pharmaceutical selling

Course Facilitator: Dr. Awais e Siraj

MBBS (KE, 1994) MBA (SGBS, Glasgow 1997)

Product Manager 1997-2001 Medical and Regulatory Affairs Manager 1999-2003 Business Unit Manager 2003 to 2006 Sales Manager, Boston Scientific Regional Office,

Beirut, Lebanon Assistant Professor, Department of Management

Sciences, COMSATS, Islamabad. Publication:

The Art and Craft of Pharmaceutical Selling: GA Communications, Lahore, 2003.

Why are we all here? To sharpen our ‘selling skills’ To have a better understanding of our customer To prepare ourselves better for our communication Foster an insatiable will to win

Victory belongs to those who want it most Be constantly impatient with the status quo Remain highly ethical at all times Demand to hear the truth from our customers and our business partners. Focus on continuous improvement

Pillars of Pharmaceutical SellingM

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Job, Salary, Targets Incentives

Patient, EfficacySafetyCost effectiveness

Cure, Cost

Salary, Benefits

Salesmanship

Patient

Fee

Prescription

Queries

Information

Medical Representative

Manufacturer, Importeror Distributor

Money

Medicines

Money

Medic

ines

The Pharmaceutical Sales Cycle

Chemist

Doctor

The Art of Pharmaceutical Selling

Basics Pharma companies and their

salespeople Positive frame of mind Goal setting – the key to success Mission statement

Baby Steps!!!!


Gear up for sales call Pre – Call Planning

Who are your customers? Know your customers

Examining your wardrobe Timing Rehearsal

Rehearsal

Pareto’s Law


Taking care of your means of transport Traveling Distribution and distributors Chemist first! Arrange your belongings While in the waiting room, observe Liaison with gatekeepers Shaping initial discussion

PROSPECTING

Identify markets, segments, competition and requirements needs to be met To find potential customers; to Qualify, Classify and Categorize Basis for the strategy for the Sales call Proper allocation of time and frequency of sales calls. A continuous process ; all changes must be known at all relevant levels

Pre-call Planning

Align your objectives Do you have a clear call objective? Is the objective identified on your

strategic direction? Is the objective S. M. A. R. T? What can you offer that may be of

interest to the customer?

Pre-call Planning Do you have a clear

call objective? Secure a purchase order for

100 packs of a specific injection by the end of the day

Gain commitment from a targeted physician to a 6-week evaluation of a specific new product

Is the objective identified in your strategic direction/Performance Goals? Confirm that it is a priority for your

territory and division What tactics are linked to this particular

strategy? Does your plan support the chosen

tactics?

Pre-call Planning

Pre-call Planning Is your objective

S.M.A.R.T? Specific Measurable Achievable Relevant Time-bound

Pre-call Planning

Your Offerings: Clinical support Financial savings plans Free delivery Next day service International data Broad product portfolio Proprietary technology Price discounts Product in-services Professional support Symposia coordination.

What influences them:

Third-party references Revenue to the hospital Delivery Support Product Availability Recognition Full line supplier Innovation and technology Price Technical Support Relationships Congress involvement.

Do you have what they want?

Pre-call Planning

Sales Tools

Do you have all the tools and resources you need to conduct a complete call?

Are you carrying a complete sales bag into every call?


Lights, camera, action The sales call On the stage First impression is the lasting impression

Remember the name of your doctor

Know your lines


Lights, camera, actionMake it naturalThe speed of your speechThe game of feature and benefitOwn “their” concernsPatient’s pocket is the decision-maker


BridgingMode of communicationCredibilityMake them feel specialValue proposition


Active listeningSelling with evidenceAdopt a proactive attitudeDiscuss with confidenceResearch and generics


Impress them with numbers Repeat the name of product time and

again Ready made answers Short and long calls and a few in between Negotiations Apprehensions


Convenience Different strokes for different folks Choose your words carefully Tell them about the old days Managing time Talking to a group of customers When the day is just not right!


