We’re all familiar with the many challenges facing the pharma industry, from expiring patents to intensifying cost controls. There are also issues with strict regulatory compliance and competition from generics; pushing pharma sales and marketing teams to become more adaptive in real time.
Pharma needs a multi-channel content strategy and their pharma sales reps (PSRs) need a mobiles sales application that will help them deliver an adaptive sales process.
A mobile sales app is a valuable sales tool. Today, buyers and pharma sales reps are using multiple devices on a daily basis, from smartphones to desktop computers, and don’t forget the perfect, not too big, not too small device – the tablet.
The iPad has become the device of choice for pharma, but there are still important questions that need to be answered, such as, since the majority of sales reps are now using mobile sales apps for digital detailing, how can we stand out from the crowd?
Today’s article discusses the content needs of healthcare providers (HCPs) and how mobile sales apps can improve efficiency, communication, content distribution, and HCP engagement.
A short timeline of the rise of tablets for pharma sales:
- 2010 – iPad, the leading tablet brand, is launched
- 2011 – 30% of PSRs are using tablets
- 2012 – 94% of Fortune 500 companies were either testing or deploying multimedia tablets, as well as 70% of Global 500 companies
- 2013 – up to 85% of PSRs were using tablets!
- 2014 – 91% of HCPs saw PSRs using tablets - and rated them 'extremely useful' as a sales aid
- 2016 – The vast majority (97%) of HCPs view digital detailing as superior to paper-based details
(Source: Skura, 2013) (Source: Mac Observer, 2012) (Source: Global Issues in Pharma Marketing, 2015) (Source: Three Point Turn, 2016)
Why does pharma need mobile sales apps?
The pharma industry is faced with many big challenges, from expiring patents, to weakening pipelines, and heightening cost controls. There are also issues with increasingly strict regulatory compliance, intense competition from generic brands, and shortening product lifecycles. All of these factors, and more, are affecting pharma sales and marketing.
“[Pharma] organizations are also facing critical sales challenges of their own, from reduced physician face time, increased promotional spend compliance, to a fast-changing sales environment that is influenced by new media and mobile technology that requires more personalized and targeted messaging.” (Source: Dushyant Rawal, 2015).
It’s 2016 and physicians are now familiar with PSRs using tablets for digital detailing. 91% of HCPs stated that they were willing to repeat the experience of having a digital detail as it is easy to schedule, it saves time, and they don’t have to be in-office to join (Source: Skura, 2016). HCPs also gave tablets the highest usefulness rating as a sales aid (Source: Global Issues in Pharma Marketing, 2015).
The fast and intuitive nature of tablet technology allows HCPs and PSRs to interact in a convenient and cost effective way.
Tablets are portable, content-rich, and connected. They add value to the community of HCPs and professionals in the medical field by delivering informative content and educational tools to a variety of mediums. The iPad interface provides HCPs with flexible access to the info that they need to help them better serve their patients.
By now we are all excessively familiar with the notion that access to HCPs is in steep decline. This continuing trend demands that PSRs become more mobile, agile, ready to share and engage whenever possible; as they will have to work quickly to communicate complex product info and detailed evidence.
Being available on the platforms and channels that physicians and patients are using is vital to the success of pharma’s sales strategy!
4 key benefits of tablets for pharma sales
"While tablets may not address the challenge of physician access, once in front of an HCP, they allow for more impressrive presentations, genuine interactivity and automated data collection." (Source: Three Point Turn, 2016).
- Ease of use – With only a few buttons and a familiar interface, tech users of any level can effectively use a tablet.
- Flexibility – Tablets are mobile, you can use them anywhere! Their small size and lightweight design make them an easy to travel with device.
- Interactive – All tablets have interactive interfaces. Users can touch, play, and explore, plus they are easily manipulated during meetings.
- Functionality – One device, any kind of content format. Tablets can be used to share many different content formats, including documents, websites, images, videos, 3D, etc.
What do mobile sales apps offer pharma?
At the end of the day, the tablet is just a channel, and the right tools are needed to activate the benefits of this channel. This is where mobile sales apps make the difference. An effective mobile sales app has the ability to,
Create and design content
Pharma sales and marketing teams are able to create content and upload it to one app, rather than using email attachments and intranets. Coordinating everything through one interface gives marketers and business managers a global asset management (GAM) approach with the flexibility to manipulate content in seconds. Marketers can rapidly adjust to local regulations and compliance changes while ensuring content is consistent and accurate by maintaining ONE persistent content piece, not several douplicates.
