Maximize Your Pharma CRM: Power Up Your Medical Events

Looking for the best pharma CRM to make event orchestration and management so much easier?

Running medical events is no simple task. There are numerous legal frameworks, regulations, and compliance standards to adhere to. And pharma companies have to track and record every single little thing that happens.

In this article, we’ll show you how you can make excellent use of your pharma CRM to manage events from start to finish. No matter whether you’re organizing pharma advisory boards, investigator meetings, or satellite symposia. Plus, we’ll explain the many benefits that using an event engagement platform alongside your pharmaceutical CRM can bring.

Finally, we’ll recommend what we believe to be the best life sciences CRM and event technology combination. All based on what we’ve seen during the 20+ years working with leading pharma companies to host thousands of in-person, hybrid, and virtual events.

What is a pharma CRM?

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) in the pharmaceutical industry refers to the strategies, technologies, and practices designed to manage and analyze customer interactions and data throughout the customer lifecycle. It helps pharma companies to improve business relationships with HCPs and patients, ensuring their needs are met and facilitating communication.

Life sciences CRMs are typically used to track engagements, manage sales processes, monitor regulatory compliance, and build stronger, personalized relationships to enhance customer loyalty and satisfaction. They provide valuable insights that help in strategic decision-making, leading to increased sales and improved patient outcomes.

What are the benefits of a pharma CRM with regard to event management?

With the sheer amount of complex data collected at medical events and the need to adhere to strict compliance regulations, life sciences CRM can bring huge advantages to pharma companies.

Here are 8 benefits of using pharma CRM as part of your event technology stack:

#1 Improved efficiency

Life sciences CRM can help streamline the process of planning and running events, especially hybrid. 

It automates tasks such as sending invitations, managing registrations and tracking attendance. This can save time and reduce the risk of errors. Your CRM is accessible on many devices and platforms, making event management for hybrid teams easy.

#2 No change management needed

Given that you have been using pharma CRM to manage all your HCP-facing activities on a daily basis for quite some time, your whole team knows how to use it. So, there’s no need to train your colleagues up on how to use a new tool to manage your entire event process. 

Plus, after your events, your sales reps can easily find the event data they need to be able to reach out to the right HCPs.

#3 Better communication

Pharma CRM can help you ensure that all stakeholders have access to the latest information about your event, including details about the schedule, speakers, and venue. This can improve communication and coordination among event planners, attending HCPs, and others involved.

#4 Accurate tracking

Life sciences CRM allows you to track customer interactions and preferences more accurately. This enables you to provide better customer service, as you can tailor your offerings based on individual needs and wants.

Plus, you can use your pharma CRM to help manage invitations, registrations, and other events-related details, ensuring data collection and tracking accuracy.

#5 Enhanced analytics

Pharma CRM can provide valuable insights about attending HCPs. Data includes information about HCP demographics, interests, and preferences. This can help event planners understand what types of events are most appealing to their audience, and make informed decisions about future events.

#6 Data integrity

By collecting, storing, and generating reports on event data on a single platform, you can be sure that your data will be accurate, complete, and consistent. 

Everyone in your company can base business decisions on the same data by having a single source of truth. This helps to improve the data intelligence capabilities of your company and makes it easier to decide on the next best action.

#7 Increased engagement

By using life sciences CRM to manage interactions with attending HCPs, you can build more personalized and engaging experiences. For example, you can use the software to send targeted messaging or offers to HCP participants based on their interests or past interactions. 

Looking for a life science event platform to help you run more engaging HCP events? Check out our guide to the 9 best platforms for HCP events and download our life science event platform RFP template to help you find the one that suits your business needs. 

#8 Cost savings

By using your pharma CRM for events, you can significantly reduce event-management-related costs. Cut down on the amount you spend on manual processes. Use the event data your pharma CRM collects to target the right HCPs through marketing. 