Selling skills Opening Probing Reinforcing Gaining commitment Objections

Misunderstanding When the customer is right Uninterested customer or satisfied with another product Disbelief

Closing Complainers are most loyal customers Is that all about “selling skills”

Super Selling through “Skills”

Selling Skills

Establishing the Clinical Need

“No Need = No Sale”

Selling Skills

Basic steps to an effective sales call:

Selling Skills Basic steps to an effective

sales call:

Opening Exercise:

Write an opening statement of your call and share it with your colleagues

Selling Skills Basic steps to an effective sales call:

Opening Probing

Selling Skills Basic steps to an effective sales call:

Opening Probing Reinforcing

Selling Skills Basic steps to an

effective sales call: Opening Probing Reinforcing Offering a Solution


effective sales call: Opening Probing Reinforcing Offering a Solution Handling Objections


effective sales call: Opening Probing Reinforcing Offering a solution Handling Objections Gaining commitment

Building a Call

Opening

Probing

Reinforcing

Offering a Solution

Handling Objections

GainCommitment

Openings What defines of a strong opening?

Of interest to the customer Successfully gains favorable attention Identify why you are there Consistent with your call objectives Tailored to the customer’s profile Encourage the customer to further discuss.

Reinforcing

What is “reinforcing?” Statements which…

Paraphrase the physician concerns

Confirm “the need” Establish a sense of urgency in the eye of the customer.

Reinforcing Why do we “Reinforce?”

Add value to the approach in the eyes of the physician

To establish a strong need for the product or program you wish to introduce.

Offering a Solution What does the solution statement

accomplish? It fulfills the customer’s new found “need” It builds value to the product or program you are

about to deliver It serves as a problem solving statement to the

conversation It gives you the right to get a prescription or

introduce a program.

Gain Commitment Implied needs versus specific needs

Implied Needs: When the customer states dissatisfaction When the customer agrees that his/her current modality or

drug has a shortcoming but they can “live with it”

Explicit Needs: When the customer specifically states that he/she wants or

needs to make a change When the customer suggests the next action steps.

Gain Commitment Before planning the follow-up

call, consider: How do I feel about the call? How effective was my plan? Did I accomplish/advance my call

objective? What went well that I should keep? What didn’t go well that I should change? What do I see as the next step with this

customer?

Selling Skills – Handling Objections

Brainstorming on common objections...

Product performance / desired outcome Price Product familiarity Product reliability (actual and perceived) Clinical need / relevance to practice.

Objections

Why customers raise objections? Why shouldn't they raise

objections?

Why are we scared of objections?

We are scared that the customers ask for more favors than the business they generate for us.

We are also scared of responsibility.

Scared of critique and criticism

Part I Objection Types

Misunderstanding When the customer is right!

(Real Objection) Uninterested customer or

satisfied with another drug (Lack of Interest)

Skepticism/Disbelief

Misunderstanding An erroneous impression about the

characteristics of a product or company Usually develops when the customer fails

to get a first hand knowledge of your products or the company

It can also be due to lack of proper communication in the previous calls whereby the information was communicated in a crude manner

Misunderstanding

It is also possible that your company representatives have never visited the doctor before and hence his information about the product or the company is derived from not very reliable sources

Real Objections

When the customer is right! Know the difference between a

misunderstanding and a real objection There is hardly any ideal drug available

in the market. So any customer can come up with an

objection, which is true in letter and spirit

Lack of Interest

Uninterested customer or satisfied with another drug (Lack of Interest) An uninterested customer is usually the

one who is prescribing an old and established product from a competitor and is quite satisfied with it.

This kind of customer is usually the one who hates change and is not willing to take risks, whether it concerns his own practice, his personal life or a new medicine

Skepticism Skepticism/Disbelief

Disbelief or skepticism comes usually from a very choosy customer.

Unfortunately a live demonstration cannot be made in case of pharmaceutical products. (Unless it’s an instrument or a procedure)

Hence you will have to rely on the clinical trial data and published scientific evidence in leading medical journals

Objections

Complainers are your most loyal customers -

Don’t avoid them

Strategies to Handle Objections

Objections

The rule for handling objection is simple: “Do whatever it takes to make things right when things go wrong – No matter what” T. Scott Gross (1998)

Handling Misunderstanding

Misunderstanding can be detected through customer signals

Customer signals can only be picked through active listening

Hold for a second Probe very gently for further clarification. Do not embarrass the doctor by saying,

“What are you talking about? Your argument is totally baseless.”

Handling Misunderstanding

You need to do it very delicately and in a very sophisticated manner like: “I think I could not make you

understand………….” “You will be delighted to know that this is not

actually the situation but………..” Provide the correct information Repeat the same for a permanent

impression on the doctor’s mind.

Handling Real Objections

If it is an unquestionable weakness of your product, you cannot deny it.

