MSL work output is much harder to measure than those of other teams; attempting to link it to commercial sales goals or arbitrary numbers of meetings or insights will not provide meaningful results. But management will continue to expect MSLs to provide some sort of metrics – sometimes on very short notice – so which are the best to highlight?
- Provide results-oriented training that allows team members to react faster
- Recognize the uses and drawbacks of outcome-related metrics
- Understand how best to justify your type and amount of outreach
MSLs can be highly effective when working with clinical development, operations, and R&D teams during early phase trials. Few companies use MSLs to their fullest extent during early stages, so if you put in the necessary forethought you can quickly gain a competitive position.
- Strategize the impact MSLs can have on clinical site selection, enrollment, and trial development
- Form good internal partnerships to make sure external work stays smooth
- Refocus MSL responsibilities around pre-launch and pre-commercialization stages to get the most return from their scientific knowledge
Dive deep into understanding how this new wave of AI can help you measure impact and uncover opportunities to drive better HCP engagements and deliver on your medical strategy.
- Measure the impact of your field efforts
- Uncover trends, education gaps, and evidence gen opportunities from field insights
- Understand where HCPs are along their educational journey
- Automate time-consuming, manual work - drop the spreadsheets!
Without a clear understanding of business strategy, you can’t bring back the best insights possible. It does your team no good to feed insights into a “black box” system lacking in any feedback. Who on your team is prepared to spot the signals that require a major strategic change?
- Firm up the risks of not digging deeply enough in interviews
- Teach team members the warning signs of local events of high importance or events that keep repeating at specific points-of-sale
- Be prepared to quickly gather and communicate feedback
Some companies have MSLs heavily involved with clinical trials, others not at all. Depending on your product life cycle, you may find MSL involvement to be a great asset, but it will need to be planned in detail ahead of time.
- Analyze the benefits of MSL when identifying and initiating sites and answering queries
- Acknowledge the potential downsides of having too many teams involved
- Ensure there is no question around who owns the relationship
While at a large pharma company, you may be siloed into a “pure” MSL function, explicitly focused on creating relationships. But at smaller companies, you may wear more hats and are have less oversight. Do you have the personal initiative necessary to take on a role where your decisions will be monitored and discussed less?
- Weigh the balance of working with limited resources, more responsibilities, and less oversight
- Get a clearer idea of the different number of layers separating you from managerial approval
- Prepare for the extra work of generating slide decks and payer information yourself
MSLs and sales teams each bring value to their companies in different ways – and there are multiple options open for pharma companies to specialize their future development. The next 3-5 years may be very tense due to new developments in how MSL field teams will function, and you must be prepared either way.
- Map out the most likely options for more specialized medical teams
- Plan the best responses if medical and sales teams each gain different focuses in proactive data discussions
- Visualize how your impact will change in more proactive KOL discussions and calls with investors
MSLs need to focus on building long-term relationships in the field – yet many prefer to “chase the raise” with short tenures at multiple companies. What impact does this have on the MSL role – and on their career prospects?
- Recognize the likelihood that managers may be less likely to hire someone with a proven history of rapid switching
- Target candidates with advanced degrees that suggest long-term perseverence
- Provide new career growth projects, exposure, and challenges that keep team members interested and reduce turnover
We cannot avoid discussing that not everyone in your territory will have the same access to healthcare. How can you lean on HEOR data and other resources to help physicians and partners address this?
- Find the right venues for equity discussions in podium presentations, medical publications, medical education, and CME courses
- Integrate this conversation into clinical trials
- Contrast the options of educating everyone in the clinical and medical functions vs leaving it up to marketing to help spread the message
MSLs talk about emotional intelligence a lot, but are you properly equipped and devoted to grow and exploit these skills into a lasting advantage? These skills cannot simply be “briefed” in a 2-day workshop – they require long-term cultivation and repeated use.
- Focus on the five core components of emotional intelligence – and how to work on each
- Emphasize concentration and self-reflection on any personality aspects that could get in the way
- Learn to recognize signals from HCPs when you should shift your tone and approach
- Review whether outside vendor training is worthwhile
When working in rare disease, just convincing generalized HCPs that you are worth their limited and valuable time can be a challenge – moreso if there are multiple team voices all competing for attention with the same HCP. If a generalist doesn’t think a “zebra” is their top priority, how can you work around this? And how can you avoid overloading their attention and damaging the relationship?
- Prioritize internal communication to avoid duplicated outreach
- Leverage cross-functional teams to get access to difficult candidates
- Review what has worked in getting into tricky offices
- Emphasize that this is a circumstance when cold calls will not work
Increasingly, pharmacy schools are prioritizing fellowships in industry as opposed to hospital residencies; while this provide a strong knowledge base in pharma, it leaves unmet needs in communicating with people outside the industry. Your team needs to be able to assimilate and grow their soft skills, which is all the more difficult when working in hybrid or remote settings.
- Emphasize the importance of open-ended questions
- Convey how to remain humble with experienced HCPs
- Learn to spot interests and follow through on prior discussions
How can you prioritize the many scientific congresses in your community? Is biggest always best? Congresses at the national, regional, and community level all have their advantages and drawbacks, and require different networking strategies.
- Highlight the potential benefits of smaller events
- Grasp that many CME-driven congresses still remain on a virtual or hybrid model
- Map the KOLs who are the most difficult to reach due to community size and scheduling issues
The need to balance remote and in-person meetings is even more important when working in international markets. What are the different skill sets required when establishing and maintaining an informational relationship with KOLs on the other side of the world? What happens if one MSL is responsible for the entire world?
- Strictly prioritize your country outreach
- Adapt goals around the real capacities of your company and staff – especially at small pharma
- Reach a deep understanding of marketplace and regulatory differences
