As an industry, the pharmaceutical sector has relied heavily on field force presence to promote its products and services. The number of representatives has doubled in the last 5 years in Europe and yet, at the same time, productivity in terms of call per doctor has fallen by 25%.
Many are asking if this model can be sustained as healthcare systems get ever more complicated and the relationship between representative and doctor is not necessarily the prime factor that promotes prescribing. Government guidelines, regional formularies and other influences are becoming a strong factor in prescribing decisions.
The drive to ensure a healthy ROI on the sales force has often led to process efficiencies and rigid overarching sales strategies that are difficult to implement, such as coverage and frequency initiatives. This approach has not taken into account sales force effectiveness, nor variation of influence networks at different local levels.
New approaches are required to address key issues:
- Incorporate the range of different customer value and needs
- Enable sales force resources to be allocated and directed according to those needs
- Deliver brand campaign objectives by varying the message and frequency of message to maximise brand adoption and prescribing
- Set incentives, measure and reward representatives appropriately
IMS Solutions
IMS has developed a suite of solutions, based on various data measuring points, to help companies understand their customers better and build a real picture – on attitudes and behaviour in different markets and therapy areas, and trends in prescribing and brick-level sales data covering the majority of the global markets.
However, core to IMS’s Sales Force Effectiveness services is the ability to not only develop an evidence-based sales strategy linked to local requirements but also to support the implementation process. As the healthcare system becomes more fragmented so is the need to develop strategies that work in the field and take into account ground level information.
Starting with measuring sales impact and assessing the success of existing targeting/profiling approaches, IMS can advise on whether strategies need to be changed radically or only modified. The ability to benchmark across countries, companies and therapy areas is unique and supports IMS consultants with the development of their recommendations.
With the knowledge that 70% of strategies fail due to poor implementation, IMS has the tools/applications and the expertise to help evaluate processes with clients on an individual level. IMS’s partnership with companies like Siebel has brought added value to clients who have invested in CRM systems. Everypath partners have likewise helped integrate IMS’s intellectual property into PDA technology.
When considering translating strategy into a workable sales and marketing plan, the strength of IMS’s training partners, Areks, is invaluable for the development of programmes that elicit behavioural change appropriately to the market and business objectives.
Consulting area of expertise
IMS recommendations are supported by best-in-the-field information and sales force expertise. Working closely with its clients, IMS tackles pan European sales force solutions as well as drilling down into the local countries. The company’s core strengths in this area revolve around:
- Sales strategy setting and evaluation
- Sales resource optimisation – size, structure and product allocation
- Territory alignment
- Call planning
- Team selling
