04 Nov “Case: Designing Effective Sales Training at Harrison Pharmaceuticals

Harrison Pharmaceuticals released a revolutionary new cancer drug with the potential to change the entire health landscape. With the need to promote the drug in new and existing territories, it had to increase its sales staff and train on all aspects of the drug’s efficacy. Because of industry regulations, the company designed a blended learning program with all the information sales reps would need to explain the drug to all customers, from prescribing clinicians to pharmacists. It featured more than 100 hours of videos including doctor interviews, 2,000 pages of text about in-depth trial results, and an intensive three-day classroom training component. The training program included everything sales reps needed to know. Unfortunately, three months after completing the training program, many sales reps were not competent in their territories and could not answer doctors’ questions adequately. One problem with the program was that the sales reps had to learn too much highly technical information. But to be competent, they had to learn all of the information.

What are your recommendations for how the program could be redesigned to help the sales reps recall what they had learned? Provide your recommendations and explain why you believe they will help the sales reps improve their effectiveness.

Source: Based on I. Townley and J. Durkee, “Convert Learning Into Action,” T+D, December 2019, pp. 42–47.

Please respond to the following:

“As the instructional designer for the training described in the case, how can you integrate technology and interactive elements to enhance learner engagement during the learning event?”