With the huge amount of data available, you can easily measure your event ROI. This can help you identify events that are most effective at driving business outcomes. Then, you can make more informed decisions about where to allocate resources in the future.

How to implement a pharma CRM?

Implementing a pharma CRM involves several steps:

1. Identify Goals and Objectives: Start by defining what you want to achieve with your pharmaceutical CRM. This could include improving customer relationships, enhancing sales performance, better-managing client data, or achieving regulatory compliance.
2. Assemble a Project Team: Gather a group of individuals from key areas of your organization who will be using the life sciences CRM, including sales, marketing, IT, and customer service. They will help assess needs, choose a suitable life sciences CRM, and implement it successfully.
3. Evaluate CRM Solutions: Identify pharmaceutical CRM software that fits your requirements. Look at factors such as ease of use, customization possibilities, integration with existing systems, security, scalability, cost, and support offered by the CRM provider.
4. Data Migration: Identify what data needs to be transferred to the new pharma CRM. This could include customer contact information, previous interactions, sales data, and more. Ensure the data is cleaned and organized before migration to avoid complications.
5. Customization and Integration: Tailor the life sciences CRM to match your company’s workflows and processes. Also, integrate it with existing systems like ERP, email, or marketing automation software to streamline operations and improve data sharing.
6. Training and Support: Train all end-users on how to use the pharmaceutical CRM software effectively. This training should be role-specific and comprehensive. Ensure ongoing technical support is available to resolve any issues that arise during the use of the software.
7. Testing: Before full implementation, conduct tests to ensure your pharma CRM is functioning as expected. Fix any issues that arise during testing.
8. Rollout: Once testing is complete, roll out the life science CRM to the entire organization. Monitor its use closely in the early stages to address any issues or resistance from employees.
9. Review and Iterate: Regularly review your pharma CRM’s effectiveness in achieving the set goals. Make necessary adjustments or improvements as needed.

Remember, implementing a CRM in a pharma company is not a one-time task but a continuous process that evolves with your business needs. Regular training, maintenance, and updates are essential to maximize its benefits.

6 event management-related things you can do with your pharma CRM

Life science companies use pharma CRM to manage and optimize their interactions with HCPs and other stakeholders. They then use data to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of their customer-facing processes, enabling them to better understand and meet their audience’s needs.

But did you know that your pharma CRM can also help you manage your events better too? Here’s how: 

#1 Approve event workflows and track budgets and expenses

Approving event workflows and tracking budgets and expenses with your pharma CRM can help streamline the event planning process and ensure that all necessary tasks are completed efficiently. 

Your pharma CRM can provide a centralized location for storing and organizing all event-related information, including budgets, expenses, and approvals. It can also provide a way to track the progress of event workflows, such as securing venue rentals, booking vendors, and managing guest lists. This can help you stay on top of deadlines and ensure that you meet all your event management deadlines. 

By tracking budget and expenses within your pharma CRM, you also have a clear understanding of how much money you’re spending and where it’s being allocated. This can help you stay within budget and make informed decisions about future events.

#2 Select attendees and manage RSVPs with approved channels

You can use your pharma CRM to help you manage all aspects of event registration. There’s no need for you to manually invite HCPs, keep track of RSVPs, and manage the guest list, because your CRM will do it for you. This helps you maintain accurate records of who you have invited and who has responded.

Plus, your pharma CRM’s automated communications tools enable you to set up automated email and marketing campaigns to invite HCPs before your event and keep them informed before, during, and after.

Your pharma CRM also has a robust contact management tool that allows you to store and organize attending HCPs’ information. This includes their contact details, demographics, interests, and preferences. And you can use all this information to inform your decisions about your event content.

To learn more about marketing in the pharma industry, read our article e-marketing & omnichannel strategies for pharma. 

#3 Track and manage compliance

Another way your pharma CRM can help you with event management is by tracking and managing compliance with regulations, such as those related to prescribing and marketing. 

