How to Boost Medical Device and Pharma Sales with Connected Portals

The traditional model for medical device and pharmaceutical sales involved in-person visits, manual orders, and time-consuming resupply. Now? Connected digital portals give valuable time back to sales reps, buyers, healthcare professionals (HCPs), and patients alike.

The digital healthcare market is expected to hit $435.8 billion by 2025 — and connected portals will power every sale. D2C businesses aren’t the only ones adopting digital platforms for sales. The consumerization of B2B commerce has made its way to the healthcare industry, and buyers want more control over how, when, and where to transact.

Connected B2B and D2C portals put customers at the center of your business and help lower the costs to sell and serve. Here’s how it works.

Medical device companies have historically relied on in-person sales, over the phone re-ordering, and manual order processing. Over the past two years, that rapidly changed. During the healthcare crisis, digitizing these processes became a necessity.

Digital portals make it possible to get lifesaving devices like ventilators and PPE kits to providers, pharmacies, and patients — fast. In other industries, ordering delays and slow processes cause annoyance and dissatisfaction. But when it comes to critical medical devices, patient lives are on the line. Connected portals shorten the sales cycle for critical devices. What used to take weeks and multiple calls with a sales rep can now be completed in just a few clicks.

The pandemic accelerated the digital transformation of medical device sales, and connected portals were the linchpin. Manufacturers also implemented D2C portals to supplement B2B sales, making medical devices and consumables easier than ever for patients to access.

As a result, digital experiences are now the preferred method for medical device buyers and patients alike. Today, 84% of consumers are interested in buying healthcare products directly online. B2B buyers are also making their way toward the digital front door. One study found that 47% of physicians who preferred in-person visits before the pandemic now strongly prefer virtual engagement. A few short years ago, connected portals were a nice-to-have. Today, they’re critical.

Self-service portals allow providers to proactively and independently prepare for what’s next. Medical facilities need to plan for extra safety equipment and supplies for elective procedures. Automating this process allows HCPs to spend their valuable time focusing on patients rather than constantly checking inventory.

Connected portals enable immediate self-service and instant reordering capabilities. HCPs no longer need to pick up the phone to place an order and wait for their sales rep to manually enter their purchase in an outdated system. Instead, repeat customers who typically purchase the same quantity and type of goods now have the ability to save previous orders — and quickly reorder with a single click. Portals also enable post-purchase self-service. Now, customers won’t need to make a phone call to check up on their order status or see where it is in transit.

Ultimately, this reduces manual error and gives valuable time back to sales reps. By equipping customers with self-service tools and guided experiences, you can reallocate both time and money to other growth opportunities.

In the traditional setup, sales reps focused on representing devices and products during in-person visits. They spent a majority of their time educating customers about how to use and configure devices. Now, connected B2B portals allow for a less product-centric, more customer-centric experience.

Business buyers increasingly want the best of both worlds — a seamless self-service option and a trusted partner who can anticipate their needs. Once the digital front door is open, portals can connect digital transactions to customer training, product documentation, instruction kits, community groups, and more. This means that sales reps can add more value to interactions with customers, and they can prioritize other activities like prospecting and creating net-new deals.

The status quo for medtech sales is shifting. Sixty-four percent of medical device manufacturing companies have launched programs to help their sales reps and executives improve inside sales capabilities. Sales reps have a wealth of organizational knowledge and expert people skills, and (thanks to connected portals) they have more time to spend on strategic initiatives. Their capabilities can also be utilized on marketing and advisory teams.