Practical advice, when detailing with an iPad

From Agnitio WIKI

E-detailing in a dialogue with a doctor, via interactive and animated presentation on your iPad or PC, demands a different kind of preparation, and may involve employing routines and workflows which you are not necessarily familiar with.

It is with these considerations in mind, that we offer these practical Tips

Contents 1 Software and technology 2 Before the call 3 During the call 4 After the Call

Software and technology

• You should try to become as familiar with the application and the presentations, as you have been with your paper-based detailers. Ideally, you should achieve the same type of fluidity and confidence, so you can quickly navigate around in the presentation content, to quickly reach the slides on a specific topic, once a physician starts asking engaging questions.

• You should familiarise yourself with the iPad, so you can operate it easily and professionally. Our experiences and surveys show, that doctors are very positive and receptive about iPad-based detailing, but any physician could loose interest, if the call is being conducted in a clumsy or unstructured way.
• Be sure that you know where the basic functions on the device are. Volume, brightness, contrast, mute, rotation-lock, on/Off etc.
• Keep your iPad clean. Even if you can't see it now, the light may be different in the physician's surgery, and suddenly you will see all the smudge-marks on the screen. Always have a fiberr-cloth rag with you, and make it a rule to wipe the screen thoroughly before every call.
• If your iPad or the presentation has undergone an update/upgrade, ensure that you've checked the material for any changes before starting your detail.

Before the call

• Even though the iPad has very long battery life it is always a good idea to keep it as fully charged as possible.
• It is a good idea to have a power supply in your car, so you can recharge the battery throughout the day.
• Start up your iPad and the iPlanner in the car or in the waiting-room, and put it on stand by by pressing the on-off button just once (not the Home button). This way your presentation is ready for you almost instantly.
• As with any other call, it is valuable to have a clear plan in advance of the call, and knowing what you are going to cover and how. The type of doctor, the number of doctors, the time of day, and the interests of a specific doctor will influence how you should conduct your call. Group meetings and lunch-meetings have a very different flow, compared to a quick drop-in visit.

During the call

• Be aware of sunlight, and other light-sources in the room. It might be necessary to adjust the contrast on your screen, or move around so you are showing the presentation from a slightly different angle
• Set-up. If you are having a lunch meeting or you are meeting several doctors at once, then you should ensure that you position and set up your iPad so that everyone can see the screen clearly. Alternatively, you can use the adapter or an Apple TV to display your presentation on a projector or large monitor
• Table set-up. Try to place the iPad centrally relative to both you and the doctor, but resist the urge to tidy up the doctor’s desk in order to create space for your computer/iPad. Rather, find a clear spot and ask the doctor to move over to you. Remember to sit in a way so that you can maintain regular eye contact. At lunch meetings held in larger doctors’ offices, it might be a great help to use a projector or other device.
• Retaining the doctor’s attention. A mobile device such as the iPad is usually something that triggers the doctor’s attention immediately. Try to dampen his interest, and move away from this subject of conversation if the doctor seems too interested in your IT hardware. iPads are still a bit of a novelty, and some doctors may become distracted.
• You are the driver of the dialogue, not the device. Remember that the device is there to support your conversation, not to dominate it. Avoid the pitfall of just staring at the screen, and tapping through the presentation. Rather, ensure that you regularly have eye-contact with the doctor, and that you respond to questions and reactions.

After the Call

• Evaluate on an ongoing basis if there is something in the presentation that did not work during the e-detailing. If you see thje same issues with how the presentation works for you, you should contact the brand-team that provided you with the content, and suggest changes, or ask for guidance
• Make brief notes for your own sake in order to remember what went well/wrong during the e-detailing.
• Remember to check that you always receive all updates of the presentation (accept download option when starting the iPlanner software).
• Synchronise your meeting data to the servers
• If relevant for your company: register the e-detailing sessions in the CRM system. Add comments and notes regarding the pages used and possible leave behinds.