To book meetings with hospitals, reach the clinical champion and the procurement contact separately, call around theatre and clinic schedules, and respect the purchasing route. Public hospitals usually buy through state health procurement and contracts, so a clinical champion still matters. Private hospitals and day surgeries decide closer to the site, so meetings there are often quicker to book.
A note on our role: Nousu books meetings and runs calling. We are not field reps, our callers make no therapeutic or clinical claims, do not promote prescription medicines, and your team runs the product conversation.
Who actually makes the decision when you book meetings with hospitals?
No single person. A hospital purchase usually needs a clinical champion who wants the product, a procurement contact who controls how it can be bought, and a manager or committee who approves it.
| Role | What they own | How to reach them |
|---|---|---|
| Department heads and clinical leads | The clinical need and whether an evaluation is worth running | Through the department secretary, at a time they suggest |
| Nurse unit and theatre managers | Workflow fit, staff time and coordinating evaluations | Through the ward clerk or theatre reception, outside lists and handovers |
| Procurement and supply managers | Supplier approval, contract routes and tender requirements | Through the switchboard, then a booked callback |
| Private hospital and day surgery general managers | Site budget, priorities and operational fit | Direct, outside management meetings and theatre peaks |
Public hospitals usually buy through state health procurement arrangements and contracts, so procurement controls the route. The clinical champion still matters, because they are often why a product gets evaluated.
Private hospitals and day surgeries decide closer to the site, with the general manager, the theatre manager and any group procurement team involved.
When is the best time to call hospital buyers?
Mid-morning and early afternoon, away from theatre lists, ward rounds and shift handovers. For clinical staff, a booked callback beats any cold timing.
- Theatre managers: ask theatre reception when the manager usually does admin, and call then.
- Clinical leads: the department secretary knows their week better than any calling plan.
- Procurement: in our experience, hardest to reach near tender deadlines and financial year end.
Avoid lunch and Friday afternoons. Telemarketing calls can't start before 9am, so a clinician who likes early mornings gets a booked callback from 9am. Our guide to the best time to cold call in Australia covers the general windows and legal hours.
How do you get past the hospital switchboard?
Ask for a department, not a name you can't spell, and give your name, company and reason in the first sentence.
"Hi, it's (your name) from (your company). I'm calling about (product category) for the (department). Could you put me through to the department secretary or the nurse unit manager?"
To the department secretary: "I'd like to book a short meeting with (name) about how the unit handles (workflow). When does (name) usually do admin, so I can call then?"
To theatre reception: "I know lists are running, so I won't hold you up. Who coordinates product evaluations for theatres, and when is the best time to reach them?"
To procurement: "I'm not asking to get around any process. How is (category) purchased here at the moment, and who in procurement looks after it?"
Callers must say who they are, who the call is for and why at the start of every telemarketing call. More scripts are in our guide to getting past the gatekeeper.
What opener works with hospital buyers?
Name the unit's workflow, not your product. For a theatre manager:
"Hi Jordan, it's Alex from (your company). I'm calling because we work with theatre teams on (workflow, for example instrument tracking between lists). I'm not calling to discuss clinical use; our product specialist would cover that. Is turnaround between lists something you're working on this year?"
Theatre managers hear from reps all week, so the line that earns a second sentence is the one about their turnaround, not your device. Saying up front that clinical questions go to your specialist also shows you know where the boundary sits.
What objections will you hear from hospitals?
Mostly process and timing. Treat each as information about the purchasing route.
| Objection | What it really means | Response |
|---|---|---|
| "We're locked into a contract." | The route is fixed for now. | "Understood. When is it reviewed, and who's involved? A short meeting before then gives your team options." |
| "Send me some information." | Unsure it's relevant, or busy. | "Happy to. Is it more (workflow A) or (workflow B) for you, and is this the best email?" |
| "Go through procurement." | The clinician won't be seen bypassing process. | "Of course. Would a short conversation first help you tell procurement what you need?" |
| "We're in the middle of a tender." | Supplier contact may be restricted. | "Thanks, we'll respect that. When it closes, who should I speak to?" |
If a tender is open, follow the hospital's rules on supplier contact.
How do you follow up a "not now" from a hospital?
Treat it as a date to find, not a rejection: a hospital "not now" usually means a contract, a tender or a budget cycle is in the way. Agree a callback, ask permission to email, then run two weeks of light touches.
- Same day, email: what the meeting would cover and a suggested time.
- Next working day, LinkedIn: connect with department heads and procurement leads, who use it more than ward-based staff.
- Middle of week one, phone: call at the agreed time; leave a voicemail with your name, company, reason and number.
