Damien Johnes, as a pharma rep, has a history of topping the sales charts every quarter for the past 3 years. During his initial reconnaissance, he expanded his reach within his territory and developed a deep understanding of every General Practitioner in the primary care clinic. His lunch appointments with GPs have always scored a hit, making him the best sales rep within his team.

The last two quarters, however, haven't been too good for him. He has been meeting the right people, approaching the same clinics, and meeting up with the same GPs, but his sales seem to have stagnated. His manager was perplexed, wondering why a high performer suddenly was not able to deliver when his other teammates have consistently been showing improvement and reaching their targets well in time.

The reason was simple enough; when they sat down to discuss in detail where Damien was going wrong, he simply had exhausted opportunities to sell his product because he was reluctant to explore further afield. Feeling too comfortable with his own territory and the bunch of primary care clinics (even with the migrating GP population), Damien nearly looked at exploring opportunities that 'could have been.'

Here, we need to understand one thing: when GPs migrate to other clinics, they may prefer to quickly order drug samples locally instead of relying on a long-distance relationship with you. Even if you are happy to approach the replacement doctor who has come in their place, you may be missing out on a chance to explore further afield to increase your opportunities.

Missed opportunities: the underlying causes

The golden rule (and one that's as old) of pharma sales is to visit the primary care clinics in your territory, get a lunch appointment (or meet them after work, as it has become a norm now), and talk to them one-on-one. This established schedule, which has been in place for several decades, provides a valuable opportunity to meet with customers and discuss products, drugs, research, and other relevant topics, ensuring a successful outcome.

With digital appointment booking systems in place, arranging meetings to discuss products has become significantly easier, saving valuable time and effort. Thus, all it takes is not missing these one-on-one opportunities to start the sales pitch.

Then, where are we going wrong? Why the missed opportunities?

The trouble is in the fact that while the GPs are moving places to find better opportunities, many drug reps feel the need to restrict themselves to their territories.

Why are territories sacrosanct?

Territories are devised as a convenience for drug reps operating in different areas. While it’s a wonderful opportunity to concentrate on the GPs operating in a particular area, it also gives a sense of ownership for that area, therefore ensuring the sample requests and meetings go on as planned.

The trouble, however, is when we stop exploring a bit beyond the boundary and see if we can include a few more clinics into our fold or meet clinics that have come up new in the area. At that point, stagnation sets in, prompting us to expand our reach and engage with new individuals in the industry to promote our products.

Pushing boundaries in sales

There are no perfect, foolproof sales pitches, marketing tactics, or magical theories that can work in all situations. The ideal way is to think along the way and improvise or revise strategies to fit into individual cases. If there is the slightest possible indication that the old ideas have become redundant in a situation, it's time to move on to new and innovative ones.

However, navigating the volatile healthcare sector and its constant changes is not an easy feat to achieve. But it's essential to ensure our sales pitches match the market requirements in order to see some results.

To see the change in the equation, Damien only needs to attract a few more GPs and customers, even if it requires extensive initial reconnaissance. Given the constant exodus of GPs, and the dynamic nature of primary care settings, it is crucial for salespeople to closely monitor potential new prospects. The only way to accomplish this is to maintain constant communication with our existing customers, actively seek out new opportunities, such as a primary care clinic or a new GP nearby and seize them.

With the appointment scheduling made simple on digital platforms like RxTro, all that people like Damien need to do to get back on track is to pave new pathways to new opportunities and not fix up on one clinic or one GP at a time!

To conclude, it's crucial to always keep in mind that missed meeting opportunities in pharma sales represent more than just a blank space on the calendar, but also moments that have the potential to significantly impact sales. 

Are you ready to welcome 2025 with a perfect sales pitch? How foolproof do you think your cycle plan is in this ever-changing clinical landscape? If you have concerns about that, we have an ideal solution. However, before that, let us do background checks to understand how plans can go awry in this volatile market. 

GP exodus- a new disturbing reality 

So, you have all the cycle plans ready for the next three months- your targets are set, and you are prepared with a group of reps to promote your product. Now think about this situation – suddenly, you realise that amongst the group of doctors you were targeting, half the people have moved their base or entirely given up on practising. Here is the catch- you have seen this happening repeatedly, which is not new. However, it can altogether topple your sales plans for the quarter. And unlike before, the numbers show an alarming rate of exodus happening lately. 

