How Will Healthcare Offices Change After COVID-19?
Medical offices are beehives of activity on any given day. Patients and their families fill the waiting and exam rooms while the medical and clerical staff hustle to complete their daily duties. Medical offices are also visited by several different types of professionals who are either in a support capacity or sales position. Lab and diagnostic representatives, pharmaceutical, biotech and medical device reps along with data analytic persons managing the Electronic Medical Records or other technology reps often frequent the office conducting business with either the physicians, nurses or the office manager. There is a constant flow of people. This method of operation existed for decades until COVID-19 changed everything. Immediately, healthcare centers restricted all flow of ancillary professionals from entering offices in an effort to hinder potential contagion for the persons that were essential to maintain the office, the staff and patients.
Business and pharma marketing strategies within healthcare provider’s offices is now forever changed. Customer face to face interaction will be transformed in numerous ways. On June 2, 2020 a white paper was released by Intouch Solutions titled, “The Aftermath: COVID-19 Insights and Recommendations.” This eye-opening white paper is filled with an abundance of actionable insights applicable to the commercial pharmaceutical industry and examines the explosive evolution for interactions at point of care. It includes healthcare providers insights in this COVID-19 aftermath and how they envision future commercial interactions being conducted. The white paper gives ideas for steps commercial businesses can take to assist with the merge into this new post COVID-19 future. This is truly a must read for anyone in the pharmaceutical industry. Here is the link introduction. You will need to submit your email to download it.
Healthcare providers feel very differently now than they did before COVID-19 regarding any commercial representatives being allowed to make calls in the offices. According to a new June 10, 2020 tracking report by InCrowd, “while 36% of HCPs surveyed were considering virtual meetings with pharma reps in the next few weeks, only 13% would consider an in-person meeting, and only 34% would be open to an in-person meeting this year. (In addition, 39% of respondents weren’t meeting with reps in person even before the pandemic.)” You can bet that as the March 2020 COVID-19 scramble to get remote business up and running settles into a more precise, functional routine, physicians will be even less likely to meet with representatives. Medical offices have had to go through their own COVID-19 modifications as far as who is allowed entrance, spacing, PPE, cleaning etc, so why would they want yet another medically unnecessary person walking through the door.
Even before COVID-19 struck the United States, organizations were beginning to recognize that perhaps they didn’t really require huge sales forces calling on physicians offices to meet their targeted marketing goals. Advancing technology allows for electronic ordering and remote consulting to achieve goals. It is difficult for massive global companies to disrupt their entire organizational structure. Like a massive ship, these companies cannot turn on a dime. It’s a long, tedious, laborious task requiring input from all stakeholders. Expense and vulnerability for stock volatility can be a paralyzing factor to such a change. As they say, “Necessity is the mother of invention”. COVID-19 provided the impetus to immediately begin reconstructing, finding methods of realignment to meet the needs of their valued customers. Unfortunately, implementing these massive revisions often brings unpleasant change for some who call on medical offices.
As organizations systemically adapt and realign projecting for future profitability so must the employees that might be targeted for “optimization”, “displacement”, “downsizing”, “rightsizing” or as we all know it, being laid off! Large organizations cannot institute change immediately so there is still time to listen acutely to what is being said by your manager and during video meetings with a keen ear for hints that changes are coming as well as doing a little homework on the company.
Below are a few hints to listen for:
1. Has your company hinted regarding shifting of territories or changing the “universe” of customer sizes or boundaries?
2. Are key account managers now being preferred instead of speciality representatives?
3. Are digital response models being introduced by the training department?
4. Has your company hired outside consulting agencies to “recreate for the future” spouting promotional response models?
5. If you have listened to the company’s earnings calls (and you should), has anyone mentioned contractions in sales force or reductions in headcount?
Everyone can’t be “re-optimized” at once, so make a point to position yourself to be the best employee, embracing any changes that are thrown at you with a positive attitude. Be the expert at any digital upgrades or programs you are given. Ask to be the team leader assisting others with the programs. Taking on added responsibility when other employees are complaining and stressed will be a breath of fresh air for a manager who is also under the stress of change. If you are a rep who is stronger regarding the clinical aspect as opposed to the relational aspect of customer relations, then become strong in both aspects. Clients are different but you must bring value to the customer each and every time you see them and if you are not, then you won’t be seen. Period.
Changes will be ongoing in the healthcare marketplace for years to come. How organizations will communicate with healthcare providers will continually evolve and representatives at point of care must be able to evolve with it bringing a new creativity to customer relations. If you are hearing the winds of change at your organization and feel the need to make a move to a new position or a new career, I can help you prepare for any job interview you may have.
As a job interview coach with over 30 years of experience, I offer a free 30 minute coaching consultation. I’d be happy to serve you!