Download - MedicinMan January 2012 Issue
January 2012
~ F I E L D F O R C E E XC E L L E N C E ~
TM
P H A R M A | M E D I C A L D E V I C E S | D I A G N O S T I C S | S U R G I C A L S
A BroadSpektrum Healthcare Business Media’s Corporate Social Responsibility Initiative
Vol. 2 Issue 1
MedicinMan
Editorial
www.medicinman.net
CONTRIBUTORS
JOLLY MATTHEWS 3
K. HARIRAM 4
WILLIAM FERNANDES 6
APARNA SHARMA 8
VIVEK HATTANGADI 10
ANUP SOANS 12
The New Year has arrived. The day
seems new, the week is new and the air is
filled with hope, love and desire to create
happiness all over again.
Professionals all over the world take this
as a great opportunity to shed the layers
of frustration and emotional pains that
accumulated over the last year, and re-
start in a new way.
Every Year, during the last few days of
December, I love to read the face, body
language, aura and mind-sets of the visit-
ing Pharma Sales Executives.
It's really invigorating to see how slowly
every single one of them embraces the
spirit of New Years. By the last week,
they are all full with positive energy and
eagerly waiting for 1st January to accept
and practice a new outlook at profession-
al, social and personal levels.
The great irony is that by the 2nd week of
January, all enthusiasm fizzles out and
most of them are back to doing what they
2012: THE YEAR OF THE FOOT SOLDIER BY DR. HEMANT MITTAL
do best, Being the Foot Soldier!
This reminds me of an Uncle of mine
from the Army. A true poster-boy of the
Indian Army; this gentleman is 6ft, very
well built and extremely fit senior level
officer, who is not only proud of his rank
but also fully loaded with discipline and
attitude. I remember once as young ado-
lescent, he had told me, in true military
style "A foot soldiers duty is to obey or-
ders; he doesn't have the right to think."
Years later I found how true it held not
only for the army, but also for many
Medical Reps with who I interact. Draw-
ing a similarity between these two differ-
ent ends of the social spectrum, I pon-
dered on this statement further, and ana-
lyzed: “what made that one foot soldier
or one MR to stand tall in the crowd and
get promoted to Senior Ranks?”
While one should enjoy enthusiasm,
which in most cases is a momentary emo-
tion that comes and goes on its own. The
real focus should be on accepting and
adopting the virtue of success. The virtue
of success is composed of 4 attitudes that
catapult a foot-soldier to great heights in
his career:
1. Firm - A firm person is one who is
ready to take responsibility.
2. Endurance - "tough times never last,
tough people do". Success and Failure
will both touch you; don't run away in
either condition.
3. Learn - Every day is a new experience.
Be ready to learn. Not just from your
experiences, but also from the success
and failure of others. The more you learn,
the better your decision making ability.
4. Modest - Accept Success with grace;
don't show it off... being pompous creates
enemies.
Make 2012 Your Best Year...BEST OF
LUCK!!! ▌
As we have seen in the past five is-
sues of MedicinMan, most people
get into Pharma Field Sales by
„chance‟ rather than by choice. But
the Success Stories of Medical Reps
who rose to great heights of career
success clearly point out a „Design‟
rather than „Default‟.
In Pharma Field Sales there is no
Default setting for success. And
success in Pharma means only ONE
THING – Repeat Rx. Period. Re-
peat Rx is an outcome of an intelli-
gent design. Most field sales people
experience sporadic, intermittent
prescription because they lack a
How to Get Repeat Rx good Design to generate Repeat
Rx.
Repeat Rx is the title of my new
and third book. It is a book by De-
sign; to redress the Default setting
and give Pharma Field Sales people a
new Process for generating Repeat
Rx. It is the outcome of my years of
work and reading, which will serve
as a frame-work but not as rule
book. Of course, you can use it as a
rule book if you are a Beginner or
Amateur. But as you progress to be-
come an Apprentice and Achiever,
you can fine-tune it to suit your spe-
cific situation. (Cont. on page 2)
(Cont.. from page 1) Repeat Rx is a process
guide to transform Beginners into Achievers
through the four steps of Calling, Connecting,
Consulting and Collaborating. The four stag-
es of Repeat Rx and the skills in each stage –
Selling Skills, Social Skills, Technical
Skills and Business Skills are clearly explained
in a simple and illustrated manner for easy un-
derstanding. At the end, there is a comprehensive
three level Assessment Questionnaire to know
where you stand.
