Transforming Customer Engagement in Life Sciences Adopting Hybrid Commercial Models (HCMs)

Engaging healthcare professionals (HCPs) requires understanding their preferences, especially post-pandemic. While traditional methods are back, digital channels such as remote meetings remain vital. A hybrid approach, combining digital and traditional strategies, is key for flexible engagement, effective resource allocation, and enhanced product awareness, thus avoiding a one-size-fits-all approach.

The convergence of traditional and digital channels in the life sciences industry presents significant challenges in delivering a comprehensive customer experience (CX) across all touchpoints. Before 2019, healthcare professionals (HCPs) primarily engaged with life science enterprises through traditional means such as face-to-face meetings, phone calls, printed journals, and industry events. However, as digital options surged, HCPs now expect personalized content and a seamless omnichannel experience. As such, there has been a noticeable shift in HCP engagement preferences from pre-pandemic to post-pandemic times, with digital channels becoming increasingly prominent.

As HCPs become more selective, developing a CX strategy has become a competitive advantage. Achieving comprehensive CX requires understanding customers across touchpoints, driven by integrated data and agile responses to evolving needs. Traditional CRMs are being enhanced with capabilities like customer 360, omnichannel engagement, and real-time insights to support hybrid commercial models (HCMs). Engagement is shifting from one-way to interactive, with HCPs seeking on-demand access to tailored information. Life sciences companies must adopt channels like conversational AI and HCP portals to meet these demands. While there are strong drivers to adopt HCM, it come with its own set of challenges as well –

Top drivers:

Enhanced stakeholder experience: HCM responds to evolving HCP preferences by offering personalized content tailored to factors such as geography, therapeutic interests, and engagement choices. Understanding customers across multiple touchpoints allows enterprises to deliver personalized content and engagement experiences akin to retail interactions. This approach aims to replicate a retail-like experience, aligning services with broader expectations. The outcome is enhanced engagement, streamlined communication, and a richer array of personalized learning resources, ultimately contributing to a better overall CX.

HCP’s preference for digital channels: Research indicates that while 70% of HCPs engage digitally at least once per month through emails and websites, only 50% feel their interactions align with their preferences. Despite improvements in content quality shared through digital channels, life sciences enterprises still need to better understand customer preferences. This entails transitioning to a pull method of conversation, where stakeholders can access information as needed. In this context, HCP portals are also poised to play an important role in improving engagement. HCM facilitates this understanding and enables HCPs to access personalized resources on demand, potentially leveraging platforms such as HCP portals to enhance engagement.

Better sales enablement and improved stakeholder engagement: As HCPs become more selective, simply expanding the number of sales representatives doesn’t necessarily boost engagement. Traditional models often lack a deep understanding of customer preferences, resulting in inefficient engagement despite increased efforts. HCM provides more avenues to both understand and engage customers compared to traditional models, enabling enterprises to develop optimized, personalized engagement plans for each HCP. This approach enhances efficiency and allows life science enterprises to maximize their impact with fewer field forces.

Unlocking operational efficiencies and resource optimization: An enhanced HCP engagement strategy powered by HCM can significantly boost enterprise efficiency beyond cost savings. By leveraging data and analytics, HCM helps life sciences enterprises optimize workflows, allocate resources strategically, and ensure seamless engagement with HCPs. This leads to higher productivity, better access to healthcare professionals, and strengthened relationships through personalized resources and actionable insights. Ultimately, HCM empowers life science enterprises to deliver tailored support, maximizing efficiency, and effectively meeting the diverse needs of HCPs.

Learn more: https://www.pharmafocusasia.com/articles/transforming-customer-engagement-in-life-sciences