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Next Best Action Recommendations: Use AI to Recommend the Next Best Action to Take with Each Customer

Posted on November 20, 2023December 7, 2023 by Stefan Repin

AI-Driven Customer Engagement Strategies

Engaging with your customers effectively is crucial for success. Next Best Action (NBA) recommendations provide a powerful tool that leverages artificial intelligence (AI) to help you make data-driven decisions and enhance customer interactions. By harnessing the power of AI, you and the sales team can offer personalized experiences tailored to each customer’s preferences, needs, and behavior patterns, enabling a deeper understanding and stronger relationships with your clientele.

The core of Next Best Action lies in analyzing vast amounts of data to determine the most relevant and impactful action to take with each customer. This approach goes beyond traditional marketing strategies and offers a dynamic, real-time solution for engagement that adapts to your customers’ ever-evolving needs. With NBA, you and the sales team can effectively mine sales data to identify and prioritize actions most likely to resonate with your audience, increasing satisfaction and driving conversions and brand loyalty.

As an AI-driven technique, Next Best Action can be integrated across AI sales software tools in various departments, including sales, marketing, and customer service, to deliver a comprehensive and unified customer journey. By incorporating real-time user interaction data and sentiment analysis with smart algorithms, your company will be able to meet the growing demand for personalized experiences and thrive in a rapidly changing marketplace.

Understanding Next Best Action Recommendations

The Role of AI and Machine Learning

Next Best Action recommendations are essential in sales coaching and customer engagement. They employ AI and Machine Learning (ML) techniques to predict the most effective action to take with each customer. As interactions become repetitive tasks increasingly digitized, AI and ML offer sales leaders a powerful means to analyze and learn from vast amounts of data, driving decision-making in a personalized and efficient manner.

Importance of Customer Data

Customer data in NBA recommendation systems is crucial. From demographic information to purchasing habits and interests, every data point bolsters the system’s accuracy, sales intelligence, and effectiveness in forecasting and sales performance. AI can process this data to reveal insights that were not previously apparent and target customer preferences at an individual level. The types of data that can be used in NBA systems include:

Personal details, such as age, location, and occupation
Purchase history
Online browsing behavior
Responses to previous marketing actions

These pieces of information enable the system to identify patterns in sales tasks and customer segments, with sales data guiding human intervention in sales calls through the recommendation of personalized actions.

Algorithmic Decision-Making

At the core of NBA recommendations lie sophisticated algorithms. They assess the likelihood of a customer responding positively to a particular touchpoint or offer, factoring in the previously mentioned data points. Key components in the algorithmic decision-making process usually involve:

Behavioral data analysis: Evaluate customer behavior patterns and segment customers accordingly.
Offer/channel suitability: Identify the most appropriate offer or marketing channel based on previous engagement.
Action prioritization: Determine the most effective action to take with each customer.

By utilizing customer and data-driven insights, AI, ML, and algorithms, NBA recommendations can powerfully personalize customer engagement and sales strategies, ensuring that every touchpoint and sales process has the most significant potential impact. This level of personalization fosters positive customer relationships, driving long-term sales success and loyalty.

Practical Applications Across Industries

Boosting Revenue in Financial Services

AI-powered NBA recommendations can significantly drive conversions and boost revenue by understanding customer preferences and patterns in the financial services industry. This helps you tailor tailored marketing and sales calls and financial product offerings. By analyzing large volumes of data, AI can derive insights and suggest the most effective actions to engage with each customer, leading to increased customer loyalty and higher revenue.

Enhancing E-Commerce Personalization

AI-driven NBA strategies have revolutionized personalization in the e-commerce industry. AI can effectively suggest personalized product recommendations by considering a customer’s browsing and purchasing history. These customized recommendations can extend beyond mere interests, as AI algorithms can factor in various inputs such as demographics, preferences, and past behaviors. The result of personalized recommendations is a uniquely tailored shopping experience that elevates customer satisfaction and drives sales.

Improving Healthcare Outcomes

With healthcare, AI-powered NBA recommendations can improve patient outcomes. AI can analyze large volumes of data related to patient history, treatment plans, and lifestyle factors to suggest tailored interventions or preventive measures to each patient based on their medical history, treatment plans, and lifestyle factors. Healthcare providers can take preventative steps to ensure their patients’ health outcomes with this level of precision, allowing them to identify potential risks proactively.

Optimizing Telecommunications Strategies

Telecommunications companies can leverage AI-driven next best and provide actionable insights and recommendations to enhance customer satisfaction and retention. AI algorithms can analyze customer usage patterns, preferences, and behaviors, enabling the telco to create tailored service plans and data packages that address each customer’s individual needs. By identifying high-value customers, AI can also support targeted campaigns for retention and upselling, resulting in more deals and optimized revenue opportunities.

In conclusion, AI-powered Next Best Action recommendations hold immense potential for sales managers, teams and leaders across various industries. By harnessing the power of AI, organizations can enhance personalization, and sales managers can boost revenue, improve outcomes, and optimize strategies, all while ensuring a better experience for their customers.

Developing Effective Next Best Actions

Identifying Customer Segments and Context

To create effective NBAs, you need to identify your customer segments and understand their context. Analyzing customer data, such as demographics and purchase history, will help you gain valuable insights into their needs and preferences. Consider creating a table or list to organize and visualize these customer segments, making it easier to design targeted strategies for each group.

It’s important to consider customer context, which includes their current stage in the customer journey, past interactions with your company or brand, and other factors that might influence their decision-making. This information will help you predict their needs and provide tailored recommendations that resonate with them.

Creating Personalized Experiences

Once you clearly understand your customer segments and their context, you can focus on creating personalized user experiences. Utilize AI-driven recommendations to offer individualized NBAs for each customer, including product suggestions, close deals, service recommendations, or helpful information based on their preferences.

Personalization can increase sales productivity and lead to more relevant and meaningful customer interactions, fostering long-term relationships and driving sales. To achieve this, companies should consider the following key metrics:

Leverage AI-powered analytics to understand customer behavior and preferences.
Create a dynamic library of actions tailored to different customer segments and their specific needs.
Adjust and refine your next best actions based on customer responses and feedback.

Automating Action Strategies

Automation plays a significant role in delivering timely and effective NBAs. By integrating AI and machine learning technologies with your marketing and sales teams, sales software, and customer support systems, you can streamline sales process by identifying and serving the right actions to your customers.

Automating action strategies allows you to:

Save time and resources by eliminating manual decision-making and tasks.
Ensure consistent and accurate engagement with your customers.
Continuously learn and adapt to customer behavior and preferences.

Overall, developing meaningful NBAs requires a combination of customer segmentation, context understanding, personalized messaging experiences, sales intelligence, the use of marketing data, and efficient automation. By implementing these strategies, you can better engage your audience and drive meaningful results for your business.

Best Practices for Implementation

Integrating with Sales and Marketing Efforts

To get the most out of the key benefits of your Next Best Action recommendations, it is vital to integrate them with your sales and marketing efforts. This helps create seamless, personalized customer experiences for your customers. Here are some steps to take:

Align your teams: Encourage collaboration between the sales and marketing teams for a consistent and coordinated approach to customer engagement.
Leverage data: Utilize transactional and behavioral data to identify customer patterns and preferences.
Personalize content: Create tailored content to address specific customer needs, ensuring your messages are relevant and compelling.

Using Predictive Analytics for Decision Making

Using AI predictive analytics tools effectively can enhance your customer experience, relationship management, and the accuracy and impact of your Next Best Action recommendations. These analytics tools help anticipate customer needs and behavior, enabling you to:

Understand your customers: Gain insights into customer demographics, lifestyles, and preferences, leading to better-targeted recommendations.
Identify trends: Monitor and analyze historical data, allowing you to spot trends or changes in customer behavior that could inform your next steps.
Optimize your offering: Adjust your product or service offerings to suit your customer’s needs better, resulting in increased satisfaction and loyalty.

Ensuring Information Security and Privacy

As you implement AI-powered Next Best Action recommendations, consider information security and privacy concerns. To maintain customer trust and regulation compliance, consider the following practices:

Secure data storage: Use encryption techniques to protect customer information from theft or unauthorized access.
Establish data policies: Develop and enforce clear data management policies, including regular audits and reviews to ensure data accuracy.
Follow legal guidelines: Ensure your processes and practices adhere to the relevant legislation and ethical guidelines, including GDPR, HIPAA, and other regional data privacy laws.

By considering these best practices, you can effectively use AI to mine data entry, recommend the next best action, improve your decision-making, enhance customer engagement and sales performance, forecast sales, and ultimately do more deals and drive growth for your business.

Platforce is the best CRM software for lead generation, order management, sales automation, and task management. Unlike other software, Platforce gives your company all it needs to optimize customer relations and boost customer experience. Try out the Platforce CRM system with a demo or tour now. You can also stay updated on our Youtube and LinkedIn channels.

Platforce CRM’s Pharma Analytics for Customer Engagement & Growth

Posted on November 16, 2023December 7, 2023 by Visarlini Velu

In today’s dynamic and highly competitive pharmaceutical industry, data has emerged as a game-changer. With the increasing availability of data and advancements in analytics technologies, pharmaceutical companies are harnessing the power of data-driven insights to drive efficiency, productivity, and innovation throughout the pharmaceutical manufacturing process. This is where Pharma Analytics comes into play.

What is Pharma Analytics?

Pharma analytics is the utilization and application of data analytics within the pharmaceutical industry. It empowers companies to unlock valuable insights, streamline operations, and make informed decisions that drive customer engagement and fuel business growth.

By leveraging vast datasets encompassing scientific literature, clinical trial results, genetic information, patient data, and more pharmaceutical professionals can gain a lot.

That being said, let’s look at

The Power Of Analytics.

1.1 Accelerate Research and Development

Pharma analytics plays a pivotal role in accelerating research and development (R&D) activities, which are critical for bringing new drugs and treatments to market. By analyzing vast datasets encompassing scientific literature, clinical trial results, genetic information, and patient data, companies can identify potential drug candidates with higher precision and efficiency.

The ability to integrate and analyze disparate data sources enables researchers to make data-driven decisions, optimize clinical trial design, and identify patient populations that are most likely to benefit from specific treatments.

This targeted approach

minimizes costs
reduces time-to-market
increases the chances of successful product launches.

1.2 Enhance Supply Chain and Manufacturing Processes

Pharma analytics revolutionizes supply chain management and manufacturing processes within the pharmaceutical industry.

By analyzing data related to procurement, inventory management, demand forecasting, and logistics, companies can optimize their supply chain operations.

Real-time data insights enable proactive decision-making, ensuring adequate stock levels, minimizing stockouts, and optimizing distribution networks.

Furthermore, analytics-driven predictive maintenance and quality control processes help identify potential equipment failures, reduce downtime, and ensure consistent product quality, ultimately leading to improved operational efficiency and customer satisfaction.

1.3 Personalize Customer Engagement and Marketing Strategies

Pharma analytics enables companies to understand their customers on a deeper level and deliver tailored experiences. By analyzing patient demographics, preferences, treatment outcomes, and feedback, companies can create personalized marketing campaigns, develop targeted patient support programs, and design customized treatment plans.

Advanced analytics techniques such as predictive modeling and segmentation enable companies to identify patient segments, predict patient behavior, and personalize interactions at scale. This level of customer-centricity not only enhances patient engagement and satisfaction but also contributes to improved health outcomes.

1.4 Ensure Regulatory Compliance and Patient Safety

Pharma analytics plays a critical role in ensuring regulatory compliance and patient safety within the pharmaceutical industry. By analyzing data related to adverse event reporting, pharmacovigilance, and regulatory compliance, companies can detect and respond to potential safety issues more efficiently. Early identification of safety signals allows for timely interventions and mitigation strategies, reducing the risk of harm to patients and ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements. Additionally, analytics-driven compliance monitoring ensures adherence to regulatory standards, streamlines reporting processes, and minimizes the risk of penalties or legal consequences.