So as you step into the New Year, discard your
Default setting and adopt a new Design if you
are serious about getting Repeat Rx.
I wish you all a happy and prosperous New Year
full of Repeat Rx. ▌
Coming in the New Year !
MedicinMan Vol.2 Iss.1
3
Hurrah ! So you got that much awaited promotion letter?
You beat all the traps set in the selection process and best-
ed the odds, so euphoria is a natural consequence! You
tread on clouds and walk into the sunrise of your first
„joint work‟ and that first celebratory masala chai – the
world is suddenly all pink and blue! You do the rounds of
every favourite holy place and thank Bruce Almighty and
all His various incarnations – and lo and behold the first
month is about to roll by. And then comes the first shock -
that accursed word „target!‟
Now you had tackled that dreaded word several times in
your career – that‟s partly the reason why you are now a
FLM, but it was always a matter of personal ability and
personal „contacts‟! The realisation strikes – „target‟ is not
the same singular word anymore! It‟s a word that has mul-
tiple dimensions and multiple challenges and multiple
connotations – now it is a „team word‟ and the team is not
a like a pet dog prepared to roll over and obey. Thereby
lies the first shock to the FLMs comfort system and it‟s
only one of many future shocks...
Other scare words enter the FLM‟s domain quickly... ex-
pectations, accountability, planning, implementation,
commitment, development. What does one do; wonders
the newly promoted FLM. While on-boarding pro-
grammes, hand-holding and mentoring by senior manag-
ers, the painful process of reading books and so on offer
some solutions, none of them will by itself provide a com-
plete answer to the daily challenges.
If the question is: „Isn‟t there a proper „Competency
Framework‟ that guides one to mastery?‟ The answer is:
„There is!‟ If the question is : Isn‟t there a framework of
qualities that fall neatly into brackets such as „Must
have‟, „Should also have‟ and „Would be nice to
have‟, the answer is: „Yes, there is!‟ But all that maybe
insufficient against the daily onslaughts.
A much more simpler and workable framework that can
help while the formal learning processes are formulated
and put in place are the old and trustworthy sisters – Com-
mon Sense and Uncommon Patience. One very basic ques-
tion that should provide a guideline for proper behaviour
could very well be: What are the Key Measurable Delivera-
bles of this Role in my Organisation? In simple words, at
the end of the appraisal period, what am I expected to
deliver? Mind you, there is no standard answer to this
question since expectations and measurable parameters
vary from organisation to organisation and therefore the
question behoves an answer from your boss. Expectedly he
knows the answer, if not, go back to para one and contact
Bruce Almighty!
Jokes apart when you do get an answer on the deliverables,
the next step is to work out on your own, what needs to be
done to efficiently accomplish those deliverables. Each
expectation of the Organisation can easily be broken down
to 5 – 6 key activities, so at the end of an introspective
brainstorming session one will be left with some 30 – 35
„Key activities‟ which need to be done at increasing levels
of efficiency and within a specific time frame – the time
frame being virtually self driven by the prioritisation of
anticipated and expected impacts. Voila! So simple? And
the results follow?
No, not at all, nothing is simple when you are dealing with
human beings and human interactions. Human beings
being the biggest variables, the FLM is actually walking a
mine field. But the Key Deliverables framework has the
merit of keeping those Big Hairy Audacious Goals,
always in front of you and the wisdom and fuel provided by
those goals might be the oars to steer your ship to safe
destinations.
While Training, Coaching, Mentoring does go a long way to
help an FLM find meaning and purpose – one great teach-
er could be failure and its rightful progeny – lessons from
the failure !
Ultimately it all lies in the mind! If you have the passion,
the patience, the perseverance and the pragmatism, you
will soon acquire the penchant!
Reach for that refreshing cup of masala chai ! At the end of
an exhilarating day matching wits and wisdom with un-
precedented situations and unpredictable responses, you
have earned it!
Cheers ! ▌
MIND OVER MASALA CHAI AN EXPLORATION OF THE WORLD OF THE FRONT-LINE MANAGER
by Jolly Mathews
4
MedicinMan Vol.2 Iss.1
"The corporate hierarchy is unfair," said
a fellow passenger in a flight, as an an-
swer to my question, "How is work?"
