Sales representatives are one of our key audiences. It is important we get inside their heads to understand exactly what works for them and what doesn’t. With many pharma companies cutting down on their field sales force, face-to-face interactions present an invaluable opportunity for us to create compelling communications.

But what makes a communication compelling? At Wordbird, we start by going out to the field and witnessing the action. There’s nothing quite like seeing first-hand what you’ve been told.

Sales reps have to capture their audience’s attention, engage them and make them think or do something different – all in less than five minutes. We live in a world of smart screen tapping, VR exploring and HD perfection. While each year’s technological marvels allow us to engage with content in countless new ways, the sheer variety of ways to present information can be distracting.

Content needs to work harder today than it did just a few years ago. And this is especially true for sales materials healthcare representatives use.

Three things I learned on my field visit

1. Content must be simple yet comprehensive

Representatives have a short window with doctors. In less than five minutes they have to persuade them to think, feel and do something different.

2. Content must be fresh and exciting

Doctors may be sold the same message multiple times. Content needs to be agile and flexible, ready to adapt to what different doctors want to learn at different times.

3. Content must be able to stand on its own

The allure of augmented reality or colourful animations may be enough to capture an audience, but not engage them. We must never forget that a message is always more powerful than the vehicle it sits in.

Nathan Anyonge – Senior Copywriter / field agent in the making