Technology in the pharmaceutical world has redefined the relationship between sales reps and physicians. This dynamic relationship is still in its infancy as adoption rates gradually increase and mobile adoption becomes more rampant. So rampant, that recent reports estimate that 81% of all pharmaceutical companies train or plan to train with pharmaceutical apps. It's the future of pharmaceutical sales.
Pharmaceutical companies are also exploring the development of their own apps. The problem is that they are not very good at it. 30% of all apps developed by pharmaceutical companies have never been updated and 29% only had one update.
According to FiercePharma, the top 5 pharmaceutical apps include Johnson & Johnson’s 7 Minute Workout App and Sanofi’s Go Meals – neither of which are apps that are directly related to pharmaceutical sales.
In a constantly changing market, failure to stay cutting-edge will result in a large disadvantage. This is largely the reason why external companies have dedicated resources to helping pharmaceutical companies externally. Here are a few great pharmaceutical apps for sales reps.
What Kind of Apps Should You Explore?
Training and Learning
Mobile training and information retention solutions have picked up steam. Information retention has been cast into the spotlight as a major problem for pharmaceutical reps. In fact, on average roughly 84% of all sales training information is lost after 90 days.
Mobile application Atrivity looks to solve this problem by using mobile gaming. Their trivia application is designed to increase knowledge by 25% in 5 days. This highly engaging learning app can be customized to fit team needs.
In pharmaceutical sales, this could help drive knowledge sharing for product launches, sales training, and help eliminate mundane training methods. When choosing an app for training, make sure it is geared towards results with a heavy emphasis on tracking. This will allow you to keep track of your team’s progress and adjust to changes along the way.
CRM and Customer Management
A recent study by Gartner estimates that the CRM industry will be worth $37 billion in 2017. CRM solutions are growing in popularity due to their ability to be accessed on multiple devices, cloud technology, and mobile compatibility. According to the same study, CRM is a key tool to help drive sales:
Companies such as Base and Veeva are aiming directly for the pharma industry. They make tools where contacts, schedules, call data and spreadsheets, and communication updates can be synched to a simple platform. This information can then be shared and accessed on various devices.
Like most disruptive technologies, the key to high CRM adoption rates is in their ability to integrate and become part of a sales rep’s natural work flow. A good CRM will be easy to navigate and learn, while being robust enough to impact productivity and results.
Organization and Productivity
Apps in the organization and productivity space tend to be generalized towards anyone with a need. Pharmaceutical reps will benefit from using the usual suspects such as Dropbox and Evernote for information storing and sharing. For Sales, Salesforce leads the market and tends to dominate most sales driven professions. For mobile presentations, a great app called Reflector will allow you to mirror your smartphone or tablet to any computer.
While these generalized apps are industry leaders, some apps have specifically marketed themselves as pharmaceutical apps. One of them, Badger, developed a pharmaceutical sales map function to help sales reps find the destinations and meetings they are looking for.
The Future of Mobile Pharmaceutical Apps
The winners in the pharmaceutical apps arena will be the companies that can specify a direct need and execute on a seamless plan. Pharmaceutical giants are not dedicated to creating specialized sales or productivity focused apps, so the competitive landscape is open for 3rd party software providers and app developers. Those who can build value-added products with easy usability and scale potential, will be at the forefront of the pharmaceutical app movement.
Read more in this series:
Why 66% of Drug Launches Miss Sales Quotas
Do your Pharma Sales Reps Have the Right Training?
Why a Lack of Attention to Detail is Killing Your Pharma Launches
How to Effectively Measure your Pharmaceuticals Sales Kick-off or Event
Optimizing Pharma Sales with Mobile Technology
With a $1.05 trillion market cap, how are today's world-competitive pharma companies using technology to accelerate and enable sales?
- 5 Benefits pharma companies seek in mobile apps
- Do mobile apps really work to accelerate sales?
- Pharma sales costs and trends
- Atrivity case study: how to increase sales 20%
- Key takeaways & statistics
