Many of us can remember our trip to a great seminar, or a multi-day trip to an important convention, with memories of the positive atmosphere and how we were able to become totally enthused by what we were to learn, our motivational engines firing on all cylinders. This is exactly what these events are designed to do, to instil that sense of excitement, ready to propel us into the market and really sell whatever product or service is in question. In most cases, pharmaceutical sales training sessions or books can be similarly motivational and there is always an important time and a place for these tools to be used by the typical sales force. However, we can never underestimate the importance of effective implementation, as when the “rubber hits the road,” a lot of that motivation quickly seems to be absorbed into the atmosphere.
This is a problem that has plagued the corporate trainer and the motivational speaker for generations. It may be relatively easy to propel a salesperson to make a plan and to thereby establish a relative goal, but the execution is often the challenge. It’s all very well talking about theoretical situations in a classroom environment, outlining the threats and challenges that are likely to be faced in the real world and implementing training to ensure that the salesperson is best prepared to cope. However, it must be understood that very many different factors come into play when the salesperson is actually engaged with the prospect and one could argue that the biggest hurdle facing the salesperson when trying to “land” a sale is the attitude or subconscious direction displayed by the salesperson him or herself.
These days, pharmaceutical sales training must be careful not to introduce impossible, sometimes psychological barriers, which would effectively stand in the way of effective implementation. Corporate goals may suggest that a 100% result is required and that the salesperson should have only one true goal in mind. Such a “set in stone” position can often result in failure, however, and we must view opportunities from all different angles. Sometimes, a relatively high percentage result is better than 100% of nothing.
The salesperson must always be coached to understand that persistence when facing adversity is critical. While it is also important to recognise when the parameters have changed so much that a goal is simply not achievable anymore, it is still nevertheless important to maintain course when surmountable obstacles are laid in the way. This requires a person to adapt and evolve and use internal motivation to dodge the final line of defence and score the goal.
The sales force must be supported in the field and anything less than total commitment from the organisation in terms of resources, training, as well as product strength and deliverability will undoubtedly result in a lower effective rate of implementation. When key account management training is under the microscope, the “point” person will not be able to service accordingly and implement effectively unless specific and unequivocal parameters have been set by senior management at the outset.
Alan Gillies is the Director of L2L Consulting, an elite pharmaceutical consultancy firm which specialises in Strategy Development and Implementation Excellence for prestigious multi-national organisations.