If your fertility marketing team isn’t returning the results you want, it might be entirely their fault. But what if it isn’t? REI partners and IVF executives need to be able to free themselves of most marketing responsibilities. Yet they can only fully walk away when someone else is completely in charge of the outcomes that grow the business. When outcomes are not explicit and enumerated, each party is left to fill in the blanks. You expected success in sales or IVF numbers, but your marketer judged their performance based on their input? There’s a mismatch in action.
When outcomes go unreached, even when they are clearly defined, the marketing staff may indeed be incompetent. It’s more likely, however, that expectations are set without an adequate scope of the experience, authority, skillset, and resources required to ensure their success.
Before you go firing (or hiring) anyone, we’ll get an understanding of the wide range of marketing roles in the fertility field. In this article, you’ll get some of the outcomes that can be realistically expected of each of them. They are:
Far more important than your employee’s title, which is sometimes seriously mismatched, are the outcomes for which she or he is responsible.
“I’ll tell you whatever you want to hear, just please don’t kill me.”
You may have heard me say that marketers are North Korean officials. Fertility practice owners and executives (business owners and clients) are Kim Jong-un:
The marketer’s value, because of outcome ambiguity or mismatch, is so intensely questioned, that they will sometimes say almost anything to keep you from terminating them.
That’s a negative feedback loop. Some fertility CEOs and practice owners are so skeptical of the value of marketing, that those in their employ frequently feel compelled to exaggerate results or make promises they can’t keep.
The vicious cycle is fortified because marketers frequently feel threatened by one another – for good reason. In their desperation to justify their livelihoods to their clients or employers, they’re notorious for throwing each other under the bus. Even authentic experts sometimes erroneously blame their prospects’ problems on deceptive or incompetent marketers.
You’re not going to get that from me; I don’t want to live in Pyongyang. The people that are so eager to put someone else’s head on the chopping block don’t realize that they’re rushing to replace it with their own. They don’t take time to end the vicious cycle and replace it with a virtuous one because they might be punished for doing the right thing.
DEFINE OUTCOME, EQUIP FOR SUCCESS
Many fertility executives say they have a marketing person or marketing people, in such terms. That could mean any number of different things. This ambiguity is the source of a lot of frustration. You’re (ostensibly) paying someone to increase your top line, but that doesn’t mean they are in a position to do so.
If your marketing people don’t have hard figures to replace the X, Y, and Z fields that I have suggested for you, then you don’t have outcomes for them. They need to be the first section in the job description and the exact metrics for which their performance is evaluated.
Sometimes fertility marketers don’t want their principals to do our Goal and Competitive Diagnostic. Why would they feel threatened by a very small engagement with no duplication and no commitment? It's just a small evaluation by the only firm that sub-specializes in the fertility field. When marketers discourage their principals from doing our Goal Diagnostic it’s usually because they’re afraid that Fertility Bridge is going to come in and tell their bosses everything they’re doing wrong.
That’s usually not the case. If your marketers are totally inept, we promise to tell you. More often than not, however, we’re going to show you where they are under-resourced or held accountable for things they don’t control. Frankly, because you are their singular source of income, and we have many clients and don’t need any particular new one, we are in a much better position to challenge you than they are.
No. More likely at play is a lack of defined outcomes, a mismatch in position, or a lack of resources and authority.
Pay attention to the responsibilities and outcomes of each role, rather than the titles, because misalignment is rampant in the fertility field. One person may be overpaid and overtitled or underpaid and undertitled, hence this resource.
We’ll start our overview with the lowest level of marketing roles in the fertility field, which some IVF centers don’t even have, and go to the greatest level, which only the largest fertility companies have.
Physician Liasion
This post often falls at the junior end of the spectrum because many of them are walking billboards that have little impact on referrals. The best PLs however, are worth their weight in bitcoin. They are anything but junior. They disrupt, build, and grow referral patterns and they are handsomely appreciated and compensated for the volumes they bring into the practice.
Mission:
- Increase referrals from OB/GYNs, PCPs, and other specialists by building, growing, and nurturing relationships.
