Healthy Skepticism Library item: 17507

Warning: This library includes all items relevant to health product marketing that we are aware of regardless of quality. Often we do not agree with all or part of the contents.

Publication type: news

Cooney B
Virtual Speaker Q&A
MedAdNews 2010 Mar 12
http://medad.canon-experts.com/2010/03/is-it-possible-to-conduct-speaker-webconferences/

Full text:

Is it possible to conduct speaker Webconferences in the physician’s office without distracting sales reps from their sales duties?

Another great question. For starters, in my experience the best virtual speaker programs have been driven by pharma reps who support the invitation/registration process, and also host the event in the HCP’s office. So getting pharma reps’ buy-in is critical to success.

On the issue of distracting sales reps, to me this hinges on virtual program design, so that “the program supports the rep,” instead of “the rep supports the program.” By this I mean that the biggest challenges facing pharma reps are gaining access to target HCPs, and providing clinical value to their HCPs. Virtual speaker program must be designed from the ground up so that reps perceive virtual programs as tools that help reps gain access and deliver value.

It’s important to properly position virtual speaker programs as a compelling offer to HCPs. After all, they conveniently allow HCPs to connect live with peers and experts in a state-of-the-art digital meeting. That’s a great offer, especially for the many HCPs who are so busy treating patients that they don’t have time to interact with peers.

To make these programs easy for pharma reps, think about having HCPs join using computers that are already in the clinic, such as a desktop computer in the HCP’s office. This way the rep has no equipment to set up, and the activity moves from the break room into the HCP’s office. That won’t happen in every HCP office, but when it does, the pharma rep gets invaluable time with the HCP.