RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC--(Marketwire - September 7, 2007) - 100% of surveyed companies
reported that reduced physician access is their chief tactical challenge,
according to a new study by pharmaceutical business intelligence leader
Cutting Edge Information. The report, "Pharmaceutical Sales Management
2008," explores how companies are taking steps to reduce overexposure to
sales reps in an effort to increase doctors' openness to sales visits.
Physician access is not a new problem for pharmaceutical sales forces. In
fact, 100% of respondents in Cutting Edge Information's previous study two
years ago also cited access as their primary challenge. In the latest
attempts to earn back access into doctors' offices, which have been limited
to a few hours per week or closed entirely, companies have reduced sales
rep calls and the number of reps per doctor. Many companies, for instance,
have shifted to a full-time sales rep-to-doctor ratio of 2:1; and one
company has even reduced it further to a 1:1 ratio.
"Companies have definitely made adjustments to their sales tactics even
over the course of two years," says David Richardson, a senior analyst at
Cutting Edge Information. "This trend is a result of the rapidly changing
marketplace. The mirroring and overexposure tactics that companies once
employed were causing doctors to sharply limit reps' access. Companies
have realized that in order to overcome access issues they must provide
higher-quality information to help sales reps build stronger relationships
with physicians."
The report examines pharmaceutical companies' sales investment, structure,
strategies, and field tactics. Compiled from interviews and surveys with
sales leaders at top-performing pharmaceutical companies, the report allows
drug companies to compare and improve their own sales strategies.
Key metrics in the new pharmaceutical sales report include figures for the
following areas:
-- Budgeting and Financial Support
-- Structure and Headcounts
-- Product Prioritization, Territory Alignment and Coordination
-- Sales Operations and Contract Sales
-- Training and Development
-- Sales Compensation and Reward Programs
-- Rep Activities
-- Segmenting and Targeting
-- Overcoming Reduced Physician Access
-- Optimizing Time Earned with Physicians
To download a free, online summary of this report, visit
http://www.cuttingedgeinfo.com/pharmasalesmanagement/PH103_Download.asp#body.
Contact Information: CONTACT INFORMATON:
For more information or to learn about other Cutting Edge Information
research, contact:
David Richardson
919-433-0216
For media inquiries, contact:
Stephanie Swanson
Marketing Team Leader
919-433-0212