Moving from "What"​ to "Why"​ in Sales 🌟

Friday, March 31, 2023, 10:05 | No Comments »

🌟 Transition Time: Moving from "What" to "Why" in Sales 🌟

As pharmaceutical sales professionals, we have a unique responsibility to improve people's lives through our products. The landscape of pharmaceutical sales has evolved significantly over the years, and with it, the way we approach our clients. In a world where customers are more informed and have easy access to information, it's crucial for us to shift our focus from "what" to "why" in order to make a lasting impact. I will share my thoughts about the benefits of adopting the "why" mindset and offer three key steps to help you embrace this approach in your pharmaceutical sales journey.

🔍 Why "Why" Matters 🔍

The traditional sales pitch often revolves around the features, advantages, and unique selling points of our products. However, focusing solely on the "what" can lead to a transactional and superficial relationship with healthcare professionals. By shifting our focus to the "why" behind our products, we can create a narrative that resonates on a deeper level, emphasizing the impact our products have on patients' well-being. This approach fosters stronger connections with healthcare professionals and makes our conversations more meaningful, ultimately leading to increased sales and long-term partnerships.

 


💡 3 Key Steps to Embrace the "Why" 💡

1️⃣ Understand the Impact: Take the time to delve into real-life stories. This will help you connect with the true purpose behind your work and convey that passion to your customers.

2️⃣ Communicate the Vision: Share the larger vision of your company and its commitment to improving patient outcomes. This will show that you're more than just a salesperson – you're a partner in their mission to provide the best care possible.

3️⃣ Tailor Your Approach: Adjust your sales pitch to focus on the unique challenges faced by each healthcare provider. By demonstrating an understanding of their specific needs, you can position your products as a solution to help them achieve better patient outcomes.

 


The shift from "what" to "why" in sales can be a game-changer in building lasting connections and increasing sales. By understanding the impact of your products, communicating your company's vision, and tailoring your approach to each client's unique needs, you can create a more purpose-driven sales strategy. Embrace the power of "why" and witness the transformative effect it can have on your relationships with healthcare professionals and the overall success of your sales efforts.

 


If you would like to discuss this topic or get support please do not hesitate to contact us.

 


#PharmaceuticalSales #SalesTips #WhyMatters #PurposeDrivenSales #HealthcareProfessionals #PatientCentricity

The Expanding Role of Artificial Intelligence in Sales, Medical, and Marketing

Wednesday, January 18, 2023, 16:43 | No Comments »

The pharmaceutical industry is continuously evolving, driven by the need for efficiency and innovation in drug discovery, sales, marketing, and medical affairs. One factor contributing to this growth is artificial intelligence (AI), which has the potential to transform multiple aspects of the industry. In this article, I will try to explore the possible applications of AI in sales, medical, and marketing within pharmaceutical companies based on my knowledge.

 

1. AI in Pharmaceutical Sales:


AI is revolutionizing the way pharmaceutical companies approach sales, with a focus on enhancing customer experiences and optimizing sales strategies. Here are three key applications of AI in sales:

a. Sales Forecasting: AI algorithms can analyze vast amounts of historical sales data and market trends to provide accurate sales forecasts, enabling companies to make informed decisions regarding production, inventory management, and resource allocation.

b. Personalized Customer Engagement: By analyzing customer behavior, preferences, and needs, AI can help tailor sales pitches and promotional materials for individual healthcare providers, resulting in improved customer engagement and tailored made communication.

c. Sales Team Performance Enhancement: AI-powered tools can identify areas for improvement within sales teams, providing personalized coaching and performance analysis to help sales representatives achieve their full potential.

 

2. AI in Medical Affairs:


AI is poised to revolutionize medical affairs in pharmaceutical companies by streamlining data analysis, accelerating clinical trials, and improving patient care. Key applications include:

a. Real-World Evidence (RWE) Analysis: AI can quickly analyze real-world data from sources like electronic health records, insurance claims, and social media to provide insights on drug safety, effectiveness, and patient adherence.

b. Clinical Trial Optimization: AI can help design more efficient clinical trials by identifying optimal patient populations, predicting trial outcomes, and reducing patient dropout rates.

c. Medical Information and Communication: AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants can provide instant, accurate answers to healthcare professionals' queries on drug usage, side effects, and contraindications, improving communication and knowledge sharing.

 

3. AI in Pharmaceutical Marketing:


AI can play a significant role in optimizing marketing strategies and personalizing customer interactions, leading to increased brand awareness and loyalty. Key applications include:

a. Market Segmentation and Targeting: AI can analyze customer demographics, preferences, and behaviors to identify high-value segments and target marketing campaigns accordingly.

b. Content Generation: AI-powered natural language generation tools can create personalized marketing content, such as email campaigns, social media posts, and blog articles, tailored to individual healthcare providers or patients.

c. Campaign Analysis and Optimization: AI can evaluate the effectiveness of marketing campaigns and provide actionable insights to improve future strategies, ensuring optimal return on investment.

 

Conclusion:


Artificial intelligence is already transforming the pharmaceutical industry, and its applications in sales, medical, and marketing are rapidly expanding. As these technologies continue to advance, pharmaceutical companies that embrace AI will be better equipped to streamline operations, make informed decisions, and stay ahead of the competition. The integration of AI will ultimately lead to improved patient care, better-targeted treatments, and a more personalized healthcare experience.