1.5 Make Data-Driven Decision

Overall, the power of pharma analytics lies in its ability to drive data-driven decision-making across all facets of the pharmaceutical industry. By transforming raw data into meaningful insights, companies can make informed decisions, identify market trends, seize opportunities, mitigate risks, and optimize their operations. The integration of analytics into strategic planning, resource allocation, and marketing campaigns ensures that decisions are based on evidence and aligned with business goals, leading to improved outcomes, increased profitability, and sustained growth.

While the benefits of pharma analytics are significant, it is important to acknowledge that there are challenges that pharmaceutical companies may encounter when deciding to implement and make use of pharma analytics. Understanding and addressing these challenges is crucial for the successful adoption and utilization of analytics-driven strategies.

Let’s explore some of the;

Common Challenges Faced by Pharma Companies in Adopting CRM Pharma Analytics.

1.1 Data Quality and Integration.

One of the major challenges is ensuring the quality and reliability of data. It’s no surprise that the pharmaceutical industry generates vast amounts of data from various sources, including clinical trials, electronic health records, sales data, and research studies.

However, ensuring the accuracy, consistency, and completeness of data can be complex. On top of that, integrating data from different systems and sources to create a unified view is also challenging, requiring robust data integration processes and technologies.

1.2 Data Privacy and Security.

Pharmaceutical companies handle sensitive and confidential data, including patient information, intellectual property, and clinical trial results.

Protecting this data from unauthorized access, breaches, or misuse is of paramount importance. Compliance with data privacy regulations, such as GDPR and HIPAA, adds an additional layer of complexity.

Implementing robust data privacy and security measures, including encryption, access controls, and anonymization techniques, is essential to maintain trust and meet regulatory requirements.

1.3 Technical Infrastructure and Expertise.

Implementing pharma analytics requires a robust technical infrastructure, including data storage, processing capabilities, and analytical tools. Pharmaceutical companies may face challenges in upgrading or building the necessary infrastructure to handle large volumes of data and perform complex analytics tasks. Additionally, there is a need for skilled personnel with expertise in data analytics, data science, and statistical modeling to extract meaningful insights from the data. Recruiting, training, and retaining such talent can be a challenge.

1.4 Change Management and Cultural Shift.

Integrating analytics into the decision-making processes of a pharmaceutical company often requires a cultural shift and change management. This involves breaking down silos and fostering a data-driven mindset across departments and functions. Resistance to change, lack of understanding about the benefits of analytics, and insufficient training can hinder the successful adoption of analytics-driven strategies. Effective change management, clear communication, and training programs are crucial to overcome these challenges and promote a data-driven culture.

1.5 Cost and Return on Investment.

Implementing and maintaining a robust pharma analytics infrastructure can involve significant upfront and ongoing costs. Investments may be required in hardware, software licenses, analytics tools, data management systems, and talent acquisition. Calculating and demonstrating the return on investment (ROI) of pharma analytics initiatives can also be challenging, especially in the early stages. Establishing key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics to measure the impact of analytics on business outcomes is essential to justify investments and secure ongoing support.

Addressing these challenges requires a strategic approach, careful planning, and collaboration between IT, data analytics teams, and business stakeholders. Overcoming these obstacles is crucial for pharmaceutical companies to fully leverage the power of pharma analytics and reap its benefits in driving customer engagement and business growth.

In the following sections, we will discuss potential solutions and best practices for addressing these challenges and how a CRM like Platforce can help in ensuring the successful implementation and utilization of analytics in the pharmaceutical industry.

Overcoming Challenges in Adopting CRM Pharma Analytics.

Adopting CRM pharma analytics can present several challenges for pharmaceutical companies. However, with proper planning, strategy, and the right tools, these challenges can be met heads on. Here’s precisely how.

Ensure Data Quality and Integration.
Data quality and integration are key challenges in fully utilizing pharma analytics. Pharmaceutical companies deal with vast amounts of data from multiple sources, including sales data, customer interactions, and patient information. Ensuring the accuracy, consistency, and completeness of this data is crucial for obtaining reliable insights.

Implementing data governance practices, establishing data quality standards, and leveraging data integration tools from the start can help address these challenges. Plus, regular data validation and cleansing processes should be implemented to maintain data integrity.
Address Data Privacy and Security Concerns.
Pharmaceutical companies handle sensitive patient information and must comply with data privacy regulations such as GDPR and HIPAA. Protecting patient privacy and ensuring data security is a no-brainer under these regulations. Implementing robust data privacy and security measures, including encryption, access controls, and anonymization techniques, is essential. Conducting regular security audits, educating employees on data privacy practices, and adopting secure data storage and transmission protocols can help mitigate these concerns greatly.
Build Technical Infrastructure.
Fully utilizing analytics in pharma requires a robust technical infrastructure capable of handling large volumes of data and performing complex analytics tasks. This infrastructure includes data storage, processing capabilities, and analytical tools.

Pharmaceutical companies may face challenges in upgrading their existing infrastructure or building a new one. Partnering with experienced technology providers, cloud-based solutions like Platforce, and leveraging scalable analytics platforms can help address these challenges. By utilizing the cloud, companies can avoid significant upfront investments in infrastructure and benefit from the scalability and flexibility offered by cloud-based analytics solutions.
Cultivate a Data-Driven Culture.
Integrating CRM analytics into a pharmaceutical company’s decision-making processes requires a cultural shift and change management. Employees may resist adopting new technologies or be hesitant to rely on data-driven insights. To address this challenge, it is essential to provide training and education on the benefits of CRM analytics. Engage employees at all levels and foster a culture that values data-driven decision-making. Encourage cross-functional collaboration and highlight success stories that demonstrate the positive impact of CRM analytics on business outcomes.
Demonstrate Return on Investment (ROI)
Justifying the investment in CRM analytics and demonstrating its ROI can be challenging. Pharmaceutical companies need to establish key performance indicators (KPIs) aligned with their business goals and track the impact of CRM analytics on these metrics. Conducting regular performance assessments, monitoring customer engagement, and measuring the success of marketing campaigns can help quantify the benefits of CRM analytics. Demonstrating tangible outcomes, such as increased customer satisfaction, improved sales, and enhanced marketing effectiveness, strengthens the case for continued investment in CRM analytics initiatives.

By addressing these challenges head-on, pharmaceutical companies can successfully unlock the full potential of their customer data. Furthermore, leveraging a comprehensive CRM like Platforce that can provide the necessary tools and functionalities tailored specifically for data analytics in the pharmaceutical industry, streamlines the implementation process and ensures a smooth transition.

Unpacking Platforce’s CRM Pharma Analytics

Platforce’s CRM Pharma Analytics is a powerful tool that empowers pharmaceutical companies to unlock actionable insights, anticipate customer needs, and enhance their marketing strategies. With a range of features designed specifically for the pharmaceutical industry, Platforce’s CRM Pharma Analytics offers a comprehensive solution for harnessing the power of data-driven decision-making.

Let’s delve into the key features and benefits of Platforce’s CRM Pharma Analytics:

Data Visualization

Platforce’s CRM Pharma Analytics provides robust data visualization capabilities that transform complex datasets into intuitive visual representations. Through interactive charts, graphs, and dashboards, pharmaceutical professionals can gain a comprehensive understanding of their customer data and identify meaningful patterns and trends. Visualizing data allows for quicker and easier interpretation, enabling users to extract actionable insights and make informed decisions.

Predictive Analytics

Platforce’s CRM Pharma Analytics leverages advanced predictive analytics algorithms to anticipate customer needs and behavior. By analyzing historical data, customer interactions, and market trends, the tool can predict future outcomes, such as customer preferences, medication adherence, and response to marketing campaigns. These predictive insights enable pharmaceutical companies to proactively tailor their strategies, personalize customer interactions, and optimize marketing efforts for improved engagement and higher conversion rates.

Real-time Reporting

Platforce’s CRM Pharma Analytics provides real-time reporting capabilities, delivering up-to-date insights on key performance indicators (KPIs) and marketing metrics. This enables pharmaceutical professionals to monitor the effectiveness of their campaigns, track sales performance, and identify areas for improvement promptly.

Plus, real-time reporting empowers agile decision-making, allowing companies to make data-driven adjustments and optimize their marketing strategies in real-time, resulting in more impactful and targeted customer engagement.

Customer Segmentation and Targeting

Platforce’s CRM Pharma Analytics allows for effective customer segmentation and targeting. With advanced analytics techniques, such as clustering and segmentation algorithms, pharmaceutical companies can identify distinct customer groups based on

Demographics
Behaviors
Treatment preferences
Other relevant criteria

This level of granular segmentation enables personalized communication and tailored marketing campaigns. By understanding the unique needs and preferences of different customer segments, pharmaceutical companies can enhance customer engagement, drive brand loyalty, and maximize the effectiveness of their marketing initiatives.

Campaign Optimization

With Platforce’s CRM Pharma Analytics, companies can optimize their marketing campaigns by leveraging insights derived from customer data. The tool enables pharmaceutical professionals to evaluate campaign performance, measure return on investment (ROI), and identify the most effective channels and messages for different customer segments. By analyzing campaign data and performance metrics, companies can continuously refine their marketing strategies, allocate resources more effectively, and improve overall campaign effectiveness.

Compliance and Regulatory Insights

Platforce’s CRM Pharma Analytics helps pharmaceutical companies ensure compliance with regulatory standards and guidelines. The tool provides insights into adherence to compliance requirements, such as tracking consent and permissions, managing data privacy, and maintaining regulatory documentation. By having a comprehensive view of compliance metrics and insights, companies can mitigate compliance risks and streamline their processes to meet regulatory obligations effectively.

Platforce’s CRM Pharma Analytics stands out as a comprehensive solution tailored specifically to the needs of the pharmaceutical industry. By leveraging the powerful combination of data visualization, predictive analytics, real-time reporting, customer segmentation, campaign optimization, and compliance insights, pharmaceutical companies can unlock the full potential of their customer data. With Platforce’s CRM Pharma Analytics, companies can make data-driven decisions, enhance customer engagement, optimize marketing strategies, and drive business growth in the dynamic and competitive pharmaceutical landscape.

Interested?

Platforce is the best CRM software for lead generation, order management, sales automation, and task management. Unlike other software, Platforce gives your company all it needs to optimize customer relations and boost customer experience. Try out the Platforce CRM system with a demo now. You can also stay updated on our Youtube and LinkedIn channels.

Building Online Patient Community From Scratch: A Practical Playbook

Posted on November 16, 2023December 7, 2023 by Visarlini Velu

Marketing in the pharma industry has been traditionally conservative. However, this approach often fails to tap into the full potential of engaging with patients and fostering meaningful connections. Unlike other industries where user-generated content (UGC) and interactive engagement with clients are considered fundamental for success, the pharmaceutical industry sticks to conventional methods due to the sensitive nature of client interactions.

As a result, pharmaceutical marketers often find themselves missing out on significant revenue opportunities.

The missed opportunity of ignoring online patient communities becomes increasingly evident in today’s digital age. Patients are actively seeking support, information, and connections with others facing similar health challenges. Building an online patient community provides a powerful solution to address these needs and bridge the gap between pharmaceutical companies, healthcare providers, and patients.

The time has come for pharmaceutical marketers and C-suite executives to recognize the transformative potential of online patient communities. By fostering an environment where patients can connect, share experiences, and access valuable information, pharmaceutical companies can enhance patient experiences, drive brand loyalty, and ultimately build trust in their brand.

Now, let’s focus on the elephant in the room.

What Is Meant By An Online Patient Community?

An online patient community is a virtual platform or space where individuals facing similar health conditions or challenges can connect, engage, and support one another. It serves as a hub for patients, caregivers, healthcare professionals, and pharmaceutical companies to interact, share experiences, exchange knowledge, and provide emotional support.

These communities are typically hosted on dedicated online platforms or social media groups and offer a variety of features and functionalities to facilitate communication and collaboration. Online patient communities can take various forms, including forums, discussion boards, social networks, or interactive websites.

The primary purpose of an online patient community is to create a supportive and empowering environment where individuals can find solace, learn from others’ experiences, access relevant information, and receive emotional encouragement. It allows patients to connect with others who understand their unique challenges, fostering a sense of belonging and reducing feelings of isolation.

