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The Profit Vault June 2025
Forget the Doctor, Win Over the Gatekeeper
Pharmacies That Win Referrals Know This One Secret
Let’s get one thing straight: The most profitable patients will not magically walk into your pharmacy just because you have a snazzy logo. If you want to grow thoughtfully, profitably, and sustainably, you must get serious about marketing, especially the kind that builds actual relationships. And one of the best ways to do that? Doctor detailing. Before you cringe and imagine yourself schlepping brochures like a pharma rep from 2004, stick with me, because the way independent pharmacy owners should be marketing to prescribers looks nothing like that. In our membership course, “How to Market to Doctors,” I break this whole thing down into a simple, repeatable system. But since we’re talking all things marketing this edition, I want to highlight the top five mistakes I see pharmacy owners make when trying to market to doctors, and the first one they trip over again and again is forgetting the front office staff . LET’S TALK ABOUT THE REAL DECISION-MAKERS I can’t count the number of times I’ve heard a pharmacy owner say, “I went to drop off materials at a doctor’s office, but they wouldn’t let me back
to see the physician.” And I always ask, “Well … did you try talking to the person who actually runs the place?” Because guess what? That front desk team — the medical assistants and nurses — they’re the ones who get stuff done. They’re the gatekeepers. They’re the first ( and sometimes last ) line of defense. If you walk in like you’re too important to talk to them, they will shut you down before you even get started. Let me put it plainly: If you treat the front office like a pit stop on the way to the “real” relationship, you’re already losing. STOP LEADING WITH ‘CAN I TALK TO THE DOCTOR?’ Nothing flips the gatekeeping switch faster than walking in and immediately asking for Dr. So-and-So. It’s the equivalent of trying to skip the line at the coffee shop and expecting a free muffin while you’re at it. The staff will see you as someone who doesn’t respect their role, and trust me, that’s a label you do not want in a clinic. When they’re annoyed? You don’t get in. When they like you? Suddenly it’s “Oh hey, come on back, let me introduce you to Dr. Miller and Nurse Practitioner Clark.”
The front office staff decides who gets to go back to see the doc. They determine what pharmacy the patient hears about. Want to stand out? Walk in and say, “Actually, I’m here to see you.” Ask them questions. Get to know their pain points. Find out how you can make their lives easier. It works. Every. Single. Time.
Ask:
• “What could make your day
easier when you’re dealing with pharmacies?”
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Stop Wasting Your Marketing Budget on Bagels
Bringing Lunch Won’t Make Them Remember You
You’re not a drug rep. You’re a health care provider. You’re a pharmacy owner who cares about your patients, and if you’re showing up to doctors’ offices with boxes of overpriced pastries like you’re pitching the next million-dollar med, we need to talk. In the cover article, we dug into the No. 1 mistake pharmacy owners make when doctor detailing: Overlooking front office staff. If you missed it, go back and read it. Because if you’re skipping over the front desk and trying to beeline to the doctor with a box of doughnuts, you’re not only missing the point, but you’re also making the same expensive mistake so many pharmacy owners do, which leads us to mistake No. 2 … DITCH THE FREE FOOD MYTH. Somewhere along the way, the idea of marketing to doctors got tangled up in the outdated concept that if you bring food, they’ll let you talk to the doc. But you’re not big-time pharma, and you definitely don’t have a $5 billion budget. Feeding entire doctor’s offices can cost hundreds of dollars. Plus, what happens after the bagels are gone? You’re forgotten before the cream cheese hits the trash can. I get it. People want to bring something when they visit. That’s smart! But here’s Mistake No. 2: Bringing the wrong things . FOOD GETS EATEN, BUT USEFUL THINGS STICK. Here’s my take: Bring something practical, something