I know, I know – we’ve seen lots of articles with titles like this in past. For many years, the imminent death of the pharmaceutical salesperson has been forecast.
And, for good reason – taking into account increasing government takeover of healthcare decisions, past shady sales practices, and the unwillingness or inability of many doctors to even see reps anymore, these are not great times for the pharma sales industry. I’ve seen incredible cutbacks in staff over recent years.
But, for now, the role of the sales rep continues. So we come to the question: what does the future hold?
I think the best way to approach this question is to broaden it and link it to the larger movements (I call them trend currents, as opposed to current trends) that are shaping business and culture.
So, let’s consider this question: What is happening to the role of face-to-face information exchange in all of life and business? Especially, what will be the role of person-to-person exchanges of information that can be easily accessed by other means?
If I want to know about a drug, do I have to wait for the right sales rep to drop by? Or can I, with a few clicks on a tablet, find what I need in real-time (without a potentially biased presentation)? How many of us research information on-line now, that we used to discover only through person-to-person interactions?
If I can use a (free) search engine to point out the facets of knowledge I’m seeking, do I need someone to point out those knowledge bits on a glossy piece of paper, or on their company-issued tablet?
If I can get an e-detail whenever I want it, why would I prefer the model of having people interrupt the office flow in the middle of the day to give a pitch?
Take these principles and apply them to every industry outside of pharmaceuticals, and you’ll see that we are undergoing a major change in the way we communicate and do business. It’s called disintermediation (removal of non-value-adding layers between us and what we need). Every time you use Amazon.com, and not a brick-and-mortar store, you are living in this trend current.
It’s not that face-to-face interactions don’t have value (they do), it’s just that the broader trends across the entire landscape of our culture are driving us to real-time connectivity to whatever we need – especially in the realm of knowledge.
Is pharma sales dead? I don’t think so. But I think it’s losing the race of relevance in our current technology and business climate. Which means we’re going to have to re-think the model – fast.
Your two cents?
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Steve, the field sales role isn’t dead, but it’s certainly changing in health care!
Look at other industries, too — from B2B tech sales to consumer auto sales. The same shift of information and power to the customer has occurred.
The inbound marketing vs. outbound sales debate rages on.
Wait for customers to contact you? Or “interrupt” their day with a sales call?
Technology and marketing automation won’t ever replace a savvy sales person, I believe. There’s still no full substitute for a meaningful human conversation. But sales organizations that use the latest tools will replace the sales organization that don’t, I think.
Steve,
It is a fascinating question…one that requires us all to stop and contemplate, especially if we are in the training world responsible for preparing or arming our sales colleagues with the right skills to bring value. To me, it is a question centered around the value proposition pharma reps provide. First hand I see those that still live in the “detail-world” being unsuccessful in creating value for their customers. Those that have adopted an interactive selling dialogue to match the customer’s true goals and needs still provide great value. As long as pharma reps provide value on a call and are seen as a resource for that practice, all of the other support being provided to that HCP is just that…support.