Insights / Field force planning
How to plan a call cycle by doctor tier
A call cycle is the period, often four to eight weeks, in which a rep aims to see every account on their list at least once. Without a plan, visits drift towards the doctors who are friendliest or closest to the office, and the prescribers who matter most get seen less often than they should. Tiering fixes that by deciding, in advance, how much time each account deserves.
1. Agree what a tier means
A tier is a short label that tells everyone how important an account is to your brands. Many teams use four levels, for example:
| Tier | Who it usually covers | Typical visit frequency per cycle |
|---|---|---|
| ST (strategic) | Key opinion leaders, heads of department, high-volume prescribers in your therapy area | 3 to 4 visits |
| T1 | Regular prescribers with clear potential to grow | 2 to 3 visits |
| T2 | Occasional prescribers and busy retail pharmacies | 1 to 2 visits |
| T3 | Low-potential or new accounts you are still assessing | 1 visit, or every other cycle |
The frequencies above are only a starting point. Set your own based on your products, the length of your cycle and how many working days a rep really has in the field.
2. Tier on potential, not just on habit
The most common mistake is tiering by how often a rep already visits someone. Instead, score each account on a few simple questions:
- Potential: how many relevant patients does this doctor, clinic or pharmacy see?
- Current support: do they already prescribe or stock your brands?
- Influence: do other prescribers follow their lead (a KOL), or do they decide what the hospital or pharmacy buys?
- Access: can you realistically see them, and at what times?
Record the answers on the account profile, not in a notebook, so the tier survives when a rep changes territory.
3. Check that the plan fits the calendar
Add up the visits your tiers demand and compare them with the time available. A simple check:
- Count working days in the cycle and subtract leave, meetings, training and public holidays.
- Multiply by the number of quality calls a rep can make per day in that territory. Traffic in Lagos is not the same as in a smaller town, so be honest.
- Compare the result with the total visits your tiers require.
If the plan needs more calls than the days allow, do not just ask reps to "push harder". Move some T2 accounts to T3, extend the cycle, or rebalance territories. A plan reps cannot finish quickly stops being taken seriously.
4. Cluster visits by area
Once you know who to see and how often, group accounts that are close together so each day has a sensible route. Put the strategic accounts early in the cycle, so there is time to try again if a doctor is unavailable, and leave a few free slots for follow-ups and unplanned opportunities.
5. Review the plan with the manager
The first-line manager should approve each rep's plan before the cycle starts. A short review catches common problems: a key account missing, too many visits to one favourite, or a week that is impossible to complete. If a plan goes back, the reason should be written down so the rep can fix it quickly.
6. Track coverage, not just call counts
During the cycle, watch two numbers per tier: the share of accounts seen at least once, and the share of planned visits completed. A rep who makes many calls but misses half of their ST accounts has a coverage problem, not an activity problem. Review the tiers at the end of each cycle and move accounts up or down based on what you have learned.
Quick checklist: agreed tier definitions, accounts scored on potential, visit frequencies per tier, a plan that fits the real working days, routes grouped by area, manager approval before the cycle, and coverage tracked by tier.
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Plan cycles by tier in Ava CRM
Ava CRM suggests a cycle plan from your account tiers, lets reps adjust and submit it, and lets managers approve it or send it back with a note. Coverage by tier is on the manager's dashboard.