How Pharma Organizations Can Empower Their Field Force Sales Teams
The pharmaceutical industry is undergoing a significant transformation in its approach to field sales, with organizations seeking innovative ways to empower their teams in an increasingly digital marketplace. Healthcare professionals’ preferences for how they interact with pharma organizations have changed.
Many HCPs preferred digital interactions over in-person ones during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although demand for in-person interactions has increased, the Boston Consulting Group suggests a hybrid approach is now more effective.
"While we found some differences by therapeutic area, 84% of physicians overall prefer to maintain or increase the share of virtual interactions with pharma companies," said BCG in an article.
"Large percentages of physicians in all markets see more value in a mixed-interaction model, compared with traditional forms of engagement only."
Here, we’ll explore how pharma organizations can empower their field force sales teams to meet the demands of today’s HCPs and consumers, as well as beyond.
Adopting Advanced Technology to Empower Sales Teams
The pharmaceutical industry is rapidly embracing advanced technologies to enhance the capabilities of field sales teams. Although some technologies, such as CRMs, have already been in use for years, some organizations are prioritizing more advanced solutions that will provide representatives with real-time insights and new capabilities.
Here are a few of the technologies that could significantly change field sales in pharma.
Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning are at the forefront of this transformation, offering powerful tools to streamline processes and improve customer engagement.
AI-driven solutions are being deployed to generate targeted content for campaigns and customer interactions, allowing sales representatives to deliver more personalized and impactful messaging.
Purpose-Built Data Solutions
One key area of technological advancement is the integration of customer data across various touchpoints. By leveraging sophisticated and purpose-built data solutions, pharma companies can provide their sales teams with a comprehensive view of healthcare professional (HCP) interactions across digital and in-person channels.
A purpose-built data solution is a specialized system designed to address specific data management and processing needs. These solutions are tailored to handle particular types of data, workloads, and use cases, offering optimized performance and functionality for their intended purpose.
This approach enables representatives to tailor their conversations based on recent HCP engagements with brand websites, endemic content, or other digital platforms.
Other purpose-built tools often incorporate predictive analytics, helping representatives identify the most promising leads and optimize their outreach strategies. Additionally, mobile applications equipped with real-time data access are empowering sales teams to make informed decisions during HCP visits, enhancing the overall quality of interactions.
Augmented and Virtual Reality
Augmented reality (VR) and virtual reality (VR) allow sales reps to provide immersive experiences, such as virtual tours of manufacturing facilities or 3D visualizations of drug mechanisms. This allows physicians to obtain a better understanding of how products work, as well as their efficacy.
This technology is especially useful when face-to-face meetings are not possible, as cloud-based tools can be shared or linked to during virtual demonstrations.
Data Analytics and Business Intelligence Tools
Data analytics and business intelligence (BI) tools have become indispensable for pharmaceutical sales teams, offering powerful insights to drive strategic decision-making and optimize performance. These tools enable companies to process vast amounts of data from various sources, including sales records, market trends, and customer interactions, to generate actionable insights.
- BI solutions help track sales performance and consumer behavior in real time, allowing companies to adjust marketing and sales strategies quickly.
- Advanced analytics can predict future demand, identify new market opportunities, and optimize inventory management.
- Personalized marketing strategies can be developed using data-driven customer segmentation and analysis of prescribing patterns.
- Sales reporting systems (SRS) enable tracking of sales calls, improve customer feedback turnaround time, and identify cross-selling opportunities.
By leveraging these tools, pharmaceutical companies can enhance their operational efficiency, improve resource allocation, and ultimately boost sales performance in an increasingly competitive market.
Creating Comprehensive Training Programs for Omnichannel Engagement
Pharmaceutical companies can create comprehensive training programs for their field sales forces by focusing on a blend of technical knowledge, soft skills, and digital proficiency. These programs should be designed to equip sales representatives with tools to navigate the evolving healthcare landscape and deliver value to healthcare professionals (HCPs).+
Key components of an effective training program include:
- Product and disease state education: In-depth knowledge of products, therapeutic areas, and relevant clinical data is essential for credible interactions with HCPs.
- Omnichannel engagement skills: Training in effective communication across various channels, as the industry shifts towards a more digital-centric approach.