He complained that leadership at a higher level is
unjust. "When I make a mistake, it goes into
my performance sheet, but when my boss
makes the mistake, which is almost every
day, there is no reprimand.”
I could see the break in professional reality this man
had with his senior. As much as his boss may have
valid justifications he had unwittingly fallen into the
leadership trap.
Leadership is a tricky thing. What you say and do,
and how you behave is noted, evaluated and judged
by your juniors. If you are in a position of sen-
iority, get one thing straight: everything you
do right will be incomprehensible to your
subordinates and every slip you make, will
be noticed, caught and bought by them. A lot
of people fall into the trap of their own position of
superiority. If you are having a tough time with the
misinterpretation of your actions, here are some
leadership traps you need to steer clear from.
Perception is Everything: People will judge you
at every step and will form their own perception
about what you do. Once you understand that, you
can influence your team‟s perception about you pos-
itively. "I want people to have a healthy regard for
my position and so I don't get too friendly with
them," the marketing manager of a pharma compa-
ny told me. Decide what you would like your juniors
to think about you, then go out and build that per-
ception.
Take Credit When it Matters: When you do
something right, make sure that you make that ac-
tion known. Often, people in higher positions don't
talk about their achievements. If you don't tell peo-
ple about your accomplishments, how will you in-
spire them? "I don't take any credit for my achieve-
ments," says my friend, who is the HR head of a
bank. "And surprisingly, when I don't take the cred-
it, no one gives it to me." As a leader, your team
looks up to you for inspiration, and your achieve-
ments provide that. Actions inspire greater than
words. Take every opportunity to set a good example
for others.
Own Up to Your Mistakes: There will be times
when you will goof up. Own up, and set a solid ex-
ample of discipline. 'Even the boss needs to apolo-
gize when he is late' is setting the standards of
equality. When the senior reprimands juniors for the
same action that they sanction for themselves, it not
only sets the wrong example, but also sets you up for
some behind-your-back criticism.
Walk Your Talk: A lot of leaders follow the princi-
ple: "Do as I say but don't do as I do". You need to be
an example of your principles in action. When you
chart the rules, you have to be the first in line to put
them into reality. "My boss shouts at me for shout-
ing at others." I couldn't stop laughing when I heard
someone say this. Do you see the point? Often lead-
ers mistakenly believe their job is to get others to do
the job. In my opinion, the leader's job is to set an
example of the attitude of how the job needs to be
done. That is best prompted through one's own ex-
ample.
Leadership is hard work. What you do right will be
looked upon as "He can do so much and I can't do it
because he is the leader." But what you carelessly
disregarded as a faux pas will be picked up immedi-
ately as, "If he can do this then I can do it too."
Your juniors are watching you all the time - and if
that is true, your greatest power lies in showing
them what will best serve them as future leaders. ▌
LEAD BY EXAMPLE: RECOGNITION WILL FOLLOW - K. Hari Ram, MD Galderma
Med
icinM
an C
reative
s MedicinMan Vol.2 Iss.1
Promedik Algorithms give Doctors an edge by delivering the latest clinical research in an easy-to-use format
leading to better outcomes for patients. Promedik Algorithms include patient education information to
ensure treatment compliance and quick recovery.
Promedik Algorithms are also designed keeping in mind the relationship-building and branding needs of
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“A thought of the future…”
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To find out more call:
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Rahul Mishra : +91 96118 76767
LEADERSHIP BEHAVIOURS OF FRONT-LINE MANAGERS Effective Management is all about
Getting work done through oth-
ers willingly. When it comes to front
line management its more than true & the
Manager with this ability can be truly called
a leader. There are certain behaviors which
separates Leader from a Manager which
can be adopted, learned & developed at any
stage of career for the better results.
An effective Front Line Manager will show
following behaviors with his team in his
every action & reaction.
Demonstrate- Effective FLM not only
gives Sermon or big talks but also demon-
strates through his own actions. He will
demonstrate why he is a leader by his Punc-
tuality, Good Detailing, Selling Skill, Objec-
tion Handling etc. due to which a Sales Rep
not only learns & develops himself
but also respects his Manager. Im-
agine a Manager who is rebuking
his Rep for poor detailing but not
able to demonstrate what is a good
detailing. Or imagine a trickier situ-
ation where a Doctor reserves an
Objection or a Query for a Manager
when he believes that the Rep may
not be able to give proper infor-
mation. If a Manager demonstrates
his Skills & Abilities he will earn
respect from his subordinates who
in turn will seek guidance from
him.