Within an online patient community, members can share their personal stories, ask questions, seek advice, and provide support to one another. They can discuss treatment options, share coping strategies, recommend healthcare providers, and share resources related to their specific health conditions.

Screenshot of a thriving online patient community

That being said, let’s look at

The Benefits Of Engaging With Online Patient Communities

By overlooking the power of online patient communities, pharmaceutical companies miss out on valuable opportunities to connect, learn, and build lasting relationships with their target audience. These missed opportunities can result in a leak in revenue and hinder the company’s ability to address patient needs effectively.

The Potential of Online Patient Communities.

Online patient communities offer a dynamic platform where individuals facing similar health challenges can come together to share experiences, seek support, and access relevant information. These communities create a sense of belonging and provide a safe space for patients to interact, empowering them to take an active role in managing their health. By fostering a community-driven environment, pharmaceutical companies can tap into the collective wisdom and experiences of patients, leading to better-informed decision-making and improved health outcomes.

Why Now is the Right Time to Focus on Building an Online Patient Community.

Several factors contribute to the increasing significance of online patient communities in today’s healthcare landscape. Firstly, advancements in technology and the widespread use of the internet have made it easier than ever for individuals to connect and share information. Patients are actively seeking peer support, insights, and authentic experiences, and online communities provide a convenient and accessible platform for these interactions.

Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of digital connectivity in healthcare. The limitations on face-to-face interactions have accelerated the adoption of virtual platforms, making online patient communities even more relevant and necessary. Patients are increasingly turning to these communities for emotional support, credible health information, and a sense of community during times of physical isolation.

By embracing online patient communities now, pharmaceutical companies can establish themselves as trusted resources, enhance patient experiences, and build stronger relationships with their target audience. These communities provide an opportunity to engage directly with patients, gain valuable insights into their needs and preferences, and foster a sense of loyalty towards the company’s products and services.

In the following sections of this playbook, we will delve into the practical steps and strategies for building online patient communities from scratch so that pharmaceutical companies like you can unlock the full potential of online patient communities, revolutionizing the way you connect, engage, and support patients on their healthcare journeys.

Building Online Patient Communities from Scratch: A Practical Playbook

Define the Problem to Solve for the Target Market.
When embarking on the journey of building an online patient community, it is crucial to have a clear understanding of the problem you are aiming to solve for patients. Each patient group has different needs and pain points, and addressing these challenges will form the basis of your community’s purpose. Whether it’s providing support, offering lifestyle tips, sharing experiences, or addressing specific medical concerns, identifying the problem you aim to solve will guide your community-building efforts.
Choose the Right Platform and Technology.
2.1 Evaluate Different Online Community Platforms.
Research and assess various online community platforms available in the market. Consider factors such as user-friendliness, features, customization options, scalability, and integration capabilities with other systems. Select a platform that aligns with your community goals, privacy requirements, and user experience expectations.

Also ensure that these platforms, allows you to track the community member via a dedicated CRM like Platforce to reap the maximum benefits from building a community like this.
2.2 Don’t Skimp On Privacy, Security, and Compliance Requirements.
Given the sensitive nature of healthcare information, ensure the chosen platform complies with relevant privacy regulations such as HIPAA. Prioritize data security, user consent management, and adherence to compliance standards to build trust within the community.
2.3 Asses Scalability and Customization Options.
Consider the potential growth of the community and choose a platform that can scale alongside it. Additionally, assess the customization options available to tailor the community’s design and functionality to meet the specific needs of your target audience.

Pro tip: Try to branch out to non-traditional pharma community platform like Discord which is designed to support interactions with large group of community members with ease.

2.4 Decide On The Community’s Identity: Private or Public?
Consider the role of identity within the community, as it influences the nature of conversations and user behaviors. The decision of whether members use their real names or remain anonymous will shape the dynamics of the community. Anonymous communities tend to foster more open discussions about symptoms, medications, and clinical trial experiences, while public communities often focus on sharing lifestyle tips and fostering a sense of community. Another approach to consider is a pseudo-anonymous community where users can be verified by the platform but have the option to reveal their identities to individual users, providing a balance between anonymity and verification.
Develop An Engagement Strategy That Drives Participation.
To ensure the success of the online patient community, it is crucial to plan an engagement strategy that encourages active participation and fosters a sense of community ownership. This can include techniques such as gamification, incentivizing contributions, creating opportunities for member collaboration, and recognizing and rewarding valuable contributions.

3.1 Craft A Content Strategy.
A well-defined content strategy is key to keeping the community engaged and providing valuable information to its members. Consider the different types of content that will resonate with your target audience, such as educational articles, inspirational stories, industry news, and expert insights. Develop an editorial calendar, establish content creation processes, and optimize the content for search engine visibility and user engagement.

3.2 Encourage Active Participation and Discussions by Implementing Gamification and Incentives.
Gamification techniques, such as badges, levels, challenges, and rewards, can motivate community members to actively participate, contribute, and achieve recognition within the community.

3.3 Utilize Multimedia.
Incorporate multimedia elements into the community to enhance engagement. Videos, webinars, infographics, and other visual content formats can effectively convey information, spark discussions, and create a more interactive experience for community members.

3.4 Establish Moderation and Community Guidelines.
Establish clear community guidelines to ensure respectful and productive interactions. Assign dedicated community moderators who can enforce the guidelines, maintain a positive atmosphere, and address any conflicts or issues that may arise.

Your Next Steps

Now that you have successfully established an online patient community, what’s next on the roadmap?

Choose the Right Community Moderators.

Determine whether community moderators should be healthcare professionals, marketers, or a combination of both, based on the community’s purpose and target audience. Define the roles and responsibilities of moderators, including facilitating discussions, providing accurate information, and ensuring a positive and inclusive environment.

Identify Any Potential Patient Influencers.

Keep a watchful eye on community members who demonstrate leadership, engagement, and influence within the community. These individuals can serve as patient influencers, helping to drive conversations, share valuable experiences, and attract new members. Cultivate relationships with patient influencers to maximize the community’s impact and reach.

Monitor and Manage the Community.

Building a successful online patient community requires ongoing monitoring, analysis, and management. Recruit and train community managers who can handle member queries, resolve conflicts, and ensure timely and accurate responses. Monitor community health metrics, user feedback, and engagement levels to identify areas for improvement and ensure a positive community experience. Develop a customer support system to address any technical issues or concerns raised by community members promptly.

By considering these core aspects of building online patient communities, you can create a vibrant and valuable platform that meets the specific needs of your target audience. The success of the community lies in understanding the problem you aim to solve, implementing effective onboarding processes, fostering engagement, considering the identity and privacy dynamics, recruiting dedicated moderators, tailoring to condition-specific or generalist approaches, adapting to group size dynamics, empowering patient influencers, and organizing engaging events that strengthen the community bonds.

Want to take this a step further?

Connect your community with Platforce’s CRM to take advantage of user-generated content that drives brand loyalty.

Platforce is a powerful Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platform specifically designed for the pharmaceutical industry. Integrating your online patient community with Platforce’s CRM can offer significant advantages in terms of managing user-generated content and leveraging it to drive brand loyalty.

Here are some benefits that you could easily gain by connecting your online patient community to Platforce:

Centralized User Data and Insights.

By integrating your community with Platforce’s CRM, you can consolidate all user data in one place. This includes information such as user profiles, engagement metrics, preferences, and interactions. Having a centralized database enables you to gain a holistic view of your community members, their needs, and their behaviors. This data can be used to personalize communication, tailor content, and provide targeted support, enhancing the overall user experience.

Leverage User-Generated Content for Marketing.

User-generated content (UGC) is a valuable asset for marketing in the pharmaceutical industry. It provides authentic, real-life experiences and testimonials that resonate with other patients and potential customers. With Platforce’s CRM, you can capture and curate user-generated content from your community, such as testimonials, success stories, and patient journeys. This content can then be strategically utilized in marketing campaigns, social media channels, and other promotional activities, building trust and credibility in your brand.

Enable Seamless Communication and Support.

Integrating your community with Platforce’s CRM facilitates seamless communication and support for community members. Through the CRM, you can implement features such as chatbots, direct messaging, and automated notifications to engage with users, provide timely support, and deliver relevant information. This helps to create a personalized and responsive experience, fostering stronger relationships with community members and increasing their loyalty to your brand.

Gain Actionable Insights for Decision-Making.

Platforce’s CRM offers robust analytics and reporting capabilities. By integrating your community data, you can gain valuable insights into user behavior, content performance, engagement levels, and community health. These insights can guide your decision-making process, enabling you to optimize community strategies, improve content relevance, and identify areas for growth and enhancement.

Strengthen Community-Company Collaboration.

Platforce’s CRM also facilitates seamless collaboration between community members, healthcare professionals, and your pharmaceutical company. It provides a platform for sharing information, conducting surveys or polls, and gathering feedback. This collaborative environment helps to foster a sense of co-creation, where community members feel valued and have a voice in shaping the future of healthcare. By actively involving community members in decision-making processes, you can strengthen their loyalty and advocacy for your brand.

In summary, building an online patient community and integrating it with Platforce’s CRM can revolutionize the way pharmaceutical companies connect, engage, and support patients. By embracing this approach, companies can foster meaningful connections, and establish themselves as trusted partners in patients’ healthcare journeys.

Platforce is the best CRM software for lead generation, order management, sales automation, and task management. Unlike other software, Platforce gives your company all it needs to optimize customer relations and boost customer experience. Try out the Platforce CRM system with a demo now. You can also stay updated on our Youtube and LinkedIn channels.

The Role of CRM Integration In Streamlining Pharma Sales Operations

Posted on November 16, 2023December 7, 2023 by Visarlini Velu

If you’re running your pharma sales team with a CRM that’s disconnected from your other tech stacks, you’ll understand how hard it is to run your sales operation smoothly and ensure that you are not missing any sales opportunities down the line.

Why?

Because left to their own, these systems won’t ensure that there is a proper data flow between them. They operate in silos, resulting in data inconsistencies, manual workarounds, and missed connections. Essentially, they’ll cannibalize each other, hindering your pharma sales team’s productivity and potential.

To avoid this, you need control over your sales operation. Granular control that makes sure all the systems are connected with each other and there is a proper data flow between them. The kind of control you can only get by integrating your CRM into your existing tech system seamlessly.

That’s why we have created this article to show how CRM integration can help pharma brands like yours to run your sales operations efficiently.

But before that, let’s define;

What Is Meant By Pharma Sales CRM Integration And Why Should You Care?

CRM integration in pharma refers to the process of connecting and synchronizing your CRM system with other technology stacks and applications used within your organization. It involves seamlessly integrating your CRM with various tools, such as clinical trial systems, ERP systems, marketing automation platforms, email clients, communication tools, and more.

The goal of CRM integration is to create a unified and interconnected ecosystem where data flows seamlessly between systems, eliminating data silos and enabling a holistic view of customer information. By integrating your CRM with other systems, you ensure that all relevant data is automatically synced and accessible from a centralized location.

The Benefits of CRM Integration in Pharma Sales.

By embracing CRM integration, you can unlock the full potential of your sales team, drive revenue growth, and build strong customer relationships. Here’s how:

1. Streamlined Sales Processes.

CRM integration allows for the automation of repetitive and manual tasks. For instance, by integrating your CRM with marketing automation platforms, you can automate lead nurturing campaigns, saving time and effort for your sales team. This streamlining of processes frees up valuable resources, allowing your team to focus on high-value activities like building relationships and closing deals.

2. Enhanced Data Accuracy and Visibility.

When your CRM is integrated with other systems, data inconsistencies, and errors are significantly reduced. Integrated systems ensure that data is automatically synced, eliminating the need for duplicate data entry or manual updates. This improves data accuracy and provides a unified view of customer information, empowering your sales team with reliable data for effective decision-making.

3. Improved Customer Relationship Management.

CRM integration enables you to gather data from various touchpoints and consolidate it into a single platform. This comprehensive customer view helps you better understand your customers, their preferences, and their needs. With this knowledge, you can deliver personalized interactions, tailored offers, and relevant content, fostering stronger customer relationships and increasing customer satisfaction.

