Clinicians who use your device rarely tell their colleagues about it

In healthcare, peer recommendation carries more weight than any sales call. Yet most MedTech companies leave early adopters without the evidence, prompts, or support needed to become active advocates.

steps: 7; steps
to start: 1 to 2 weeks; to start

The short answer

Clinicians recommend things they can describe with confidence and data. Pick three to five early adopters, help them measure their own results, and give them easy, honest ways to share them: a case series, a talk at a specialty meeting, a reference call. Do the work for them, keep it transparent, and never script their opinion.

7 steps

Do it yourself: step by step

0 of 7 done

Pick users with good results, respect among peers and willingness to talk. Prefer variety: different hospitals, a mix of senior and newer consultants
Time
1 to 2 weeks
Typical cost
£0
Who does it
Commercial lead
Done when: Named champions who have agreed in principle
Agree two or three outcome measures with each champion and set up simple data collection: before and after, or a case series. Use their hospital's audit route where possible
Time
1 to 3 months
Typical cost
£0 to £5,000 for analysis support (Solvable estimate: up to about 7 days of a statistician at about £700 a day)
Who does it
Clinical lead with champion
Done when: Data collected on at least 20 cases per site or an agreed time period
Write a one-page case summary with the champion's numbers, in their words, approved by them. Support a conference abstract if the data allow
Time
2 to 6 weeks
Typical cost
£500 to £3,000 medical writing (Solvable estimate: 1 to 5 days of a medical writer at about £500 to £600 a day)
Who does it
Marketing with champion
Done when: Approved case summary and, where possible, an abstract submitted

This problem is Solvable.

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Clinical champion programme pack

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Template

1. Champion selection

Name	Specialty	Hospital	Cases with us	Results so far	Peer standing	Willing to	Agreed
[ ]	[ ]	[ ]	[ ]	[ ]	[High / medium]	[Talk / write / reference calls]	[Yes / no]

2. Invitation email

Subject: Sharing your results with [product]

Dear [Dr Surname],

You have now used [product] in [number] cases, and your feedback has been very useful to us.

Other consultants often ask us what results look like in real UK practice. Would you be willing to help us measure your outcomes properly, and, if the results support it, share them with peers?

That could mean a short case summary in your words, a talk at a meeting you already attend, or an occasional call with a colleague considering [product]. We would do the data handling and writing, and you would approve everything. Where we ask for your time, we will pay a fair rate under a written agreement, which you would declare as usual.

Could we have 20 minutes in the next fortnight to discuss?

Kind regards, [Name] [Role, company]

3. Case summary template (one page)

Setting: [Hospital, specialty, period] Patients: [Number, key characteristics] What we measured: [Outcomes] Results: [Numbers, before and after where relevant] What changed in practice: [Champion's words] Limitations: [Single site, small numbers, etc.] Contact for questions: [Champion, with consent]

4. Reference call brief for prospects

How long have you used it, and for which patients?
What surprised you, good or bad?
What did implementation take?
Would you choose it again?

5. Rules

Champions approve every word attributed to them.
Payment only for time and services, never linked to sales or referrals.
Include limitations in every summary.

Avoid these

Common mistakes

Asking champions to share results you have not helped them measure.
Writing quotes for clinicians instead of using their words.
Over-using one enthusiastic champion until peers see them as the company's spokesperson.
Paying clinicians without a written agreement or in ways that look linked to sales.
Leaving out limitations, which sceptical peers spot immediately.

Free personal check

Done by Paul Robinson, not software

I'll look at how you work with your early adopters and show you what would get them talking

What I need from you

Answers to 8 tap questions
Your company website

What you get

Which champions to back first
What material they need from you
A reference call plan that does not wear people out

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

Your illustrative estimate

£100,000

Solvable estimate. Rounded to the nearest £500. Updates as you type.

Deals stalling without peer validation

Starting figure 10 (from 10 (Solvable estimate: half of 20 deals a year)). Change it to match your practice.

Average deal value

Starting figure £20,000 (from £20,000 (Solvable estimate; use your own)). Change it to match your practice.

Share a reference would convert

Starting figure 30% (from 30% (Solvable estimate: a peer view tips some stalled deals, not all)). Change it to match your practice.

Extra sales cost per deal

Starting figure £2,000 (from £2,000 (Solvable estimate: about two extra days of sales and clinical specialist time per deal)). Change it to match your practice.

Deals per year

Starting figure 20. Change it to match your practice.

