Field Force Evolution: Adapting to Thrive in a New Ecosystem

Environmental changes on all sides of professional sales -- from physician behavior and regulatory requirements to changes linked to empowered payers and patients -- are forcing biopharmaceutical companies to select for new traits in the makeup of the field force function. The ongoing changes, and challenges, to the way drug companies promote and sell products to their customers are too numerous to recount in one place. But there is one overarching factor that continues to influence every aspect of the decision-making process with respect to managing an effective professional sales operation: cost. Like the US economy, the drug market seems to have turned a corner, with key indicators like the number of FDA approvals on the increase. Companies have downsized their sales forces so dramatically that managers believe the only reps left in the stable are the cream of the crop, and they don't want to lose them to competitors, says Matt Gurin, VP, Hay Group.