The death of pharma sales.

Ok, so I have a flare for melodrama. But, if you’re in this industry you will be feeling the change.

We can all agree this pandemic has been a bit of a bitch. Working from home got old really quickly and our customers are busier than ever. Not exactly the environment for great engagement.

The first lockdown threw us all in a tailspin. How do we do our day-to-day jobs? What is zoom? And for the love of god how do you work it?!

We were in a new world. Not a particularly pleasant one either.

As time went on, most us got to grips with how to switch cameras and microphones on. We got adept at hiding kids and dogs. Throwing all the washing behind the screen, even positioning a new bookcase or two. We were ready. The problem - Were our customers?

My customers were pulled into COVID wards, creating huge backlogs of patients for them to treat. Their time was in ever short supply. Deciding between a ten-minute break and a chat through a sales aid wasn’t exactly a hard choice.

So, what should we do?

We had to change what we offer and how we do it. This has led to a huge increase in digital offerings to customers. This has come in many forms, podcasts, webinars and even facetime calls.

Throughout the pandemic, many educational offerings got cancelled. Offering CPD accredited education over promotional calls was an easy way of increasing value. ?

Partnership working alongside the NHS is quickly becoming the norm. Over the past year, I have been responsible for delivering patient initiatives. Organising peer to peer meetings and national webinars.

The pandemic has certainly changed the landscape in which we work. Dare I say it…for the better.?