4. Efficient Collaboration and Communication.

Integrating your CRM with communication tools and collaboration platforms enhances teamwork and communication within your sales team. It allows for seamless sharing of customer information, real-time updates on interactions, and efficient collaboration on deals. By breaking down communication barriers, CRM integration promotes better teamwork, enabling your sales team to work cohesively and efficiently towards shared goals.

5. Strategic Insights and Reporting.

Integrating your CRM with analytics and reporting tools provides valuable insights into sales performance, customer behavior, and market trends. With integrated data, you can generate comprehensive reports, track key metrics, and identify patterns that drive business growth. These insights enable you to make data-driven decisions, optimize your sales strategies, and identify opportunities for revenue generation.

Since you’re already aware of the benefits of an integrated CRM within your sales operations, let’s reap them with;

A step-by-step guide to ensure your CRM is integrated well within your sales process.

Successfully implementing CRM integration in your pharmaceutical sales process requires careful planning and execution.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to ensure your CRM is integrated well within your sales process.

Assess Your Needs.
Start by identifying the specific pain points and challenges in your current sales operation. Determine the goals and objectives you want to achieve through CRM integration. This assessment will help you align your integration strategy with your business requirements.
Define Integration Scope.
Determine which systems and applications need to be integrated with your CRM. Consider key areas such as ERP systems, marketing automation platforms, customer support tools, inventory management systems, and any other relevant systems used in your sales process.
Choose the Right Integration Approach.
Evaluate the available integration options and choose the approach that best suits your requirements. Depending on your systems and technical capabilities, you can opt for custom API integrations, pre-built connectors, or middleware solutions that facilitate data exchange between systems.
Ensure Data Synchronization.
Data consistency and synchronization are crucial for successful CRM integration. Establish data mapping and validation rules to ensure that information flows accurately between systems. Set up automated processes for data synchronization, including regular updates and real-time data feeds.
Train and Educate Users.
User adoption is key to the success of CRM integration. Provide comprehensive training and resources to your sales team on how to effectively use the integrated CRM system. Highlight the benefits and capabilities of the integrated system to encourage user buy-in and maximize utilization.
Monitor and Test.
Regularly monitor the integration process to ensure data accuracy and system performance. Conduct thorough testing to identify and resolve any issues or bottlenecks. Consider performing user acceptance testing to gather feedback from your sales team and make necessary adjustments.
Focus On Data Security and Compliance.
Implement robust security measures to protect sensitive customer data and comply with relevant regulations such as GDPR or HIPAA. Use encryption, access controls, and regular data backups to safeguard information and maintain data integrity.
Evaluate and Optimize.
Continuously evaluate the impact of CRM integration on your sales operations. Track key performance indicators (KPIs) such as sales revenue, lead conversion rates, customer satisfaction, and productivity to assess the effectiveness of the integrated system. Use these insights to make data-driven decisions, optimize your sales processes, and drive continuous improvement.

By following these steps and leveraging the power of CRM integration, pharmaceutical brands can streamline their sales operations, drive revenue growth, and build strong customer relationships.

Remember, CRM integration is not a luxury for pharma companies anymore.

In fact, embracing CRM integration is a strategic move that positions your organization for success in the competitive pharma market, ensuring you can maximize sales opportunities, deliver exceptional customer experiences, and achieve long-term business growth.

At Platforce, we not only specialize in customizing our CRM to meet the needs of pharma brands like yours but we’ll also make sure it integrates well with your existing tech stacks. Our experienced team understands the unique needs and challenges of the industry, and we can help you tailor a CRM integration strategy that aligns with your specific requirements.

Platforce is the best CRM software for lead generation, order management, sales automation, and task management. Unlike other software, Platforce gives your company all it needs to optimize customer relations and boost customer experience. Try out the Platforce CRM system with a demo now. You can also stay updated on our Youtube and LinkedIn channels.

HCP Consent Collection and Management 101

Posted on November 16, 2023December 7, 2023 by Visarlini Velu

Establishing a solid foundation of compliance within your operations is crucial for pharma companies looking to grow exponentially without legal issues crippling your growth.

At the core of this foundation lies collecting and managing HCP consent; a vital component for fostering enhanced engagement and ensuring compliant communications within the pharma and life sciences companies.

To ensure your HCP consent and collection strategy is a success, you need a one-stop, all-inclusive guide. That’s exactly what we’ve prepared.

Here’s everything you need to understand and craft a working HCP consent and collection strategy.

Understanding HCP Consent and its role in various organizational functions.

Understanding what HCP consent is and why it’s essential for the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry is the key to building an effective consent management process. That’s why we’re kicking off this article with a comprehensive overview of HCP consent, delving into its definition, why it’s required legally, and its significance across various organizational functions.

Let’s dive in.

What is HCP consent?

HCP consent is the explicit permission granted by healthcare professionals for the collection, use, and storage of their personal information. This includes, but is not limited to their contact details, professional credentials, and preferences. This consent serves as the foundation for engaging with HCPs and is crucial in establishing a compliant and mutually beneficial relationship.

By the way, if you’re new to the pharma world and were wondering what HCP stands for; here’s a quick definition to help you out.

What is HCP in the pharma industry?

In the pharmaceutical industry, HCP stands for Healthcare Professional. HCPs encompass a wide range of medical practitioners, including physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and other healthcare providers who are involved in patient care, diagnosis, treatment, and related activities. These professionals play a critical role in the healthcare ecosystem, and their expertise and insights are invaluable for pharmaceutical companies seeking to develop and market safe and effective medical products.

That being said let’s look at why there’s a

Legal Requirement for HCP Consent.

HCP consent is not merely a professional courtesy; it is a legal requirement driven by regulations such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), LGPD (Lei Geral de Proteção de Dados Pessoais), and other regional or national data protection laws. These regulations ensure the protection of personal data and require organizations to obtain explicit consent from HCPs before utilizing their information.

We’ll explore more about this later on, but for now, let’s focus on

The Role of HCP Consent Across Organizational Functions.

Effective HCP consent management extends beyond legal compliance; it influences multiple facets of an organization’s operations.

Let’s explore how HCP consent impacts key areas:

Sales.

HCP consent enables targeted and personalized communication, ensuring that sales representatives engage with HCPs who have expressed a genuine interest in specific products or services. This targeted approach improves the overall efficiency of sales efforts and fosters stronger relationships with HCPs.

Marketing.

HCP consent forms the foundation for targeted marketing campaigns, allowing organizations to deliver relevant content, promotions, and educational materials tailored to the interests and preferences of individual HCPs. By respecting HCP preferences and delivering value-added content, organizations can enhance engagement and build credibility.

Medical Affairs.

HCP consent is particularly critical in medical affairs, where interactions between HCPs and pharmaceutical companies involve scientific exchange, clinical trials, and educational activities. Obtaining consent ensures that medical affairs professionals can share valuable information, collaborate on research initiatives, and maintain transparency in their engagements.

Legal and Regulatory Affairs.

HCP consent serves as a safeguard against legal and compliance risks. Organizations can demonstrate their commitment to data protection regulations by implementing robust consent management processes, reducing the likelihood of privacy breaches and potential legal consequences.

In the following sections, we will explore the regulatory landscape surrounding HCP consent and delve into the key elements of effective consent management, equipping you with the knowledge and strategies necessary to develop a successful HCP consent collection and management strategy.

The regulatory landscape around HCP consent collection and management.

Regulations such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and other regional or national data protection laws play a significant role in shaping the requirements for obtaining and managing HCP consent. These regulations aim to safeguard the privacy and security of personal data, ensuring that organizations handle HCP information responsibly and transparently.

For instance, GDPR which is applicable to organizations operating within the European Union (EU) or dealing with EU citizens’ data, has set stringent standards for data protection. It mandates that organizations must obtain explicit consent from HCPs, clearly stating the purpose for which their data will be used and providing them with the right to withdraw consent at any time. Non-compliance with GDPR can result in severe penalties.

Beyond GDPR, different countries and regions have their specific data protection laws and guidelines that organizations must adhere to. For instance, the Brazilian General Data Protection Law (LGPD) imposes obligations on organizations operating in Brazil to obtain consent and implement adequate security measures for personal data processing.

To sum it up, the regulations around HCP consent collection and management are complex and can vary by country and market and even on the method of collecting the consent. That’s why it is important for pharmaceutical companies to stay up-to-date on the latest regulations.

Only then navigating this complex regulatory landscape is possible, since organizations will be implementing robust consent management processes according to the requirements globally and in the country of operation. This way not only organizations can demonstrate their commitment to data protection, but they’ll also be able to minimize the risk of both privacy breaches and legal consequences.

Now that we covered, the legal regulations that mandate the nuances of how HCP consent is collected and managed, let’s break down the

Key elements of effective HCP consent management.

To develop a successful HCP consent collection and management strategy, it is essential to understand the key elements of effective consent management. In this section, we will explore these key elements that form the backbone of a robust HCP consent management process.

Clear and Transparent Communication.

Effective HCP consent management begins with clear and transparent communication about the purpose and scope of data collection. It is crucial to provide HCPs with comprehensive information about how their personal data will be collected, used, stored, and protected. This includes detailing the types of data being collected, the specific purposes for which it will be used, and any third parties involved in the data processing.

Opt-In and Opt-Out Mechanisms.

An essential element of consent management is providing HCPs with the option to freely give or withdraw their consent. This requires implementing robust opt-in and opt-out mechanisms that are easily accessible and user-friendly. HCPs should have the ability to revoke their consent at any time without facing any negative consequences.

Granular Consent Options.

HCP consent management should offer granular consent options, allowing HCPs to choose the specific types of communications they wish to receive. This can include preferences for receiving promotional materials, educational content, clinical trial information, or updates on new products. By providing granular consent options, organizations can ensure that HCPs receive only relevant and desired communications, enhancing their engagement and satisfaction.

Consent Documentation and Audit Trail.

It is essential to maintain accurate and up-to-date records of HCP consent. This includes documenting the date and time of consent, the specific terms agreed upon, and any changes or updates made to the consent preferences over time. A comprehensive audit trail helps demonstrate compliance with regulatory requirements and provides evidence of HCP consent in case of any legal disputes or inquiries.

Data Security and Protection.

Effective HCP consent management requires a strong focus on data security and protection. Organizations should implement robust security measures to safeguard HCP data from unauthorized access, loss, or misuse. This includes encryption of sensitive information, regular data backups, access controls, and monitoring of data handling processes. Additionally, organizations should conduct regular assessments and audits to identify and address any potential vulnerabilities in their data management practices.

Ongoing Consent Management.

Consent management is not a one-time process but requires ongoing monitoring and management. Organizations should regularly review and update consent preferences, ensuring that they align with changing regulations, HCP preferences, and organizational needs. It is also crucial to provide HCPs with opportunities to review and update their consent preferences periodically, allowing them to maintain control over their data.

Staff Training and Education.

To ensure effective consent management, organizations should provide comprehensive training and education to their staff members involved in data collection and management. This includes training on relevant regulations, consent procedures, data security practices, and ethical considerations. Well-informed staff members are better equipped to handle consent-related issues, answer HCP queries, and ensure compliance with data protection laws.

By incorporating these key elements into their HCP consent management process, pharmaceutical companies can establish a solid foundation for compliant and mutually beneficial relationships with HCPs. Effective consent management not only helps organizations meet legal requirements but also enhances trust, engagement, and the overall success of their communications and marketing efforts.

Since you’re already aware of the key elements required for an effective consent management process, let’s put them into action with

A step-by-step guide to building a successful HCP consent collection and management strategy.

Step 1: Understand Applicable Regulations

Begin by thoroughly understanding the regulatory requirements governing HCP consent in the countries and regions where your organization operates. Stay up-to-date with relevant laws, such as GDPR, LGPD, and other data protection regulations. Familiarize yourself with the specific consent-related obligations and guidelines outlined by these regulations to ensure compliance.

Step 2: Conduct a Consent Audit

Perform a comprehensive audit of your existing consent management practices. Evaluate how consent is currently obtained, documented, and managed within your organization. Identify any gaps or areas that require improvement to align with regulatory requirements and best practices.

