Pharmaceutical Executive Europe IMS Sales Training Supplement - May 2008 - (Page 12)

Case Study: Improving Market Share with Segmentation and Physician Insight Jon Feingersh Photography Inc/Getty Images major pharmaceutical company was looking to re-work its physician profiling and segmentation processes. Under the current system, a physician’s potential was determined by the criteria of individual reps. Their decisions were checked with other reps visiting the same physicians and validated by the field line manager (FLM). The profiling output was then centralised and a target list was provided to the entire field force every year. Two issues with this current process were potentially draining the client’s market share. Firstly, disparities in the analysis of information and data frequently led to different physician profiling — one rep’s high potential doctor was another rep’s medium or low potential prescriber. Secondly, the system lacked detail around the specifics of physician behaviour, particularly in relation to their use of product types — whether they prescribed only generics, only brands, or a combination of both. The client recognised that central to the introduction of any new profiling and segmentation process was the need for effective implementation — ensuring that reps in the field accepted the changes and adapted their behaviour accordingly would be critical to the project’s success. Charles Maraia/Getty Images A Simulating change Upon reaching a detailed understanding of the client’s current internal processes for profiling physicians, IMS Learning Solutions & Change Management developed a simulation-based training course for the client. The simulation was built around a case study based on a real product and actual historical data and included a training toolkit incorporating the personal digital assistants (PDAs) used by reps in the field. The simulation exercise involved two stages. Firstly, ahead of introducing the new process, the simulation was performed using the client’s current process. Working in groups, participants built a call plan on 20 GPs based on the company’s existing target list. The results from each group differed greatly — reflecting the very wide differentials between the analysis of information and the data currently employed by individual reps. In between the simulation decisions 1 and 2, the new profiling and segmentation process was explained to ensure that participants were understanding and buying-into the value of using common and weighted profiling criteria. The simulation was then repeated, this time using the new profiling and segmentation. The results of the second simulation showed that a doctor previously ranked as having medium potential was now an ‘A’ candidate, leading to a different approach. The results that followed the simulation exercises clearly demonstrated the very positive potential impact of the new target list on market share. One of the major concerns of the client at the outset of the project had been ensuring that all the affected individuals would make the necessary behavioural changes and facilitate the successful implementation of any proposed new practices. This concern was addressed by fully involving the reps in the list-building process, making sure they were responsible for answering the questions that generated the doctor profiles, thereby leaving the input of data in their hands. By focusing on the role of the rep and providing a thorough explanation of the new profiling and segmentation processes, they were able to facilitate buy-in to the new system and secure the appropriate changes in behaviour — vital elements in ensuring successful implementation across the field. Increased market share European testing of the list created by the new targeting simulation revealed a significant uplift in the client’s market share — a direct result of the training course. 12 MAY 2008 PHARMACEUTICAL EXECUTIVE EUROPE

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pharmaceutical Executive Europe IMS Sales Training Supplement - May 2008

Pharmaceutical Executive Europe IMS Supplement - May 2008
Contents
Achieving Behavioural Change
No Train, No Gain
Improving Market Share

Pharmaceutical Executive Europe IMS Sales Training Supplement - May 2008