PharmaTimes magazine | Katrina
Megget*
The future of pharma's salesforce has been a
hotly debated topic for years. Now we wave goodbye to one-size-fits-all and
embrace a field force fusion
It has been a turbulent few years for pharma's
salesforce as the industry has tried to find its feet amid a shifting
healthcare landscape. For all intents and purposes, the sales rep should be
dead, yet the role remains, and largely intact – albeit head count has reduced
and other roles and job titles have sprung up. Indeed, the salesforce of the
future is beginning to take shape. And there's even a place for the sales rep,
experts say. That's because the new salesforce will be a blend of roles and
capabilities.
"The salesforce is changing," says Alan
Kidd, business development manager at CHASE. "It's becoming increasingly a
mix – an educational and promotional mix, which includes digital and
e-detailing, other roles and even health outcomes consultants."
This is echoed by Ryan Wooller, business development
director at Star. He says the salesforce of the future will be made up of
different role types, deployed in different geographies with messages tailored
to reflect the requirements of the local health economies. "The days of
the one-size-fits-all national sales team are numbered," he states.