Embrace the virtue of humility: Put the people you serve ahead of yourself
Confession
Healthcare organizations have a lot to be proud of.
They employ extraordinary physicians. They invest in research that changes lives and in technology that allows clinicians to do things that would have seemed impossible a generation ago. They earn rankings and awards because people across their organizations have done very difficult things very well. So, of course, we want to talk about it, but this is a little like looking through the wrong end of the telescope. Everything that should be very much in focus looks incredibly far away.
I understand the temptation, and it works to some degree in a lot of industries where reputation is the brand. I’m sure you can think of some immediately, just the name implies luxury or excellence. But in healthcare the person we’re trying to reach didn’t come to us hoping to hear our résumé. They have questions of their own.
Will you listen to me? Will I receive good care? Can I afford it? Will my insurance cover it? What happens next?
If our answer begins with everything that makes us impressive, we’re subtly conveying that we are more important than they are.
Virtue
The opposite of pride is humility. For healthcare marketers, I’d define humility very simply: thinking of those we serve ahead of ourselves.
That doesn’t mean hiding your expertise. It doesn’t mean taking the awards off the shelf, pretending your physicians aren’t exceptional or refusing to talk about research, technology, and outcomes. It does mean putting those things in their proper place.
If I were trying to earn your trust in a conversation, I wouldn’t begin by listing my achievements. I’d listen. I’d try to understand what matters to you. I’d meet you where you are. Then, perhaps, I’d have earned the opportunity for a deeper conversation.
Our research consistently reminds us that patients don’t necessarily prioritize the things healthcare organizations most like to advertise. Rankings, for example, matter far less in hospital choice than many marketers assume. People care deeply about the quality of their care, certainly. But they also care about having confidence in the people treating them, how they’ll be treated and the practical realities of receiving care.
Humility asks us to start there.
Repentance
The good news is that you don’t have to throw away all those wonderful proof points. You just have to make them work a little differently.
Take a nationally ranked cancer program. “Nationally ranked” tells me something about you. Access to a clinical trial I couldn’t get elsewhere tells me something about what your ranking could mean for me.
“Advanced orthopedic expertise” is a claim. Helping me understand that your experience may mean a faster recovery and getting back to the things I love gives that expertise a purpose.
The same applies to research, technology, awards, and credentials. They can all be powerful evidence, but evidence needs to prove something the audience actually cares about.
There’s another benefit to approaching the work this way. It forces us to become more curious about the people we’re trying to reach.
What are they experiencing? What are they worried about? What might be keeping them from seeking care? What would make them feel more confident? What information would actually be helpful right now?
We have plenty of ways to find out. We have research, journey mapping, social listening, and feedback from patients and families. We can talk to our colleagues who interact with patients every day. And, occasionally, we can rely on good old-fashioned human instinct.
Start there, and something interesting happens. Your expertise becomes more relevant.
The nationally ranked program, brilliant physician, or advanced technology enters the story at precisely the point where it can help someone understand what is possible for them.
That’s giving excellence a reason to matter.
One small act
Before you approve your next piece of healthcare marketing, count the pronouns.
How many times do you say we, our, or the name of your organization compared to the number of times you say you or your?
It isn’t a scientific measure, and I’m certainly not suggesting we establish a new healthcare marketing KPI called the Pronoun Humility Index. But it’s a useful little diagnostic.
If “we” is winning by a landslide, ask yourself if you’re talking about what matters to the people you serve.
Take a deeper look at how Pride shows up in healthcare marketing and how to embrace Humility.
This post is part of a series “The seven deadly sins of healthcare marketing (and how to repent before your audience abandons you).”
