Time to Re-Think Pharma Sales Rep

"32% of physicians said they cannot talk to reps, compared to 27% last year. Apply this limit to doctors in organized health systems, and the restrictions become even greater: 42% of doctors affiliated with integrated health networks say they are not allowed to see reps -- a 17% increase since last year.  Time for pharma to rethink reps?" [Article Source].

See the last sentence?

Time for pharma to think reps ... what?
Reps numbers? Reps genders? Reps salary? Reps race? Reps job description?

The question was thrown in based on the fact that precedes it. Was that the objective for getting the point?
And would the physicians talk to other people than the rep? If physicians are not talking to the rep, what makes the fact-finder think that they will speak to others?

Such thinking (using numbers as the base) is just following the logic.

But I can tell you if the pharma industry were all about logic, then there would be no need for pharma sales reps from the very beginning.

And pharma selling is about managing perception
In pharma selling (and outside pharma selling too), knowledge is a reality.

I don't need to paste the picture and ask you, "Do you see an old lady or young lady?" like the infamous perception test do I?

Selling pharmaceutical products IS about managing perception.

And here's a better suggestion ...

It's time to RETHINK pharma sales approach!
This, in my opinion, is what pharma selling poorly need now. All change needs to start at the right place, and the right place, always and forever, is in mind.

It's thinking that need to be re-adjust.

For pharma sales, a new, dynamic approach needs to be in place to take over the old, ineffective selling strategies.

A strategy is needed to replace the "Did you close him/her?" question ...
A strategy is needed to replace salespersons control the "closing" ...
A strategy is needed to replace "who talk the most control the sales" ...

The new strategy is already available
I guess it's not new anymore.

But for pharma companies to adopt it, well, that's still new.

Many pharma companies sales managers (seniors or juniors) are still grounded in the "old sell" dogma.

It's not bad or anything like that, but it's not active anymore. Some customers even find it offending.

It's time to re-think, Yes! And it's time to rethink the pharma sales approach.