Your reps carry the entire sale while clinicians stay silent
NHS procurement committees weight peer endorsement heavily. Without a structured clinical champion network, every deal depends on your sales team alone, and that ceiling is low.
- steps
- 7
- steps
- to start
- 1 week
- to start
The short answer
Private consultants adopt what respected peers use and will vouch for. Recruit five to ten champions with real private volume in your procedure, pay them only at fair market value under written agreements that follow the ABHI Code, and give them things to do: host peer visits, present outcomes, and speak to Medical Advisory Committees. A champion is someone a buyer can phone, not a name on a slide.
7 steps
Do it yourself: step by step
0 of 7 done
List what a good champion looks like: private practice in your target hospitals, high volume in the relevant procedure, respected by peers, willing to teach. Use hospital consultant directories and PHIN consultant profiles where volumes are shown
- Time
- 1 week
- Typical cost
- None
- Who does it
- Commercial lead with clinical lead
Done when: A written profile and a long list of 20 to 30 names
This problem is Solvable.
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Clinical champion programme tracker
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Clinical champion programme tracker
Champion register
| Name | Specialty | Private hospital(s) | Relevant private volume | Stage | Agreement signed | Activities this year | Interest declared |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| [Mr/Ms/Dr name] | [ ] | [ ] | [approx cases/year] | [prospect / user / champion] | Yes / No | [visits hosted, talks given] | Yes / No |
What each champion can do (pick at least two each)
- Host a peer visit to a list or clinic
- Take a reference call from a prospect consultant
- Present outcomes at a specialty society or regional meeting
- Attend a Medical Advisory Committee to explain the technique
- Help train theatre staff at a new site
- Sit on the advisory board
Compliance checklist for paid work
- Legitimate need for the service written down
- Champion chosen for expertise, not purchasing power
- Fair market value hourly rate, documented
- Written agreement before work starts
- Payment only against delivered work and records
- No link to past, present or future purchases
- Hospitality modest and secondary to the work
- Champion reminded to declare the interest where required
Outreach email to a prospective champion
Subject: [Procedure] with [device], your view
Dear [Mr/Ms/Dr surname],
I lead [role] at [company]. [Champion name] at [hospital] has been using [device] for [procedure] since [month] and suggested you might have a view on [specific clinical question].
Would you be open to a 20-minute conversation, or to seeing it on one of [champion name]'s lists? There is no commitment.
Kind regards, [Name] [Phone]
Avoid these
Common mistakes
- Recruiting champions for their purchasing influence rather than their clinical standing.
- Paying fees without a written agreement or record of work.
- Asking champions to endorse rather than giving them real clinical work to do.
- Relying on one famous name who is too busy to take calls.
- Never measuring which deals champions actually influenced.
Free personal check
Done by Paul Robinson, not software
I'll look at how you work with clinicians today and show you how to build champions buyers can phone
What I need from you
- Answers to 7 tap questions
- Your company website
What you get
- Which clinicians to approach first
- Whether your agreements and payments are in good order
- Three things to give champions to do
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
ABHI Code of Ethical Business Practice
Sets minimum standards for ABHI members, including interactions with healthcare professionals; compliance is a condition of membership
Source: ABHI
Conflicts of interest
GMC guidance on how doctors identify, manage and declare conflicts of interest, including financial ties to companies
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
Can I pay consultants to champion my device?
You can pay for genuine services such as training, advisory work or speaking, at fair market value under a written agreement. You cannot pay for purchasing or for use. Follow the ABHI Code of Ethical Business Practice, which binds ABHI members and is a sound standard for others.
How many champions do I need?
Five to ten across your target region and specialty is enough to start (Solvable estimate). Coverage beats fame.
Do champions have to declare their relationship with us?
They may need to, under their hospital's rules and the GMC's guidance on identifying and managing conflicts of interest. Tell them about the relationship in writing so they can declare it.
What if our champion is at a competitor hospital?
That is normal. Champions influence peers across sites. Ask permission from their hospital before arranging visits.
How do I know the programme is working?
Track which deals involved a champion and compare win rate and cycle time with deals that did not.
Is this legal advice?
No. This is general information. Have a healthcare lawyer or compliance adviser check champion agreements and payments, including against the Bribery Act 2010.
Last reviewed:
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