The marketing world is shifting toward a focus on customers’ emotional experience, and the pharmaceutical field is no exception. In pharmaceutical sales, sales force effectiveness is typically measured according to the impact sales reps have on physicians’ prescribing behavior. Dozens of times each day, physicians choose which product to prescribe. If you’re in the pharmaceutical business, it’s crucial to track whether your sales reps have access to physicians—otherwise, they never have the chance to suggest a new product. Assuming access, how well do sales reps hold physicians’ attention? And how much do they impact physicians’ prescription decisions? These questions have driven pharmaceutical marketing for years. However, PeopleMetrics’ research shows that another question is more salient to long-term sales: Do your sales reps have a strong emotional connection with the doctors they sell to?

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