Using Stories To Increase Sales At Pfizer

In late 2009, Pfizer's UK Primary Care regional office sought to enhance the performance of a mature medicine that, despite its own safety record, was affected by issues within its broader drug class. Recognising that sales representatives' confidence significantly influenced customer purchasing decisions, Pfizer aimed to better support and engage its pan-European sales force.

Traditional methods like focus groups and surveys were deemed insufficient, as they often favored dominant opinions and lacked contextual depth. Instead, Pfizer collaborated with consultancy Narrate to employ "anecdote circles," a narrative approach designed to elicit a wide range of experiences without allowing single viewpoints to dominate. To manage the multilingual nature of their European sales force, they utilized SenseMaker™, a software tool from Cognitive Edge, which enabled the collection and analysis of stories in their original languages while providing insights in English.

Over two weeks, Pfizer conducted workshops in six countries and eleven cities, gathering diverse narratives from their sales teams. The subsequent analysis of these stories revealed key areas impacting sales performance, such as targeting strategies, objection handling, and the attitudes of sales representatives. These insights informed the agenda of a June 2010 product summit in Berlin, attended by 900 sales representatives. The event's tailored sessions addressed the identified issues, leading to positive feedback and a renewed sense of control among the sales force. This innovative approach not only enhanced engagement but also translated into improved sales outcomes for the medicine.