It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives,Charles Darwin once wrote. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.

Are pharmaceutical sales up to the challenge? It’s a tough question facing traditional pharma sales models in an age where physicians are time-pressed and aware that research is just one click away. And as pharmaceutical sales continue to flatten in developed markets, sales jobs are being downsized—with more to come.

For many in the industry, the answer lies with Darwin’s evolution—and the use of technology, training and new approaches to old ideas. Already, many companies view doctor practices as accounts and their sales reps as part of a team that can offer knowledge on every therapeutic and disease question. The customer-centric approach of Key Account Management, driven by the information spin of Closed-Loop Marketing, may offer the adaptation the industry needs.

Yet there are other issues, too. While technology plays a key role, it also creates a need for continuous training, innovative training models and a better understanding of how sales messages must be adapted to maximize uptake. As Scott Moldenhauer, president of Great Pharma Reps points out, pharma sales models need to change in an era when the time window the reps get with the physician is less than a minute.”

In Pharma Sales Force Innovations: technology, training and rewards, FirstWord offers insight into that change in a compelling and timely analysis of the current sales landscape. The report examines every aspect of new sales thinking from the role of ‘flexi-reps’ to the emergence in Europe of Key Account Management that creates connectivity between customer organisations and company resources. Using ExpertViews interviews with leading thinkers from around the world, the 30-page report offers an overview of innovations in sale rep training as well as case studies for what works—and what does not. In addition, the tightly-written report addresses how and when technology should be used, the implementation of e-training, and changing sales rep reward and compensation models.

The report offers insights into:

• How sales models are evolving to become more customer-centric

• The importance of training reps and innovative ways of rewarding them

• The use of technology such as iPads and tablets, their benefits and drawbacks

Key features

• Up-to-the-minute and timely analysis of sales force effectiveness in the US and Europe

• Positive insights into new models such as Key Account Management

• Comparison of in-house versus remote training for sales reps

• Case studies from leading companies such as NovoNordisk, AstraZeneca and Sanofi-aventis