Formula

(deals per year that stall without peer validation × average deal value × share a reference would convert) + (extra sales cost per deal × deals per year)

Variables and defaults

deals stalling without peer validation: 10 (Solvable estimate: half of 20 deals a year)
average deal value: £20,000 (Solvable estimate; use your own)
share a reference would convert: 30% (Solvable estimate: a peer view tips some stalled deals, not all)
extra sales cost per deal: £2,000 (Solvable estimate: about two extra days of sales and clinical specialist time per deal)
deals per year: 20

Defaults only. Change them in the calculator to use your own numbers.

Assumptions and defaults

deals stalling without peer validation = 10 (Solvable estimate: half of 20 deals a year)
average deal value = £20,000 (Solvable estimate; use your own)
share a reference would convert = 30% (Solvable estimate: a peer view tips some stalled deals, not all)
extra sales cost per deal = £2,000 (Solvable estimate: about two extra days of sales and clinical specialist time per deal)
deals per year = 20

Solvable estimate. Revenue lost where a peer view would have tipped the decision (10 × £20,000 × 30% = £60,000), plus extra sales effort to compensate (£2,000 × 20 = £40,000). With defaults this is about £100,000; treat it as £60,000 to £140,000.

Benchmarks

No incentives linked to referral
GMC Good medical practice: doctors must not ask for or accept, or offer to others, incentive payments, gifts or hospitality that may affect, or be seen to affect, how they or others refer
Source: GMC, Good medical practice, domain 4

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Best for: Consultants, clinics and private hospitals
Price on request
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Peer-to-peer recommendations are crucial in healthcare, driven by trust, proven efficacy, and positive clinical experience. MedTech companies often fail to adequately support early adopters in championing their products, or lack the robust real-world evidence needed to convince other clinicians of their solution's value and superiority.

The core issue stems from a lack of strategic investment in cultivating clinical champions and systematically capturing real-world evidence (RWE) post-market launch.
Many MedTech firms underestimate the nuanced influence of peer networks in the UK's private healthcare sector, where trust among clinicians often outweighs traditional marketing.
Furthermore, inadequate support for early adopters in articulating product value and a failure to translate RWE into compelling, accessible narratives for peer consumption hinder organic recommendation pathways.

No verified UK data available

Increased sales cycle length due to prolonged clinician evaluation and decision-making processes
Higher customer acquisition costs as direct marketing and sales efforts need to compensate for lack of organic referrals
Reduced market share and slower revenue growth, directly impacting profitability
Increased marketing and sales expenditure to overcome resistance and build trust, impacting profit margins
Perception of the MedTech solution as unproven or lacking widespread clinical acceptance
Difficulty attracting top clinical talent for future collaborations or advisory boards

What it looks like in practice

Slow or stagnant growth in new clinic adoption despite initial positive feedback from early users
Sales teams consistently encountering skepticism from clinicians who require peer validation before committing
Lack of readily available, UK-specific case studies or data to support product claims during clinical discussions
High reliance on direct sales efforts rather than organic clinical advocacy for market penetration

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

How many champions do we need?

Three to five is enough to start. More matters less than variety of hospitals and seniority.

Can we pay champions?

For genuine time, such as preparing a talk or advising, at fair market value under written contract. Never for recommending or referring: GMC guidance bars doctors from incentives that may affect how they refer.

What if their results are not good?

Find out why. It may be patient selection or training. Do not publish selectively.

Will private consultants talk to peers in other groups?

Often yes, especially through specialty societies. Rivalry between hospitals matters less than clinical credibility.

How do we stop it looking like marketing?

Use their words and data, include limitations, and let them say what they would change.

Is this legal advice?

No. This is general information. Have a healthcare lawyer or compliance adviser check paid arrangements with clinicians.

Last reviewed: 30 October 2026

Sources

GMC, Good medical practice, domain 4

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The short answer

Do it yourself: step by step

1Choose three to five champions1 to 2 weeks · £0

2Help them measure1 to 3 months · £0 to £5,000 for analysis support (Solvable estimate: up to about 7 days of a statistician at about £700 a day)

3Turn results into shareable material2 to 6 weeks · £500 to £3,000 medical writing (Solvable estimate: 1 to 5 days of a medical writer at about £500 to £600 a day)

4Create speaking opportunities3 to 9 months (meeting calendars) · Fair market value fees plus travel

5Set up reference calls1 week · £0

6Run a user group2 months to set up · £2,000 to £8,000 per meeting (Solvable estimate: venue, catering, travel and fair-value fees for 15 to 30 attendees)

7Track advocacy1 hour to set up · £0