Develop People – Effective FLM
will develop his people as he be-
lieves that People are his best re-
sources & the other resources are
secondary. If he develops people he
can nurture a talent pool & help
them in their career growth. A
learning & developing Sales Rep
will be hardly bothered by other not so de-
motivating factors & may not be lured by
other organizations & attrition can be under
control. Developing & making others paral-
lel to his own ability is a typical character of
a True Leader & in doing so he ensures that
all Replicas are made of him in terms of
Ability & Performance.
Demanding the best out of others-
Demanding best from Self as well as others
is another behavior of a true leader where
there is no place for Mediocrity & Compla-
cency. Expecting the best out of others may
not be easy as you have to give the best
from self. Commitment from self is the im-
portant part which will motivate others to
perform consistently. Updating self with
knowledge, trying creative ideas, Influenc-
ing others to follow may be some of the
ways of demanding best output.
Problem Solving- If you want to be a
good Leader you should solve the problems
of your followers. Your teammates coming
with various problems which are not solved
at their level. If you cannot solve them you
will not be looked upon next time for next
problem & this will create piling up prob-
lems which may be solved otherwise. Many
times a subordinates will rely upon you for
even his personal problems & that‟s the
kind of faith this problem solving ability
generates in your people.
Being a motivating factor for your
colleagues- Instead of using terms as Mo-
tivate others I have purposely used this
statement because you cannot motivate
others by telling stories or giving lectures.
You have to motivate people by your action.
Be true to your word, Drive self to the
cause, Be a part of the plan always & take
initiative in whatever you are doing as a
team. Your mere presence should motivate
them such should be impact of your leader-
ship.
Delegate after Make people making
people competent- competent enough to
delegate as delegating work is a very im-
portant skill of a Leader. But Delegating is a
double edged sword if not used with com-
petent people can destruct morale of the
MedicinMan Vol.2 Iss.1
6
- William Fernandes
DEVELOPING
& MAKING
OTHERS
PARALLEL
TO HIS OWN
ABILITY IS A
TYPICAL
CHARACTER
OF A TRUE
LEADER.
- William Fernandes
LEADERSHIP BEHAVIOURS OF FRONT-LINE MANAGERS
7
MedicinMan Vol.2 Iss.1 MedicinMan Vol.2 Iss.1
DEMAND-
ING THE
BEST OUT
OF OTHERS
- DEMAND-
ING BEST
FROM SELF
AS WELL AS
OTHERS IS
ANOTHER
BEHAVIOR
OF A TRUE
LEADER
WHERE
THERE IS
NO PLACE
FOR MEDI-
OCRITY &
COMPLA-
CENCY.
Team & term you as a mere Delegator. Delegat-
ing to under developed & under skilled people
may not give proper results & kill the purpose
of delegation.
Be a Task master for Procedure & not the
Result- Focusing on right learning or activity
procedure is very important than focusing on
end result. Give task & assignment for imple-
menting processes which will facilitate the end
result. Giving assignment to develop people,
Control them using right controlling tools till
objective is achieved are the areas where a lead-
er should always focus.
This is the era of wide opportunities available
for skilled & competitive people, therefore Its
become very imperative for a Manager to be a
Leader where people will stick to you just be-
cause of your Leadership. This will not only give
a stable Team to you but also a team which will
be only performing due to the last stage of
Team Building Forming, Storming, Norming &
Performing. ▌
YOUR TEAMMATES WILL COME TO YOU WITH PROB-
LEMS THAT CANNOT BE SOLVED AT THEIR LEVEL.
IF YOU CANNOT SOLVE THEM YOU WILL NOT BE
LOOKED UPON NEXT TIME FOR THE NEXT PROBLEM & THIS WILL CREATE PILING UP PROBLEMS WHICH MAY BE SOLVED OTHERWISE.
William Fernandes
8
MedicinMan Vol.2 Iss.1
Aparna Sharma began with a provocative
question – “Did the audience think that HR &
Sales were at loggerheads with each other?”
