Purpose The purpose of this study is to explore the influence of information technology (IT) in revolutionizing sales processes within the pharmaceutical industry. This study explores the IT adaptability of salesforce and the role of IT in pharma sales activities. It also addresses the benefits and challenges of integrating IT into the pharmaceutical sales process. Design/methodology/approach This study was conducted using a mixed-methods approach. First qualitative phase is based on the ten interviews using snowball sampling. For the quantitative phase PLS-SEM was applied on 215 responses to measure the relationship between salesforce technology adoption, physician–salesperson interaction effectiveness, field sales process effectiveness and sales performance along with moderating role of education level of salesperson. Findings The results indicate a positive relationship for the proposed hypotheses between salesforce technology adoption, physician–salesperson interaction effectiveness and field sales process effectiveness. The results indicate that personal selling and education of the salesperson play a critical role in the pharmaceutical sector, as it involves building relationships with healthcare professionals, educating them about products and influencing prescription decisions. Originality/value The findings emphasize the importance of balancing personal interactions and technological advancements to achieve optimal sales outcomes in the pharmaceutical industry. With the rapid advancement of IT, sales representatives in the pharmaceutical industry are leveraging various technological tools and platforms to enhance salesforce effectiveness.
Parihar et al. (Fri,) studied this question.