Step 3: Develop Clear Consent Policies and Procedures

Create clear and comprehensive consent policies and procedures that outline how HCP consent will be obtained, recorded, and managed within your organization. Ensure that these policies adhere to legal requirements and incorporate the key elements of effective consent management discussed earlier. Document the step-by-step processes for obtaining, recording, and updating consent.

Step 4: Implement Opt-In and Opt-Out Mechanisms

Establish user-friendly opt-in and opt-out mechanisms that allow HCPs to freely provide or withdraw their consent. Ensure that these mechanisms are easily accessible and prominently displayed across communication channels, such as websites, mobile apps, and email communications. Make it clear to HCPs how they can withdraw their consent and provide them with a hassle-free process for doing so.

Step 5: Enhance Data Security Measures

Implement robust data security measures to protect HCP data throughout its lifecycle. This includes encryption of sensitive information, regular data backups, access controls, and monitoring of data handling processes. Conduct regular security assessments and audits to identify and address any vulnerabilities.

Step 6: Establish Consent Documentation and Audit Trail

Develop a systematic process for documenting and maintaining records of HCP consent. Ensure that consent records include the date and time of consent, specific terms agreed upon, and any subsequent updates or changes made to consent preferences. Maintain a comprehensive audit trail to demonstrate compliance and provide evidence in case of legal inquiries.

Step 7: Train and Educate Staff

Provide thorough training and education to staff members involved in collecting and managing HCP consent. Equip them with a deep understanding of consent regulations, procedures, data security practices, and ethical considerations. Regularly update their knowledge to keep pace with evolving regulations and industry best practices.

Step 8: Monitor and Update Consent Preferences

Establish processes for regularly monitoring and updating HCP consent preferences. Review consent records and ensure that they align with changing regulations, HCP preferences, and organizational needs. Provide HCPs with opportunities to review and update their consent preferences periodically, empowering them to maintain control over their data.

Step 9: Continuous Improvement and Compliance

Continuously assess and improve your consent management process. Stay informed about emerging regulatory developments and industry trends related to consent collection and management. Regularly review and update your consent policies, procedures, and security measures to ensure ongoing compliance and alignment with best practices.

By following this step-by-step guide, you can build a robust HCP consent collection and management strategy that aligns with regulatory requirements, enhances engagement, and fosters compliant and mutually beneficial relationships with HCPs. Remember, effective consent management is an ongoing process that requires vigilance, adaptability, and a commitment to protecting HCP data and privacy.

The common challenges pharma companies face with their HCP consent management and how a CRM like Platforce can help.

While implementing and maintaining an effective HCP consent management process, pharma companies often encounter several challenges along the way. These challenges can range from regulatory complexities to operational hurdles.

However, with the right tools and strategies, such as utilizing a comprehensive CRM solution like Platforce, these challenges can be solved.

To make this article more practical, let’s look at the common challenges of managing HCPs’ consent for pharma companies and how a CRM like Platforce can help them.

Regulatory Compliance.

Compliance with data protection regulations, such as GDPR and LGPD, is a major concern for pharma companies. These regulations require organizations to obtain explicit consent, ensure data security, and allow HCPs to exercise their rights regarding their personal information. A CRM like Platforce can streamline compliance efforts by providing built-in features that facilitate consent collection, documentation, and auditing, ensuring that the consent management process aligns with regulatory requirements.

The complexity of Consent Preferences.

HCPs have diverse preferences regarding the types of communications they wish to receive. Managing these preferences manually can be time-consuming and error-prone. However, a CRM like Platforce offers advanced segmentation and customization capabilities that enable pharma companies to tailor their communications based on individual HCP preferences. This ensures that HCPs receive relevant information, fostering stronger engagement and satisfaction.

Data Security and Privacy.

Protecting HCP data and ensuring its privacy is a critical challenge for pharma companies. A CRM like Platforce incorporates robust data security measures, such as encryption, access controls, and regular backups, to safeguard sensitive information. It also provides a centralized and secure platform for storing and managing consent-related data, reducing the risk of data breaches and unauthorized access.

Scalability and Efficiency.

As pharma companies grow and engage with an increasing number of HCPs, managing consent manually becomes impractical. A CRM like Platforce offers scalability, allowing companies to handle large volumes of consent data efficiently. It automates consent processes, such as opt-in and opt-out mechanisms, consent updates, and preference management, saving time and ensuring accuracy.

Integrated Data Management.

HCP consent is just one aspect of the broader relationship between pharma companies and HCPs. A CRM like Platforce provides an integrated data management system, consolidating HCP information, consent records, and other relevant data in a single platform. This integration enhances visibility and enables comprehensive reporting and analysis, empowering pharma companies to make data-driven decisions and improve their overall relationship with HCPs.

Training and User Adoption.

Implementing a new consent management system requires effective training and user adoption. A CRM like Platforce offers user-friendly interfaces and intuitive workflows, making it easier for staff members to navigate and utilize the system effectively. Additionally, Platforce provides training resources and support to ensure that the implementation and adoption process is smooth and successful.

Want to see how Platforce’s Consent Management solution works in real life? Try Platforce today!

Platforce is the best CRM software for lead generation, order management, sales automation, and task management. Unlike other software, Platforce gives your company all it needs to optimize customer relations and boost customer experience. Try out the Platforce CRM system with a demo now. You can also stay updated on our Youtube and LinkedIn channels.

Finally, if you found this guide helpful, don’t forget to share with your team.

Navigating the Frontiers of Account-Based Marketing in Healthcare

Posted on November 15, 2023December 6, 2023 by Japheth Oseghale

The ever-evolving healthcare landscape rarely gives space to anyone to catch their breath; every player in the space always has to gear up. With multiple stakeholders and intricate regulations, key stakeholders in healthcare need all the help they can get.

Account-based marketing is a beacon that illuminates the part of targeted engagement with the key players in the health industry. Transcending conventional marketing methods, ABM gives the tailored approach healthcare needs to reach key stakeholders, driving impactful outcomes.

The question remains: will healthcare be able to navigate this uncharted water called ABM skillfully? Stay with us to unravel the complexities and redefine the future of healthcare with personalized account-based marketing.

A Glimpse Into “Account-Based Marketing“

Account-based marketing is a strategic approach to B2B marketing that flips the traditional marketing funnel upside down. Instead of casting a wide net to gather potential customers, ABM focuses on targeting high-value accounts.

Identifying the needs and pain points of these target accounts, the marketing strategy swoops in with a personalized approach to be the day’s savior.

Note:

An account-based selling strategy starts by identifying target accounts that can yield high profits.
Focusing on the potential buyer’s personas, sales teams using ABM create personalized messaging systems that resonate with the potential customers.
Using personalized messaging, ABM deepens engagement and creates stronger bonds, which drives the buying process.

The effectiveness of the account-based model is further pronounced in healthcare, involving a robust network of decision-makers. It fosters a collaborative approach to identifying and nurturing high-value accounts, aligning sales and marketing efforts more closely.

So Far So Healthy: Account-Based Marketing Healthcare Till Now

Healthcare’s account-based marketing strategy focuses on converting specific high-value accounts to valuable customers. The ABCs of this strategy are alignment, balance, customer centricity, data-driven, engagement, personalization, and focus on results.

Alignment

The collaboration between the sales team and marketing is one of the major bedrocks of account-based marketing. With the sales and marketing teams on the same side, sharing insights, goals, and marketing strategies becomes easier. The unified approach seamlessly identifies and nurtures key accounts and provides excellent customer service.

Balance

ABM focuses on customer lifetime value, targeting the most valuable customers. This helps strike a balance between quality and quantity. Rather than waste resources on wrong accounts, the ABM sales team optimizes the specific accounts with high-value prospects.

With fewer accounts to manage, account-based sales development teams give individual accounts the feeling of being one of the right accounts.

Customer-centricity

The drive for ABM is understanding the customer’s pain points, pressure, needs, and wants. The desire to fulfill the customers’ needs leads to a drive for customer success, ensuring the sales team focuses more on fulfilling the customer stakeholders.

Data-Driven

Data is the backbone of account-based selling in Big Pharma. The sales team relies heavily on data and analytics to identify target accounts while coordinating marketing campaigns. Taking it further, thorough research and analysis help gather insights about the target accounts, their decision-making structure, behaviors, and preferences. Eventually, data can enable personalized and targeted marketing campaigns.

Engagement and Personalization

ABM emphasizes creating and fostering relationships with key players within the target account list. A healthcare account-based selling marketing team can use personalized communication, customized content, and engaging interaction to drive the sales process.

With ABM based majorly on a successful account-based approach, being on the same page with new and existing customers is important.

Focus on Results

The account-based selling strategy is result-oriented, focusing not only on the quantity of account engagement and the leads’ quality, conversion rates, and generated revenue. This account-based selling model prioritizes continuous measurement and optimization to achieve sustainable business growth ultimately.

Application Of ABM For Satisfying The Key Players of the Big Pharma

Account-based sales strategy in healthcare adopts a unique approach that focuses on the multiple stakeholders of the industry. Using personalized messaging to reach the target account lists, healthcare’s ABM caters to providers, payers, and patients of the system. Ultimately, it contributes to improved healthcare outcomes and excellent customer service.

Healthcare Providers

Pharma’s account-based selling targets healthcare providers like hospitals, individual practitioners, clinics, and physician groups. ABM sales teams focus on understanding the challenges of this group. These challenges include adopting new technologies, adhering to regulations, improving patients’ outcomes, and reducing costs.

The account-based sales strategy then focuses on tailored solutions to these problems. The sales team can create educational content for these challenges or foster personalized interactions with key decision-makers. They can also showcase a product or service streamlining operations within their specific settings.

Healthcare Payers

The saying that ‘the piper dictates the tune’ has always indicated that the paying party holds the largest sway. Although this class is not direct consumers, they are major stakeholders responsible for the monetary part of keeping big pharma moving. Therefore, it is obligatory to consider their concerns.

The healthcare payers include insurance companies and health plan organizers. They may have concerns regarding managing costs, improving health outcomes, and covering more populations with available resources.

ABM marketing campaigns focus on solutions that can optimize operational efficiencies, reduce claims, and improve the overall health of the covered population.

Healthcare Consumers

The healthcare industry is fast becoming customer-centric, emphasizing customer stakeholders more than other decision-makers. With the account-based model centering mostly around targeting and delivering to high-value accounts, the customers are crucial to ABM.

The account-based approach uses a personalized messaging strategy to deliver high-value, empowering patient content. Account-based sales campaigns promote health education and encourage proactive patient participation in healthcare decision-making.

Account managers can proffer solutions like educational content, interactive health-management tools, and personalized patient outreach.

Challenges and Considerations in Healthcare ABM

Healthcare is a complex and challenging landscape that requires marketers to put more effort into the sales process. While considering the daunting regulations and numerous decision makers, a sales model can lose its glamour in Big Pharma’s tapestry.

What pitfalls can the account-based selling model encounter in the healthcare industry?

Complex Decision-Making Processes

Healthcare decision-making processes can be cumbersome, involving many stakeholders, including professionals, patients, and the government. The process can be tiring because it is difficult to get many people with varied interests and backgrounds to align. Also, it can elongate the duration of decision-making, wasting valuable time.

Resource Intensiveness

The account-based model requires personalized strategies for specific accounts. Therefore, without debate, it can demand more resources like time, personnel, funding, and technology.

Changing Healthcare Ecosystem

Healthcare is an evolving landscape that constantly changes with the advent of new treatment methods, technological advancements, and shifts in patient paradigms. With the system keeping it on its toes, an account-based sales strategy may not fully evolve before the industry moves on to the next.

A Glimpse Into The Future: What Healthcare Will Be Like With Account-Based Sales

Account-based selling has a bright future in healthcare. With its personalized touch aligned with the emerging healthcare goal of personalized medicine and a patient-centric approach, ABM has come to pharma to stay. So, you should have some things to look forward to in pharma’s account-based selling.

Virtual And Augmented Reality

AR and VR are revolutionizing the healthcare industry. These immersive technologies showcase medical procedures, simulate patient experiences, and educate healthcare professionals on new trends. With their advancement, account-based selling finds it easier to reach the necessary targets.

