I had a discussion recently with a Life Sciences training leader who is considering making a move toward full-time field trainers. Right now, they use the common model of reps that serve as part-time trainers.
But, as you might expect, it’s complicated. There are pros and cons to consider.
On the one hand, having dedicated field-based trainers could open up some flexibility in how new reps are on-boarded and developed. If you have a large enough field force to employ remote trainers, and if you have one or two products (or maybe a suite of inter-related products in one therapeutic area), this strategy could work well.
But what if your regional trainers would have to support multiple sales forces, with widely different products? Can one field trainer effectively service diverse field forces? That’s the conundrum.
I thought I’d seek out some peer advice. I’d love to hear from some of you in the pharmaceutical industry who have deployed part-time, or full-time trainers – what you experienced as the pros and cons of the different models. Can you provide some advice for our colleague about this particular decision?
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