It can also help you keep track of speaker management, HCP attendance, and all the HCPs you communicate with. This can help you ensure you are operating within the bounds of the law and avoid potential legal issues.

You can store all compliance-related information in your pharma CRM, including policies, procedures, and documentation. And you can track the progress of compliance workflows, such as submitting reports. 

This can help you have a clear understanding of your current event compliance status and be alerted to any issues that you need to address. Plus, it can help prevent non-compliance incidents at any stage of your event, which as you know, can have serious consequences. 

Finally, your pharma CRM helps you to ensure that you have a clear and accurate record of your compliance efforts, which can be useful for audits and other regulatory requirements.

To find out how to run engaging in-person, hybrid, and virtual events while respecting compliance standards, read our article Event compliance: busting 5 myths in the pharma industry.

#4 Collect event analytics

Your pharma CRM can help you collect, analyze, and generate reports on data about HCP interactions at events, all in one place. 

You could use your pharma CRM to track the number of attendees who visit your booth at a conference and the topics they are most interested in. You could also track data on the number and type of attendees, their interests and needs, and the effectiveness of your marketing efforts. 

Plus, your pharma CRM can help you collect and analyze data on customer interactions with sales reps at events. This can include data on the number and type of interactions, the success rate of sales efforts, and any feedback or questions customers may have. 

#5 Plan your next best action

You can make the most of your pharma CRM to inform your next best action after your events. You can do this by analyzing all the data you collect and the reports your CRM generates for you and use it to make informed decisions about how to engage and support HCPs. 

For example, you might use your pharma CRM to identify trends or patterns that suggest certain HCPs are interested in a certain type of medicine. You could then use this information to target these HCPs with personalized marketing campaigns. Or your sales reps can take it upon themselves to set up meetings with them.

You can also use data to gain valuable insights into the effectiveness of your event marketing strategies to help you better understand the preferences and needs of your customers and tailor your HCP outreach and engagement accordingly.

#6 Reduce costs

You may currently use lots of different tools to manage your events. But you can manage every stage of your event easily in one place using your pharma CRM. So, you can instantly save money by investing in just one platform for all your event management needs.

Not only that, but by using your pharma CRM to manage your events, you can reduce what you spend on manual processes, as everything is automated for you. From sending emails and collecting registration fees to tracking attendance and generating reports.

You can even use your pharma CRM to track and analyze event-related expenses. This will help you identify areas for cost savings and make more informed decisions about how to allocate your event budgets in the future.

For a full guide on pharma event management, check out our latest blog post ‘The ultimate guide to successful pharmaceutical meeting and event planning’.

How do pharma CRMs work with event technology?

By integrating life sciences CRM with an event platform and app tailored to the life science industry, you can make medical event management a breeze. No matter whether it’s in-person, virtual, or hybrid. Orchestrate your event within your CRM and run your live event on your event platform and app.

Here’s how to manage your events with your pharma CRM and your event software in 4 simple steps:

Step #1 Use your pharma CRM for your pre-event management and audience acquisition.

• Enter all the required information
• Create sessions
• Invite speakers
• Invite attendees
• Manage registration

Step #2 Use your event software to keep HCP engagement high before, during, and after your event. Use a branded event app and numerous interactive elements that respect compliance regulations.

• Run the live streaming
• Set up small breakout sessions
• Have a moderated activity feed
• Use live interactivity such as claps and moderated Q&A and polls
• Put your recorded sessions on your gated content hub

Step #3 Get all the data automatically collected during the entire event process in your pharma CRM.

• Invitations accepted
• Sessions registered
• Questions asked
• Polls answered
• Forms submitted
• Sessions attended
• Minutes watched
• Moments applauded
• Feed posts liked
• Notifications acknowledged
• Documents moved

Step #4 Use the data you collect in your pharma CRM to drive your next best action.

