Product, Disease & Launch training: Why gamified learning is a great fit for pharma
In this new era since COVID-19 came into our lives, pharma has had to adapt to the ways in which they engage with their customers. Omnichannel evolution has been accelerated by most organisations with most on this journey of go-to-market model change.
Whatever your new or evolved engagement model might be, in terms of the conventional (and still very important) face-to-face element of engagement, in most geographies, the coverage has returned to near pandemic levels, the frequency and average contact time have not, so the number of and duration of face-to-face interactions have decreased overall. To compound this further, what has also become clear is that HCPs have higher than ever expectations when it comes to the quality of the engagements that they have with their pharma reps and MSLs (as have “consumers” in many sectors outside of pharma).
With this in mind, never has it been so important to ensure that customer-facing representatives are truly at the top of their game in terms of their knowledge, skills, approach, and understanding of the needs of their customers. The way that pharma trains its reps also, therefore, needs to be at the top of its game. No longer are sporadic (and costly) classroom learning events, limited engagement Zoom sessions, and dull “read and understand” e-learning enough to ensure that teams are truly operating at the level that they need to be.
Customer-facing teams should be constantly working on and improving their knowledge and skills. The time to do this, should not be happening whilst in front of their customers, particularly when we know that the overall access is declining.
This becomes even more critical when it comes to launching new products into the marketplace, where that first and subsequent face-to-face touchpoints in regard to a new product or indication can be so important to the overall launch success.
Boehringer Ingelheim took this stance when it set out to ensure that its representatives were provided with the very highest quality of upfront and ongoing training to support them with one of their brands. Watch the full customer story below:
Boehringer Ingelheim is working on breakthrough therapies that transform lives, today and for generations to come. As a leading research-driven biopharmaceutical company, the company creates value through innovation in areas of high unmet medical need. Founded in 1885 and family-owned ever since, Boehringer Ingelheim takes a long-term perspective. More than 52,000 employees serve over 130 markets in the three business areas, Human Pharma, Animal Health, and Biopharmaceutical Contract Manufacturing.
We [Attensi] were proud when Boehringer Ingelheim decided to create a learning solution for their teams, to ensure that all of its people, wherever they are in the world, can stay on top of all the latest scientific breakthroughs, and latest additions to the company’s product portfolio.
And the results speak for themselves
Employees love the learning app, and on average they repeat the training 40 times. The training has quickly spread to Boehringer Ingelheim staff in 25 countries across the world. Just listen to what some of their employees have to say about the Attensi training solution:
“The response that I have gotten to the Attensi Skills solution has been just tremendous. In science, we have discoveries nearly every week. We need to ensure that our employees are at that level of scientific knowledge. The Attensi solution really differs from the usual training methods that we have used because you can really see they have fully deeply looked into the psychology of learning.”
– Erica Rademacher, Boehringer Ingelheim International Product Manager
The real test, however, is the reps’ reaction to the training. After all, they are the people who must bring the learning to life in real conversations with medics who are experts in their field. Jake Williams, Senior Sales Consultant, loves the training. He said:
“The more training and the more I’m up with certain materials, the more prepared I am to go into a physician’s office and feel really feel confident in answering questions.”
Jake especially appreciates the convenience of the mobile learning – and also the friendly rivalry it generates between workmates.
“It’s right at your fingertips. It’s right there, it’s very user-friendly,” he says.
“It’s competitive also, so it’ll track where you stand versus the country, versus the region. In every way, this app has helped me be better as a sales consultant in my daily job.”
The training delivers real results and better value for money than outdated and ineffective classroom training.
Jenny Payne, Boehringer Ingelheim Director of Marketing & Technology Training, said:
“It’s actually a first that people come to me now and they want more. And with this app, unlike other training materials that I have, we’re able to see the return on the investment, just like that.
When I first saw a demo of the app I immediately said, ‘We have to have this in the United States.”
We have shown that we understand the needs of the pharma industry – and can meet them effectively.
Attensi solutions are the perfect answer because the quickest and best way to train is with gamified learning simulations, combining game-playing tech with real scenarios from business to teach new techniques and processes.
People remember more too, because it’s fun.
We are transforming the world of learning, in pharma, and in so many more industries all over the world.