Why we need business strategy in digital world and not digital strategy?

Nowadays it seems unreasonable to have a digital or mobile strategy, you just need a business strategy in the digital native world. 

Uber, Netflix, Apple, Instagram, and Tesla are successful because they brought digital thinking to their companies' hearts, not just bolting it onto the side. They were founded in a world of new behaviors, inspired by new technology and liberated by new market dynamics. What these companies have all learned is that new technology is everything, and it’s essential for every company and every person to be cognizant of the possibilities it provides. 

Much of the world has collectively failed to learn the lessons from the past and see that when technology really arrives, it blends into the background. Technology is not oil to lubricate; it’s oxygen to grow ideas and change business. Modern businesses must disrupt themselves at the very core, empowered by what new behavior and technology make possible. Banks need to reevaluate their roles in the digital native world. Gyms need to use technology to become health partners. Pharma companies needs to communicate better to help patients prevail over serious diseases. 

Digital transformation is not about a digital department, a mobile strategist won’t save your company. It is not the role of any additional unit to take your company from irrelevance to leadership. It’s a philosophy that all must adopt. Companies must understand these changing times and prepare to reimagine themselves for the near future, based on the new possibilities and threats new technology provides. 

All we need is to manage effectively the change of behaviors and adjust us to the digital native world.

Implementing a smooth brand planning process is a key to success

Now is the time when cross-functional teams start finalising their plans to present to senior management. The process would have started months ago with strategy workshops, innovative sessions and review meetings. Has it run smoothly? What challenges have you encountered along the way?

The key challenges are: 
  • Lack of quality strategy - the team’s strategy or decision is not always backed up by solid considerations 
  • Lack of quality insights - teams often get over-whelmed by lots of other research data and don’t really look for the ah-aha moments 
  • Lack of cohesiveness across functions - teams not aligning on the same goal and strategy, rather working in silos 
  • Brand planning excluding market access requirements – market access is typically bought in very late in the process as an “add on” to the core brand plan 
  • Lack of measurement in business outcomes – not setting the right KPIs or measuring track performance frequently enough

HOW YOU ENSURE A BETTER BRAND PLANNING PROCESS

Having supported my peers for the past years in their brand planning processes, I can share some topline recommendations of what are the key drivers of a smooth and successful process.
  • Unified approach and framework - a comprehensive structure for developing your plan 
  • A clear strategy - To target resources, ensure effective return on investment and build stronger customer relationships 
  • Insightful market research - It is important to go beyond basic 'why' questioning to uncover the subconscious and irrational decision drivers 
  • Cross functional work - Do it right, with hearts and minds aligned, cross functionally, at global, region and country level
  • Market Access needs to be built into brand planning early on - first we need to understand what decisions Payers are making and what criteria they are using 
  • Have the right metrics in place - KPIs focussed on the right kind of results, achieved in the right way allow a continued dialogue and diagnosis to improve future outcomes 
  • Tactical planning - Thinking about our customers and the channels available allows us to: Optimize the mix, coordinate and enhance the customer experience, reinforce a consistent message as well as meet evolving customer needs
  • Building capabilities - Develop competencies that have a real business effectiveness impact  

If you would like to get more detailed information please contact us directly.

Why right #communication channel is so important?

It pays to stop and think, and work out which channels will support the business objectives you're trying to achieve. Nowadays it is even more important.

Habits are among the most powerful forces in society. Once people get stuck into a groove, it can determine their behaviors for years to come and can make a big difference to their life – positive or negative. 

Often, there is little need to critically analyze our routines – the sites we usually check when we first get to work in the morning or what time we run out for coffee, say – as changing these is rarely going to make a big difference. 

But people’s professional lives will often benefit from a dose of this questioning. For example, internal teams can often fall into a trap of trying to get an important message out quickly rather than taking a bit more time to think how best to convey it. 

If there has been a senior leadership change in one area of the business, say, instead of asking “How do I make sure employees are informed in the right way and feel equipped to to deal with this leadership change?” it can be all to easy to think, “I’ll just write a quick post on the intranet”.

The Four Steps

If you want to select the most appropriate communication channel – that is, the most effective one to promote and encourage a specific behavior or outcome – this four-step process can help. 

Step 1: Add channels into the mix as necessary, to reach specific audiences: Think about which non-traditional channels are best for different employee audiences, such as remote employees. For some phone call is more important then email. 
Step 2: Add and use different channels more frequently as they become more popular: Do your research on current stakeholder behaviors in new channels, such as social media — i.e., what channels they use and which are influential. 
Step 3: Experiment with different channels to determine their effectiveness before starting to use them frequently: Measure the use of these new channels as you experiment with them. 
Step 4: Evaluate your channel options and select the channel mix that is most appropriate for your objective and target audience of the message. Use the channel selection guide in chart 1 to identify which channels are best suited for your communication objectives. Important tip - keep consistent message across channels.

It’s easy to fall back on certain preferred communications channels. The guide will help you think about selecting a channel based on the purpose of your communication and your understanding of the audience. It will also help you to consider what information is best communicated through different channels and weigh the pros and cons of each.
Now seems easier to choose the right communication channel ? Think always about receiver of the message and tailor your channel to their needs.
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