eDetailing Budgets Top $1 Million for Some Sales Teams

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC--(Marketwire - Jun 30, 2011) - Traditional access to physicians has become a mix of running a gauntlet and sieging a castle for pharmaceutical sales reps. Pharma and biotech companies are making growing investments in new communication channels that offer more flexibility and power to doctors and healthcare providers.

A new study by Cutting Edge Information found that some brand teams are now investing more than $1 million in eDetailing programs. The study, "Specialty and Hospital Sales Force Management," finds that the surveyed companies' specialty sales forces spend as much as $1.3 million for eDetailing activities; similar eDetailing budgets for hospital sales forces range from $200,000 to over $1 million.

Although eDetailing has been used in the pharmaceutical industry for several years, signs point to its growing prevalence. Sales force cuts, reduced mirroring and stringent restrictions on access have made it vital to replenish points of contact. eDetailing becomes more viable as doctors become comfortable using information from the Internet and companies become adept in measuring return on investment.

"eDetailing is a cost-effective means to first provide information to physicians and then get rapid feedback to drive Voice of Customer decisions," said Adam Bianchi, chief operating officer of Cutting Edge Information. "At the same time, sales and brand teams must keep in mind that eDetailing is only one tool and most effective when integrated with other field force activities."

Cutting Edge Information's benchmarking report examines eDetailing usage, budget allocation, and ROI among specialty and hospital sales forces. It also provides metrics on eDetailing outsourcing as well as dedicated internal teams.

"Specialty and Hospital Sales Force Management" contains benchmarks and best practices of the new-look hospital and pharmaceutical specialty sales forces. The study includes performance, cost-per-rep and cost-per-detail metrics, as well as sales force training and compensation data. More information is available at http://www.cuttingedgeinfo.com/research/sales/specialty-hospital-sales/ .

The study provides decision-makers with guideposts to:

• boost performance with sales call metrics, training benchmarks and breakdowns of sales reps' field activities,
• build or adjust specialty and hospital sales force headcounts, and
• attract talent with competitive compensation for all experience and performance levels.