7 Onboarding Mistakes That Delay Readiness in Pharma Sales Teams
Getting a new pharma sales rep to full productivity takes time. There's product knowledge to absorb, compliance requirements to learn, and customer relationships to build.
But too often, the onboarding process itself makes things slower than they need to be. Not because of what's included, but because of how it's structured.
Here are seven common mistakes that delay readiness, and what to do instead.
1. Front-loading information instead of spacing it out
The instinct is understandable. New reps need to know a lot, so let's tell them everything in the first two weeks. Product details, disease states, competitive landscape, compliance rules, CRM training, expense policies.
The problem is that people can't absorb this much information at once. Research on learning consistently shows that spaced repetition beats cramming. Information delivered over time, with gaps for practice and retrieval, sticks better than information delivered in a firehose.
What to do instead: Spread core content over the first 90 days. Prioritise what reps need for their first customer conversations, and introduce additional complexity as they gain experience. Build in regular check-ins to reinforce earlier material.
2. Teaching product knowledge without conversation practice
New reps often spend days learning about the science, the clinical data, and the competitive positioning. Then they're sent into the field and expected to translate all of that into effective conversations.
This is a big leap. Knowing the data doesn't mean knowing how to discuss it with a sceptical oncologist or a time-pressed GP. Product knowledge and conversation skills are different capabilities that need to be developed together.
What to do instead: Integrate conversation practice throughout product training. After learning a key clinical message, have reps practise delivering it. Use AI roleplay or peer practice to build fluency alongside knowledge. Don't wait until the end of training to start practising.
3. Treating compliance as a separate module
Compliance training often happens in its own block. Complete the e-learning. Pass the quiz. Move on to the real training.
This creates a mental separation between compliance and selling. Reps learn the rules in one context and learn to sell in another. When they're in the field, compliance becomes an afterthought rather than an integrated part of how they communicate.
What to do instead: Weave compliance into every part of onboarding. When reps practise customer conversations, include compliance feedback. When they learn messaging, highlight where the boundaries are. Make staying compliant feel like a natural part of selling, not a constraint bolted on afterwards.
4. Relying too heavily on field rides for skill development
Field rides with managers are valuable. New reps see how experienced professionals handle real conversations. They get context that classroom training can't provide.
But field rides are observation, not practice. Watching someone else do it well doesn't build the rep's own skills. And when reps do get a chance to lead a conversation, the stakes are real. They're learning in front of customers, with limited opportunity to make mistakes safely.
What to do instead: Use field rides for observation and coaching, but don't rely on them for skill-building. Give reps extensive practice opportunities before they're in front of customers. AI roleplay, peer practice, and manager role-play sessions all help reps build confidence before the field ride becomes their classroom.
5. One-size-fits-all pacing
New hires arrive with different backgrounds. Some have years of pharma experience and just need to learn your products. Others are new to the industry and need more foundational support. Some learn quickly. Others need more repetition.
Standard onboarding programmes treat everyone the same. Everyone moves through the same modules at the same pace, regardless of what they already know or how fast they're progressing.
What to do instead: Build flexibility into the programme. Use assessments to identify where each rep needs the most support. Allow faster learners to move ahead while providing extra practice for those who need it. AI roleplay tools are particularly useful here, since reps can practise as much as they need without requiring additional manager time.
6. Ending onboarding too abruptly
Many programmes have a clear end date. After four weeks, or six weeks, or whatever the standard is, onboarding is complete. The rep is certified. They're on their own.
But readiness doesn't follow a calendar. Some reps are genuinely ready at the end of the programme. Others need more time. And even those who are ready will face new situations in the field that they weren't fully prepared for.
What to do instead: Treat onboarding as a transition, not an event. Extend support beyond the formal programme. Schedule check-ins at 60 and 90 days. Provide ongoing access to practice tools and refresher content. Make it normal for reps to keep developing after they've officially graduated.
7. Measuring completion instead of capability
The easiest things to measure are completion rates. Did the rep finish the modules? Did they attend the sessions? Did they pass the assessments?
These metrics tell you whether someone went through the motions. They don't tell you whether the rep can actually perform in the field. A rep can complete every module and still struggle with their first real customer conversation.
What to do instead: Assess capability, not just completion. Use practical evaluations where reps demonstrate their skills in realistic scenarios. Track performance in practice sessions over time. Look at early field metrics to see whether onboarding is translating to results. Adjust the programme based on what you learn.
The real goal
The point of onboarding isn't to deliver training. It's to produce reps who are ready to have effective, compliant conversations with healthcare professionals.
Every decision in your onboarding programme should be evaluated against that goal. Does this activity build readiness, or does it just fill time? Does this approach help reps perform, or does it just check a box?
When you design onboarding around readiness rather than content delivery, time to productivity shrinks. Reps feel more confident. Managers spend less time remediating gaps. And customers get better conversations from day one.
TrainBox helps life science teams practise real conversations so they're ready when it matters. Learn how