branded, something that reminds them of your pharmacy every time they use it. Think clipboard with your logo, highlighters, sticky notes, hot/cold packs, or even custom OTC items like acetaminophen or ibuprofen. One of the best moves I ever made was slapping our pharmacy info on those jumbo bottles of OTC meds and dropping them off at the office. And guess what? Every time a nurse grabbed a Tylenol for a headache or sore feet, they saw our name. Again. And again. And again. That’s visibility. That’s marketing that works. YOU’RE NOT PHARMA — STOP ACTING LIKE IT. Here’s the deal: When a doctor’s office says, “Sure, we’ll meet with you … just bring lunch,” it’s tempting to play along. But don’t. You’re not a rep from a pharmaceutical giant trying to push a
product. You’re their partner in patient care. So, push back and say something like: “I’m part of the health care team, too. I’m not here to pitch anything. I just want to build a relationship with you and your staff.” And if you’ve already done the groundwork of getting to know the front office staff, 9 times out of 10, you’ll never even hear that request. LET YOUR BRAND DO THE TALKING. If you’re going to spend money on anything, make it count. I recommend checking out Promo Suns (PromoSuns.com) — they’ve got great pricing on customizable, pharmacy-friendly items that actually align with your mission, so you can offer branded products that last. The point is that when you leave something behind, let it tell a story. A box of doughnuts says “free snack.” A branded clipboard says, “This pharmacy is part of your team.” SAVE THE SUGAR FOR SPECIAL OCCASIONS. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not anti-candy. A little Valentine’s Day treat or Halloween goodie bag? Sure, go for it. It’s festive. It’s fun. But if you’re showing up with a sugar bomb every week, you’re not being remembered; you’re being tolerated. Consistency matters, but congruence matters more. You want your presence to make sense. You’re a pharmacy. Act like one. THINK BEYOND THE BAGELS. So, next time you’re heading out to visit a doctor’s office, ask yourself: What am I really bringing to the table? Is it something that gets tossed in 20 minutes? Or does it reinforce your value, support their staff, and keep your name in front of them, all without breaking your budget?
Make it meaningful. Make it useful. Make it you.
Next up, we’ll tackle Mistake No. 3: spending money on large ( often ignored ) flyers. Let’s change how independent pharmacies market — and let’s start by ditching the doughnuts.
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The Marketing Swap That Actually Works Why Flyers Flop and Bounce-Back Coupons Deliver
FLYERS ARE A FLOP. Early in my pharmacy ownership days, I thought I was crushing it by walking into doctors’ offices with a stack of full-size flyers about our services: bold colors, strong headlines, the whole shebang. I’d smile, hand them over with confidence … and then never hear a peep. Later, after building real relationships with various doctors’ offices, I asked a physician how effective those flyers are for pharmacy owners. Just as any doctor would, he didn’t hold any punches. He casually told me, “We toss those flyers in the trash as soon as they leave.” Ouch. But it was honest and extremely helpful. Here’s the truth: Most doctors’ offices are busy, crowded, and strapped for counter space. Flyers take up room, get knocked over, scatter, and frankly, look like junk
Here’s the hard truth, pharmacy friends: Those full-page flyers you’re dropping off at doctors’ offices? They’re probably going straight into the trash . I know because I used to do the same thing, walking in with my proud stack of perfectly designed flyers, thinking I was marketing like a pro. Turns out, I was just feeding the recycling bin. We’ve already talked about why front office staff should be your best friends and why showing up with doughnuts doesn’t build long-term relationships. Now, let’s talk about Mistake No. 3 — one we’ve all made more times than we might like to admit. We’re digging into one of the sneakiest budget-wasters in pharmacy marketing, and I’m here to show you a smarter, more effective, and way more practical alternative that actually gets results.
