One of most overused terms during the early adoption of the Internet was “disintermediation.” While it’s one of my favorite seven-syllable words, its primary affect is to stop an ordinary conversation cold. And not just because it forces the brain to rewind and replay the word. It carries with it the ominous suggestion that someone is going to lose their job.
In the early days of eDetailing, there was genuine fear that the online detail would replace the sales rep. eDetailing came of age at the same time as the number of pharmaceutical sales reps was mushrooming, and pharmaceutical firms were becoming very sensitive to the decline in the field force productivity.
In fact, our experience since that time is that eDetailing does not replace an effective sales force promoting a strong product. It might do as well or better than an ineffective sales force promoting a drug in decline, but at that point, most resources are being pulled from the brand anyway.
Most pharmaceutical sales representatives appreciate all the marketing support they can get. They know that they may only get to see a physician once a month, sometimes less frequently than that if they miss an appointment. The eDetail provides effective “air cover” to keep the physician engaged and to keep the brand and its differentiators front and center.
It’s always important to make sure that the sales rep is aware of the eDetailing program and briefed on its content so that if the doctor comments on it, the sales rep isn’t blind-sided. In fact, since we notify the sales rep when a physician in their territory completes an eDetail, this can be a good discussion starter the next time the rep calls on the doctor, as in “What did you think of the recent eDetailing program on our new indication for Petit Dermatological Blemishes?”
By linking the sales force with the eDetailing program in terms of strategy, messaging, and notification, these two channels, one personal and the other non-personal, can actually support each other.