Internet of Medical Things (IoMT)

The Internet of Medical Things can provide voluminous real-life data. With its integration with account-based marketing, there will be enough data at the fingertips of ABM marketing executives. They can further use this data to deliver personalized messages to the target market.

AI and Predictive Analytics

ABM owes a portion of its growth so far to AI and predictive analytics. Machine learning algorithms help analyze large volumes of data to predict healthcare trends, personalize engagements, and anticipate needs. With the continuous growth of AI and predictive analytics, ABM can look forward to better analytics and predictions.

Summation

Many waters are difficult to navigate in healthcare, and ABM might be one of them. Account-based sales strategy is quite new to the healthcare industry with a murky nature stemming from its infantile stage. However, the novelty does not obscure its many benefits to the industry.

With a focus on using data-driven insights to drive personalized campaigns to target accounts, account-based selling maximizes available potential. It depends on the balance between the sales and marketing teams to get high-quality results through personalized engagement.

Many pharma companies are seriously considering account-based selling strategies, to the point of dedicating an entire sales team to it. However, why go the hard way when you can go the smart way? Remember, smart work over hard work any day!

Platforce has dedicated resources to doing the hard work for their clients, expending resources to provide the best tools for excellent account-based selling strategies. Contact us today to take the burden of brainstorming ideas from scratch and use our solutions to get the work done in half time. Do not forget that you also get to optimize your resources better.

Unlike other software, Platforce gives the company all it needs to optimize customer relations and boost customer experience. Try out the Platforce CRM system with a demo now. You can also stay updated on our Youtube and LinkedIn channels.

Automated Data Cleansing: Use AI to Automatically Identify and Correct Inaccurate or Duplicate Data

Posted on November 14, 2023December 7, 2023 by Stefan Repin

A reliable solution to data quality challenges in the era of big data is automated data cleansing powered by artificial intelligence (AI). AI-driven data cleansing tools streamline the process by automatically identifying and correcting inaccurate and duplicate data, ensuring accuracy and saving time and resources.

As you dive into automated data cleansing, you’ll find that AI enables these systems to learn and adapt as they analyze data, making them more precise and efficient over time. Using massive datasets and leveraging machine learning algorithms, AI can effectively identify duplicate records and highlight errors, misspellings, inconsistencies, and other issues often overlooked in manual data cleaning processes. As a result, your business benefits from more accurate insights and higher levels of data quality.

AI helps data analysts, engineers, and scientists streamline data analysis and focus on value-added activities by increasing accuracy and freeing up valuable time. By automating this routine yet crucial aspect of data management, your team can dedicate their efforts towards extracting meaningful and valuable insights and driving strategic growth.

Understanding Data Cleansing

The Importance of Clean Data

Modern data-driven worlds require high-quality datasets. Clean data is vital to making accurate decisions, analyzing data accurately, and running a business efficiently. A data cleaner detects, corrects, or removes errors and inconsistencies from datasets to improve their quality.

Some benefits of clean data include:

Better decision-making: Accurate data produces more informed decisions and better business outcomes.
Increased efficiency: Cleaner data reduces the time spent on manual error detection and correction, allowing you and your team to focus on the more important tasks.
Improved customer experience: High-quality data ensures that you provide relevant, accurate, and personalized experiences to your customers.

Common Data Quality Issues

A number of sources, such as human error, system glitches, or problems with data integration can cause issues with data quality. Some of the most common data quality issues you and business users may encounter are:

Missing values: Incomplete data can lead to biased or inaccurate analysis. Identifying and addressing missing values helps maintain dataset integrity.
Duplicates: Duplicate records can skew your results and lead to incorrect conclusions. Removing duplicates helps ensure that each record is unique and accurate.
Outliers: Outliers are data points that significantly deviate from the norm. Identifying outliers helps you understand the dataset better and decide whether they should be removed or retained for analysis.
Inconsistencies: Mismatched value formats, units, or categories can lead to confusion and misinterpretation. Standardizing and correcting these inconsistencies is essential for a cohesive dataset.

Automated data cleansing tools powered by AI can help you tackle these data quality issues more efficiently. By leveraging AI algorithms, these tools can automatically identify and correct errors and inaccurate or duplicate data, reducing the time and effort spent on manual data cleaning tasks.

AI and Machine Learning in Data Cleansing

Role of AI in Data Cleansing

Data cleansing plays a crucial role in ensuring the accuracy and reliability of the large datasets used. With AI and ML solutions, you, the data scientist, can now automate identifying and correcting inaccurate or duplicate data. Integrating AI technologies into your data cleansing workflow lets you enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of your data preparation tasks.

AI can assist you in various ways when it comes to data cleansing:

Identifying missing values: AI algorithms can automatically detect missing data points and recommend possible imputations based on the patterns they recognize in the dataset.
Detecting outliers: AI spots outliers in your dataset and notifies you of their presence. You then decide if they should be excluded or adjusted to improve the accuracy of your model.
Standardizing data: AI-powered tools also help maintain consistency throughout your dataset, transforming data formats into a single, unified format.

Machine Learning Algorithms for Cleansing

Various machine learning models and algorithms can be employed in the data cleansing process. Some of these include:

Clustering algorithms: These algorithms group similar data points together, making it easier to identify duplicate records. Examples of clustering algorithms are K-means and DBSCAN.
Classification algorithms: These are used to categorize data into different classes, making it easier to identify incorrect or mislabeled data points. Some examples are Support Vector Machines (SVM) and Logistic Regression.
Nearest Neighbor algorithms: These algorithms can automatically fill in missing values by using the most similar data points as a reference. Some examples are k-Nearest Neighbors (k-NN) and Local Outlier Factor (LOF).

You can reduce the time and effort data scientists require to cleanse and prepare their datasets using these Machine Learning algorithms. By integrating these ML tools into your data cleansing workflows, you can increase the accuracy and efficiency of your workflows.

Deep Learning and Data Quality

Data quality and cleansing may be revolutionized by deep learning, a subset of machine learning. Using deep learning techniques such as neural networks, you can create more powerful and complex models capable of handling large amounts of data and identifying intricate patterns in large datasets.

By adopting deep learning technologies, data scientists can further their predictive capabilities and improve the automation and precision of the data cleansing process. In any case, deep learning models require substantial computational resources and are not suitable for every situation.

Incorporating AI and ML into your data cleansing processes can greatly enhance your data quality and accuracy. As a result, you’ll be well-equipped to do predictive analytics to make more informed data-driven decisions and generate better insights from your datasets.

Automating the Data Cleansing Process

Data cleansing is an essential step in the data analytics pipeline. Automating data cleansing is becoming increasingly important to improve efficiency and reduce manual work in AI data analysis. This section will discuss tools and software, as well as how to establish automated workflows.

Data Cleaning Tools and Software

Several tools and software are available to help you automate your data-cleaning tasks. These data analysis tools use AI and ML techniques to efficiently handle common data preprocessing tasks like missing value imputation, outlier detection, data normalization, and feature selection. Some popular data cleaning tools include:

Trifacta: A tool that combines data wrangling, cleaning, and transformation in a user-friendly interface.
OpenRefine: An open-source tool focused on data cleansing, it offers functionalities like clustering, data reconciliation, and data transformation.
Talend: A cloud-based platform that offers data integration, cleansing, and data quality management features.
DataWrangler: This web-based tool developed at Stanford University is designed for cleaning and transforming raw data for easier processing and analysis.

It is important to choose a tool that suits your needs, as it can greatly reduce the time and effort required for the data cleansing process.

Establishing Automated Workflows

To establish an automated data cleansing workflow, follow these steps:

Step 1: Define your data and cleaning process and objective. Clearly define your data cleaning goals, such as improving data consistency, removing duplicate records, or doing error correction or correcting inaccurate data.

Step 2: Identify and prioritize data issues. Examine your data to identify any inconsistencies or errors in import data and prioritize them based on their impact on your analysis.

Step 3: Choose a data cleaning tool. Pick a tool or software that aligns with your objectives and supports your data formats.

Step 4: Set up automated data cleansing workflows. Configure the chosen tool to perform necessary data cleaning tasks automatically as new data is ingested.

Step 5: Test and refine. Periodically check the accuracy of your automated workflows and make necessary adjustments, ensuring that your data remains clean and reliable for analysis.

By implementing an automated data cleansing workflow, you can save time, ensure data consistency, and boost the scalability of your data preparation processes. Keep in mind, however, that some level of programming expertise may be needed to effectively utilize certain tools and establish an efficient data analyst workflow.

Advanced Techniques and Considerations

In this section, we’ll discuss advanced techniques and considerations in automated data cleansing using AI. We’ll cover data profiling and standardization, handling complex data types, and future trends in automated data cleansing.

Data Profiling and Standardization

Data profiling is a crucial step to identify and correct inconsistencies, errors, and duplicates in your data and analysis methods. By examining all the features, structure and distribution of your data, you can identify patterns, correlations, and potential data quality issues. Profiling data involves:

Analyzing data distributions and identifying statistical measures such as mean, median, and mode
Detecting duplicate records and potential merge/purge decisions
Assessing data completeness and data adherence to specified format constraints

Once you have profiled your data, it’s essential to standardize it for further processing. Standardized data ensures consistency and reduces errors caused by differing formats or representations. Data standardization involves:

Transforming data values to a unified measurement or representation, such as converting distances to kilometers or applying uppercase to all text fields
Enforcing standard formats for date and time
Aligning and consolidating categorical variables

Handling Complex Data Types

Dealing with vast datasets, complex data types and inconsistent formats poses challenges in data cleansing and processing. Examples of complex data types include:

Unstructured or semi-structured data (e.g., natural language text, JSON, XML)
Multimedia data, such as images, audio, and video
Hierarchical data structures or deeply nested data

To handle complex data types, consider applying ai tools specialized techniques, such traditional methods such as:

Text analysis and natural language processing (NLP) for unstructured text data
Image recognition and computer vision for multimedia data
Flattening and normalization of nested data structures

Incorporating these techniques in your data engineering and data modeling efforts can facilitate the development of robust, accurate, and adaptable cleansing workflows.

Future Trends in Automated Data Cleansing

As data volume and variety continue to grow, big data and AI-driven solutions are becoming increasingly essential for managing and cleansing data. Some exciting future trends in automated data cleansing include:

Advanced record deduplication using machine learning algorithms, identifying not only exact matches but also partial or ‘fuzzy’ matches
Improved model selection and validation, leading to more accurate and reliable results
Enhanced data lineage and traceability, enabling fine-grained monitoring of data transformations and record level provenance
The rise of the golden record, a single, consolidated representation of all the vital information of an entity, derived from the harmonization and validation of numerous sources

By staying informed about these trends and advancements, you can make better decisions about your data cleansing, business intelligence and analytics processes and improve the quality of the insights derived from your data.

Platforce is the best CRM software for lead generation, order management, sales automation, and task management. Unlike other software, Platforce gives your company all it needs to optimize customer relations and boost customer experience. Try out the Platforce CRM system with a demo now. You can also stay updated on our Youtube and LinkedIn channels.

What to Know About Physician Referral Management Software

Posted on November 13, 2023December 6, 2023 by Japheth Oseghale

A referral is essential in health systems for proper diagnosis or to get a second medical opinion so patients receive timely and specialized care.

However, there have been significant changes in physician referral management solutions over the years- from manual paper-based systems to more sophisticated technological advancements, including software tools.

Using software for managing referrals offers many benefits in the health sector. It improves care coordination and communication among healthcare providers for better patient outcomes. It is important to understand how referral management software works to decide if it is suitable for your business.

This article explores what physician referral management software is and its key features, the benefits physicians get from using it, factors to consider before choosing a software solution, and how to implement it seamlessly.

Understanding Physician Referral Management Software

Physician referral management system uses digital tools to process patient referrals. This software solution meets the shortcomings of traditional systems where primary care providers give a patient paper referral notes to schedule appointments themselves.

With this conventional referral process, patients may find it challenging to reach out to specialists because of the many calls they have to make. Even when patients successfully go for appointments, the referring provider may not be able to follow up and monitor the outcomes regarding the medical intervention the specialists made.

This technological advancement has revolutionized health systems. Now, HCPs can refer patients to a specialist, send reminders to both parties and track progress.