The audience instantly agreed, since 80% were from sales,
about 15% from finance and 5% from HR. Their view was
that HR was only interested in recruitment metrics and
processes but did not understand or appreciate the chal-
lenges and pressures of achieving sales targets.
Sharing from her personal experience Aparna Sharma,
narrated how having worked as a sales professional helped
her in creating a partnership between Sales and HR. She
advocated cross-functional tenures for Sales and HR people
to ensure better partnership by understanding and appreci-
ating the challenges faced by the other. “Only the wearer
knows where the shoe pinches" If Sales and HR
continue to operate as specialists instead of partners, they
will continue to be perceived as adversaries in disconnected
silos.
Great Sales People are an asset for any company as Sales
Force is: the Face of the Company; Creators of Top line;
Brand Builders and Play a Key Role in Employer Brand-
ing.
1. Investment: Great Sales People believe that the differ-
ence between winning and losing, more often than not, is a
very slim margin. Companies need to invest heavily in ac-
quiring the latest technology and in developing people.
2. Consistent: Poor selling done consistently will be more
effective than great selling done sporadically.
3. Confident: Great Sales People believe in their products,
their services, and their people.
10 Factors That Makes Great Sales People
4. Patient: A hunter will sit in the trees for days waiting for
a clear shot. .
5. Customer Orientation: Great Sales People adapt their
products, terms and even their delivery schedules to meet
the specific need of customers.
6. Relationship: Great Sales People are in this for the long
haul, and getting the order is only the first step.
7. Measurement: Any behavior that is rewarded will tend
to be repeated, so Great Sales People reward every custom-
er for the opportunity to serve them.
8. Convenient: Great Sales People are both receptive and
responsive. They know that they have to be "user friendly."
9. Excitement: Great Sales People are enthusiastic, and
militantly optimistic.
10. Commitment: The Great Sales Person is enlisted in a
larger mission that just closing the deal and getting the
order.
Likewise Great HR People are also an asset for companies
as HR People are: Responsible of Right Selection and
Onboarding; Performance Management; Retention and
Development; Organizational Culture.
1. Investment: Great HR People also believe that the dif-
ference between winning and losing, more often than not,
is a very slim margin. So they invest heavily in technology,
in people, and in themselves.
2. Consistent: Poor HR Delivery done consistently will be
more effective than great HR Delivery done sporadically.
3. Confident: Great HR People believe in their processes,
services and their people.
FORGING STRONG PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN HR AND SALES
This is an excerpt of proceedings of
a top ranked interactive session led
by Ms. Aparna Sharma at the Sales
Performance Conference 2011 orga-
nized by ITP Publications, a UK
based B2B media company at the
JW Marriot, Mumbai on 24th and 25th
November 2011. – Editor
APARNA SHARMA
10 Factors That Makes Great HR People
MedicinMan Vol.2 Iss.1 MedicinMan Vol.2 Iss.1
4. Patient: A hunter will sit in the trees for days waiting
for a clear shot. .
5. Employee Orientation: Great HR People offer a wide
variety of benefits and propositions, and adapt their of-
ferings terms, even their delivery schedules to meet the
Employee needs.
6. Subsequent: Great HR People are in this for the long
haul, and getting the Employee Hired is only the first
step.
7. Measurement: Any behavior that is rewarded will tend
to be repeated, so Great HR People Reward Every Em-
ployee Action Which Is Worthy Of Recognition.
8. Convenient: Great HR People are both receptive and
responsive. They know that they have to be "user friend-
ly."
9. Excitement: Great HR People are enthusiastic, and
militantly optimistic.
10. Commitment: The HR people are enlisted in a larger
mission that just closing the Offer and Getting the Person
Onboarded.
1. What‟s the target for the month?
2. Which are the priority brands?
3. Which are the top ten performing territories?
4. What is the PCPM for the organization?
5. What's the current vacancy status & where is Tanaku
& Wardha?
