In order to become great sales associates, employees must have excellent people skills, which is exactly where social media comes into play. Social media sites likes Twitter and Facebook are a great place to train for sales of all types, including pharmaceutical sales.
Here are just a few ways going social can help with pharma sales training:
One-on-One and Mass Customer Interactions
The best sales associates know how to communicate with customers on a one-on-one basis, but they should also know how to handle a crowd. Pharma sales representatives oftentimes work with more than one client at a time. In fact, selling to an entire boardroom is commonplace in the pharma sales industry.
Social media is the perfect training ground for selling on both a personal and a group level. Facebook for example allows sales reps to chat with individual people as well as reach out to a larger audience with a general sales post.
This kind of online social interaction can help prepare sales reps for future sales interactions. Although it’s no substitute for face-to-face sales, social media is a great way to get a feel for social environments.
Fielding Questions and Comments
Whether sharing an update on the latest developments in pharmaceuticals or promoting an upcoming drug release, posting on social media almost always results in questions and comments.
As the following article looks at, the question is, can social media tools be effective in pharma sales training?
In terms of fielding questions and comments in an appropriate manner, the answer is yes. Social media makes it possible for pharma sales reps in training to answer questions that directly relate to their posts.
Likewise, social posting also gives sales reps the opportunity to monitor and respond to comments relating to their posts.
All of this is an effective customer interaction and sales training tool.
Testing Marketing Techniques
Even the best sales associates take years to hone their skills. Not all sales techniques are efficient, but social media allows pharma reps in training to test their sales techniques before actually trying them on a client in person.
By treating Facebook posts and tweets like pitches, sales reps can get a firsthand look at what kind of outreach techniques attract customers.
Likewise, they can also see what kinds of questions, comments, and concerns their pitches produce.
Researching Trends
Tracking trends is a major part of the marketing process.
With social media, sales reps can quickly learn how to research and track trends within their industry. By analyzing social data and reading up on industry related posts, reps can get a feel for the pharmaceutical industry and where it’s headed.
Social Etiquette
Social media is also a great place to learn about social etiquette. Following posts from other reputable pharma sales companies and reading through comments and responses can give reps in training a positive framework for their own interaction practices.
Additionally, social media can also provide examples of what not to do in terms of customer interaction. Researching posts with negative comments is a great way to avoid repeating the same mistakes that other sales associates make.
From customer interactions to testing marketing techniques, it’s plain to see that social media is an effective tool for pharma sales training.
About the Author: Adam Groff is a freelance writer and creator of content. He writes on a variety of topics including pharma sales and social media.
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