Self-detailing in Pharma.
Self-Detailing in Pharma: 4 questions to Florent EDOUARD
SVP, Global Head of Commercial Excellence - GRÜNENTHAL
January 2024
Q1: According to Forbes, in a recent article*, it is becoming increasingly difficult for Sales Representatives to secure appointments with doctors (even through video calls). Do you have a similar feeling?
* Forbes Aug 22, 2023
It was true until Covid. The pandemic changed everything be cause meeting doctors in person became impossible. The pharmaceutical industry implemented remote access solutions like Veeva Remote Calls.
Post-Covid, we received many requests from doctors who wanted to meet representatives, which wasn’t the case before. Today, we are in a stabilization phase, so I wouldn’t say it’s more challenging to meet doctors nowadays. Some want to see representatives, while others do not.
Yet, each doctor has specified their preferred frequency of interactions, as well as their areas of interest. We now have medical visits with much more added value compared to pre-Covid times. These visits are driven by doctors’ expectations, focusing on the topics they want to discuss, whereas previously, the pharmaceutical industry tended to emphasize key messages it had defined on its own as correct.
Q2: Do you consider engaging with non-visited doctors to be a significant challenge, or do you think it is better to focus on a target audience receptive to in-person visits?
I would approach the question from a slightly different perspective. In my opinion, the question is more about: which doctor should we talk to and for what purpose?
As soon as doctors have patients who can benefit from the treatment we offer, it's worth trying to contact them. However, the balance of power has shifted. Now, doctors know very well what they want to get, on which media, and at what frequency. They 'shop' among the content offered by the pharmaceutical industry. Our role is to understand what each group of doctors wants and to direct content production accordingly, rather than doing what we did before: serving the same content to everyone.
So, we can engage with doctors who are not visited face to face. We just need to ask them how they want to receive the content and what type of content they want: patient support materials, mode of action, insights into disease mechanisms? There is an opportunity for pharmaceutical companies to engage around these broadly appealing themes without resorting to overly commercial messages.
Q3: Do you think the Pharma industry should be working on self-detailing strategy?
It depends on what one means by 'detailing.' This term is quite associated with the 2000s, 2010s, when we used often highly formatted detailing aids centered around commercial messages that were relentlessly hammered. I don't believe doctors are interested in that kind of 'detailing.' On the other hand, a Key Opinion Leader (KOL) discussing disease mechanisms, a treatment tested in another country, or patients sharing their experiences with their doctors... There, we have content that lends itself well to self-detailing, especially if presented at a relevant moment, such as after a webinar the doctor attended for instance.
The consumption mode of content has evolved. We've shifted from a 'push' model to a 'pull' model. Let's draw a parallel with Netflix. If a salesperson knocked on your door every three days to remind you to watch Casa del Papel... you would unsubscribe. Netflix provides content, makes suggestions, and adjusts based on your consumption. This 'pull' approach has become commonplace even in the professional sphere.
Q4: How would you consider measuring the effectiveness of such a strategy?
I would mention, on one hand, quantitative indicators such as time spent on videos, views, clicks... which involves implementing an analytical approach to performance by content category for each doctor. On the other hand, qualitative indicators to measure the perception of the offered experience: satisfaction, Net Promoter Score, open-text fields to collect verbatims…
Yet, implementing an analytical approach like this requires a prompt response. If a doctor shows interest in a new type of content, we can't wait six months before offering it. Therefore, organizations need to be capable of producing content in significantly shorter times, like a chef would do in his restaurant! That represents a new and unfamiliar concept for numerous organizations. Not all of them are ready for it.
Regarding the impact on prescription intent, that's a different story. There are so many parameters involved in this equation!
Nevertheless, if, for example, 60% of the doctors I've emailed then go through the entire customer journey, attend a webinar, download a patient brochure... We know we've provided value since they invested their time in consuming these contents. Nothing forces them to make this engagement effort towards the brand and the pharmaceutical company. This marks a significant distinction from a representative who gets his foot in the door. Once there, a doctor may receive him/her out of courtesy rather than genuine interest and listen passively... unless, of course, there's an excellent relationship!