Not reasonable to expect:
- Increases from other referral sources
- Responsibility for revenue or profit
- Digital expertise
- Creative (conversion copywriting, design, video, etc) skills
Outcomes:
- Grow MD referrals from Y to Z
- Grow referrals from X target accounts from Y to Z
- Grow employer/insurance referrals from Y to Z
- Create X referring provider materials
- Establish reporting system to account for all referrals by office, physician, and month
Required resources:
- Accurate, multi-source new patient referral sourcing
- Multi-media referring provider materials
- Physician participation
- Clinic training (meaning training on YOUR clinic)
- CRM, or reporting system
- CRM training
Marketing Coordinator
This is a catch-all term for a reason. Even when called by one of the other titles, this range of responsibilities is a common in-house marketing position at fertility centers. It isn’t realistic to expect someone at this level to be responsible for revenue, sales, procedure volumes, or even leads. If you are expecting any of those things, you need a more senior position.
As with most junior positions, outcomes are seldom assigned to Marketing Coordinators because their responsibilities are so centered on carrying out tasks. This is a problem.
Even the most junior marketers, ones that have no control over revenue and profit, should have defined outcomes. If they consistently achieve these outcomes, they may be worth the responsibility and reward at the next level.
When outlining this person’s responsibilities, resist the temptation to quantify their inputs: pamphlets designed, social media posts, articles written, events coordinated or any kind of marketing errand. None of those are outcomes.
Mission:
- To execute some aspects of the marketing strategy and coordinate the rest with the other parties involved.
Not reasonable to expect:
- Responsibility for new patient volumes/client numbers
- Ownership of sales or IVF volumes
- MD Referrals
- Strategy
- Technical and creative expertise in every vertical
Outcomes:
- Plan and build X informational events
- Increase attendance at informational events from Y to Z
- Increase Patient testimonials from Y to Z
- Increase social media engagement from Y to Z
Required resources to support:
- Provider/leadership participation in events and content
- Marketing strategy
- Brand Guide
- Technical assistance (paid media, cinematography, development, etc)
- Events budget
- Social media training
This person is mostly responsible for columns in the first phase of the Fertility Patient Marketing Journey
Marketing Manager
In large companies, A Marketing Manager is responsible for particular markets, segments, or campaigns. Many fertility-industry companies, like genetics companies, pharmaceutical manufacturers, and pharmacies use this title because they actually do have a marketing hierarchy. I’m not detailing mission and outcomes here, because for most companies in the fertility field, the title is a hedge between coordinator and director.
Director of Marketing
This person oversees the execution of the marketing strategy. They should be responsible for new patient numbers, new patient inquiries, and sales qualified leads.. They often meaningfully contribute to the strategy, but they should not be expected to have all of the experience or skill sets needed to craft it in its entirety. They are excellent brand guardians but they may not have the creative resources necessary to build the brand themselves. This type of role should be accountable for bringing more people in the door. They have the clout to weigh in on your scheduling process and they should have cross-authority over the front desk and call center staff. If you have someone at this level and you want them to be responsible for revenue, they need a greater level of authority and cross-functionality for that.
Mission:
- To increase new patient volumes or sales opportunities by directing the established marketing strategy.
Not reasonable to expect:
- Responsibility for revenue
- Complete strategy
- Technical and creative expertise in every vertical
Outcomes:
- Increase new patient inquiries from Y to Z
- Increase qualified sales leads from Y to Z
- Increase new patients from Y to Z
- Increase X consults from Y to Z
Required resources to support:
- Positioning from partners/executive leadership
- Marketing and business development strategy
- Brand guide
- Budget proportional to new patient or sales goal
- External agency for technical and creative areas (development, video, digital, creative)
- CRM (for sales organizations)
- Access to scheduling system
- Oversight of call center
President or (Senior) Vice President of (Sales and) Marketing
This title, and to be sure--role, is far more common on the “industry” side of the fertility field. It’s conspicuously absent from most clinics, even some of the largest groups. In some cases, VP of marketing is a padded title for someone who is really at the director level. When the scope of the role truly overreaches that of a Marketing Director, it’s almost always “Sales and Marketing,” not marketing alone.
