The trend is indisputable: drug manufacturers are phasing out their legions of sales reps. What's taking their place? According to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, it's "digital sales tools that seek to sell doctors on drugs without the intrusion of an office visit."
What's especially interesting in the article's comment thread is outcry from people pushing back on this trend's inevitability. Many people are simply blind to the reality: The shift has already happened!
Technology is allowing us to make targeted, highly aligned approaches to physicians both online and in person (where allowed). Of course, these must be more educational, rich with information that has to be pertinent to the patient population and their needs.
And it's working: Online sales tools provide a more effective means of outreach because they are more aligned to the right data. They access information resonates EXACTLY with what physicians and patients need to know. In other words, the homework has already been done, streamlined and easily disseminated -- and all without the high cost of a giant field of reps. This actually liberates pharmaceutical company sales representatives to be more focused on their products and their customers. The evolution is inevitable and the interaction is much more effective.
