Mobile Video Sales Certification Opens Doors for Pharmaceutical Companies

Chris Gish, VP of Sales at a global pharmaceutical company, successfully implemented Allego's mobile video platform to efficiently and compliantly certify 140 remote sales reps on a new drug indication through a two-part strategy involving a televised presentation and video assignments, which encouraged repeated practice, enabled manager feedback, and eliminated costly in-person training while meeting strict pharmaceutical compliance requirements.

Chris Gish, Vice President of Sales at a global pharmaceutical company, faced the challenge of certifying the sales force on a new indication for one of the company’s drugs. The training required was minimal, but with 140 reps spread across the country, bringing everyone to headquarters was inefficient and costly.

Previously, live video conferences were used for training, but these lacked an audit trail, which is essential for pharmaceutical compliance. Seeking a better solution, Gish chose Allego to enable effective and compliant certification without the need for travel.

“Compliance was adamant that we had to certify them on the new content,” said Gish. “But this was the first time I got them to agree not to certify the reps in person.”

A Two-Part Strategy to Certify Reps

Gish implemented a two-part strategy:

1.Televised Meeting: A presentation of the new content was broadcast from headquarters, with sales trainers and some reps present, while the rest of the team watched remotely.
2.Video Assignments: Each rep had a week to practice and then upload two practice videos to their manager for feedback. A final video was submitted a week later. Managers reviewed the videos, certified the reps or provided feedback, and shared the best video from their team. Sales directors then selected the top video from all managers to share with the area.

Video Gets People to Practice

Gish highlighted that video encourages practice. Reps typically rehearse their presentations about ten times before submitting a video for review. The Allego platform allows for private practice and feedback, making the process more comfortable for reps.

Mobile-video practice also uncovers issues that might be missed in mental rehearsals or live role-plays. Gish recounted that some reps were hesitant to record themselves because they disliked how they sounded on video, but he pointed out that video provides an accurate reflection and is a powerful tool for self-correction.

Additionally, mobile video enables quick access to peer-to-peer learning, such as best-practice examples, objection-handling tips, and customer win stories. Seeing peers perform well motivates others to practice and improve.

Involve Compliance Up Front

Gish advised involving compliance teams early in the process. Initially, there was some hesitation about recording people, but involving compliance from the start built their confidence. When non-compliant statements were caught on video, compliance could intervene, managers could coach the reps, and the process was documented. This documentation provided evidence of corrective action, which is valuable for regulatory purposes.

Results

The team was able to certify the field on the new indication much faster than before. Reps practiced their messaging and approached sales calls with greater competence and confidence. The company established a mechanism for efficient and cost-effective launches of new drugs, eliminating the need for expensive training sessions.

Gish’s challenge was successfully resolved, demonstrating the effectiveness of mobile video sales certification in the pharmaceutical industry.