Only at this level and beyond do you have someone who can truly be responsible for revenue. Cross-authority is very important here. They need to have control over all four phases of the Fertility Patient Marketing Journey and the journey of buyers on the “industry side.” The latter phases are very opps heavy. If you relegate them to only the first phase, you prohibit them from reaching a revenue or profit goal, because they must be able to connect marketing to sales. That is their job. If this person can’t contribute to the outcomes of personnel and systems such as call center, front desk, clinical follow up, customer service, delivery, and training-they are not being set up for success.
Mission:
- To increase the total revenue of the company by increasing the number of clients or patients.
- To craft and lead the strategy for sales and marketing.
Don’t expect:
- Price setting
- Responsibility for net profit
- Technical and creative expertise in every vertical
Outcomes:
- Increase new patients from Y to Z
- Increase total revenue from Y to Z
- Increase X revenue streams from Y to Z
- Increase X sales from Y to Z
- Increase X procedures from Y to Z
- Create marketing strategy
Required resources to support:
- Revenue target
- Bonus structure
- Advisory on components of strategy
- Cross-functional authority (over call center, front desk protocol),
- External agency for technical and creative areas (development, video, digital, creative)
- Agency or subordinates to execute strategy
Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) or Chief Revenue Officer (CRO)
I don’t know if I have seen the CRO position at a fertility company. The CRO is not the superior of the CMO, but an alternative. It doesn’t matter which you call it, what matters is the outcome, mission, and authority. A company using the CRO title is likely trying to prevent someone who really has the responsibilities of a VP or Director from being misnomered as CMO.
Giving someone a Chief title to make them feel better or to make the company seem more sophisticated is an annoying mistake that is too common in the business world and the fertility field. Here’s the litmus test: if someone has more than one (the CEO) maybe two (the COO) bosses in the entire company, the letter C has no business being in their title.
If fertility companies are going to have a C suite position over sales and marketing, the chief must have total accountability for revenue and final authority on pricing. They have executive cross-functional authority. They innovate and add revenue streams. They are deeply involved in the brand. They can have a say, but not the final say, in positioning. They are peers with the Chief Financial Officer because they are also responsible for financial planning and profitability.
Mission:
- To drive revenue and profit.
- To build out the positioning set by the CEO and principals.
- To commission the sales, marketing and business development strategies.
Don’t Expect:
- Technical and creative expertise in every vertical
- Management of the strategy themselves
- Execution of the strategy themselves
Outcomes:
- Increase revenue from Y to Z
- Increase gross profit from Y to Z
- Increase profit on X services from Y to Z
- Add X revenue streams
- Create or commission business development budget
- Create or commission marketing strategy
- Create or commission sales strategy
Required resources to support:
- Revenue target
- Revenue bonus
- Financial statements (P&L)
- Gross profit target
- Profit sharing
- Cross-functional authority (over call center, front desk protocol),
- External marketing agency for specialized tactics such as paid media, development, cinematography
- Advisory on components of strategy
- Marketing director
- In-house or external marketing agency
- Training for marketing and sales team
- Patient or Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
- Authority to set prices
ADJUST EXPECTATIONS
Have you noticed the paradox that fertility companies find themselves in? The greater the capability of return on investment, the greater the investment. Be careful, because the reverse is not universally true; a large investment does not guarantee return.
Managing partners, executives, and managers, often expect outcomes from their marketing people that are not clearly defined, or that the person shouldn’t be expected to achieve, because of a mismatch in position or a lack of authority and resources.
To give you an idea of how rare people with the capabilities of these higher roles are in the fertility field, I searched for ten months before finding an Account Manager with whom I was comfortable handing over my fertility accounts. I didn’t just want someone with fertility marketing experience, because as we reviewed, that can mean anything. I wanted someone who understood how fertility companies make money. There I saw firsthand how rare it is for marketers in the fertility field to have accountability over outcomes.
