Trust First, Sell Second: How to Win HCP Attention
Winning HCP attention isn’t about shouting louder. If it were, pharma would already be crushing it. Clinicians are exhausted, overloaded, and filtering out promotional noise like experts.
55% HCPs report high emotional exhaustion
70% HCPs feel pharma does not understand them
62% HCPs are fatigued by pharma product promotion
Refs: BMJ study; Indegene survey
So no, the answer isn’t “more content,” “more segmentation,” or “more AI-powered personalisation engines that still send everyone the same email.” You’ve tried that. And the numbers explain why it didn’t work.
If you want HCPs to act on your content, you need to fix the trust gap first.
Why Trust Isn’t Optional Anymore 🤝
During their session, Trust First, Sell Second: How to Win HCP Attention at Next Pharma CX 2025, Dan Buckland (Brandcast Health) and Tom Vaughton (Varn Health) made one key point:
Stop thinking like a brand manager. Start thinking like a publisher.
HCPs aren’t waiting for your emails – they’re focused on treating patients, solving problems, and finding reliable answers fast.
Here’s what pharma is overlooking:
📊 52% of HCPs already use AI search tools professionally
📊 68% of HCPs under 45 say AI is becoming part of their workflow
Ref: November 2025 – The Rise Of AI, Voice and Image Search Among Healthcare Professionals, Varn Health; Beacon
HCPs are already moving to search engines and AI to get unfiltered answers.
If your content isn’t there? You’re invisible.
If it’s there but poorly structured? AI won’t show it.
If you’re not analysing what HCPs actually search for? You’re guessing (and they can tell).
Trust is built by showing up with clarity, evidence, and relevance – at the exact moment the question exists.
What Trust-Based Marketing Looks Like
It’s simple:
🔎 Understand real HCP challenges, not assumptions
📚 Answer the questions HCPs are actually asking
✅ Be transparent with product data
📈 Show up when clinicians are searching- not when you feel like pushing
Do this consistently and you’ll see three outcomes:
⭐️ Credibility with your audience
💬 Increased HCP engagement
🧠 Data and insights landing with impact
Effective. Authentic. Worth it.
Our Access to Exclusive Resources:
Whether you joined live or are catching up later, signing up below gives you:
📊 Varn Health research on how HCPs really use AI search – know what they’re looking for and where your content is missing
🛠️ Practical implementation guide + checklist to put trust-based marketing into action immediately
🎥 On-demand keynote recording – we’ll send it to you as soon as it’s ready
Get Access Now 👇🏻
Sign Up to Win HCP Attention and Build Long-Term Trust
