5 Strategic Keys to a Multichannel Relationship with Healthcare Professionals (HCPs)

The way in which the pharmaceutical industry engages with healthcare professionals (HCPs) has changed dramatically in the last year. Restrictions on face-to-face interactions have given way to greater use of remote and digital channels. Have they worked? Laboratories have had to adapt in record time to the new needs, hitting and missing in those attempts due to the urgency of the change. But now, in this redefined landscape, it’s time to evaluate what can truly be optimized for the future.

Face-to-face visits have decreased, while the use of digital tools—especially videoconferencing, email, and mobile apps—has surged. However, for this model to work effectively in pharma sales training, we need more than just new channels. What’s needed is a strategy that enriches the relationship with HCPs while informing, training, and supporting them in a way that is non-intrusive, personalized, and aligned with their time and preferences.

Multichannel strategy isn’t just about being everywhere—it’s about being relevant. It’s about segmenting your audience, adapting content and channels, and maintaining consistent messaging across touchpoints. Customer-centricity must be the foundation, with targeted delivery based on context and need.

It's also essential to use non-intrusive channels that HCPs truly value. During the pandemic, many companies overwhelmed practitioners by failing to evaluate which channels worked best, what content suited each one, and what the HCPs truly needed.

Thoughts: Why is mobile still underused as a primary channel in pharma-HCP engagement, when it is the most adaptable, most personal, and most widely used on a daily basis?

Let’s begin by acknowledging one big advantage:

Digital adoption is already here. Approximately 70% of HCPs are digital natives. They use mobile devices, social media, and digital tools to stay up to date. This presents a huge opportunity to reach them through mobile learning LMS solutions, enabling continuous and highly contextualized interaction through tools they already trust.

According to the “Digital Engagement Value Chain beyond COVID. Survey Report 2021” by Next Pharma Summit and Viihealth, the digital engagement rates across age groups show a significant trend: up to 100% of younger HCPs, and over 60% of older professionals rely daily on digital platforms.

So what's next?

_{#1 - Empower sales reps digitally}

Previously, sales reps could catch doctors informally in hospital corridors. That spontaneity has now shifted to digital interactions. Maintaining strong, valuable relationships requires a new model: one built on digital, multi-channel engagement and continuous learning.

But not all HCPs are ready to fully embrace digital transformation—reps must lead this change. That’s why enabling sales reps with gamified training for pharma reps and tools like microlearning for sales is more crucial than ever. These tools allow reps to become digital ambassadors while staying aligned with their KPIs.

Training platforms like Atrivity help bridge the gap between the value of in-person interaction and the efficiency of digital channels, empowering sales reps to deliver meaningful engagement at scale and reduce critical knowledge gaps by over 50%.

Delegates: a key player in multichannel.

_{#2 - Segment your target digitally}

Not every HCP is alike, and that applies even more in digital environments. Content and delivery must be tailored not just by specialty but also by digital behavior and preferences.

This is where AI-powered segmentation comes into play. With training with AI, companies can deliver the right content, through the right medium, to the right profile. Multichannel communication should respect the unique journey of each HCP, blending face-to-face and digital formats in a coherent strategy.

Digital segmentation and attitudinal mapping allow you to personalize every interaction, making the shift from mass marketing to targeted, individual engagement more than just a trend—it’s a necessity.

_{#3 - Content will be the key to success}

In the age of open access to online health content, pharma companies are no longer the exclusive source of medical knowledge. To remain relevant, they must provide value-added, science-backed, and personalized content that HCPs won’t find elsewhere.

The delivery format is just as critical as the message. Traditional long-format training is no longer effective. Instead, short, targeted content in the form of microlearning—delivered in under 10 minutes—is proving significantly more effective. These micro pieces boost engagement, adapt to HCPs’ schedules, and most importantly, drive better knowledge retention.

Platforms that support microlearning for compliance and medical training can offer HCPs short, high-impact formats like interactive quizzes, visual feeds, or even AI-generated podcasts—turning training into a habitual, daily activity.

_{#4 - Build Loyalty with User Experience in Virtual Events}

Virtual meetings have become a pillar in the multichannel relationship with HCPs. They break barriers of distance and availability while allowing for more personalized and impactful communication.

Virtual events, when executed well, offer an opportunity to foster community, spark conversation, and ensure content is remembered. According to Veeva Systems, virtual engagement boosts HCP engagement by 133%, and 96% of professionals prefer attending virtual meetings.

To maximize effectiveness, apply the full cycle approach:

•Pre-event: Deliver microlearning content and compliance microlearning activities to prepare attendees.

•During the event: Use gamification and interactive challenges to increase participation and create shared learning experiences.

•Post-event: Reinforce content with follow-up challenges and knowledge reinforcement, minimizing the forgetting curve and capturing data for future training analytics pharma.

This complete loop can be implemented with tools like Atrivity, turning each event into a strategic touchpoint for knowledge transfer and relationship building.

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_{#5 - Measure EVERYTHING}

What isn’t measured can’t be improved. That’s why setting KPIs and monitoring performance is critical in pharma sales training. According to McKinsey, companies using advanced data analytics increase sales by up to 85%.

Digital tools like Atrivity go beyond standard metrics—they offer real-time insights to monitor learning and development KPIs, track performance, and detect critical knowledge gaps. This data is vital not just for reporting, but for agile decision-making and improving future training strategies.

Training analytics pharma allows for integration with CRM systems to build a holistic view of engagement, segmentation, and learning performance, driving deeper alignment between marketing, sales, and training departments.

The Atrivity App: Enabling Knowledge Retention and Scalable Learning

A practical example of these 5 keys is Atrivity, the AI-powered, gamified platform designed specifically for pharma sales enablement. It supports sales onboarding programs, product training, compliance microlearning, and knowledge retention.

With Atrivity’s mobile-first design, HCPs and sales reps can access bite-sized content anywhere, anytime—boosting learning during idle moments without disrupting workflows. The app for employee knowledge retention uses AI to deliver personalized repetitions and challenges based on each user’s needs.

Atrivity also enables segmentation by profile, channel, and timing—ensuring that every piece of content is tailored for maximum impact. Whether used between visits to reinforce key messages or to support engagement before, during, and after an event, it drives ROI and reduces critical knowledge gaps by over 50%.

At Compettia, we've partnered with over 20 of the world's top pharmaceutical and medtech companies to deliver scalable, personalized, and data-driven training experiences.