Solving vs selling: Evolving how we train sales reps for performance impact

The world has changed rapidly in the last decade, and the pace of that change only continues to increase. Healthcare is being transformed and disrupted by everything from global unrest and supply chain interruption to AI, falling health literacy rates, and constant access to an overwhelming volume of information. Disruption creates challenges—but it also creates opportunities––and we need to keep an eye on what changes are a flash in the pan, and what’s here to stay. The sales representative of the future will be defined by adaptability, resilience, and the ability to thrive in a constantly changing environment. It’s time for us as an industry to recognize and shed the limitations of how organizations have positioned their sales reps, reimagine the role of the rep, and embrace a new era of strategic partnership and problem solving.

Here to stay: relationships as the foundation for partnership

The COVID-19 pandemic taught us two essential lessons about the role of the pharmaceutical sales rep:

1. Nonpersonal supplementation is essential as both time and access to physicians grows increasingly limited
2. Relationships matter. Reps and companies with strong relationships with doctors were able to engage because the outreach was not about selling to a target during a healthcare crisis—it was about checking in on a person whose practice was under stress

It has always been true that sales reps who prioritize the relationship over the sale perform better. The pandemic-era reps were able to understand what mattered to the doctor and customize their detail as an answer to the doctor’s problem vs leading with brand-centric messaging presented in a traditional sales style. A report in March of 2025 stated that “HCPs favor practice knowledge over product knowledge by a two-to-one margin—yet the great majority of sales training focuses on product content.

Rodney Sexton, Chief Strategy Officer at Avalere Health, conducted a series of interviews with oncologists from the US and EU. Each respondent stated they look forward to seeing their reps, just not all reps. Two main key points were notable:

The doctors stated that when a rep walks in and just starts selling, making it all about them and their product, they see no value in the interaction. When the rep makes an effort to understand their practice and their pressures, they are willing to give them more time and to listen attentively. Those doctors didn’t want their reps to become more like medical science liaisons because they see the value in both roles

So, if your reps are only getting the obligatory two minutes per call, the problem may be their field performance. This is, however, not new news. Any company that wants to be competitive in the market, especially the high-risk, high-reward markets, understands the value of building relationships. The question we are asking is: Are they really supporting the theory?