I sourced the heck out of my network. I searched for every PL, Marketing Director, and VP of Sales I could find on LinkedIn. I reached out to over 60 people. I even hired a recruiter. Almost none of the people I spoke with knew about the business outcomes toward which they were working. They didn’t know about revenue, profitability, or conversion.
It wasn’t always their fault. Some were incompetent, but some were very talented, very hard-working people who were never given explicit outcomes, nor the authority and resources necessary to achieve them.
Three or four were exceptionally qualified and I couldn’t persuade them to come over or couldn’t afford them at the time--for good reason. They are worth a lot of money and should be treated well because they are so rare.
UNDERSTANDING WHAT IT TAKES
Even among the best marketers in the fertility field, one person can’t be expected to do everything required to drive a company’s top line. Sales, marketing, and business development are simply too vast.
Consider one small example. A digital campaign is only one component of marketing and business development: Just to create a reliably successful digital campaign, you need four people. Someone who can:
Write to convert,
Design to compel,
Master analytics to optimize,
Shoot and edit great video.
I’m pushing it by expecting editing and shooting from the same person; you may be pushing to get all five skills in one person. These are very different talent sets. There are plenty of jacks and jills of all trades, but very few people are excellent at each of them. You expect a unicorn, you say? A unicorn who works for $80,000 a year for a non-marketing company?
Remember, digital campaigns are only one piece. How could one individual be expected to be a technical expert in every piece of the Fertility Patient Marketing Journey?
To put it in perspective for you, Fertility Bridge has a bench of fifteen specialists who all have experience with multiple fertility companies in:
Photography
Cinematography
Conversion copywriting
Development
Graphic design
Editing
Animation
Social media
Marketing automation
SEO
Paid media
For some companies, it makes sense to have one or two of these positions in-house, because their utilization rate is so high. It almost never makes sense to have all of them in-house. The cost is simply too high. Principals often judge their marketer(s) against our firm and that isn’t fair to them because no one person possesses the breadth and depth simultaneously.
To give you an idea of what it takes to manage that many resources, Fertility Bridge employs at least one of each of the following:
Creative Manager- responsible for the quality of the work and the effectiveness of the assets
Project Manager- keeps every last detail on time and on budget
Director of Client Success- accountable for the business goal, plans for what is happening next
Operations Manager- systems for client’s internal operational marketing
Digital Strategist- maximizes the effectiveness of the marketing technology based on the data
At Fertility Bridge, these are full-time, W2 employees. Their livelihoods come from sub-specializing in our subspecialty alone. How could one fertility company be expected to furnish a roster with both depth and breadth? The economies of scale for most simply don’t allow for it. Very few companies in the fertility field have in-house agencies. Some do, and even they need strategic advice from time to time.
SHOULD I FIRE MY FERTILITY MARKETING DIRECTOR?
Now, the next time you say “I have a marketing team”, you can use this resource to define what that means for you. More importantly, you know the outcomes they need to achieve and the wide scope of skills and resources required to achieve them. It’s okay that your marketing people need help. They can still return their value handsomely, even with the additional investment. You can hire internally for any of the roles, or you can outsource any of them. Most fertility companies mix and match depending on their size and goals for growth. You just have to make sure that the resources align with their outcomes. If you have a full marketing team-they need training, leadership, and strategy. If you have a chief marketer, they need strategic advice on very specific points of the marketing system and people to implement them. If you have one person at the director level or lower they need strategy and execution of the areas over which they don’t have the technical expertise.
Maybe your marketing team isn’t capable of achieving the outcome you need, and they need to be dismissed. But don’t go firing your marketing personnel until you properly define their outcomes and give them the resources necessary to achieve them. If outcomes aren’t explicit, each party is left to define them for themselves. That leads to you expecting more revenue and more IVF cycles or sales, when someone else thinks that their tasks are their required outcomes.
Get Fertility Bridge’s help in selecting your marketing personnel, designing their responsibilities and outcomes, or giving them the support they need to achieve them with the Goal and Competitive Diagnostic here.