But marketing is only one part of the picture. The sales process is evolving, and a mobile sales app needs to enable adaptive discussions in real time. This means giving PSRs the ability to 'design' or 'assemble' existing content into new and tailored content for a specific recipient. The key is to give PSRs flexibility while ensuring that implicit compliance is built into the system. Pharma sales enablement makes this possible by automatically forcing the PSR to show some compliance information before content, and tracking this in the CRM system.
Distribute content
A mobile sales app will allow users to distribute content across their teams. Global asset management is an important tool for international businesses, rather than having to spend hours sharing content to specific groups of people they can instead upload to one app and set controls for who can access it.
A sales app will allow PSRs to share secure content pieces via emails or custom landing pages to contacts listed in their CRM, without their contacts having to download any additional programs or plugins, or switch devices (Source: Pharmica Consulting).
An advanced sales app will take mobile to the next level and include a co-browsing feature, where users can remotely share screens, conveniently interacting with content. Also, digital content is always available both online and offline, no Internet connection required.
Become interactive
A great benefit of a mobile sales app is its interactive nature. PSRs no longer have to limit themselves to old-fashioned word docs or static PowerPoints; they now have the opportunity to create fresh sales presentations with interactive content. Multimedia presentations improve storytelling with interesting visuals and data representations, stimulating the produt discussion. This type of content improves digital sales engagement.
For example, eSampling and eCouponing are great mobile sales app features. PSRs can electronically collect HCP signatures for sampling orders, and coupons can be redeemed/distributed during a call, increasing response times and fulfillment (Source: Dushyant Rawal, 2015).
Collect valuable data
One of the most important components of any marketing activity is measuring ROI and tracking analytics. Data is the foundation of all future content creation.
This closed-loop marketing (CLM) solution enables PSRs to tailor future content to their HCPs needs and allows them to respond with related visual aids more promptly.
3 rules for creating digital pharma content that will stand out
We’ve all heard the stat that sales reps don’t use 90% of content created by marketing, there are many reasons for this. Having a tablet in a sales interaction is no longer innovative and interesting on its own, instead, pharma must be focused on creating engaging digital content that they can use on their mobile sales app.
#1. Create with the customer in mind
For pharma this means designing content for HCPs and patients that addresses their particular problems or questions across a variety of decision journey personas while presenting a valuable solution every step of the way.
The trick is to get your customers involved! We’ve talked in the past about the effectiveness of patient centricity for pharma sales; it allows pharma to understand the needs and wants of their customers. To achieve this, digital content creators need to ask questions and invite a discussion.
Personalized content tailored for specific needs also addresses the growing challenge of information overload, as each content piece directly benefits the recipient and adds value rather than overwhelming them (Source: Pharmica Consulting).
#2. Always have content goals
If you start with a clear goal then you have a better chance of achieving it. Pharma marketing teams must connect content to specific goals and have measureable outcomes in mind.
For example, content created specifically for attracting the attention of HCPs who have never prescribed your product before should be more visually stimulating, in an interactive format, and enticing – illustrating success rates and case examples. Whereas content for your current prescribers should be focused on explaining how your drug interacts with others, new research findings, and sustained patient outcomes (Source: Dushyant Rawal, 2015).
#3. Talk about benefits not features
It is definitely important for your pharma content to present the features of your products, but they must also directly relate to the benefits that these features will have for your customers.
End-to-end evidence is just one way that pharma marketing teams can demonstrate the benefits of their products. PSRs must be inviting and educating, telling a unique story with interesting content.
We worked with GSK to enable digital detailing with our mobile sales app. Our solution had a focus on pushing the right content to the right PSRs, unlocking new channels to reach HCPs, and automating the CRM data collection process. We helped them strengthen their sales and marketing alignment across regions and departments. You can read the case study below for more information.
Making the switch to mobile sales
PSRs who use tablets in their sales calls with mobile sales apps offer an interactive and valuable experience for today’s busy HCPs. They increase their call times and enhance HCPs satisfaction.
Tablets create unique sales opportunities for PSRs, enhancing the sales process by delivering valuable data, HCP & patient insights, and evolving healthcare sales communications to a more adaptive, tailored, and preferred approach.
If you’re thinking about using a mobile sales app for your digital detailing, and interested in seeing the difference that sales enablement can deliver; request a demo and let our sales specialists show you just how easy mobile sales can be.
