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13, September 2021

Physician Engagement Post COVID: Areas to Consider When Re-examining Your Sales Strategy

Written by Peak Pharma

It’s no secret that the recent COVID-19 pandemic forced many pharmaceutical companies to shift their sales approach and methodologies. However, now that things are normalizing, the team from Peak Pharma Solutions Inc. has collected and is sharing important information to consider when it comes to your post-COVID sales approach.

As one of the leading pharmacy detailing and physician detailing companies in Canada, we have helped many clients and representatives find the right sales approach for a post-COVID environment and we wanted to share our insights with you.

Valuable Insights Drive Your Sales Strategy

These days, physicians are connecting with resources that go well beyond a traditional pharmaceutical sales reps’ offering, so pharmacy and physician detailing reps should follow suit. Being on top of what is happening in your therapeutic area, your brand, your competitors’ brands, along with what is in the pipeline showcases your investment in bringing relevant and timely information to your customers. You will be seen as a resource for valuable information, rather than simply an individual looking to only speak about their product.

Customization Is The Key

Having a clear idea of what your customers want is key. This means you’ll need to take a step back for a moment and consider what sales model and approach suits your clients best, whether it be a virtual sales approach or a hybrid model. Customization is the name of the game. Customizing your approach to each customer will be essential to your success. The pandemic has introduced many new platforms and channels of communication with your customers. It’s now your turn to understand what they prefer and meet them there!

Capitalize On Virtual Outreach

Although maintaining your close connections is essential, you may also have an opportunity to expand your reach. Due to the pandemic, and the virtual platforms available, you can now engage with customers outside of a traditional geographical boundary. This means capitalizing on white space geographies and increasing your territory potential. Virtual meetings will provide you with access to a wider range of customers in a shorter amount of time. Additionally, hosting virtual meetings and events will also make it easier for your team to conduct market research across your key customer segments.

Adaptability Is Essential

There are certain characteristics of a pharmaceutical sales representative that will always remain important, such as relationship building, providing value, etc. Due to the pandemic, there are others that have come to light as being crucial to a representative’s success. Creativity and flexibility are skills that every representative should acquire and hone. The environment for healthcare professionals has become so dynamic, and is changing and adjusting regularly, that in order to make an impact and bring value to these HCPs, representatives also need to by dynamic and adjust on the fly. It’s incredibly important that representatives remain open-minded, and consider new and alternative solutions that best suit their customers. It is not one size fits all anymore. You must create the opportunity that is the most customized and flexible for your stakeholders. Representatives that are able to do this with ease will rise to the top.

COMMENTARY

The optimal representative profile has changed due to the pandemic. Prior to COVID-19, the representative that had long-standing relationships with customers, was able to easily walk into an office and see their customer on demand, and execute a meaningful conversation regarding their brands was considered an optimal rep. Today, all of those things remain true, however, more has been added to the plate of the pharmaceutical sales rep. In the post-pandemic environment, the sales rep must be able to engage with customers in a variety of ways via various channels. This can include phone detailing, video detailing, emails, etc. No longer is the face-to-face call the only real way to “see” a target customer. The optimal rep will have honed these digital and omnichannel skills during the pandemic so that they can continue to offer their customers a variety of ways to engage. In addition, the representative today requires a new appreciation for customization. It is essential to engage with customers in the way they prefer. This can set you apart and bring value to the customer. Understanding the right message for the right channel is now a daily task. Finally, the pharma sales rep today needs to remain nimble and flexible. Being comfortable with a changing environment is required in the new normal. The representatives that can embrace these new skills and hone them will set themselves apart and likely experience greater success.

– Jennifer Meldrum, Co-Founder & Managing Partner, PEAK Pharma Solutions Inc.

Contact us for pharmacy detailing, physician detailing, and more!

Peak Pharma Solutions Inc. specializes in physician and pharmacy detailing, as well as vacancy management, project management & training, key account management services, etc. With more than 50 years of combined experience in healthcare, the founders of Peak Pharma Solutions Inc. have been building and implementing solutions and managing successful pharmaceutical programs for more than 20 years.

Contact us online today for more about our services or call 1 (888) 226-0052.