Orchestrating Omnichannel Relationships - The Future of Pharma?

 All conversations currently lead to one place...COVID-19

As the shock of the spread of the disease begins to hit home, and we all become accustomed to a new way of working, thoughts are starting to move to the future and how we will all recover, personally and professionally.

One of the critical issues coming to the front is the mental wellbeing of the Health Care Professionals (HCPs) and the probability that many will be left suffering from PTSD when the adrenaline wears off.

They'll be left to face the memories of the conditions they have been working in and the life and death decisions they are making daily.

Speaking to The Independent, Saffron Cordery, deputy chief executive of NHS Providers, said: "There is no denying that this extraordinary effort by staff will be extremely tiring, stressful and demanding. Staff will be dealing with physically and emotionally challenging situations every hour of every day. NHS colleagues, whether they are a clinician, nurse, porter, cleaner, or senior leader, are pulling out all the stops, sometimes at the expense of their wellbeing, to look after others."

We don't know when this situation will end, and it's a probable certainty that the industry won't bounce back immediately, so could this spark a transformation in the way that Pharmaceutical Companies (not just field force) will work alongside HCPs in the future?

 HUMAN TO HUMAN

One thing is for sure, the situation we have all found ourselves in is (dare I say it) unprecedented and while it has brought about stress, anxiety and frustration, it's also made us a little more empathetic. This empathy must continue when we finally turn that corner and start to emerge out the other side.

What does that mean for pharma?

Let's look at HCPs to start with; we know they are doing what they do best and providing outstanding care and cutting-edge research as they battle against this novel Coronavirus. Most of us, thankfully, can't even begin to imagine the horrors that the frontline workers are facing daily.

Making life and death choices is part of the job, but not on this scale. Still, though, they keep going, putting their lives and those of their families, colleagues and loved ones at risk.

The toll on their mental health will be immense, and many will experience, if they're not already, illnesses including PTSD.

While there are calls for new mental health helplines and plans for a step up in counselling, here in the pharma industry, we must consider this and start focussing on what the World will look like post-COVID-19.

Access to HCPs won't happen overnight - it will be a long and complicated process to ensure they're physically and mentally well enough to return to work. As an industry, we need to understand and empathise with what they have been through, and may still be struggling with, and find new ways to engage and add value beyond the obvious need to utilise more remote field force solutions.

That means a more empathetic and innovative approach to the relationships that already exist and the ones we seek to develop. Those who are already accelerating their digital capability plans or making brand new plans to accommodate a new way of working and demonstrating innovation and value will be sure to position themselves as a partner of choice in the new post COVID-19 

The UK is a significant centre in the production of pharmaceuticals. Indeed, 41% of demand is generated from overseas sales, making the industry the third most export intensive in UK manufacturing. (source: www.pharmafile.com)

The shift we're currently experiencing means that the pharmaceutical industry must strive even harder to shift to a more value-based philosophy! It'll need a marked change from the purchaser/supplier relationship that we have known to more of a partnership, measuring value beyond what can be captured in purely financial terms.

The market is likely to change significantly once this crisis is over, so now is the time to identify the capabilities you will need your team to excel in to be able to thrive in this new World.

THE DIGITAL RESET

Speaking recently about customer engagement, Indegene's VP of strategy and applied digital transformation, Marc Valdiviezo said: "this COVID-19 crisis will lead to a "digital reset" in pharma that will completely change how companies interact with customers. It was already the case before the pandemic that a "blended experience" between digital and physical worlds will create the best customer experience and dominate the next era of marketing."

Sometimes an event will transcend the here and now and lead to dramatic changes in our society and the way in which we interact with each other. Pharma will be no exception in this case.

Some trials have already been cancelled and others delayed, but there is also reason to believe that regulations will go beyond clinical trials.

 Part of the change will come from industry leaders and some of it will come from regulators to protect patients and protect personnel. There's a very real likelihood that regulations will be imposed on customers and businesses alike to ensure safety, for example, restrictions on who can enter a hospital or a doctor's office.

This needs a complete transformation of how your field force engages your clients on a face to face level, digitally, or both at the same time.

Valdiviezo added "If you can define for your company what it takes to deliver a great customer experience in the context of this framework, you will be able to drive successful strategies and capabilities – specifically the capabilities you will need when we actually come out on the other side of the crisis. Make sure you keep the customer experience in mind. Remember what the actual end goal is. Make sure that with these different restrictions and regulations, you still deliver something of high value to your customers."

