You have just started as a Medical Science Liaison (MSL) and wonder, "How can I prepare for my upcoming KOL meeting?".

Below are 12 tips on how to prepare for your first KOL meeting:

1. Review CRM (customer relation management) database for notes of previous (MSL) interactions
2. Explore if the company has previously...

The 4 pillars of MSL KPIs

KPIs for MSLs are often raised as a point of discussion. What is it that we need to measure, quantity of calls, or quality of calls?

1. Quality of KOL interactions:Frequency/duration of calls shows you are at least doing something and if your meetings are long(er), it shows you had more time...

Companies ask for people with an established KOL network, but not everyone has such a network handy. The next best thing is to be knowledgeable about the KOLs in that field. So, get a cup of tea, open Google and let’s find the right KOLs.

1) Google the 4 or 5 major teaching hospitals/centers of excellence...

Managing expectations with KOLs is really important.

Yes you want to make sure you are of value, and be able to bring the right opportunities to your KOL. But nothing is worse than to commit to something and not being able to deliver on your promises. With whatever I do, I always tell the KOL:

"... It is not going...

Key Opinion Leaders are often high up in the ranks in the hospital and pretty powerful people in the community and (clinical) boards and societies. It can be difficult to say no to them when they ask for company clinical research funding/IIS support.

For instance they might ask grant support from the company to do...

Why hold an advisory board meeting?

Pharma invest heavily in bringing new therapeutic drugs to the doctors and their patients to help them manage, treat and sometimes even cure their diseases. These new agents are undergoing expensive phase 1, 2, and 3 clinical trials to establish that these drugs (or devices) are...

MSL in-field insights: What are they and why do pharma need them
Many aspiring MSLs – when asked what an MSL does – talk about MSLs being an educator and sharing the latest clinical data with the key opinion leaders (KOLs). Yes, there is a big clinical data sharing component in the MSL role and a large...

An MSL has to be agile in the field and always deliver a top-performance. Especially when your MSL manager/director is out in the field with you. Here are some topics to focus on when you are out in the field alone or with your boss:

• Have good rapport with the KOL and listen to the KOL.
  • The KOL should be doing...

In the industry they used to call this topic "rep-sport". With the increase in MSLs coming into the industry, they now sometimes call it "MSL-sport".

What this means is the KOL/doctor asks you (or the sales representative) a difficult question in your (first) meeting.

They of course know the answer, I mean they...