Pivoting a Live Pharmaceutical Sales Meeting to Virtual
Challenge/Opportunity
This year, a pharmaceutical client sought to reinvigorate the organization’s sense of purpose around their mission through the implementation of a virtual meeting, and they partnered with Bishop-McCann to make this a reality. Not only did they want to revitalize their sense of purpose, but the organization’s team also needed the event to assist in aligning the company on brand strategy, new tools, and fourth quarter plans. In addition, the client wanted to hone all 149 attendees’ skills in virtual engagement and selling.
For this meeting, the client wanted their sales and marketing associates to hear about the state of the business, learn new sales skills (and role play those out in smaller groups), and interact with each other before the end of the year. They wanted to truly re-engage the sales and marketing employees for the final half of the year. To achieve these goals, Bishop-McCann needed to create a virtual event that would enable the pharmaceutical company to successfully meet these objectives.
Response/Solution
With the challenge of making a virtual meeting as productive as a live event, the Bishop-McCann team began the process by designing an agenda while ensuring shorter presentations, more breaks, and gamification. All of these elements were included to reduce virtual fatigue and aid employees in information retention. This four-day meeting was built on the key objectives outlined by the client and designed to engage attendees in a way that would allow for the success of the organization.
Due to the virtual format, there were obstacles that had to be overcome. In order to alleviate the anxiety many virtual presenters feel and to ensure that the presentations looked professional, our team pre-recorded multiple sessions. Additionally, we broke meetings down to include smaller groups for role-playing, key opinion leaders (KOL), and group conversations. We also included a community element and team activities. This not only gave attendees the opportunity to interact with others, but it also improved the team’s skills and gave them a better understanding of the company’s mission. In total, the program had 41 breakout rooms between the two days of breakouts.
Throughout the virtual meeting, Bishop-McCann ensured that music, motion, and graphics were included in order to keep attendees engaged. Something as simple as words on a screen were transformed to become eye-catching elements. Below is just one example of how we worked to make the event memorable with the use of motion and graphics.
There were a number of elements implemented into this virtual meeting. The first aspect we incorporated was a virtual environment that was branded specifically for this client and their event’s theme. The virtual space was created to appear as if it were an actual conference center. Although the logo has been removed, below is a picture of the attendee login space.
Once the attendee logged in, there were several virtual spaces for the attendees to explore. A fully branded lobby included helpful signage with information, such as when the next session would start. There was also a media center where guests could browse helpful resources related to the event and download them to retain after the event was over. Additionally, attendees could meet and network virtually in the engagement lounge. All of these spaces, though branding has been removed, are pictured below.
While there were many activities included throughout the virtual meeting, we decided to take it one step farther by including one before the meeting even began. Prior to the event, colleagues were tasked with writing down the quality that a good leader must have and taking a photo of themselves holding the word. From those words, we were able to create a word cloud of what the client’s staff thought a good leader should be. This not only generated excitement for the event, but it also was an opportunity to interact with attendees before the meeting began.
Additionally, we sent attendees gifts, so they would have a tangible memory from the event. The team focused on health and wellness for the gifting. As an incentive to register quickly for the meeting, they were given the opportunity to design a pair of custom Nike shoes. We wanted the attendees to have the shoes in time for the meeting itself, so we had to turn that around rather quickly. Separately, we sent them a branded Nike dry-fit shirt and Corkcicle tumbler to go along with their new kicks! Lastly, we had Olympic gold medalist, Shannon Miller, as the keynote, and we sent all the guests autographed posters post event. The client also ran a contest during the program, which we fulfilled gifts for. They had “Gold,” “Silver,” and “Bronze” winners, so each place got to choose from six gifts at the different prices per place.
Outcome/Results
Bishop-McCann delivered the virtual program ensuring that client objectives were met. The attendees stayed engage over the course of the four days, and the event incorporated solid learning and motivational moments. Furthermore, presenters were pleased with the pre-event assessments and rehearsals. While attendees said they missed meeting live, the organization’s team was happy to meet with leadership and their company through this virtual meeting.