Professional Documents
Culture Documents
1
Introduction
Here we present 10 essential
questions for successful KOL
management in todays
pharmaceutical environment.
2
Do you know how you want to undertake
your KOL programme?
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3) Have you considered the KOL
network, not just the individual?
When conducting your KOL mapping,
While it is important to consider who the incorporate an evaluation of how the
individual KOLs are, it is also essential to individuals and groups within your findings are
consider the networks in which they operate. connected, with each other and with other key
Understanding how people and groups are stakeholders. This may also result in
interconnected, and which channels efficiencies in terms the number of KOLs you
information is shared through, can be need to target.
extremely beneficial to knowing where and
Does your assessment of KOLs go beyond the
how you can participate in the conversation.
individual stakeholder and include the
networks they move in?
Most pharmaceutical companies are aware of Try to identify how your goals and
the importance of identifying the right KOLs requirements will change throughout the years
and invest the appropriate time and resource (and what will stay the same), and how the
to try and achieve this. However, not all goals and needs of your selected KOLs may
companies do invest sufficient time and alter also. Implement simple planning tools
resource into devising a working plan of that will create a degree of alignment in
action with these KOLs that spans the entire interacting with KOLs cross-functionally and
lifecycle of a product. over time.
Although most KOL management is currently Have you considered potential scenarios five
conducted at therapy level, it is also wise to or even ten years from now and which other
consider the overall needs of the company KOLs may become relevant in that time?
whilst planning your strategy. Your group of
KOLs may change over time, but there will be
a handful of key contacts who remain anchor-
points.
4
5) Are you willing to build a genuinely
collaborative approach?
Try to incorporate KOL feedback at all phases
Interestingly, what KOLs desire most from of the product lifecycle and demonstrate to
industry relationships is genuine contribution them how their feedback has been put into
and involvement. It is likely that the practice. Consider their personal drivers and
pharmaceutical industry feels exactly the skillsets when planning activities.
same way, but too often interactions with
Such a relationship is more rewarding for both
KOLs are conducted on a transactional basis
parties and can provide insights and
i.e. payment for delivery of a specific service.
understanding beyond a singular focus on a
A genuine collaborative approach is aided by particular drug.
long-term relationships established between
Are you committed to building genuine
specific staff within the company and the KOL,
collaborative relations?
but turnover of personnel can sometimes
make this a challenge.
5
7) Do you use technology to optimise
KOL interactions?
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9) Do you have a way to measure and Here are several examples of potential metrics
evaluate KOL interactions? for a KOL management programme:
Number of interactions between the KOL
Being able to measure success is vital,
and the company during a specific period
particularly in a time when budgets are under
KOL response time, which will point to the
more scrutiny than ever. However, much of
effectiveness of current projects and will
the process of KOL management is relatively
be a useful indicator for planning future
intangible factors such as quality of
events
relationship and impact of that relationship on
Time taken to build a new KOL
your brand or company, are difficult to
relationship
accurately gauge. However, there are
KOLs satisfaction with the collaboration
elements you can monitor and accurately
record and it is important that you decide Have you considered these and other metrics
what these will be, so that you have a to measure the success of your KOL
benchmark to compare against. programmes?
7
Contact
If you would like to discuss further or need more information, please contact:
Marc Pesse
Marion Menozzi-Arnaud
Executive Insight AG
Metallstrasse 9
6304 Zug
Switzerland
Tel. +41 41 710 71 63
info@executiveinsight.ch
www.executiveinsight.ch