Key Features of Referral Management Solutions in Healthcare

The referral management system uses an automated workflow that guides the physician in creating and sending referral messages through the appropriate communication channel. The software solution comes with the following functionalities to generate automated referrals easily.

Patient and Physician Databases

A physician referral management software has comprehensive records of patients and physicians. It stores a patient’s information, such as

lab results,
old and new drug prescriptions, and
contact information.

This information is in a centralized database that healthcare professionals can access. The referral software solution also contains physicians’ data, including their

specialties,
medical credentials,
hospital affiliation and
records of the outcomes of past referrals.

With this, one can easily match a patient with the most appropriate healthcare professionals to provide quality care.

Appointment Scheduling

One of the most important features of physician referral management software is the scheduling of appointments. This software shows a physician’s working hours and when he will be available. Not only this, but he can also confirm availability for incoming referrals quickly in case of urgent appointments.

Furthermore, referral software solutions come with reminder features to help patients and healthcare professionals remember their appointments and keep to time. In addition, it allows one to close the loop on all referred patients. The referring physician gets notes to know the outcome of the meeting.

Analytics and Reporting

Referral software in healthcare also has standard analytical tools to help you track your progress and performance. You do this by measuring success using key performance indicators, including

number of referrals,
referral visits, and
conversation rates.

This will help gauge the effectiveness of the software. Furthermore, one would know areas going well and how to improve where one is lagging. This software can help you to know your top partners. It allows one to focus on more profitable specialists and pay them according to their efforts.

Integration with Electronic Health Records/Electronic Medical Records (EHR/EMR) System

Physician referral management software comes with EHR and EMR systems to streamline referrals. EHR contains accurate patient information in digital form that professionals use when making informed decisions in health systems.

It is a file that contains everything about a patient, including:

family history,
vital signs,
past medical and surgical history, and
allergies.

Healthcare professionals can enter new information and update old ones while on the go. This integration improves communication, prevents life-threatening mistakes, and ensures data security.

Benefits of Using Software to Manage Patient Referrals

Physician referral management systems offer solutions to many medical problems. It is an effective way to grow your business and generate revenue. The use of this software solution also provides benefits to a patient.

With it, patients have access to appropriate care from specialists in a timely manner. The following are some of the benefits one stands to gain when using software for outbound patient referrals

It saves time and reduces the cost of medical treatment: This tool reduces the long waiting time patients may encounter when using the manual process. Additionally, it reduces administrative costs, and staff can focus on other important business matters.
Automated referral management increases overall efficiency in healthcare organizations: Patients may misplace handwritten notes, and paper documentation may miss important details, leading to errors and health complications.
Referral management software increases patient experience and satisfaction: Patients decide the time convenient for them before fixing appointments. Because they have a say, patients take charge of their health to improve outcomes.
This software reduces referral leakage in a healthcare setting: Referral leakage occurs when patients seek medical help from other professionals outside the hospital when distance is a barrier. Referral management software prevents this by referring patients to the closest specialist.
Most importantly, physician referral management software prevents delay and ensures patient care continuum.

Considerations for Choosing a Physician Referral Management Solution

Not all software will align with your business needs. Carefully consider the following factors before getting a referral management system:

User-friendly Interface

One must consider if the referral software is easy to use. The software must be self-explanatory to enhance physicians’ experience. Software with an intuitive interface simplifies outbound referrals and the process of bringing doctors with low digital literacy on board.

Customization and Scalability

The customization and scalability requirements of software will influence your choice. As a physician, you have a specific referral process. Hence, it is important to adjust and customize CRM systems to suit your needs. Also, factor in how well this automated solution will function as the number of users increases. Good software should handle an increased workload without sacrificing efficiency.

Support and Training Options

Not all software providers make available comprehensive training and ongoing technical support. The software provider you use should offer online and onsite training for care providers. Additionally, the software must have 24/7 support features, including live chats, phone assistance, and swift email delivery.

Security and HIPAA Compliance

Prioritize data security and HIPAA compliance when getting referral management software. Ensure that the software solution perfectly encrypts patients’ data and is not vulnerable to attacks. Furthermore, HIPAA-compliant software stores and secures sensitive health information based on rules.

A Step-by-step Guide for Implementing A Referral Management Solution

Follow the steps below for a smooth referral software implementation:

Step 1: Assessment and Planning

Evaluate your existing referral solution and determine the problem you want to solve.
Using this, define the goals and objectives you want to achieve. Your goals will serve as a guide during and after the implementation process.

Step 2: Selection and Installation

The next step is to select the software solution based on your requirements and preferences.
After that, install and set up the referral management software by following the instructions in the manual or using a third-party software partner.

Step 3: Data Migration

After setting up, move patients’ and physicians’ data to the new software solution. Remember to create a backup to prevent total data loss in breach cases.
At this point, integrate the software with existing systems, including EMR/EHR.

Step 4: Testing and Quality Assurance

Now that the system is running, test it using a small group of physicians to check how well it works.
If there are no complaints, train all potential receiving physicians to use the software.

Step 5: User Feedback and Adjustments

Continuously monitor the system by gathering feedback from physicians regarding any issues they might have encountered to ensure the software runs smoothly.
Periodically evaluate how well the software is doing by comparing the outcome to your written objectives.
Based on the outcome of your evaluation, make adjustments as needed and resolve defects.

Six Best Practices in Medical Referral Management

The benefits patients, health providers and payers of the healthcare system get from using software for outbound referrals are endless. However, they must optimize these benefits to get the most out of their time and financial investment. The following are some best practices one should consider when using physician referral management software:

Ensure your staff and physicians get proper training on how to use the software solution
Double-check to ensure the patients’ data are accurate and complete to avoid mistakes
Actively involve patients in the referral process and when making health decisions to increase their satisfaction.
Close the loop after a referral by requesting updates about the medication interventions to promote the continuity of a patient’s care.
Build quality and long-lasting relationships with the physicians and encourage them to reach out quickly if they encounter any problem.
Finally, work with a reliable referral management software provider like Platforce. Platforce CRM software makes the referral process easier and keeps you ahead of competitors.

Conclusion

Using revolutionizing software solutions is vital for business growth. With referral software tools, primary care physicians and specialists can communicate quickly after scheduling appointments to get patient health updates.

You can get all the benefits of this referral solution by using the right software provider. The Platforce CRM system has many sophisticated features to help meet your business goals. Our technical team will guide you as you implement this new software solution.

Are you new to using software to manage patient referrals, or do you want to upgrade your software solution? Reach out today to book a demo to see how we can help you.

Platforce is the best CRM software for lead generation, order management, sales automation, and task management. Unlike other software, Platforce gives your company all it needs to optimize customer relations and boost customer experience. Try out the Platforce CRM system with a demo now. You can also stay updated on our Youtube and LinkedIn channels.

Lead Generation vs. Demand Generation – A Battle for Pharma Industry Dominance

Posted on November 13, 2023December 6, 2023 by Japheth Oseghale

The tug-of-war between lead generation and demand generation has been going on in many industries for a while. The two powerful marketing strategies have vied for supremacy in shaping consumers’ interests and driving business growth.

Big Pharma is a part of the buzz of the supremacy battle between lead and demand generation. The contest between lead and demand gen is more pronounced with the complex landscape and restrictions in reaching the paying audience.

The question is, do these two giants need to butt heads? With the target being reaching potential customers and converting them to buyers, which of these two strategies for the win?

From Lab To Market: Understanding The Journey of Lead Generation In Pharma

Lead generation in pharma marketing involves identifying and cultivating potential clients for a new product or service. The lead generation strategy involves targeted marketing efforts that rely on tactically identifying and engaging stakeholders who can be interested in a product. It involves getting the correct information to the right people at a strategic time, including physicians, institutions, and patients.

Lead generation moves prospects down the sales funnel strategically and segmented. From pre-production to post-marketing, lead generation efforts are thorough. It is no wonder that 50% of marketers willingly pay a mean cost of $198.44 per lead. Since lead generation is such a big deal, we will discuss how lead generation marketing campaigns work in pharma marketing.

Research And Development

This is the starting stage for lead marketing. With the product still in the embryo, the central focus is identifying potential pharmaceutical products with prospects. Extensive research and testing characterize this stage.

Target Identification & Validation

After researching potential leads, the focus shifts to identifying who and what to target with a potential drug. This stage verifies that a solution can work for the healthcare problem they created it for, making it easy to determine the potential clients.

Clinical Trials

The clinical trial stage uses lead generation to identify, nurture and recruit potentials that the pharma company can use for beta testing. Lead generation in this phase targets HCPs and patients who may benefit from or contribute to the testing.

Regulatory Approval And Market Entry

With the strict evaluation that dominates the pharma space, it doesn’t hurt a pharmacy company to plead its case in all ways within legal boundaries. Therefore, pharma marketers use lead generation to garner influence from people who might affect the regulations check outcomes.

A Win For All: Balancing Profit And Public Health With Lead Generation Campaigns

Lead generation is a marketing strategy that has benefitted various stakeholders of Big Pharma over time. While it focuses on generating income for pharmaceutical companies as a marketing tactic, its benefits to patients and medical professionals are profound. The balanced nature, therefore, made it thrive in the competitive landscape of pharma marketing.

Targeted Audience Identification

Lead generation strongly involves identifying the target audience to convert them to paying customers. Utilizing data from many sources, lead gen extensively analyzes potential customers’ medical needs, wants, and behavioral patterns.

Lead generation also extensively uses profiling tools to analyze a potential lead, allowing for a more streamlined approach. In addition, Lead generation identifies critical opinion leaders who can sway the acceptance of a pharmaceutical product.

Other mediums like CRM tools analysis, engagement tracking, and participating in medical events give a detailed scope on creating demand for a product. Essentially, lead generation leverages profiling tools, data analysis, and interaction with influential figures to identify potential product buyers.

Relationship Building

The lead generation work does not stop at tracking potential buyers’ journeys. It goes further to engaging them to facilitate purchases. It creates and nurtures relationships that move the sales process further down the sales funnel.

The primary relationship lead generation builds is with healthcare professionals. Lead generation uses personalized information to engage HCPs with relevant content only. The personalized approach fosters a sense of relevance, establishing the foundation for a solid relationship.

Also, lead generation helps understand the needs and challenges of HCPs, making it easy to tailor the engagement to their needs. Leas generations establish trust, offer support and play a critical role in prescribing medications.

Educational And Awareness

Lead generation tactics encourage educating customers with accurate, relevant product information to foster their interest. Also, companies can create tailored academic campaigns with the information they obtain through lead generation processes.

With enough information in their arsenal, lead gen works can include educational campaigns, seminars, workshops, and direct communication. They can share in-depth information about drug action mechanisms, side effects, and usage scenarios in these events.

The willingness to be forthcoming gives buyers a sense of relief, fostering their trust and leading to a sales-qualified lead.

Strategic Marketing

Lead generation simplifies the job of the sales team. Providing them with an arsenal of actual leads to pursue, sales reps have their duties streamlined to pursuing the generated leads. Lead availability gives direction, reducing marketing time and fund waste.

Meeting Needs: Unveiling Demand Generation In The Pharmaceutical Industry

Unlike lead generation, demand generation diverts significantly from the traditional marketing strategy focusing on healthcare professionals. Instead, it involves a series of adaptable marketing efforts that target a wider audience. Demand generation has a more patient-centric approach, encouraging individuals to make informed and empowered decisions about their health.

Bridging Gaps and Broadening Impact Through Innovative Demand Gen Approaches in Big Pharma

With the patient-centered space of modern pharma marketing, demand generation is a star. Demand gen focuses on reaching patients directly, so it’s unsurprising that pharma sales teams are fond of it. With other numerous benefits, it’s has, it has a case.

Brand Visibility

Demand generation strategies position the brand at the forefront of the consumer’s view. Intending to catch consumers’ attention, demand generation efforts improve brand visibility.

Customer Engagement

Demand generation relates directly with consumers. With the target on pharma consumers, brands build a rapport that makes them invaluable and makes the customer feel secure.

Influencing Purchasing Decision

With enough information about products at a consumer’s fingertip, making an informed and educated decision in medication purchasing becomes easier. Also, pharma companies can quickly generate sales even from the cold links they pushed out long ago.

