Planning a meeting for the pharmaceutical industry takes acute attention to detail. A passion for logic. An ability to work numbers and finesse formulas. As important as these skills are, the real secret to success is decidedly more intuitive: It’s about the power of human connection.
That’s what Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants found out as it embarked on a mission to forge deeper connections with pharmaceutical meeting and event planners. Its guidepost turned out to be two simple words that have become the brand’s unofficial mantra: Stay human.
It’s a simple expression of the thoughtfulness and care that Kimpton gives to the human spirit. And it’s shared by pharmaceutical and life science companies in the meaningful work they do every day. It’s all about the relationship-first approach that Kimpton sellers swear by.
Just ask Ryan Sullivan, HMCC and senior sales manager at the Kimpton Hotel Palomar in Philadelphia. He focuses on the individual first, not just the checklist. “’Stay human’ is all about relating to one another,” he says. “Putting yourself in another person’s shoes is huge in this process. I always like to establish a connection with clients and make it memorable, not just a business transaction.”
Make It Personal
The more personal your dialogue with clients is, the more customized, meaningful, and authentic your meetings can be.
Ashley Herkey, HMCC and sales manager of the Kimpton Gray Hotel in Chicago, says, “I wanted to better understand the unique world of health care. The more I know, the better I can anticipate and accommodate my clients' needs, as well as prepare my team to do the same.”
Executing a great meeting is one thing. It’s another thing to truly understand and anticipate the client’s needs on a personal level. Staying human and forging those personal connections allows Kimpton sales managers like Melissa Davick, HMCC, to make an even bigger impact. Davick shares, “One of my meeting planners had two French bulldogs. I found pillows that looked like her two puppies and had them in her room upon arrival. She loved it! And the personal connection I had with her made her feel more at home.”
Stay Human
While unique amenities and personal touches inspire pharmaceutical clients, the feeling their work leaves on meeting planners is just as notable. “It’s awesome that we get to work with companies that do life-changing work,” says Sarah Kirchoff, HMCC and senior sales manager of the Kimpton Hotel Palomar San Diego. “These are the people creating medicine and devices that change our lives, and being part of that mission is so fulfilling.”
It all comes down to chemistry. When you find it, nurture it. Grow it. And never release the core human elements that made it all work in the first place: mutual respect, genuine curiosity, and the continual desire to connect in a meaningful way.
There’s no limit to things you can achieve when you put your minds and hearts together.
