Case Study: Mobile Medical References Prove Effective Door Openers for Major Pharma Company
“18 Sales Reps in a Doctor’s Office”
A primary care physician recently told a sales representative from a leading U.S. pharmaceutical company that she was the 18th representative to stop in his office that day. “You can imagine how annoying that could be,” she said. “Now consider 18 sales representatives disrupting patient flow in a doctor’s office. The only way you can differentiate yourself from the other 17 is to be a resource for and provider of new information and value-added services.”
In fact some physicians have completely closed their doors due to the constant interruptions during a busy day of seeing patients.
Pharmaceutical companies are searching for new, creative solutions to this problem because they recognize the need for change and that traditional methods of accessing physicians are no longer effective. This issue prompted one pharmaceutical company to investigate the use of handheld medical references as a way to forge stronger practitioner relationships.
Increasing Access to Physicians
“It all started when one of our oncology sales representatives wandered into the Skyscape booth at a convention,” said a project manager from the pharmaceutical company. “When our representative was introduced to Skyscape’s mobile medical references, he immediately recognized the potential to create sales opportunities by demonstrating and providing these important references to his targeted physicians. He knew he could set himself apart from other representatives and ’buy more time’ with his customers by leveraging the use of Skyscape’s products.”
The next step was sharing his discovery and idea with the company’s marketing and internal support departments. This led to a presentation to a 12-person study group by a Skyscape representative who demonstrated how an oncologist would use a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) loaded with two primary reference books:
- AJCC Cancer Staging Handbook & Calculator, which gives information on staging of cancer at various anatomic sites and incorporates knowledge on the etiology and pathology of cancer with the full TNM classification, and a unique Staging Calculator.
- Physicians' Cancer Chemotherapy Drug Manual 2005, a guide to all aspects of cancer chemotherapy.
“He blew us away with how deep the information was and how quickly it could be retrieved,” a study group member said. “We were particularly impressed with the Staging Calculator, and we knew many oncologists would be impressed too.”
To determine a patient’s stage of cancer, an oncologist would normally refer to the hard copy of the AJCC Cancer Staging Manual, and follow these steps:
- Turn to the Index or Table of Contents to determine the location of the particular type cancer
- Flip to that section
- Refer to a table to review information regarding tumor size, nodal status, and metastasis, and determine staging
- Review charts, tables, illustrations and text regarding the treatment of that particular stage of cancer
This process could easily take several minutes. However, the same information loaded on a PDA could by retrieved by the physician in a matter of seconds with just a few taps of a stylus.
Many physicians have already adopted the use of PDAs in their day-to-day routine. According to a recent Forrester Research report, 57 percent of surveyed doctors reported using some sort of handheld computer, such as a PDA or tablet PC. A recent Skyscape survey discovered that more than 61 percent of medical professionals use their PDAs at least six times a day.
“It’s All About Implementation”
Once the study group decided to use Skyscape references as a strategy to create discussion opportunities with physicians, the group set out to educate the sales force. This work included an effective orientation process about PDAs, Skyscape electronic references, how to order, and how to use new tools to create access to physicians. “It’s all about implementation,” a study group member said. “You can have a wonderful device, project, or sales tool, but if your audience doesn’t fully understand the big picture or doesn’t know how to use it effectively, what’s the point?”
The first step was training each of the study group members in the use of a PDA loaded with the two oncology references. Later, the project was formally launched with training sessions for the entire oncology sales force. An exhibition booth also was set up at a national sales meeting to give the sales reps an opportunity to test the hand-held computers and answer any questions. And, finally, sales leadership fully supported project implementation, and enthusiastically communicated this support in large group sessions.
“We wanted to build excitement and anticipation. But more importantly, we wanted to ensure the sales reps had everything they needed to maximize this new selling opportunity with physicians,” a study group member said.
At project rollout, the group’s goal was to have the sales reps order a minimum number of Skyscape references by year end, using their own budget. As with most pharmaceutical companies, the representatives have limited budgets and are careful how they spend their allocations. Despite this challenge, the study group believes the Skyscape PDA oncology reference book program has been very popular, and the number of orders supports the group’s opinion. By year end, total orders exceeded the goal by over 400%. To the study group, this demonstrates that the sales force recognizes the value the handheld references represent to their customers.
“The staging calculator, text information, data tables, and images have all been converted to a format that that looks just like the book itself -- except it’s completely contained on a small hand-held device,” said a study group member. “The physicians are already familiar with the hard-copy references, and many are already using PDAs every day.”
Yet Another Physician Access Point
Sharing information about these references, either directly on the sales rep’s PDA or in a brochure, can easily capture a physician’s attention. Generating interest in the references not only helps with medical education, but also creates product discussion opportunities and sets up future discussions.
To generate follow-up visits, sales representatives can return at a later date with a certificate for a free download. “The presentation of the certificate creates yet another physician access point,” the study group member said.
To be successful in pharmaceutical sales, it is essential to spend enough time with the physician to fully communicate product information. “The PDA, electronic references, and certificate program all help win time in front of the physician,” summarized a study group member. “The fact that our company helps us meet this objective in a new way is kind of cool and helps set us apart from the competition.”
