Articles
2/9/2024

Pharmacists don't have the time. Neither do the delegates...

Pharmacists don't have the time. Neither do the delegates...

The 30% reduction in appointment time has a major impact on delegate appointments.

With their new missions, pharmacists have reorganized the time they devote to purchasing from laboratories. Post-covid, the time spent in appointments with their pharmaceutical representatives has dropped from 50 to 35 minutes on average. Due to staff shortages, most sales meetings are held at the counter.

What is the direct impact on the delegate?

The sales representative has reworked his meetings to get straight to the point: the needs identification phase has been shortened in favor of restocking and sales compensation. He loses much of the information he needs to help the pharmacist develop his business. The delegate leaves with an order, but has not been able to pinpoint the growth drivers for future visits.

What tasks prevent the delegate from selling?

In a short space of time, the pharmacist needs to solve his administrative problems and restock an order.

Delivery problems, broken products, invoicing errors and the follow-up of trade compensations are all small errors that rigorous pharmacists want to correct at the start of the appointment. They focus the pharmacist's attention and energy on commercial problems.

Resolving these administrative tasks contributes to a good commercial relationship between the delegate and his pharmacist. But they pollute the appointment, already shortened by the pharmacist.

How did the delegate adapt to this trend?

Delegates have changed the way they work with pharmacists. Pharmacists need support in their commercial relationship, follow-up and commercial insight from their partners.

Samy (name changed) is a sales representative for a major French laboratory in a Paris area. He confirms: "Since Covid, pharmacists no longer have time for us, they've realized that they can manage their orders without us, it's very difficult for us to make appointments and we're often received between two patients. We have to question ourselves and focus on the help we can give them on a daily basis."

Are you a member of a laboratory?
Are you a group member?

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