{"id":12724,"date":"2014-01-01T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2014-01-01T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.pharma-mkting.com\/uncategorized\/show212\/"},"modified":"2014-01-01T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2014-01-01T00:00:00","slug":"show212","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/ec2-54-175-84-28.compute-1.amazonaws.com\/pharma-mkting.com\/talk\/show212\/","title":{"rendered":"Thinking Outside the (Shoe) Box for Physician Access: How “Complete the Pair” Helps Open Doors"},"content":{"rendered":"

Thinking Outside the (Shoe) Box for Physician Access How “Complete the Pair” Helps Open DoorsPharmaguy interviews Goose Lopez-Torres, Principal & Founder, Complete the Pair, LLC (see Bio<\/a>), about how his company, in conjunction with Soles4Souls – the largest shoe-based charity in existence – can help pharma sales reps or medical science liaisons schedule meetings with physicians.<\/p>\n

Aired LIVE on: Wednesday, February 5, 2014<\/b>

New Business Internet Radio with Pharmaguy<\/a> on BlogTalkRadio<\/p>\n

You also can visit this Pharma Marketing Talk Segment Page<\/b><\/a> and listen to the live show or the archived audio podcast afterward. This show and ALL Pharma Marketing Talk shows are available as podcasts via PMT on iTunes<\/b><\/a> (FREE!). <\/p>\nBackground<\/b><\/p>\n

\"Complete“What Do I Have to Do to Get my Foot in the Door?”<\/b><\/p>\n

Many pharmaceutical sales reps probably ask that question every day. No longer can they offer incentives to physicians such as free trips, pens, and other “tchotchkes” that have no educational value. Free lunches are also becoming problematic. <\/p>\n

What about a shoe like the one shown here?<\/p>\n

That’s just what Goose Lopez-Torres thinks will open doors to physicians without violating gift-giving guidelines and laws that apply to sales rep-physician interactions these days.<\/p>\n

Physicians, of course, probably don’t need a free shoe. One shoe, in any case, is useless. To be useful, you need the other shoe of the pair and that’s where Complete the Pair comes in.<\/p>\n

In 2009, Goose Lopez-Torres was a successful packaging salesperson in Orlando, FL who had all but given up on two very large potential clients. He attempted one last-ditch, \u201coutside the box\u201d effort: buy a pair of name brand sneakers and have his engineers create innovative, vibrant packaging to hold one single shoe. A letter was included with each shoe to introduce himself, his company and ask the question \u201cWhat do I have to do to get my foot in the door?\u201d Packages would go out via UPS and once delivery was confirmed, Goose would call each buyer and hope to book the prized meeting.<\/p>\n

However, Goose quickly realized his marketing pitch was wasting a life-changing pair of shoes to someone in need. Instead, he began drafting what would eventually become the business model for Complete the Pair. Each pair of shoes would still be split up into two separate packages and mailed out with the message “Let’s meet and complete the pair to help those in need.” Once the pairs were “completed,” they would be sent back to his facility and distributed to the feet of those lacking footwear in developing countries.<\/p>\n

Goose still needed the help of an outside organization to manage and distribute the “completed pairs.” He decided to approach “Soles4Souls,” the largest shoe charity in the world.<\/p>\n

Admittedly, shoes have no educational value for patients. But the physician does not keep the shoes for his or her patients. They are donated to charity. That’s the incentive that Complete the Pair hopes will motivate physicians to agree to meetings with sales reps and\/or medical science liaisons.<\/p>\n

Questions\/Topics of Discussion<\/b> <\/p>\n