There are unfortunate yet familiar outcomes in sales and marketing: A rep removes a healthcare professional (HCP) from their call list after numerous unsuccessful outreach attempts. Or, a field team activates for a launch campaign in a new region, but can\u2019t get traction due to unreliable targeting data. The result is more than a deflated rep who logged weeks or months to engage an HCP; it could mean success or failure for a new brand.<\/p>\n
For decades life sciences organizations have stitched together data from old and new sources: the CRM, prescription databases, trials, public information, and more. The method produces a lot of segmentation and targeting data, which becomes quickly outdated. In our examples above, that equates to uncertainty about whether the HCP was a poor target in the first place, or if the missed opportunity in the new region traces back to the wrong time\/wrong channels \u2014 or some other factor entirely.<\/p>\n
A modern approach allows you to begin data analysis immediately using integrated analytics. Simply put, integrated analytics are pre-connected, unique, industrywide data that provide rapid insights to act upon. It\u2019s like having the keys to a universal view to answer any key business question.<\/p>\n
Field reps are your first-class marketing channel. To succeed, they need a precise and connected view of customers, patients, and prescribers<\/a>, as well as deep data and field trends. A common data platform for life sciences synthesizes the right information, so data disconnects are less likely to happen, reps are more likely to crack access codes, and teams better pinpoint where they\u2019re wasting resources.<\/p>\n For example, it is estimated that maintaining a 1,000-person field force costs a life sciences organization about $250 million annually. Achieving even 10-20% more accuracy protects your investment by answering basic but essential questions:<\/p>\n We discuss evolving segmentation and targeting tools and tactics with Novo Nordisk and Takeda, and break them down into four areas to watch:<\/p>\n Frank Armenante is the director of field systems and projects at Novo Nordisk. As a former field rep, he\u2019s been on the receiving end of insights and analytics and understands reps\u2019 needs. While the classic approach is for marketing to refresh segmentation data once or twice a year, Armenante sees costs associated with being slow in moving customers down the funnel \u2014 from awareness to trial, and from consideration to loyalty. \u201cProviding reps with segmentation and targeting only periodically will miss insights that matter along the customer journey. Sales moves fast and the customer experience changes so quickly that if analytics teams aren\u2019t timely enough with data, reps may miss the window to execute on it,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n Once field teams trust that materials and targeting data are accurate and well-timed, reps can then focus on personalization. \u201cWhat ends up happening is that interactions become very personal, and a rep is able to tell a story using all of the information you’ve given them. That creates a strong emotional connection with the physician,\u201d Armenante says. A view into field trends allows you to learn about and compare field engagement across channels to that of peers. For example, current data shows that HCPs increasingly want a way to raise their hand between scheduled in-person meetings. Life sciences organizations accommodating HCP inbound communication<\/a> as part of a service-oriented approach are gaining an advantage:<\/p>\n\n
1. Deliver better insights with timely data<\/h3>\n
The bottom line:<\/em> Given accurate and timely customer, patient, prescriber, KOL, and other data, field teams can more effectively tailor messaging to better support launches and existing campaigns.<\/p>\n2. Use benchmark data to spot trends<\/h3>\n