Communicating the Deal: Ten Rules for Successful Healthcare M&A (Part One)

The Campaign StrategyRules 1-5

2

• First Five Rules of Hospital M&A• Theme: The Campaign Strategy– Get Smart. Stay Smart. Be a “Reporter.”– Be Transparent– Think Like the Opposition– Be Nimble– Don’t Dance to Someone Else’s Music

• Must commit to these before getting tactical

3

• Your Role: Be a Reporter• Perspectives that matter:– Finance– Clinical– Operational– Political– Community– Regulators– Competitors

• The Goal: One Team. One Strategy.

4

• What is the vision for the partnership?

• What is the transaction process?• What are the terms of the

transaction?• How will the news be received?• Will there be resistance?• What happens to employee

jobs/benefits?• What communications vehicles

will be best received?

5

• Partnership team must commit to transparency:– Among the Campaign Team–With the public

• It’s about telling the right information at the right time

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• The benefits of transparency:– Set the stage– Establish trust– Engage– Quiet competitors– Stay in control

7

• Sources of opposition– Internal• Staff who is fearful• Physicians seeking

control

– External• Competition hungry for

market share• Politician eager to lead

on the issue

8

• Develop a plan for each potential opposition source:–What will their

messages be?– How will they act?–Who will they work

hardest to influence?– How are they likely to

be most effective?

9

• Opposition is not a matter of “if” – it’s a matter of when and from where?

• Don’t be tone deaf• Don’t live for every “if-

then” scenario• Shift tactics, but don’t

stray from the message• Listening is your best

tool

10

• Challenges and criticisms should not dictate what you say, and how and when you say it

• Be proactive, not reactive• Keep everyday campaigns

going• Fill the communications

vacuum – Before opposition can– Even if your update isn’t really

an update at all