By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    healthcare cybersecurity
    4 Helpful Tips on How to Protect Your Medical Practice Against Cyber Attacks
    October 24, 2021
    Health Check Diagnosis Medical Condition Analysis Concept
    6 Health Woes With Online Remedies
    January 19, 2022
    Eight Things Men Should Know About the Male Menopause
    Eight Things Men Should Know About the Male Menopause
    April 24, 2022
    Latest News
    Beyond Nutrition: Everyday Foods That Support Whole-Body Health
    June 15, 2025
    The Wide-Ranging Benefits of Magnesium Supplements
    June 11, 2025
    The Best Home Remedies for Migraines
    June 5, 2025
    The Hidden Impact Of Stress On Your Body’s Alignment And Balance
    May 22, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    healthy nursing school habits
    Healthy Habits for Nursing Student Nursing School Students
    May 24, 2024
    High Deductables
    High-Deductible Insurance and Rising Bad Debt
    July 24, 2015
    How People Are Taking Advantage of Health Deals in the Recent Recession
    February 5, 2021
    Latest News
    Top HIPAA-Compliant Messaging Apps for Healthcare Teams
    June 25, 2025
    When Healthcare Ends, the Legal Process Begins: What Families Should Know About Probate and Medical Estates
    June 20, 2025
    Preventing Contamination In Healthcare Facilities Starts With Hygiene
    June 15, 2025
    Strengthening Healthcare Systems Through Clinical and Administrative Career Development
    June 13, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Does the Fear of “Being Sold” Keep You from New Opportunities?
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Business > Does the Fear of “Being Sold” Keep You from New Opportunities?
Business

Does the Fear of “Being Sold” Keep You from New Opportunities?

Stewart Gandolf
Last updated: July 26, 2014 8:00 am
Stewart Gandolf
Share
4 Min Read
risk reward
SHARE

risk rewardI’d like to tell you a story about two insightful, and mirror opposite, conversations that I had with doctors. These two informal chats revealed how basic attitudes can quickly define success or failure in healthcare marketing.

risk rewardI’d like to tell you a story about two insightful, and mirror opposite, conversations that I had with doctors. These two informal chats revealed how basic attitudes can quickly define success or failure in healthcare marketing.

In the first of my true stories, a mutual friend asked me to provide some “pro bono” advice to a struggling clinical trial doctor. Because he said his resources were limited, he was looking for some self-help marketing ideas. I agreed to talk with him and his son over dinner, mainly as a favor. It didn’t go too well.

In the course of the conversation I suggested a number of strategies and tactics that have worked well for others. Regrettably, the doctor’s son—who knew nothing about healthcare marketing—kept challenging me, saying: “I’m skeptical about that.”

More Read

Concierge Medicine – For the Masses or the Elite?
5 Healthcare Industry Issues of 2016
CeQur Develops Diabetes Compliance Device
Healthcare Companies Tap Big Data for Clinical Trials
Capitalize on Better Clinical Trial Design with Improved Clinical Trial Recruitment

It’s reasonable to be uncertain about new ideas, but I came away from our dinner meeting with the clear impression that the doctor (and son) were simply afraid of “being sold.”

There was little or no cost attached to what I had suggested. They were ideas that could have helped their business, and I was only trying to be helpful. Nevertheless, the barrier to progress was a fearful attitude, one that kept them away from new opportunities.

More recently—now, about two years later—I ran into the same doctor at a social event. Perhaps not surprisingly, not much had changed. The practice continued to struggle. This time he is looking to sell the practice, so I offered to help by referring him to some people that I know with that particular area of expertise. I wasn’t “selling” anything; it was simply a helpful offer. But once again, he was afraid to let me help.

A fear of “being sold,” or is it a fear of taking a risk?

The second conversation—completely independent of the forgoing story—was with another doctor. Of course, we were talking about marketing, and how attitudes pave the road to opportunity. As it turns out, this second conversation revealed a lot about the first, and what he said contains a powerful marketing lesson in itself.

“I’ve learned that physicians—surgeons in particular—are risk-adverse in business,” he told me. “In fact, being risk adverse is the number one factor that holds back most doctors and keeps them from being successful. The tough part is having the courage to accept risks in order to reap the rewards in business.”

Unlike the first doctor whose business is still on the sidelines, the second doctor has grown his practice from a humble startup to now having several locations and most recently, his own freestanding Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC).

The contrast in attitudes is a striking lesson in marketing; attitudes build bridges or barriers between you and growth opportunities. We’re not recommending needless buying or unwarranted risk-taking. But in business, doing nothing has a highly predictable, and completely unrewarding, outcome.

Conversely, as William Faulkner put it, “You cannot swim for new horizons until you have courage to lose sight of the shore.” Courage and determination make all the difference.

RELATED READING: See our previous posts: When Doctors Say They Want Marketing (But They Really Don’t) and Trump Wisdom: How Successful Doctors Play to Win.

Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

women dental care
What Is a Smile Makeover and How Much Does It Cost?
Dental health
June 30, 2025
HIPAA-Compliant Messaging Apps
Top HIPAA-Compliant Messaging Apps for Healthcare Teams
Global Healthcare Policy & Law Technology
June 25, 2025
recovering from injury
Rebuilding After Injury: Path to Physical and Emotional Recovery
News
June 22, 2025
scientist using microscope
When Healthcare Ends, the Legal Process Begins: What Families Should Know About Probate and Medical Estates
Global Healthcare
June 18, 2025

You Might also Like

disruptive physician tool kit dike drummond
BusinessHospital Administration

Disruptive Physician Toolkit

March 3, 2013

What Pharma Can Learn From Lego

August 26, 2013
fda regulations
BusinessMedical DevicesPolicy & Law

FDA’s Sham Regulations Impede Medical Innovation

March 2, 2014
Hospital Marketing, Patient Acquisition, Online Marketing
BusinessFinanceHospital Administration

5 Hospital Marketing Strategies to Improve Patient Acquisition

February 15, 2014
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?