2005 access report
 The
scene is familiar to most sales representatives: patients, ringing
phones and a crowd of competitors waiting to see the physician. The
average primary care physician interacts with 28 sales representatives
each week; the average specialist interacts with 14. A little over half
of these interactions include a product discussion (see figure 1*).Each year, Lambertville, NJ-based Health Strategies Group conducts an assessment of the state of the selling environment. The objectives of this assessment are to characterize interactions in the current selling environment, identify contributors to access and value, identify company differences in access and providing value, and recommend strategies to improve access and increase value. Earlier this year, we conducted research with 975 high-prescribing physicians in 13 specialties and supplemented that research with an online survey of 160 pharmaceutical sales representatives from nine companies that call on these physicians. We found that key trends in the selling environment in 2005 include shorter appointments and lunches and more "no-see" offices. The (less than two-minute) drop-in call continues to be the bane of every representative's existence. And the trend toward shorter scheduled visits (appointments and lunches) in 2005 translates to 20% less time each week for representatives to discuss products with customers (see figures 2 and 3*). When you include the fact that four in 10 high-prescribers (see figure 4*) are "hard-to-see" or no-see physicians, this makes for a challenging selling environment. Representatives cite "not enough time with customers" as their top challenge (see figure 5*), and half say they have more no-see and hard-to-see offices than they did last year. Sales representatives' response Representatives are using a variety of strategies to gain access to hard-to-see physicians, including: * Shortening messages and trying to create continuous discussion over time. * Asking open-ended questions to create dialogue and learn more about the physician's needs and interests. * Respecting the physician's time constraints -- for example, taking only the time the doctor agreed to spend or saying, "I can see you're busy today. Can I schedule a good time to come back?" * Selling to everyone in the office; nurses, nurse practitioners and physician assistants are often more accessible and can also help representatives' message reach the physicians. * Scheduling appointments and lunches. * Calling on physicians in other venues. Reps who completed the survey described their strategies in the following ways: * "I focus on planning my calls, making the time the physician gives me worthwhile." * "I try to bring in new info each time." * "I ask more questions about their experiences, their patients and their practice." * "I speak to their nurses, send back notes and literature, call on more non-targeted providers, including PAs and NPs, because they will talk to reps and actually engage in valuable conversations." * "I am shorter and more targeted in messaging when I have [the] opportunity. I am more organized." * "I have tried to bring things to their office that are of value to their patients and their practice." * "Nurses are key to getting appropriate information to the physician." * "I schedule more lunches and appointments." * "[I am] focused more on needs of patients, the office and the physician's business." * "I have focused in on data that has direct impact on outcomes. I have also looked for ways to help my physicians be more efficient within their practices." * "I have tried to bring speakers to hard-to-see groups of practitioners as well as schedule lunches where available. I have also tried to use our patient reimbursement programs like Together Rx, Bridges to Access and Together Rx Access to see these practitioners." * "[I] have tried to be more of a managed care expert or be able to bring some value to my call in the office." * "[I] do more research to become expert in my products' applications [and] see the RNs more in helping identify patients and getting information to the MDs." What do docs really want? Why do physicians meet with representatives? Product samples are an important door opener (see figure 6*), but ultimately, the best way to gain access is to understand and meet customer needs. The following actions can help a representative stand out from the crowd from the physician's perspective: Providing balanced, unbiased information about products. Present the pros and cons of your product in a nonjudgmental and "nonmarketing" way. Understanding the appropriate use and role of the product relative to other treatment options. Know the product down to the organic chemistry. Make yourself available, meet needs and add value to the doctor's practice. Knowledge is key. Know the drugs down to the molecular level. Know the side-effects profile. Remembering previous conversations and incorporating them into subsequent visits. Call continuity is important. Respecting the value of the physician's time. Doctors said a good rep knows what you know and knows when he needs to tell you something. "Make visits short, brief and informative," said one physician. Providing appropriate follow-up to requests. One doctor used the example of a time when he had a question about a drug interaction and a rep went out of her way to help get the answer. She called the doctor back within an hour with an answer to the question. Representatives who exhibit these behaviors are nine times more likely to deliver value to their customers, but physicians perceive that less than a third of representatives consistently demonstrate all five. The bottom line is that physicians want what we all seek from sales professionals: someone who is knowledgeable, listens to and understands their needs, and can position products to meet those needs. For today's pharma representative, this comes through good call planning, effective questioning skills and tailored interactions. Three success factors Access challenges will continue for the foreseeable future, but every territory has representatives who succeed where others do not. These effective representatives share the following three success factors: Good territory management. Effective reps are good at call planning and coordinate well with their counterparts. Physician-focused interactions. Effective reps understand the preferences and needs of the individual physician. Bringing value to the doctor is the goal of every interaction they have. Effective sales practices. Effective reps engage customers in dialogue that is supported by relevant resources and content. These strategies work. Effective representatives spend 44% more time with customers each week (by having longer calls, not more calls) and exceed their sales goals 50% more often than their average peers. One thing that hasn't changed in 2005: Focusing on meeting customer needs is still the best strategy for success. Good luck and good selling!
* Click here to download a .pdf file containing all the figures from this story.
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