- AI and data interpretation: Developing skills to leverage AI-powered tools and interpret data insights for more targeted and personalized HCP interactions.
- Compliance and ethical practices: Ensuring representatives understand and adhere to industry regulations and ethical guidelines.
- Soft skills development: Enhancing active listening, empathy, and adaptability to build stronger relationships with HCPs.
The objective should be to empower their field sales forces to become trusted partners to HCPs, delivering valuable insights and support in an increasingly complex healthcare environment.
Building a Dynamic Remote-Access Knowledge Base
A centralized knowledge repository is crucial for empowering field sales teams with quick access to critical information. Implementing a robust content management system allows organizations to store and organize a wide range of materials, including product information, clinical data, marketing collateral, and regulatory guidelines.
To foster continuous learning and collaboration, pharma companies are developing platforms for knowledge sharing among sales representatives. These collaborative learning environments enable team members to share best practices, discuss challenging scenarios, and stay informed about industry trends.
Using smartphone apps or access portals, representatives can even access up-to-date resources while in the field.
Sanofi Extends Its Clinical Trial Knowledge to the Broader Community
Some organizations even provide HCPs with direct access to an external-facing knowledge base. This allows HCPs and patients to access information on their own time, so they are ready to discuss their next steps by the time they speak with a representative.
For example, Sanofi has committed to sharing clinical trial information and results with patients, HCPs, and the broader medical research community. The company even augments the content so it can be understood by an audience who may not have technical knowledge.
"We believe everyone should have the opportunity to get an understanding of research," says Sanofi’s webpage on data sharing.
"That’s why we provide accessible and easy-to-read summaries of clinical trial results, i.e. ‘lay’ summaries for all phases of Sanofi-sponsored clinical trials that started after July 2018."
According to the site, Sanofi even offers a knowledge base containing synopses of some trials dating back to 1994.
Fostering Supportive Relationships Between Representatives, HCPs, and Patients
Pharma organizations have always depended on their representatives to foster strong and supportive relationships with local HCPs. This strategy can be crucial for pharmaceutical field sales teams to enhance their effectiveness and impact.
By establishing trust-based partnerships, sales representatives can better understand HCP needs and provide valuable support.
Becoming More Patient-Centric
However, many healthcare providers want pharmaceutical companies to "integrate patients within the continuum of care," according to a report by Forbes.
"A recent survey of over 3,200 patients by the Boston Consulting Group revealed that more than 50% of HCPs are more likely to prescribe medications from companies they consider ‘more patient-centric,’" said the report.
"This finding underscores the growing importance for pharmaceutical companies to innovate and genuinely connect with the individuals who rely on their treatments."
Some of the strategies for accomplishing this include the following:
- Collaborative care planning: Work with local HCPs to develop comprehensive patient care plans, enhancing continuity of care and patient satisfaction.
- Knowledge sharing: Organize joint educational sessions and workshops to exchange expertise on topics with both HCPs and patients.
- Community engagement: Co-host health awareness campaigns or seminars that benefit both HCPs and the broader community, positioning the pharma company as a valuable local partner.
- Personalized communication: Leverage data-driven insights to tailor messaging and engagement strategies to individual HCP preferences as well as the needs of patients, ensuring more meaningful interactions.
By focusing on such initiatives, pharmaceutical organizations can create enduring partnerships that elevate patient care standards while driving shared success in the healthcare ecosystem.
Prepare for the Future of Pharma Sales
Empowering pharmaceutical field sales teams is crucial for success as patients and healthcare providers demand more streamlined forms of engagement and better information from pharmaceutical companies. By adopting advanced technologies, implementing comprehensive training programs, leveraging data-driven insights, building robust knowledge bases, and fostering local partnerships with healthcare providers, pharma organizations can significantly enhance their sales force effectiveness.
These strategies not only improve the quality of interactions with healthcare professionals but also drive better patient outcomes and organizational growth.
To learn more about how you can empower your sales teams, don’t miss Future Pharma 2025. It’s taking place from June 24th to 26th at Westin Copley Place in Boston, Massachusetts.
Download the agenda and get tickets for the event today.