The rule of seven touches

In the midst of a lengthy New Yorker magazine piece ("How Good Ideas Spread", by Atul Gawande, MD about the important topic of global diffusion of medical knowledge, I came across a rather surprising reference to medical marketing:

"This is something that salespeople understand well. I once asked a pharmaceutical rep how he persuaded doctors—who are notoriously stubborn—to adopt a new medicine. Evidence is not remotely enough, he said, however strong a case you may have. You must also apply “the rule of seven touches.” Personally “touch” the doctors seven times, and they will come to know you; if they know you, they might trust you; and, if they trust you, they will change. That’s why he stocked doctors’ closets with free drug samples in person. Then he could poke his head around the corner and ask, “So how did your daughter Debbie’s soccer game go?” Eventually, this can become “Have you seen this study on our new drug? How about giving it a try?” As the rep had recognized, human interaction is the key force in overcoming resistance and speeding change."

Later in the article, Gawande interviews an Indian nurse and asks her why she has listened to a less experienced trainer's suggestions on delivering babies. The answer is poignantly simple:

 “She was nice.She smiled a lot. It wasn’t like talking to someone who was trying to find mistakes, it was like talking to a friend.”

In one sense this is a powerful argument for the importance of personal promotion in medical marketing. However, in an era when expense and access make personal promotion more scarce than ever, the lessons can also be applied to non-personal promotion (NPP).

First, the rule of seven touches can be applied to NPP. My personal experience and industry best practices confirm that it takes up to seven contacts to influence behavior. Certainly, NPP can be integrated with personal promotion to leverage relationships, reminding health care professionals (HCPs) of messages first introduced through personal contact.

Second, there is a matter of tone. Emails can be sent from a person known and respected by the recipient. Language can be friendly and personal, as opposed to bureaucratic and impersonal. Can an email "smile"? Yes, if it includes a flattering, cheerful photo of the sender.

Certainly these assertions can be tested. But Gawande's New Yorker article certainly provides food for thought.