Commercial – Case Study
EU commercial leadership had a strategic goal to increase sales of a follow-on product by improving sales team scientific knowledge. PI created a Strategic Playbook that created a new approach to sales education, measurement of sales staff knowledge and technology to support sales. Then PI and the client partnered to implement the Strategic Playbook and achieve the client's goals – exceeding sales targets by 50% in the six months following implementation.
EU region of a top-three biotech company:
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After launching a follow on product in the EU, commercial leadership was disappointed in the uptake. Building greater uptake was an urgent strategic goal.
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The follow-on product was superior to its predecessor product, but the explanation of the superiority claims and its potential impact on treatment placed a greater scientific burden on the sales staff than they had previously faced.
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Complicating the challenge, the EU commercial team expected the new findings to generate a range of additional scientific questions.
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The client retained Pharma Initiatives partners to develop a Strategic Playbook to meet its strategic uptake goal.
The recommendations in the Strategic Playbook leading to the salesforce exceeding targets by 50% in the six months following their introduction included:
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Developing a new training capability within the EU commercial function, tasked with managing training and ongoing support of the sales team.
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Ensuring all sales staff are trained and comfortable with the new materials through online mini-tests and face to face scenario evaluations.
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Creating an enhanced approach for linking healthcare providers who have additional scientific questions with the EU field medical team leveraging technology to make the request seamless and ensure compliance in the handoff of the request.
Embedding the changes recommended in the Strategic Playbook led to:
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Organization Structure: Restructured the sales training function, changing roles and adding staff to meet the launch and post-launch requirements.
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Information Technology Implementation: Designed, developed and deployed iPad app for scientific meeting request capability for sales staff to automate the request and collection of healthcare professional signature.
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Process Optimization: Developed new processes for sales collection of scientific inquiries taking advantage of the new iPad app.
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Training: Developed sales training materials and training scenarios.