Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solutions are critical tools for managing and tracking Key Opinion Leader (KOL) engagement in medical affairs. However, many medical affairs teams face challenges in configuring their CRM systems to capture the data needed to tell their impact story and provide easy-to-use planning measures. Additionally, extracting data from CRM systems can be a tedious process, often requiring teams to export large amounts of data into Excel, manipulate it into charts, and then create PowerPoint presentations for sharing. In this blog post, we provide an in-depth solution to help medical affairs teams optimize their CRM systems for KOL engagement impact reporting and planning measures, allowing for more effective communication of their efforts.
Ready to take your medical affairs team to the next level? Learn how to measure thought leader engagement effectively with our expert guide.
To fully leverage your CRM solution for KOL engagement, you need to have a well-defined impact story, clear KPIs, and an optimized CRM configuration that supports your objectives.
Begin by clearly defining the impact story that aligns with the goals of medical affairs (see our blog on defining the impact of KOL engagement). This will help you identify the specific KPIs and metrics that need to be tracked in your CRM system. Be prepared to communicate these requirements to your CRM provider or internal IT team to ensure that the necessary data fields and features are included in your system.
Configure your CRM to identify key segments that you are responsible for engaging with (see blog on segmentation). Ensure this data is clean, without duplicates, and maintain high-quality Master Data Management (MDM) data, like the OneKey solution provided by IQVIA, for rolling up individual HCPs to institutions or networks. This will help ensure that your KOL engagement efforts are accurately targeted and tracked.
The topics discussed should align with your scientific journey (see blog on scientific journeys and the impact of KOL engagement). Define a topic hierarchy within your CRM to determine the percentage of each segment exposed to each topic in your journey. This will help you track the progression of KOL engagement across the different stages of your scientific journey.
Implement an easy way to capture HCP mindset assessments compared to the scientific journey in your CRM. This may be done through a profile section or a survey-type collection tool. Program anchor statements into the system to ensure calibration. Additionally, capture both structured and organic insights aligned with the journey by having Key Insight Topics and Key Insight Questions (see our blogs on insight generation). This approach directs your KOL engagement team worldwide to gather meaningful insights data aligned with your strategy.
Work with your CRM provider or internal IT team to set up automated reporting within the CRM system. Automated reporting ensures consistency and saves your medical affairs team time by eliminating the need for manual data manipulation and time-consuming processes. The Kwello Platform is a solution that connects directly to CRM solutions, allowing for one-click data-to-PowerPoint conversion, streamlining the reporting process.
Educate your medical affairs team on the impact that KOL engagement is making and how it ties to the broader goals of medical affairs. Emphasize the importance of capturing data in the CRM accurately and timely because it is valuable to measuring progress on that impact. Regular training and support can help increase user adoption, ensure that the full potential of your CRM system is realized, and reinforce the connection between KOL engagement and the overall impact of medical affairs.
Optimizing your CRM system for KOL engagement impact reporting and planning measures is essential for medical affairs teams looking to drive better outcomes and demonstrate the value of their efforts. By following the steps outlined above, teams can overcome common challenges and unlock the full potential of their CRM solutions. Acceleration Point works with your existing CRM administrators to configure your CRM to be effective, add value to the field teams, and simplify the user experience, ultimately driving better results in KOL engagement and medical affairs impact.
Defining and measuring success for Medical Affairs teams can be challenging due to factors like a lack of alignment on what success looks like, inadequate metrics, and limited resources. To unlock the impact of Medical Affairs, teams must first establish a shared vision of success and focus on implementing key metrics.
Effective coaching measures are essential for Medical Affairs teams to ensure optimal KOL engagement. By providing regular feedback and coaching, teams can improve their communication and interpersonal skills, as well as their ability to foster long-lasting relationships with KOLs. Discover the importance of coaching KOL engagement metrics and how they can unlock the potential of Medical Affairs teams.