mail. And even if they do make it to the front desk, what are the odds that patients are going to stop, pick one up, and actually take action? Spoiler: The odds aren’t great. WHAT DOES WORK? BOUNCE- BACK COUPONS. Enter the bounce-back coupon. If you’re not using these already, you’re missing a golden opportunity. These handy little marketing tools are about a third of the size of a traditional flyer ( think perfectly prescription pad-size ) and can be stuck to a glue pad just like sticky notes. Doctors, nurses, and staff can just tear one off, hand it to a patient, and boom: It’s useful, simple, and tied to an actual call to action. They’re incredibly effective because they’re easy to distribute, take up very little space,
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TAKE A BREAK
ADVENTURE BAREFOOT FATHER GEMINI HIKING JUNETEENTH
PARK PICNIC PRIDE
SANDALS SUNBURN VOLUNTEER
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ASK BEFORE YOU OFFER Turn Doctor Visits Into Gold by Asking Better Questions
BE CURIOUS, NOT CONVINCING. So, how do you avoid Mistake No. 4? You ask questions. Good ones. Ask what they like — and don’t like — about working with pharmacies. Ask what causes bottlenecks in their office. Ask if there’s anything your team could do better to support theirs. And then, here’s the kicker: Listen . Don’t interrupt. Don’t pivot too fast to “here’s what we can do.” Let them talk. Let them be heard. I once had a major clinic in town complain about always getting stuck on hold when they called pharmacies. Their frustration was valid. So, what did we do? We installed a private, direct line just for that office. They now get instant access to our pharmacy team, and guess what?
You’ve done the hard work. You got past the front office staff. You’ve scheduled a meeting. You’re finally face-to-face with the doctor you’ve been trying to connect with. And what do most pharmacy owners do at this golden moment? They talk — a lot. They rattle off a laundry list of services, mention how much their patients love them, and brag about their fast delivery and caring staff … all before the doctor can get a word in . And that is Mistake No. 4 in our top five doctor detailing blunders: not taking the time to understand the doctor’s actual needs . STOP SELLING, START SOLVING. Let’s make one thing crystal clear: You’re not there to pitch a product. You’re there to build a relationship. And relationships are built on trust and understanding, not one-sided sales spiels.
When you walk into a practice, you need to approach it like
Sherlock Holmes. That’s when it’s time to activate “ detective mode. ” You’re looking for clues, asking questions, listening carefully, and
They send us more business than ever.
We wouldn’t have come up with that idea
piecing together the real picture of what the doctor and their staff struggle with on a daily basis.
if we hadn’t asked the right questions and listened for the real pain point.
YOUR SUPERPOWER? TAILORED SOLUTIONS. The beauty of being an independent pharmacy is that you can actually do things big-box chains can’t. You can adapt. You can offer flexible services. But only if you know what your prescribers actually need. So, before you walk into your next doctor’s office with your “menu of services,” take a step back. Go in with curiosity. Be the solution- finder, not the service-seller. Doctor detailing isn’t about pushing but positioning yourself as an essential ally. And allies ask. They dig deep. They solve. And when you do that? The real referrals start to roll in .
Your job? Solve a problem, and whatever you do, do not deliver a monologue . PRESENT SOLUTIONS AFTER INVESTIGATING THE PROBLEM
The reason this mistake stings so much is that it’s often well- intentioned. You’re excited. You believe in your pharmacy (and you should!). But when you lead with a list of services instead of empathy, it falls flat. Why? Because you’re presenting a solution to a problem you haven’t taken the time to identify. The doctor doesn’t care how fast you deliver if their biggest gripe is poor communication. It’s like handing out umbrellas in the middle of a drought.