- End of week one, phone: check timing with the department secretary or ward clerk.
- Early in week two, email: one useful item your product team has approved.
- End of week two, phone: last call. If it's still "not now", log the reason and book a callback for the review date.
Follow-up emails must meet the Spam Act 2003: consent, a clear sender and a working unsubscribe. Our Australian cold calling laws guide covers calling hours and the Do Not Call Register. This is general information, not legal advice.
What counts as a qualified meeting with a hospital?
A meeting with the person who owns the need or the purchasing route, with a stated problem, a sense of timing and agreement that your rep runs the product conversation. Check that the site is in your territory, the attendee is a champion, unit manager, procurement lead or general manager, you know the likely purchasing route, and the date and attendees are confirmed in writing. Our guide on how an outbound agency defines a qualified meeting has a template.
Should you book meetings with hospitals in-house or outsource it?
In-house if your reps have real time to prospect between field days; outsource if they don't.
| Option | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| In-house | Reps know the product and often the clinicians; full control | Field reps rarely have time for persistent calling; prospecting stops when they get busy |
| Outsourced | Daily calling that doesn't depend on rep diaries; callers practised with switchboards; reps get booked meetings with notes | Callers won't answer clinical questions, by design; needs a clear brief, fast handover and a minimum term |
See how we work with medical device teams and our pricing.
How does Nousu compare?
Nousu Collective's senior callers all work in-house in Sydney. We map clinical and procurement buyers, work switchboards and book meetings for your reps, each with a handover brief. Pricing starts at $7,000 a month (ex GST), with the exact fee quoted after a 30-minute call. The initial term is 3 months, then rolling monthly, and first calls are 2 weeks from sign-off. Most campaigns book about 8 qualified meetings a month once running, within a range of 6 to 20, and from month two an agreed meeting floor applies, with a credit for every meeting short. Across our calling, 50% of phone-booked meetings became sales opportunities.
Frequently asked questions
How do medical device companies get meetings with hospitals? By reaching the clinical champion and the procurement contact as separate conversations, and calling around theatre lists, ward rounds and handovers. Ask the switchboard for the department, give your name, company and reason in the first sentence, and use booked callbacks for clinical staff. Let your reps run the product conversation.
Who makes purchasing decisions in Australian public hospitals? Public hospitals usually buy through state health procurement arrangements and contracts, so procurement controls the route. Clinicians still matter: a clinical champion is often why a product gets evaluated or specified. Department heads, unit managers and biomedical engineering may all be involved before anything is approved.
Can you call a hospital during a tender? Follow the hospital's rules. Many tender processes restrict supplier contact while they run, so if a contact says a tender is open, respect it, ask when it closes and who handles the next review, and log the date. Don't try to win a meeting that the process doesn't allow.
When is the best time to call a theatre manager? When lists aren't running. Ask theatre reception when the manager usually does admin and call then, or book a callback at a time the manager agrees. Mid-morning and early afternoon often work, but the theatre schedule matters more than the clock. Telemarketing calls can't start before 9am.
Are private hospitals easier to book meetings with? Often, yes. Private hospitals and day surgeries decide closer to the site, so the general manager, theatre manager and any group procurement team are easier to identify. Day surgeries may have one person covering several roles. Purchasing still follows a process, so confirm the route before booking.
Will your callers discuss clinical use of our device? No. Nousu books meetings and runs calling. We are not field reps, our callers make no therapeutic or clinical claims, do not promote prescription medicines, and your team runs the product conversation. Callers explain the purpose of the meeting using wording your team approves, then hand over with notes.
Sources
- Federal Register of Legislation, Telecommunications (Telemarketing and Research Calls) Industry Standard 2017: https://www.legislation.gov.au/F2017L00323/asmade/2017-03-28/text/original/epub/OEBPS/document_1/document_1.html
- Do Not Call Register, Industry standards (calling hours, identification and calling line identification): https://www.donotcall.gov.au/industry/industry-overview/industry-standards
- Do Not Call Register, Industry guide (business numbers can't be registered; personal numbers can): https://www.donotcall.gov.au/media/1212/dncr-industry-guide.pdf
- Federal Register of Legislation, Spam Act 2003: https://www.legislation.gov.au/C2004A01214/latest/text
- Nousu call data: 218,000+ dials into Australian businesses, November 2024 to April 2026, published in Inside 200,000 Cold Calls.
Book a 30-minute call
Selling devices into hospitals or day surgeries? Book a 30-minute call with Harry Constant, our founder, and we'll talk through who to call at your target sites.