Demand Generation Vs Lead Generation: Which Strategy For The Win?

The key difference between lead and demand generation lies in their target audience. While lead generation gives more relevance to institutions and healthcare professionals, demand generation focuses more on the patients.

Despite their primary differences, brands have used both lead and demand generation to achieve set marketing targets. For instance, in lead generation,

Pfizer organizes educational webinars and online gated content events requiring healthcare professionals to register. This medium enables them to acquire audience contact information, which then become qualified leads, opening doors for future marketing opportunities.
Similarly, AstraZeneca has been active in medical conferences and improved in-person relationships. They build relationships through this medium, which they can later convert to qualified leads.
Moreover, Sanofi uses targeted digital marketing campaigns through mediums like social media ads for content marketing. Through this lead generation content, they got information that converts to qualified leads.
Also, Novartis collaborated with Key Opinion Leaders who endorse their medications, influencing the prescription behavior and acceptance rate.

Not left out, demand generation efforts have also yielded some valuable results in Big pharma. Let’s look at a few:

GlaxoSmithKline Disease Awareness Initiatives

These demand-generation campaigns provide valuable educational content about specific diseases, symptoms, and available treatments. GSK aimed this demand generation campaign at the public, raising patient awareness. This strategy later generated demand as patients reached out to seek more information and discuss treatment options.

Merck’s Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) Advertising:

Merck has successfully used a direct-to-consumer demand gen strategy to promote their medications. Putting the product out through television commercials and online ads, they educated the public about drug use.

They gave patients adequate information regarding the condition the drug addresses, side effects, and usages while also encouraging them to consult healthcare professionals. This demand generation strategy increased the demand for the medication.

Johnson & Johnson’s Patient Support Programmes

These programs are well known, contributing to the company’s success in over 60 countries globally, with over a billion customers.

Their demand-generation programs offer educational support, resources and tools that empower patients with relevant knowledge and increase the demand for related medications.

Making a Choice, Lead Or Demand Generation?

There is no doubt that both demand and lead generation are pretty effective in pharma marketing. Having contributed significantly to the industry, the rivalry between both strategies is relatively equal. However, the question remains: does demand generation take precedence, or does lead generation do?

A simple answer after closely looking at both strategies is to combine efforts. Lead generation efforts target institutions and professionals, and demand generation targets consumers. Therefore, combining both will help reach the nooks and crannies you need to get your pharmaceutical products to.

The amalgamation of both strategies has yielded excellent results. Therefore, there is no harm in generating demands while simultaneously nurturing leads. You can borrow a leaf from Biogen regarding that.

Patient’s Education Portal by Biogen uses demand generation to target patients for disease awareness. This portal arms patients with disease information, treatment options, and other patient support materials. Concurrently, this portal requires healthcare professionals’ details, generating leads.

Over To You…

Many industries have witnessed the not-so-silent-dominance battle between demand generation and lead generation. These two marketing strategies are quite different and have had variable impacts. However, it all boils down to the same thing: they both aim at increasing engagement and generating sales.

Lead generation targets the industry giants, aiming to sell the products to healthcare professionals and authority figures who can, in turn, influence prescription and purchase. Demand generation, on the other hand, takes its business directly to the users, the patients. So, combining both assures a sales team of a more efficient effort to reach every pore of pharma stakeholders.

The confusion of merging both strategies is under-discussed but remains. Therefore, you need seasoned hands to handle your lead and demand generation process, ensuring a better result. In other words, you need Platforce!

Platforce is the best CRM software for lead generation, order management, sales automation, and task management. Unlike other software, Platforce gives the company all it needs to optimize customer relations and boost customer experience. Try out the Platforce CRM system with a demo now. You can also stay updated on our Youtube and LinkedIn channels.

Mastering Healthcare Professional (HCP) Segmentation for Pharma

Posted on November 13, 2023December 6, 2023 by Japheth Oseghale

Marketing pharmaceutical products to healthcare professionals requires a tailored approach for maximum success. Each healthcare provider class has distinct qualities that guide their interaction approach with sales representatives.

What the doctor values and considers first may differ from what the pharmacist considers primarily. Additionally, the channels to reach healthcare providers differ significantly and are sometimes specific to their specialties.

Essentially, you must be skilled at HCP segmentation to carefully craft marketing strategies that deliver results.

This guide provides a comprehensive approach to segmenting healthcare professionals and developing a marketing strategy to reach the target audience effectively.

Defining Healthcare Professional Segmentation

Healthcare professional segmentation involves categorizing healthcare providers based on a specific list of criteria. You can classify HCPs based on their title, practice setting, specialty, patient population, or geographical location.

A one-size-fits-all approach to marketing your pharmaceutical services or products may not yield sales. This is because your product may not be a good fit for most of the audience you’re reaching. To maximize the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns, you should customize your approach to appeal to specific healthcare providers.

Here are three reasons to invest in market segmentation:

To determine the right target audience: The segmentation process allows the sales team to create criteria for the target audience based on the business’s products, services, brand, and objectives.
To identify the best marketing approach: Proper market segmentation enables pharmaceutical companies to identify the most effective marketing tactics for a category of HCPs.
For proper resource management: Precise market segmentation allows the sales team to focus on generating leads that can easily convert. These leads are more likely to perceive the product’s value and become customers.

If you’re ready to save costs, build better engagement with your brand, and drive sales, investing in market segmentation is key.

How to Perform HCP Segmentation

Market segmentation begins with choosing the classification system to categorize your target audience. The first step to creating a comprehensive pharmaceutical market segmentation is data collection.

Data collection is the first step to designing a fail-proof marketing strategy to target HCPs. Knowing how to clean the data and identify trends is essential to narrow down on the professionals that matter most.

Look out for keywords that relate to the product you’re selling. For example, if you’re a sales representative for a business specializing in dermatological creams, focusing on dermatologists, skin care specialists, plastic surgeons, etc. is a more specialized approach to client acquisition.

Here are important data and considerations necessary for an effective segmentation process:

Demographic data such as age, gender, and location.
Business data such as industry, company size, and number of patients.
Behavioral data like channels of interaction and purchasing habits.
Career data such as specialty and practice setting.

Once you’ve identified your target audience, it becomes easier to allocate resources more effectively. You can customize your sales approach to the specialty of the physicians, nurses, or pharmacists.

You can further narrow your market segment by filtering your potential customers based on location. For example, your marketing ad campaign can be to reach dermatologists in the American region.

This will reduce the ad’s target locations but increase your reach in the focus area. Ultimately, you’ll get better engagement because your target audience will find your product valuable and accessible.

So, while it may not be feasible to sell a product to a dermatologist in the Asian region, you can secure a good market reach in the US through a focused advertising strategy.

Creating Personalized Content for Healthcare Professionals

First impressions are critical to the commercial success of your product. Whether you’re leading various sales teams or a brand campaign manager, delivering exceptional content about your products is important.

When dealing with professionals with medical expertise, you should be aware that there is likely a standard treatment for what your product addresses. Your aim is to convince the physicians or pharmacists to switch to your offer.

To do this, you must communicate what makes your product stand out from current medicines or products. Identify the leading product for what your product addresses and state how what you’re offering outshines it.

Does it require lesser doses? Does it provide better relief in less time? Are there fewer side effects? The best way for pharmaceutical companies to sell to healthcare providers is to state how the product benefits patients and how it can help to achieve better health outcomes.

Pharma Marketing Strategies for Reaching Segmented HCPs

You’ve used a good segmentation method for HCP targeting, and you have concise and punchy educational content about your product. The next step is to extend your marketing campaigns to reach your audience.

You can connect with your ideal customers using traditional means like print and direct mail. While traditional advertising is not dead, digital channels are more productive.

To choose an effective platform for outreach, consider an ideal HCP persona, stating their preferences, behavior, interests, and lifestyle. This will help you find which platforms will reach your desired HCPs most successfully.

The best advertising approach combines multiple channels for HCP targeting. Some of the popular digital channels to consider include:

Email
Social media such as LinkedIn, X, and Facebook.
Webinars
Virtual events
Blogs
Websites

Your advertising strategy aims to place your ads where HCPs spend the most time researching medical content. Whether that’s digital clinical journals or medical websites, a well-planned digital advertising strategy is more effective when placed where your target HCPs hang out.

An omnichannel marketing approach guarantees that customers can access your products regardless of the communication channel they prefer, physical or digital.

CRM for Pharmaceutical Market Segmentation

Managing your campaign activities can be difficult if you lack a system to monitor the different segments.

However, customer relationship management software makes the job easier by providing a platform to classify and interact with various HCPs based on customized segments. Here are five ways CRM makes HCP marketing easier:

Data Collection and Storage

You can use CRM software to collect and store data on HCPs based on their specialty, level of training, practice setting, patient population, and location.

By accessing this valuable information, pharma companies can gain insights into the healthcare landscape, identify trends, and make data-driven decisions that can improve campaign outcomes.

Deeper Customer Understanding

CRM systems can help pharmaceutical companies better understand their customers, including their needs, preferences, and prescribing habits.

The marketing team’s leads can use this information to develop more effective marketing strategies and to design better products and services.

Instant Communication

Modern CRM software allows pharmaceutical companies to disseminate information to a large number of HCPs instantly. You can also use CRM to deliver bulk emails containing relevant information and updates about your products and services.

Better Engagement

One way CRM can help promote better brand engagement is via video marketing. Sales teams can use videos to create more personalized content to enhance communication with customers more interactively.

Personalized video ads are also more engaging than other forms of content, making them an effective way to capture customers’ attention and create a lasting impression.

Improved Customer Retention

Pharmaceutical companies can build stronger relationships with their customers by providing healthcare professionals (HCPs) with personalized and relevant information.

When HCPs receive tailored information specific to their needs, they are more likely to remain loyal to a particular brand or company. This can lead to increased sales, improved brand reputation, and a competitive edge in the market.

Challenges and Considerations in HCP Segmentation Process

HCP market segmentation has a couple of challenges, including the following:

Data Availability and Quality

Obtaining data about HCPs can be time-consuming, and trying to align with all the ethical guidelines can be challenging. Another common problem is getting access to up-to-date, accurate data.

Market Complexity

The pharmaceutical industry changes rapidly, as do the peculiarities of healthcare providers. Keeping up with the latest trends in the industry while trying to scout new HCPs can be difficult.

Resource Constraints

Resources are expensive. And that’s why appropriate resource management is important during the segmentation process. Wasting resources causes delays in segmentation implementation, which can stall marketing efforts.

Some of the important considerations to make for effective segmentation include:

Criteria: When segmenting HCPs, it is important to choose the right criteria. The criteria should be relevant to the company’s marketing and sales goals.
Methodology: There are a number of different segmentation methodologies available. Choose a methodology that fits the company’s needs and resources.
Implementation: Once the company has segmented its HCP database, it needs to design the right marketing strategies for the HCP segments.

Overcoming challenges is a survival skill every business must possess. And for pharma companies, that means navigating the complicated terrain of data collection, market complexity, and resource constraints.

Successful pharma companies use a carefully curated checklist to design effective segmentation plans. This becomes the edge that allows them to get a good market share and sets them apart.

Conclusion

Marketing tailored to the ideal target audience is more effective than one focused on the generator population. HCP segmentation is a strategic way to streamline ad campaigns to the desired audience.

Segmentation involves gathering HCP data and using data analysis to find unique patterns to categorize healthcare professionals accordingly. This approach is important to make informed decisions about campaign strategies. After classifying the HCPs based on segments, the pharma company should outline the channels to deliver their pitch to their audience.

Using a CRM platform like Platforce will grant you access to design ad campaigns, send bulk emails, and communicate in real-time with any HCP. Further, you can use the CRM software for HCP data collection, analysis, and segmentation. Essentially, Platforce provides all the resources for everything you need from start to finish for pharmaceutical market segmentation.

Platforce is the best CRM software for lead generation, order management, sales automation, and task management. Unlike other software, Platforce gives your company all it needs to optimize customer relations and boost customer experience. Try out the Platforce CRM system with a demo now. You can also stay updated on our Youtube and LinkedIn channels.