6. What's the sales process?
7. What are the basic HR expectations of a Sales Rep?
8. Who are the talented guys to be retained & developed?
9. Who are on PIP?
10. How does HR impact sales?
1. Right Hire & Onboarding
2. Right Training, Coaching & Mentoring.
3. Compensation & Regular Market Corrections
4. Employee First Policies
5. Illustrative Career Paths & Periodic Stay Interviews
6. AC & DC
7. Peaceful Exit & Faster Clearance of IR Issues
The process of building a collaborative HR- Sales partner-
ship is multidimensional. It involves:
1. Recognizing Opportunities For Strategic Change
2. Mobilizing People And Resources To Create & Drive
Strategic Changes
3. Developing A Shared Vision Of Long-Term Action
Plan
4. Seeking Support and Involvement from Diverse and
Non-Traditional Partners
5. Choosing an Effective Organi-
zation Structure;
6. Building Trust Among Collabo-
rators
7. Developing Learning Opportu-
nities for the Sales Team. ▌
FORGING STRONG PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN HR AND SALES
10 Questions that Facilitate Sales – HR Partnership
Top HR contributions to Creating Great Sales Force
How to Build Strong Sales – HR Partnerships -
Aparna Sharma is Director HR at Deutsche Bank Global Services. She has worked with Monsanto, Novartis and UCB Pharma. http://in. l inkedin.com/pub/aparna -sharma/5/31a/899
Credits: Orvel Ray Wilson is an author and speaker on sales, marketing and management, and co-author of Guerrilla Selling: Unconventional Weap-ons and Tactics for Making the Sale
9
MedicinMan Vol.2 Iss.1
10
In the good old days, „technical skills‟, or what we com-
monly know as „product knowledge‟, played a very im-
portant role in communication with doctors. Apart from
MNCs, even Indian companies spent two to three months
during the induction training program for the medical
representatives. This gave them enough self-confidence
to speak to doctors and discuss the benefits of their prod-
ucts.
Even today, doctors heavily rely on pharma companies
for information. Therefore delivering scientific communi-
cation correctly is vital. This is possible only when one
has thorough subject knowledge.
But sadly, this very important aspect of brand promotion
is getting neglected. More time is spent on dubious brand
promotional activities for quick results. In the process,
brand building activities by displaying technical skills
takes a backseat. Many companies do not even conduct
induction training programs. The new recruits are
pushed into the sea – sink or swim; “It‟s your headache”
is the silent message which is communicated.
Result? Untrained medical representatives go into the
field – the brand takes a beating as it is under-used. The
hidden losses remain hidden and both, the pharma com-
pany and patients stand to lose. The benefits of the brand
are not extended to the patient because of lack of aware-
ness. The limited technical skill of the brand manager,
and therefore the field-force is responsible for this.
In the book „WHAT THE PHARMA CEO WANTS FROM
THE BRAND MANAGER‟, two real-life case studies have
been cited. These two case studies are reproduced here.
CASE STUDY 1
It is generally assumed that dermatologists prescribe
moisturizers only in winter. This is not a correct as-
sumption.
A client of mine markets a wide range of moisturizers.
About 60% of the sales were made during the period
November to February after which the sales declined
substantially. The brand manager did not have any solu-
tion to this. The CEO of the company approached me. I
studied these products and their promotional strategies
intensely. I realized that there is a vacant slot, which I
confirmed by meeting dermatologists across the country.
Moisturizers have a very important role to play in chron-
ic skin conditions like psoriasis and atopic dermatitis.
These conditions are generally characterized by sudden
and severe flare-ups followed by a period of remission
and again flare-ups and remission. During the flare-ups,
doctors prescribe corticosteroids and then stop therapy
after the severity subsides. Instead, if doctors prescribe a
moisturizer along with steroids during the flare-ups and
continue with just the moisturizer during the remission
period, the patient can be doubly benefitted.
1. The severity and the intensity of the next flare-up
will reduce considerably.
2. The intervals between two episodes of flare-ups can
also be prolonged.
If the brand manager had deep technical knowledge of
moisturizers, these products could have been promoted
in chronic skin conditions – much before my interven-
tion! The positioning strategy was changed. With this
there was a steep rise in the sales of their moisturizers
even during the non-winter months.
- Vivek Hattangadi
THE IMPORTANCE OF TECHNICAL SKILLS IN BRAND PROMOS
MedicinMan Vol.2 Iss.1 MedicinMan Vol.2 Iss.1
11
CASE STUDY 2 Amisulpride is a widely used antipsychotic for treating both positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia. At low dose, it is an excellent drug for treating dysthymia i.e. low grade depression. It is now conclusively proven that the prognosis of chronic disease like hypertension, gastric ulcers is better when the mind is also treated with anti-depressants or anxiolytics. Low dose amisulpride therefore has a great potential to be co-prescribed by cardiologists, gastroenterologists and other specialties treating chronic disease conditions. I recommended this strategy to a client of mine and the
outcome was beyond expectations.