• Score audience sentiment
• Convert buying signals
• Personalize interactions
• Drive conversations with context
• Prioritize most engaged targets
• Assess event effectiveness

All the data you collect is automatically synced between your pharma CRM and your event platform and app. This helps ensure that no tasks are duplicated between platforms. Plus, there is no risk of confusion, as each software has a clear role during the whole event lifecycle.

To see a technical example of how Veeva (leading life sciences CRM) and SpotMe (top life science event platform and app) work together, check out our Veeva product overview and our knowledge base article. 

How to use data from pharma CRMs to boost HCP engagement

With the ever-increasing number of medical events and content out there, engaging HCPs is not easy. 

An Accenture report found that HCPs take note of pharma companies that provide meaningful engagement. They also discovered that better engagement opportunities make “88% of HCPs twice as likely to meet with other companies/reps if their best relationship was replicated.”

But how do some pharma companies know how to engage with HCPs in the best way? 

By collecting and analyzing data. 

Use your life sciences CRM for event management alongside your event platform and app for engagement to get a wealth of data from your medical events. These data help you understand what HCPs really want. You can analyze these data and use them to inform your future events and drive your next best action.

Here are 3 pieces of data the best pharma CRM when used alongside top life science event tech solutions provides:

#1 Attendance tracking

Identify how many and which HCPs did and didn’t attend your entire event.

To find out how leading pharma companies Boehringer Ingelheim and Reckitt see HCP engagement evolving, take a look at HCP engagement: emerging trends, success metrics, and omnichannel strategies.

#2 Engagement statistics

See how many and which HCPs interacted with your event content. E.g., look at the number of claps (applause) or questions asked during a live session. Or how long HCPs watched a session for.

#3 Session tracking

Understand how many and which HCPs attended a specific session with a KOL speaker.

Discover how to find, recruit, and nurture KOLs with a winning KOL engagement plan to ensure the best ones become your event speakers.

The best pharma CRM to help you achieve your event goals

Veeva CRM can greatly contribute to achieving event goals by streamlining planning, execution, and follow-up processes.

As an industry-specific solution designed for life sciences companies, it offers integrated event management capabilities that ensure seamless coordination of all event-related activities. It provides real-time visibility into event performance, helping to measure the effectiveness and ROI of each event. For example, attendance tracking helps in understanding participant engagement, while post-event analytics offer insights into the quality of interactions and their impact on sales.

Veeva CRM also enables compliance with global transparency regulations by automating attendee spend capture and reporting. With the help of Veeva CRM’s robust features, pharmaceutical companies can effectively plan and manage their events, engage their target audience in a meaningful way, and achieve their event objectives.

Take HCP engagement to the next level with the best pharma CRM and event tech combination

There’s no doubt about it. Pharma CRM is a valuable tool for pharma companies looking to manage their events from start to finish. It can help reduce costs, improve efficiency, and provide accurate data.

By tracking and managing event interactions, analyzing HCP data, and ensuring compliance with regulations, a life sciences CRM can help you better understand HCPs. In turn, this can help you tailor your sales and marketing efforts to better meet their needs. 

But which pharma CRM and event tech combination can enhance all types of events – in-person, hybrid, and virtual?

Veeva + SpotMe Life Sciences.

• Veeva CRM = “the proven and most advanced CRM solution for the life science industry”
• SpotMe Life Sciences = the life science event platform and app with 50% of its customers from leading pharma companies

With Veeva and SpotMe Life Sciences, automate events in minutes, bring detailed data insights to sales, run fully compliant engaging events, and enhance HCP experiences to get them coming back for more. To find out more about how Veeva and SpotMe Life Sciences could help you engage HCPs like never before, check out our product page.

FAQ

Kathryn Humphries

As SpotMe’s Head of Content, I share useful insights and handy tips on event management, marketing, and tech every day. I have 6+ years’ experience writing, editing, and managing content for large international companies. When I’m not coming up with creative ideas, you’ll find me singing along to musical theater or traveling the world!