In the world of physician relations, there is a great deal of discussion about planning. Our plans articulate actions, expectations, roles and responsibilities. They also serve as a road map for everyone involved to keep hold of the strategic focus as they go about their individual roles to bring the strategy to life.

Each type of plan has a role and the pre-call plan is the small but significant step to bringing the other plans to fruition. Before I delve into the world of pre-planning, perhaps it makes sense to frame the plan types and how they all fit together.

•	Strategic plan – drives the organization’s growth strategy.
•	Business plan – identifies specific service areas for growth and the physicians who will be receptive and instrumental to that growth.
•	Sales plan – each representative has a sales plan detailing how they are going to accomplish the growth strategy and outcomes at the individual physician level.
•	Pre-Call plan – it is about planning that is done by the rep prior to each physician visit. It’s the focus of this article.

The physician relations reps’ ability to create a solid pre-call plan tells a great deal about the real long-term relationship strategy they are employing. It highlights their ability to think about their relationship sales goals and the physicians’ needs, to plan for potential barriers in the call and to create a path for moving forward. Part of the process includes the gathering of background and history, the other element is planning for the actual call.

Once the representative has a clear sense of the status, the next elements are developed to frame a visit for maximum impact.

1. Prepare your opening
Old sales experts used to say we have 30 seconds to make a lasting impression. I tend to think it's true. Create an immediate impact by being prepared, articulate and focused in your introductory comments.

2. Create some good questions
If we believe that that the most successful appointments are those that allow us to focus on the referring physicians’ needs, our obligation is to create a dialogue that develops a shared understanding of what they want. This is not accomplished with, “How's it going?” or “Anything you need from us?” - type questions. Our obligation is to ask good, personal, in-depth, focused questions about them, their practice, and their needs. Pre-plan and ask questions that assist you in understanding how they make decisions, their timeframe, and their ideal level of involvement.

3. Set meeting goals
A good sales call is one that moves closer to the ultimate goal of having the opportunity to earn referrals. The reality is the process of growing referrals happens in small concise steps.

4. Plan for the what–ifs
It goes without saying if there have been changes in your organization, the grapevine is humming, or you're aware of some challenges – be prepared around the topic.

Taking the 15-20 minutes needed to create a call plan is a real difference maker. Good planning generates better results.