| The current trend toward information overload is | | | | instance--a sales rep can stand out as a beacon in |
| useful to consider when training a pharmaceutical | | | | the sea of medical information. |
| sales force. Like the rest of us, doctors need | | | | This is not a new concept. Back in 2006, an article |
| tools that can help them find relevant, useful | | | | in Entrepreneur stated, "Physicians do not have |
| information in a timely manner. Pharmaceutical | | | | time to review voluminous research reports... |
| companies can maximize their sales budgets by | | | | Enter the pharmaceutical representative... The |
| teaching sales reps to supply physicians with | | | | pharmaceutical companies and the medical |
| immediately helpful research. Furthermore, the | | | | community must work together to best serve |
| most successful pharma sales reps will foster | | | | the patients with solid information. |
| physician engagement, or strong relationships with | | | | Representatives who see themselves primarily as |
| the doctors they serve. | | | | medical knowledge assistants to the doctor play |
| You might assume the internet has given modern | | | | an entirely different role than those who dispense |
| doctors an edge, and in some ways it has. Like | | | | favors to sell large quantities of drugs." Yet this |
| many of us, today's health care professionals | | | | same article proceeds to focus on how |
| have ready access to an abundance of patient | | | | companies can best inculcate their pharmaceutical |
| information. Sifting through that information, | | | | sales force with branding. |
| however, is proving to be a tremendous task. As | | | | Of course, branding is a useful tool for any |
| Joshua Schwimmer MD points out, PubMed,the | | | | organization. However, the medical field is different |
| online informational database for doctors, | | | | than other industries; brands are less important |
| comprises nearly 20 million citations, with more | | | | than efficacy. Modern pharma sales reps must |
| than a half a million new citations added annually. | | | | provide doctors with the perfect information at |
| Schimmer writes, "Doctors must not only absorb | | | | the perfect time--and they must offer it in an |
| this flood of new ideas about treating, diagnosing, | | | | appealing, non-forceful way. |
| preventing, and understanding disease--deciding | | | | Research has discovered that physician |
| which information is relevant and which is not--but | | | | engagement is the key variable to a successful |
| also learn how to apply and explain this knowledge | | | | pharmaceutical sales force. Doctors are likely to |
| to the patient sitting with them in the exam room | | | | alter prescription behavior when they feel |
| or laying ill in a hospital bed." With packed patient | | | | emotionally connected with their sales |
| schedules, today's doctor rarely has time for a | | | | representatives--when they view them as people, |
| comprehensive medical review, even if he or she | | | | not just hucksters for a faceless brand. |
| finds the time to type a few keywords into a | | | | By providing significant, on-target health data that |
| database. | | | | supports their brand, reps can see a brief boost in |
| That's where a pharma sales rep has the chance | | | | sales. However, by forming interpersonal, |
| to forge a deeper connection with the doctors he | | | | long-term relationships with doctors, sales reps |
| or she serves. By supplying timely, pertinent | | | | can witness Physician Engagement--and long-term |
| knowledge about a doctor's core issues--a new | | | | sales--soar. |
| chemotherapy drug for cancer docs, for | | | | |