Large Multinational Biotech Leverages Contact Center-based capabilities
Center of Excellence: Inside Sales
Situation:
A top biotech had successfully piloted US brand driven inside sales initiatives for 7 years, delivering greater than 5:1 ROI for most brands. While the individual brands achieved noteworthy ROIs, gross inefficiency evolved across the organization with multiple brands operating in silos—e.g. different brands had contracted with different vendors with some brands at significantly higher rates; HCPs were receiving multiple calls from different brand inside sales reps when one rep could have covered multiple brands with the HCP; brand managers overseeing the programs would turn over every 1-2 years when assuming new roles which sometimes resulted in stopping programs one year and re-starting the following year.
Process:
Gained C-suite approval to build a new centralized sales model integrating an agile contact center capability across all business units and brands. Leveraged analytics to identify 25,000 high value customers that the field sales team was either not reaching or insufficiently reaching. Built infrastructure, revenue/cost center, team and ROI tracking. Conferred with IT, Sales Ops, Marketing and Analysts to build systems for a highly integrated multi-channel customer engagement model. Aligned with sales and marketing leadership across business units on strategies and execution plan.
Outcome:
The innovative multi-channel strategy and cross-organizational capability more than doubled forecasted expectations. While saving over $1.5M in the first year, the new centralized Remote Sales organization delivered $35M in incremental revenues in the first 9 months on a $5M spend to track for $200M incremental sales over 3 years at a 16:1 ROI.
GRemote Scientific Liaisons (RSLs): US Oncology
Situation:
An emerging biopharma needed to explore innovative approaches for cost-effectively supplementing its field-based MSL team; it wanted a comprehensive and scalable solution for expanding its national KOL coverage. A top launch objective was to expeditiously share newly published guidelines with KOLs in order to gain key strategic insights and further inform its Medical Affairs and Commercial planning priorities.
Process:
After gaining cross-organizational alignment on the strategy, plan and KPIs, the biopharma recruited, trained and integrated a contact center-based remote MSL team (i.e. RSL team) as part of its MSL organization. Augmenting the field MSL organization, the RSLs proactively engaged KOLs efficiently with valuable data to gain key insights and further expand key relationships.
Outcome:
With each RSL conducting 2-3 virtual engagements per day and capturing insights during nearly every interaction, the success of the program far surpassed expectations. In addition to significantly exceeding the goal for number of insights gained, the new model expanded the KOL universe by 120%. The positive response rate from physicians was especially noteworthy as evidenced by 98% of KOLs agreeing to follow-up calls.
Remote Scientific Liaisons (RSLS): Ex-US Hematology and Cardiology
Situation:
A top biotech needed a cost effective international strategy for optimizing KOL coverage across its portfolio. Challenged with resource limitations in a very large country with remote geographies, the head of the Region initiated a pilot to optimize scientific exchange in support of two critical launches in Hematology and Cardiology.
Process:
The pilot was designed to support the field MSL organization and increase overall reach and frequency of scientific exchange by employing RSLs to proactively engage physicians and medical experts via phone, internet and other digital platforms. After gaining alignment on the strategy, plan and KPIs, the biotech recruited, trained and integrated a contact center-based remote MSL team as a key part of its MSL organization.
Outcome:
Client testimonial: “While our medical expert community wants multiple options for getting information, we recognize our field MSLs are the most valuable option for delivering information to medical experts. By integrating and leveraging remote support, we help focus our most valued field medical talent for highest impact while enhancing our company’s overall physician engagement.” Results achieved include: 90% of KOLs positively consented to regularly scheduled follow-up interactions; 55% positive response rate from RSL personally delivered emails.