The Challenge

Certifying the field sales team may be one of the most complex parts of taking a new immunization to market. Once the FDA approves a medicine, team members must be certified before they can sell it. So, each day that passes between FDA approval and sales team certification is expensive - but certification is complicated and takes time.

As she was preparing for a critical RSV immunization launch, Chrissy Richards, Director of Commercial Training for Sanofi, wanted to minimize managerial burden and get the team to market faster – and she wanted a better experience.

In addition to wasted time, the certification process could feel chaotic to team members, who were often frustrated by having to wait for an available trainer. "Too much downtime waiting to certify" was a typical sentiment from the reps. With 500 field reps and only 4 trainers, wait time seemed inevitable.

But Chrissy had been exploring new technologies. With advances in AI and sales training technology, she believed that her ambition of a fully immersive training experience where trainers trained, managers coached, and learners learned – with little to no downtime and waiting – was now possible.

The Solution

Chrissy and the team chose the July 2023 launch of an RSV immunization to try a new AI-driven approach. They engaged Quantified to craft a solution that would quickly get the team through the certification process while improving their ability to engage with the doctors they sold to in the field.

"With Quantified we really felt that we found our solution." - Chrissy Richards, Director of Commercial Training, Sanofi – Sanofi Case Study

Knowing the FDA approval timeline, Chrissy and her team of trainers at Sanofi worked ahead of the launch to get everything set up. The experience she built with Quantified was straightforward: After being trained by a series of webinars, team members engaged with AI-powered personas in Quantified's Sales Simulator to test their skills and take the certification exam.

Two personas were created and programmed using the training materials. Victoria, a virtual coach, helped users navigate the system and understand their results. Dr. Natalie White, a virtual practice partner and certifier, was trained to behave like a physician by asking questions about the new immunization. She engaged with learners and administered the certification exam.

Virtual Coach Victoria - PersonaHelps users navigate the system and understand results based on provided rubric.

Virtual Certifier Dr. Natalie White - PersonaPractice partner & certifier prompts conversation using provided script.

If the quantitative benefits and efficiency gains were impressive, the qualitative feedback confirmed that Chrissy had also exceeded her goal of improving the learner experience. "It accelerated my learning significantly," noted one learner, while another commented, "I certified at my own pace and completed it when I felt ready."

"It was super easy to use for the learners...the managers were ableto start coaching right away." - Chrissy Richards, Director of Commercial Training, Sanofi

Beyond Certifications

Effective certification programs are a key part of any pharmaceutical product launch. However, the benefits of Quantified's Sales Simulator don't stop there. Reps are the backbone of your organization, but without the right sales coaching tools and personalized, frequent practice, it's impossible for them to grow and succeed. Our unique combination of AI simulations, data-driven feedback, and personalized coaching gives reps and managers on-demand capability improvements, with proven paths to greater sales success.