Diagnosis
A damaging rumor about your brand is giving your doctor pause.
Prescription
Planning and action will have you back on message in no time.
I could not believe what the doctor told me," Scott explained at a recent team meeting. "I have no idea where she would have
heard that rumor. I figured if it was true, we would have heard about it. I really did not know what to say." Scott and his
team were discussing a call he had that week with a physician fairly new to his rotation. The physician mentioned that she
heard there was a new study coming out soon that would show a negative safety profile for his drug in elderly patients. Scott
had heard nothing about that new study in any materials or communications from his company. Not even a whisper at the district
meeting the previous month. As his team met over coffee, he could tell they were all surprised, too. The safety profile for
their product was well documented in the clinical studies Scott and his team had been using for a few years. They were nervous
that the rumor might be true, but surprised they had not heard anything about it from their company, and were struggling to
determine a strategy to manage the rumor while still meeting sales goals.
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In today's instant-information age, rumors can arrive in an epidemic of news reports, voicemails, blogs, podcasts, texts and
e-mails, spreading faster than a case of sniffles at a preschool. Sorting through the information to distinguish reality from
myth is a tough job in and of itself. Promoting your products while responding to rumors launched at you from unexpected quarters
may leave you feeling more like a public-relations professional than a pharmaceutical-sales professional.
There is an old saying in public relations that all publicity is good publicity. Even bad publicity is good publicity because
it lands a personality in the news, on magazine covers and all over the Web. While this adage may apply to promoting celebrities,
when it comes to the pharmaceutical industry, it simply is not true. Rumors can cause serious damage to sales and to your
credibility with healthcare providers. Rumors, however, do not need to stop you mid-call. Managed correctly, responding to
rumors can be an opportunity to establish or build credibility with healthcare providers while sharing valuable information
they can use to make prescribing choices.
The healthcare provider's view
The dos and don'ts of managing rumors
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Some rumors we can almost expect to encounter. Rumors concerning drugs coming off patent, companies merging, personnel shifts
or changes to prescribing information are common. Most healthcare providers are not interested in gossip about personnel shifts
or whispers about possible changes in company policy. They are focused on rumors that, if true, might impact their patients.
In that respect, their interest in a rumor is not from a "just curious" standpoint. It stems from a genuine concern for their
patients' safety and health. Looking at rumors from the healthcare provider's view, you realize they are offering you an opportunity
to answer their concerns and questions, not merely to repeat gossip.
When you are faced with a rumor during a call, try to avoid wasting valuable time figuring out where the healthcare provider
could have heard the information. It is normal to feel defensive when you hear what sounds like an incredible rumor. You may
be thinking, "I can't believe this!" You may even stop to think, "Is this true – why haven't I heard about it yet?" Automatically
denying a rumor can be detrimental to your credibility. Even if what you hear sounds absolutely ridiculous, it may turn out
to have some truth. If you automatically deny it, you can end up looking uninformed or even dishonest. Rumors can easily derail
your call and dent your credibility if not handled appropriately. By responding in an honest, positive manner, and handling
rumors as you normally handle healthcare-provider concerns, you keep the focus on the purpose of your call.
