. I read every request myself and reply on WhatsApp.
Free tools
Check where you stand
Benchmarks
20 to 30 minutes
Realistic length of a first meeting with an NHS consultant around clinical commitments
Solvable estimate
National specialty reviews and reports
GIRFT, a national NHS England programme, runs clinically led specialty reviews and publishes national reports that clinicians and managers already reference
Paul Robinson
14 years in UK private healthcare
I solve this one for healthcare companies
Want a hand? I'll look at your situation and tell you the three things I'd tackle first.
A few quick questions, about two minutes. I read every one myself and usually reply the same day.
No sales call unless you ask for one. Just a straight answer from me.
I reply personally, usually the same day.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Is it acceptable to email NHS consultants directly?
Yes, a short relevant business email to a work address is normal. UK GDPR still applies to named individuals, so keep a legitimate interest record, identify yourself and offer a clear opt-out.
Who is the clinical decision-maker?
Usually the clinical lead for the service plus the operational manager. For digital products, a clinical safety officer and IG lead will also need to sign off.
How do I get time with busy consultants?
Through a peer, alongside a meeting they already attend, or by offering something useful such as benchmarking on their own service.
Should I go around procurement?
No. Keep them informed. They run the process and can stop you if bypassed.
Is this different in private hospitals?
Consultants there are usually self-employed with practising privileges, so they can adopt some products in their own practice, while the hospital decides on anything used on its site or in its theatres.
Not yet meeting anyone, or selling mainly to independent hospitals and clinic groups?
See: You can't get in front of the right clinical decision-makers
Last reviewed:
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