It’s very difficult to get ahead of the game in the pharmaceutical sales business and a training consultant must be able to look at a whole list of different criteria in order to motivate the sales force to succeed. The goal of first-rate performance is achievable if the consultant is able to help the client understand and first define benchmarks and competencies. Without the ability to measure these competencies, goals cannot realistically be set and individuals may not aspire to meet them. It is therefore important that the pharmaceutical company understands and helps to develop the framework at the outset.
Specific marketing roles must be developed according to specific sales targets. Within each role, an individual’s tasks must be identified and methods assessed. It is likely that each role within an organisation will retain certain uniform competencies, which could be regarded as core principles, but it is very important to accurately define the competencies that are specific to the role and thus must be mastered by the individuals so assigned.
As a rule of thumb, pharmaceutical sales training should take into account cutting edge methodology and utilise the experience and ability of the consultant organisation to best effect. Selling skills have become more advanced and rely less on pure number crunching and goal orientation, but rather focus on personal interaction with the buying entity. To pick up specific product knowledge, pertinent to the individual’s objective, requires a salesperson to have a clear understanding of the buyer’s position and the variety of external factors that could influence his or her decision, when it comes to decision time.
These days, pharmaceutical sales training will help to instil the company’s brand strategy and overall objectives, so that the salesperson fully understands what the company is trying to achieve from a broader perspective. The consultant will help the salesperson understand the composition of the market, how strategic marketing can help to impart knowledge of the brand and how the latest communication tools and methods can work.
The salesperson of today must be a public relations expert and be very adept at interpersonal communication. We could go so far as to say that the relationship between the buyer and seller in the modern pharmaceutical industry is based more upon an exchange of information. In addition, the salesperson really must understand what factors influence the buying decision and will come to realise that many of these are subtle and somewhat subliminal.
As an account is designated as principal and very important for the pharmaceutical company’s ongoing performance, key account management training must ensure that those individuals who deal with that particular account are trained in the intricacies. These individuals will require specific skill sets, which will undoubtedly extend far beyond typical sales and closing skills. The pharmaceutical company must understand that the key account is looking for more than might be immediately obvious and that a straightforward, two-way interaction is not sufficient for success. Everyone involved in servicing this account must be consciously aware of the special techniques applicable, whether or not a particular individual is actually responsible for hands-on deployment.
Alan Gillies is the CEO of L2L Consulting, a cutting-edge pharma consultancy firm which specialises in optimising productivity and performance within international companies by applying tailored organisational strategies.