What are the lessons one can learn? Without sound prod-
uct knowledge one may not be able to realize the full poten-
tial of the brand. With poor product knowledge, one can
only see boundaries and limitations of a brand. With good
technical skills, all these limitations disappear, because
now, we see with our mind which does not see the limita-
tions. ▌
THE IMPORTANCE OF TECHNICAL SKILLS IN BRAND PROMOS
UNTRAINED MEDICAL REPRE-
SENTATIVES GO INTO THE
FIELD – THE BRAND TAKES A
BEATING AS IT IS UNDER-USED.
THE HIDDEN LOSSES REMAIN
HIDDEN AND BOTH, THE PHAR-
MA COMPANY AND PATIENTS
STAND TO LOSE. THE BENEFITS
OF THE BRAND ARE NOT EX-
TENDED TO THE PATIENT BE-
CAUSE OF LACK OF AWARENESS.
THE LIMITED TECHNICAL SKILL
OF THE BRAND MANAGER, AND
THEREFORE THE FIELD-FORCE
IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS.
MedicinMan Vol.2 Iss.1
12
MRS & FLIGHT ATTENDANTS – FATIGUED AND FLOPPY Medical Reps and Flight Attendants -
their job profiles have many similari-
ties. They are the front-end of their businesses
and customers form their opinion about their com-
panies based on their interactions with these brand
ambassadors.
I was returning after a long hard day‟s work on the
field with Med Reps to assess their learning and
development needs. As I boarded the airlines of the
“King of Good-times”, I couldn‟t help noticing the
tired and floppy demeanor of the twenty some-
thing pretty but dispirited face. She went through
the motions of the statutory announcements with
an air of resignation. Her heart was not in it, nei-
ther was her mind as she stumbled over the
„detailing‟ talk. The fizz was just not there and I
began to see the similarities between the Med Reps
and the Floppy Flight Attendant – both going
through the motions – they were there till some-
thing else came up; the waiting had been more
than they anticipated.
The Med Reps job was once high profile with few
MNC vacancies available and some Indian compa-
nies with good global collaborations. It had fallen
out of favor with the mushrooming of pharma
companies since the 90s and too many drugs chas-
ing too few prescriptions. Were the Airlines too
falling into that rat race, making this once glamor-
ous job a mundane waiter-in-the-sky? The doc-
tors were spoiled for choice and demanded every-
thing from durables to durex. Is the Airline indus-
try too on its way to becoming generic – a big fall
from the heady days of brand image?
Every profession goes through the cycle of rise and
fall, much like nations, politicians, business and
products and unless reinvented fall by the wayside.
Medical profession is no longer the exclusive do-
main of the noble; air travel is now within the
reach of the trader who carries an extra sack of
goods as cabin baggage to make up for the differ-
ence between air and rail fare. Consequently both
Med Reps and Flight Attendants have lost their
glamour. The train TTE on the other hand seems to
have regained lost ground and is in most cases
well groomed/behaved and takes pride in his well
paid and secure job.
It‟s about time that Airlines reinvent
and make themselves attractive before it
goes the Pharma way. BTW, it would not
hurt Pharma if it took steps to rethink
and retool the front-line before it be-
comes the last option of the unemploya-
bles. ▌
EVERY PROFESSION
GOES THROUGH THE
CYCLE OF RISE AND
FALL, MUCH LIKE
NATIONS, POLITICIANS,
BUSINESS AND PROD-
UCTS AND UNLESS REIN-
VENTED FALL BY THE
WAYSIDE.
EXECUTIVE TEAM
EDITOR
Anup Soans
EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Joshua Soans
COO
Arvind Nair
ADVISORY BOARD
Prof. Vivek
Hattangadi
Jolly Mathews
EDITORIAL BOARD
Shashin
Bodawala
Salil Kallianpur
Dr. Shalini Ratan
Prabhakar Shetty
Varadarajan S
Dr. Mandar Kubal
CONSULTANTS
Amit Shekhar
Anup Soans, Editor
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