The graph shows the number of GPs who move out or retire, and the numbers prove the point- sometimes, the best-laid plans can go awry. Is there a solution to it? While keeping track of GP movements and availability is all well, the best way forward is to find a foolproof digital solution.  

Automatic appointment booking software for Pharma Reps 

The appointment booking software is one of the best digital solutions available for pharma reps. With such software, everything is automated- from checking the availability to booking your appointment or finding a GP when they have moved on to another practice. Let's look at how an automatic appointment booking software can bring added benefits for your cycle plan: 

Optimised time management: 

With an appointment scheduling app, pharma sales reps can efficiently plan their days by organising and perfecting their doctor me. Reps can also prioritise high-value appointments, reducing downtime and increasing meaningful and successful meetings with healthcare professionals. 

Real-time accessibility: 

The scheduling software allows real-time meeting scheduling and gives them access to mobile and desktop options. It also ensures that the pharma reps are aware of their upcoming appointments and changes, such as cancellations, etc., and adjust on the go. 

Integrated calendar: 

The appointment scheduling software helps pharma reps streamline the calendar use to avoid conflicts and supply a complete view of their upcoming commitments. With calendar syncing options, the reps know all about their meetings, deadlines, changes, and new events. 

Automated reminders: 

The same goes for reminders, too. With calendars synched, the reps can get automated reminders to ensure no missing details and know all about their upcoming meetings. The app or the appointment booking software sends out notifications through SMS or emails or whatever mode is integrated into the system to keep it all up to date. 

CRM integrations: 

Customer relationship management is one of the significant additions to a sales rep's kit. Most scheduling software comes integrated with CRM systems to aid in consolidating customer data and streamlining the overall sales process. It allows pharma reps to have all relevant customer information before each appointment, preparing for personalised and informed discussions with doctors.  

Effective territory management: 

Every pharma sales rep is allotted a specific geographic location for better customer engagement. Managing and perfecting territories effectively is a significant step towards addressing a more extensive base of healthcare professionals in that area. Sales reps can use the software to plan and manage their territories effectively. 

Flexible rescheduling options: 

One of the most helpful options of using scheduling software is its ability to reschedule appointments when and where necessary. The flexibility such software offers helps reps adapt to unforeseen circumstances and any last-minute changes. 

There are many reasons why using appointment scheduling software can work. Now the question is, why do clinics sign up for it?   

How can clinics benefit from appointment scheduling software? 

Before going into the details, let's get to the basics of why we need the healthcare clinics onboarded to make scheduling software effective.  

For the pharma reps to book appointments with the doctors or the clinics they work in, we need those clinics to register the software on their systems. Unless they register and show the availability of appointments on their calendar, the reps cannot go on to book meetings with the doctors working with them. 

Now the question is, why will clinics sign up with the scheduling software providers? Here are some reasons why: 

1. Most times, reps keep calling clinics to find doctor availabilities and wait for their meetings. Such instances are not just a timewaster for the reps but can also overcrowd the waiting rooms and clinic management.  
2. Another factor is the no-shows, either by the doctors or the reps, leading to confusion and challenges of rebooking and rescheduling appointments falling on the front office. That puts pressure on the administrative staff, who can be better off handling patient intake rather than working out rep-doctor meeting schedules. 
3. The integrated scheduling calendar can give a helping hand to the administrative staff in making and coordinating patient appointments with rep meetings and avoiding any conflicts of interest. 

The best part is that rep appointment scheduling software can be integrated and personalised for other purposes like patient intake. For example, the RxTro rep appointment booking software comes complimentary for the clinics, making it a worthwhile investment for healthcare practitioners to install and enjoy its benefits. 

Concluding thoughts: 

Such digital solutions as the rep appointment scheduling software are the much-needed answer to the challenges that pharma sales reps face day in and day out. While they increase the efficiency of their work life and help increase their productivity, they also bring immense benefits to the healthcare clinics. It's a win-win situation, where the clinics are happy to manage their schedules efficiently without having to tackle the overflowing sales reps waiting to meet the GPs, and the pharma reps are happy to go about their business without the fear of toppling their cycle plans for the quarter.  

While it still falls on the sales reps to convince their customers of the efficiency of the products, such software can at least get the GPs on the table to make their sales pitch. And that can be a big win in many situations.