As a pharmaceutical change management keynote speaker, I have been speaking to pharmaceutical sales reps for quite a long time. The most important thing I want to impress on sales reps is that pharmaceutical change is a constant. Truthfully, it is how we make money as an industry.
Who is Forcing Change?
In my keynote talks to the pharmaceutical industry I remind everyone that pharma is built on change. Every drug, every treatment is a positive disruption. We change health, we change lives, we change the future of families, healthcare and the world. Pharmaceutical sales reps impact the lives of people every day. In short, the industry – and its sales reps were forcing change. However, that was then.
The pandemic year of 2020 and into the first months of 2021 profoundly changed the way a large percentage of pharmaceutical sales reps engaged customers; however, the longer lasting change includes increasing amounts of scrutiny from the media and public, a shift in efficiencies and new ways that healthcare providers are engaging patients. The industry is now having change come down on them.
So, as a pharmaceutical change management speaker, I need to ask pharma sales and marketing teams a simple question: “Are you willing to change your sales vision along with the changes being forced on you?”
Trends aren’t Lying
As a pharmaceutical sales change management keynote speaker, I must point out at least ten important trends that are now impacting every aspect of your mission:
a. Patients asking questions; greater patient advocacy
b. Real-world evidence of efficacy
c. Negative perceptions of drug development
d. The Rise of Artificial Intelligence
e. Virtual Interactions
f. Telemedicine
g. A General Lack of Trust
h. Concerns over drug abuse
i. Rise in Programming Interface
j. Increasing prices
The 2021 trends pharmaceutical industry trends are amazingly interdependent. In fact, they follow many other industries. What was once “Patient Beware,” has shifted to “Pharma Beware.” It is not business as usual. This shift will continue to force change on the way we sell.
For example, right or wrong, current perceptions point to a lack of trust. In part, this has led to a demand for real-world efficacy, the rise of artificial intelligence outside of the industry, a demand for virtual interaction and a concern over the potentials for abuse.
Patient centered concerns have led to a wide range of concerns from a rejection of animal testing to dismay over pricing to the environmental impact of drug development. Pharma sales reps refusing to change to pressures coming from the outside, may themselves be outsiders.
The Key is to Negotiate Change
None of the trends I list above are in danger of disappearing. Pharma sales reps must learn to negotiate them. The way to combat mistrust is through customer service and imparting knowledge; the way to negotiate trends in AI and digitizing is self-education; the way to negotiate patient and customer questions is by greater learning and understanding.
The biggest changes wrought by the pandemic weren’t a shift to Zoom or Google Meet calls but to understanding what was in the thoughts of every virtual interaction. It takes negotiation to appreciate what is happening to the industry.
Speak to Mike Hourigan, Pharmaceutical Change Motivational Speaker today to discuss an in-person or virtual presentation. Contact Mike at (704) 875-3030 or fill out the form below.
