Emerging Trends in Pharma – the Digital Sales Team

image by www.lumaxart.com

By Guy Mastrion

Using technology to optimize a sales team is rapidly gaining traction across the pharma industry. The truth is this technology has been around for a number of years. Why has it taken so long?

The time was not right. Until recently economic conditions made vast armies of sales representatives appear to be the most efficient means to generate sales.

Todays realities dictate that we find more efficient ways to generate sales. And despite some early suspicions about the threat of technology to the job security of sales reps, technology is now beginning to look more like the savior than the executioner.

But before the pendulum swings too far in the direction of technology we must consider its one big limitation: its fairly impersonal.

Sure, technology now allows us to talk in real time and see each other in real time from just about anywhere in the world. We can learn things remotely, a great boon for CME and sales training. We can track which doctors have seen what messages and when. We can remotely update brand communications. Doctors at any the time can log-on and participate in a remote detail. All this is fantastic and we should be doing it more and more, but it will never replace the value of personal relationships aligned around a common goal.

Even while the economy is eliminating jobs and technology is improving efficiency, one truth remains: without the warm pulse of personal relationships, sales will suffer.

We must go back to the mission of healing the human body. Doctors and pharmaceutical companies are in the business of caring for humans. And while certain drugs because theyve become generic are viewed as commodities, our patients must never be.

A personable and compassionate sales team, connected to the needs and the goals of doctor and patient, and not simply dedicated to generating sales, holds the key to the engine that will effectively drive technology.

Optimizing sales will require fully embracing technology while we keep a watchful eye on its limitations and finding the right balance between man and machine.

What do you think?