OMNICHANNEL ENGAGEMENT

So how can the industry adapt to a post COVID-19 World?

Commercial, Medical, Clinical, Logistics, Supply and Manufacturing teams will need to innovate and adopt a more cross channel approach to establishing relationships and developing these strategic partnerships, which will include:  

• eDetailers / remote field force
• Telehealth
• Email
• Websites / Portals
• Digital Health apps
• eLearning
• Augmented Reality
• Virtual Reality
• Online Events (webinars, online conferences and sales presentations)
• Artificial Intelligence

ORCHESTRATING OMNICHANNEL DELIVERY

By creating a fully integrated, cross channel strategy, you place the client at the heart of the operation. They have up to date, instant access to the critical information they need at any given point, which leads to increased customer engagement and conversion.

You might think that this brave, new World is one that will see the number of field forces diminish, we don't see it that way – it's more that they will need to change the way they work and maintain their ongoing partnerships by embracing technology.

The ones who fully embrace this new style of working are the ones who will become the most successful. They'll need the flexibility to adapt to different customer needs as well as identifying opportunities that create value for everyone involved, not forgetting the professional boundaries of the regulatory and compliance framework.

Industry leaders need to recruit, train and develop leaders across all functions who are easily able to plan, integrate and deliver a robust omnichannel experience. Your teams need to be able to engage in value-based interactions with customers as well as being confident and proficient with technology and the delivery of sales calls through the remote channels.

·       How is your organisation embracing and adapting to these changes?

·       Is your current strategy going to position you as a leader in omnichannel engagement?

·       How would you rate your functions/organisations digital capability?

·       Does your field force have the skills required to operate with impact remotely?

·       Do your current processes and training systems reflect the changes going on in the industry?

Does your existing recruitment, selection and assessment process consider and reflect the need to engage authentically with empathy in a remote environment?

At Wax, we've been speaking to leaders and consultants across the industry to get a feel for how things might work we get through the lockdown phase and beyond. What will be the significant changes and key learns moving forward? One major theme that keeps cropping is the need to invest in training, learning and development to ensure that all customer-facing teams have the communication skills and tools required to engage with HCPs who may be suffering from PTSD in a genuinely authentically manner. Another issue has been needing to attract new talent with experience in developing impactful digital strategies and remote sales capability and, the recruitment, selection and assessment processes that sit alongside this.

The team at Wax have been working hard to perfect an online assessment platform aimed at the need for more remote working, and we're leading the way when it comes to building and assessing cross-functional teams that will enable your business to thrive in the new World.

While traditional assessment centres working with face to face interaction have their place, they are far removed from the World that we are moving into, where the focus will shift to more remote working and relationship building.

Our online platform enables you to assess the existing capability of your field force, or potential new hires, against the essential skills and competencies required to be successful working in a remote environment. Unlike a face to face assessment, you can assess how confident and impactful your teams are when engaging with customers and colleagues remotely, whether that's delivering a clinical sales presentation to a customer or a business plan to colleagues.

It allows your business leaders to demonstrate the essential skills required to lead, motivate and inspire teams remotely, something many leaders are not used to or comfortable with. Being able to demonstrate inspirational leadership, coach for performance or influence with impact when you're not in daily, physical contact with them requires a whole new set of skills. Our platform helps you to see your leaders in action, in a more realistic environment. 

If you'd like to know more about how we can help you connect you with leaders in the field, or to learn more about our online assessment platform then contact me directly on [email protected] .

For more about what the future of pharma may have in store, then check out the first-ever webinar organised by NEXT Pharma Summit, which took place on April 7th, 2020.

The lineup includes:

·       Davidek Herron - Head of Digital Platforms & Operations from Teva

·       Haider Alleg - Global Head of Digital Marketing from Ferring

·       Marc A. Valdiviezo - VP Strategy and Applied Digital Transformation from Indegene

·       Dirk Abeel - Global Medical Sales Director from Reckit Benckiser

·       Dario Safaric - Chairman and Founder - NEXT Pharma Summit

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O36q6HDorio&feature=youtu.be

Links for referencing:

https://www.independent.co.uk/

https://social.eyeforpharma.com/

https://www.pharmafile.com/

https://pharmaphorum.com/

https://viseven.com/

https://info.zs.com/the-exchange/finding-purpose-the-role-of-the-sales-force-during-covid-19

https://www.across.health/