Caroline and Harry dive into Sara’s challenge—a top-performing account manager who joins a new pharma company, only to be met with a rigid culture of scripted, “tell-sell” conversations. Despite mounting pressure to fit in, this approach feels increasingly out of step with today’s healthcare realities. The data backs this up: analysis of 2.5 million sales calls by Harvard Business Review and findings from a Cochrane Review reveal a 5–6% increase in prescribing when conversations are tailored to actual needs. The message is clear: curiosity drives results.

So why is Pharma often still clinging to outdated approaches? Caroline and Harry explore the organisational “cage” that keeps teams stuck — historical inertia, compliance fears, activity-based KPIs, the illusion of control and a reluctance to ask open questions. They share practical solutions: redesigning incentives, using the “90-second open question” technique and getting leaders to model the behaviour they want to see.