The secret behind a twofold jump in rep-friendly physicians: the post-pandemic hybrid call strategy you need to know

Republished with permission from Pharma Stats Insight

In the US, a Veeva survey found that as more physicians embraced online meetings, the share of physicians friendly to sales reps rose to 60%.

Video calls replacing sales reps? You clearly don't get it

In the US, a Veeva survey found that as more physicians embraced online meetings, the share of physicians friendly to sales reps rose to 60%.

That's up from 20% during the pandemic — a twofold increase. Face-to-face calls have always been the classic playbook for pharma sales. Yet the Veeva report shows that in-person and online calls have become complementary. Online meetings reinforce rather than replace face-to-face visits.

Video genuinely expands reach and accessibility

A Veeva business consultant put it this way: "Video genuinely expands reach and accessibility." "Veeva's latest Pulse Field Trends Report analyzed 600 million records of physician interactions and activity on the platform: among oncologists, those reached only face-to-face were fewer in number than those engaged through both channels, and had 2.5 times less contact with pharma companies.

The research debunks a rumor that "once physicians and reps switched to video meetings during the pandemic, face-to-face interaction would never return." Veeva also noted that video calls tend to run longer (18 minutes on average, per Veeva data), and physicians become more open to traditional in-person meetings afterward.

Veeva data backs this up: oncologists reached only in person met with pharma companies an average of 4.5 times a month, while those engaged through both channels averaged 11 meetings a month.

The share of physicians willing to meet with sales partners has long been a tracked metric. Around 2010, about 60% of physicians were accessible to sales partners. The figure declined further in the years before the pandemic, mainly because big pharma downsized sales teams, and because with the rise of large medical groups most physicians became employees, while hospitals barred sales reps from clinical activities or hospital premises. The latest research shows this metric is rebounding.

Physicians are highly selective

The report shows physicians are highly selective about who gets their time. More than 50% of physicians engage with no more than three companies, with variation across specialties: 55% of oncologists engage with three or fewer companies, and 30% of psychiatrists deal with just one.

To deliver tailored content, teams also need to shift mindsets and skills, learning to build templates and analyze data. With marketers expected to produce content quickly and at volume under tight budgets, adopting templates is one efficient way to give customers a streamlined experience — even though not all content should be marketed in a modular fashion.

Rheumatology, diabetes and dermatology are less selective: 70% of rheumatologists engage with four or more companies.

Face-to-face calls are no longer the sole yardstick for reaching physicians — investing in multichannel capabilities can create differentiation. Pharma spending on digital media can be expected to keep growing over the next two years.

"The old routines — the 'hello call' at the clinic door, the red-carpet welcome, or the mother-hen scene of reps lining up like chicks waiting for a word with the physician — have now given way to a different model."

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