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Build Your Business Muscles
To Protect Your Credit Score
Building a business can mean long hours spent growing sales, putting out fires, and driving ideas to fruition. Checking your business credit score might not be the first thing that comes to mind as you start your work day, but it can make a significant difference in your ability to accomplish all those other goals. A lack of proven creditworthiness will inflate your borrowing costs and insurance premiums and harm your ability to attract strong business partners and vendors. Here are three common oversights that can put a serious dent in your business credit score and tips on avoiding them. FAILING TO MONITOR YOUR CREDIT Check your score frequently with each of the three business credit rating agencies — Dun & Bradstreet, Equifax, and Experian. Look at what is included in your score, whether your business information is up to date, and whether your creditworthiness is weak in any areas. These agencies and other credit reporting agencies can monitor your score and ping you if it changes, alerting you to identity theft or other fraud before your losses mount. Free credit monitoring is available, but you’ll pay a small fee to get a complete look at your score. Every time you check, verify your business’s revenue figures and industry classification. Errors in these areas can hurt your ability to borrow. If your credit report misclassifies you as a “real
estate investment firm” rather than a real estate broker, for example, lenders and other businesses will deem you a riskier business partner. Additionally, mixups happen more easily with business credit scores than personal ones because identifying information is indexed only to your business name and address. If your DBA is similar to another company’s, your business might be confused with theirs, and their financial management mistakes may end up on your report. Build a regular credit report review into your monthly routine to avoid these risks. SLOW-PAYING YOUR BILLS The clock runs faster on business credit than on personal loans. While consumer debt typically isn’t treated as late until 30 days after invoicing, business debt payments are considered “late” if only one day overdue. If your uniform vendor’s payment terms are net 15 days and you pay on Day 16, your payment is late — and dings your credit score. Your payment history determines Dun & Bradstreet’s Paydex score and is vendors’ primary information source. If you pay your bills on their due date, you will earn a Paydex score of 80 on a scale of 100. To get closer to 100, you must pay before the due date! FAILING TO ESTABLISH A BUSINESS CREDIT SCORE Maxxing out your personal credit card is a common but ill- advised strategy when starting a business. Not only will you dent your personal credit score, but your business will launch on a weak financial footing. When you launch, open a business credit card, and pay attention to the factors that determine your score. On average, a company uses 10 times more credit than a consumer and can typically access at least that much additional credit. Even if you don’t need a large credit line at the outset, you might need more capital in the future to accelerate your growth. To establish business credit, register for a Dun & Bradstreet Data University Numbering System or D-U-N-S number, a unique nine-digit identification number. You will receive your number within 30 days free of charge or within eight days if you pay a small fee. Your payment history, the age of your business credit accounts, and the size of your debt affect your score, ranging from 1 to 100. Trade credit, or the time-payment plans suppliers extend, also shows your creditworthiness. Following these basic rules can help you demonstrate your trustworthiness to prospective business partners and lenders, expanding your options as a business owner and opening more opportunities!
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... continued from Cover
THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING We’re covering the rest of the most common mistakes pharmacy owners make when doctor detailing throughout this month’s newsletter, but I wanted to start here, with the relationship most people overlook. Because the truth is that the best doctor marketing plans don’t start with the doctor. It starts at the front desk. If you get this right, you’ll stand out in a way mail- order pharmacies and giant chains simply can’t compete with. If you’re a member, make sure to dive into the full How to Market to Doctors course inside your portal. We go deep on building genuine, lasting relationships that drive profit, trust, and loyalty. Because when you start marketing like a health
• “Are there pain points in our process we should fix?” • “What do you wish more pharmacies would do for your patients?”
Suddenly, you’re not a salesperson. You’re a solution.
REMEMBER: YOU’RE PART OF THE HEALTH CARE TEAM.
One of the biggest reasons pharmacy owners feel awkward about doctor marketing is that they feel like they’re bothering people. They feel like a drug rep walking in with a briefcase full of samples. But you’re not a rep — you’re a provider. You help their patients stay healthy. You prevent med errors. You’re part of the same mission. When you come in with that mindset and approach the whole office, not just the white coat in the back, everything changes. DOCTOR DETAILING IS PRACTICALLY DATING Doctor detailing isn’t about storming in with a pitch. It’s about building relationships, and that takes time . Just like dating, every relationship is different. Some offices need a little more hand-holding. Others just want to know you exist and will call when they need you. The trick is to build a real relationship based on trust, value, and, yes, a little charm.
care professional, not a salesperson, the right patients, prescribers, and partners start showing up for your business.
And it all starts with one hello at the front desk.
HAVE A LAUGH
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Why You Need to Shut Up and Listen DOCTOR DETAILING ISN’T A MONOLOGUE — IT’S A CONVERSATION
You’ve already heard the heavy hitters when it comes to the top five mistakes owners make when marketing to doctors. We’ve talked about failing to connect with front office staff, bringing food and the wrong leave-behinds, and leading with generic sales pitches instead of real solutions. But this final mistake? It might be the most damaging and the most overlooked. MISTAKE NO. 5: YOU’RE TALKING TOO MUCH. Let’s call it what it is: word vomit . It usually happens when you’re nervous or eager to impress. You walk into a doctor’s office and start rattling off everything great about your pharmacy, like your delivery service, compounding options, and immunizations. You leave the office thinking, “Wow, I really nailed that visit.” But the truth? You never gave the other person a chance to speak. That’s not a conversation. That’s a monologue. And it’s doing more harm than good. TALKING DOESN’T SELL. LISTENING DOES. Think about it like this: If you were on a date and the other person talked the entire time, would you feel connected? Probably not. The same applies here. Doctor detailing is about building a relationship. And relationships are built on two-way communication. The next time you visit a clinic, ask yourself: How much of this conversation did I dominate? How much did they talk? If you take up more than half the time, it’s time to recalibrate. The most effective communicators ask smart questions. They listen actively. They observe. They uncover needs you can likely address in meaningful, specific ways. HERE’S AN EXAMPLE WORTH HIGHLIGHTING. Years ago, when I ran a pharmacy in New York, my mother helped with marketing. She wasn’t a polished salesperson, but she was the best marketer I’ve ever had because of one exceptional trait: She’s the nosiest person on the planet (aka an exceptional listener)! One day, she was waiting at the front desk of a doctor’s office and simply observed. She overheard the staff complaining they could never find a highlighter. The next day, she brought a mega-pack of highlighters, nothing flashy or expensive, but it was thoughtful, timely, and unforgettable. That small act floored the office staff and built real trust because it showed she paid attention. LISTENING IS A SKILL YOU CAN LEARN. If you’re serious about elevating your communication game, then here’s your next move: Attend our 2026 Pharmacy
Marketing Summit in Dallas. One of our featured speakers, Bradley James Davies, is a nationally renowned expert in the art of professional listening. You’re going to want to hear his talk, titled: “Next-Level Listening: How to Make More Money, Improve Relationships, Lead Teams to New Heights, and Save Democracy — All by the End of Business on Monday” Listening isn’t a passive activity. It’s a skill that can be trained, honed, and mastered. When you learn to listen at a deeper level, you don’t just hear what someone says. You understand what they need. And that’s where real influence begins.
Scan the QR code or head to your membership dashboard to get your 2026 Summit tickets today! In the meantime, challenge yourself. On your next doctor visit, say less. Listen more. Take note of what matters to the office staff and prescribers. Because the more you listen, the more doors you open.
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417 Ravenaux Dr. Southlake, TX 76092
561-379-7750 DiversifyRx.com
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
1
Doctor Detailing Isn’t About Pitching — It’s About People
2 3 4 5
Doughnuts Don’t Build Referrals — But This Does
The Print Marketing Mistake That’s Costing You Referrals
Ditch the Pitch and Discover the Pain Points
3 Mistakes to Avoid When Building a Business Credit Score
7
The One Skill That Could Change Your Entire Business
... continued from Page 3
desk, not the waiting area — the exam room. This is where patients actually noticed them. They picked them up, asked questions, and came in. Why? In those quiet moments when waiting for a doctor, people actually look around the room. When they’re down, casually looking at the exam room artwork, they’ll see some enticing money-saving coupons. Your bounce-back coupon becomes more than just a promo — it’s a conversation starter. It’s a foot in the door. And it didn’t cost me hundreds of dollars in food or a box of flyers destined for the recycling bin. GET THE TOOLS TO DO IT RIGHT. If you’re a Basic Member, you’ve already got access to downloadable, editable bounce-back templates. And if you’re an Essentials Member or higher, we’ll custom-design them for you at no extra cost. No more guessing what works. No more marketing materials that go straight into the trash. Just simple, effective tools that actually help you grow. So, skip the flyer stack next time you’re planning a doctor visit. Grab a bounce-back coupon pad instead and watch what happens.
and give people an immediate reason to engage with your pharmacy. Plus, when branded well, they keep your name top of mind without cluttering the front desk. PRO TIP: PUT THEM WHERE PATIENTS WAIT. Once I had a solid relationship with an office, I asked if I could put a bounce-back pad in each exam room — not the front
Want us to help you get started? Just ask. We’ve got your back.
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