Simply probe to clarify and differentiate between a misunderstanding and a real objection

Acknowledge the concern of your customer The customer will develop a lot of empathy

towards you. Reduce the impact by describing a benefit

that really supercedes the deficiency

Handling Real Objections You can also make a comparison with

other products in the market if this is a common problem

Clinical and published data can be used as support to prove that the specified problem is rare and/or transient

Your marketing department should also provide you a strategy to deal with such specific situations.

Handling Real Objections

One of the training corporations based in USA suggests to follow the “five A’s” principle in such situations:

Acknowledge Apologize Accept Adjust Assure

Don’t forget to reemphasize the point and secure commitment.

Handling Lack of Interest An uninterested customer is usually not very

talkative. A series of closed probes (well thought out

obviously) can expose his need Open probes are not usually successful

because an uncommunicative customer would not like to reveal the shortcomings of his favorite product.

it is not advisable to push him to the wall A prerequisite of this, however is a thorough and

comprehensive knowledge of the competitors’ products.

Do not attack head onAlways use a diplomatic approach

Once done, you can emphasize your point and then ask for a commitment

Handling Lack of Interest

Handling Skepticism

Addressing only the point of concern Defying it through means of scientific evidence

Reemphasize and explain the benefit

In the end, try to secure commitment

Final Word!

One word says it all! Listen Listen Listen Listen

The Hidden Agenda?????


Demonstrate that you understand

Probe Uncover what is most important

Answer Respond with a solution

Confirm Verify that the solution is adequate

Acknowledge


Verify the solution is adequate Test for confirmation by suggesting the

next step of action. “Doctor, if I can demonstrate to you

that the < drug > addresses your concern, will you be willing to evaluate its performance in an actual procedure?”

Selling Skills – Closing the Sale You close the sale ONLY after you have

completely resolved the customer’s objection If you believe you have completely resolved

the objection, you should attempt a “trial close”….

“So doctor, now that I’ve shown you all the data, would you agree that < drug > offers < needed benefit > which directly addresses your concerns?”

Selling Skills – Closing the Sale

If the customer agrees to the “trial close”, you have the right to attempt a “hard close” by asking for the business.

Selling Skills – Closing the Sale

The “hard close” “Doctor, since you agree that

< product > offers those benefits which are most important to you and your patients, would you be willing to use it as your primary modality in every case?”


The “marketing mix” Literatures/folders Prescription pads Clinical studies Gimmicks and giveaways Sponsorships Clinical seminars and congresses


The “marketing mix” Group discussions and round table meetings Opinion leader lectures and speaker programs

Selecting a speaker Arranging a speaker program Lunch/dinner or tea

Use of phone, e-mail and mailings Internet/ e – marketing Days to remember!


After the sales call Retain Business Establish relationships Relationships with medical students &

fresh graduates Post call analysis Follow ups Repeat calls

Retaining the Business


How do you protect your current business?

How do you ensure that new business “sticks?”

Is the approach different for each scenario?

How can you increase the customer’s “mind share” of your company?


Possible ways to accomplish both: Communicate to all Conduct in-services (RTM’s, Group Promos etc.)

Leveraging Marketing Support Review your price structure and give

feedback Continually upgrade to new technologies Continually reinforce current technologies Develop additional end users.

Retaining the Business Conduct frequent meetings

Give your physicians enough opportunity to gain confidence on the drug before the first prescription

Have you set proper expectations regarding the performance?

Collect quick feedback on initial cases. What about existing business? How

often do we in-service these products?

Retaining the Business Ensure proper placement Are your products

Conveniently available At the nearby pharmacies In the hospital stores

Retaining the Business Review your price points

Is your pricing in line with the market? If your company is at a premium price, does

the customer justify this difference? Can you bundle other items into the

agreement? What about rebates?

Retaining the Business Continually upgrade services

Strengthen your position with the best practices available

Don’t be content with your initial offerings

Next generation drugs increase your value and can eliminate possible competitors.

Retaining the Business Continually Reinforce Current

Technologies Maintain regular dialogue on the performance

of your drugs currently being used Re-confirming customer satisfaction with

existing technologies reestablishes your position as the market leader.

Retaining the Business Develop additional

Customers Don’t stop with just one doctor Who else potentially see the cases in the same facility?

What about other departments in the hospital?


After the sales call Retain Business Establish relationships Relationships with medical students &

fresh graduates Post call analysis Follow ups Repeat calls


Something more Exploring the hidden agendas Cultures & traditions of different cities & localities Cost of one call Use your own head in addition to product

manager’s Fight on pricing? Should you? Don’t pretend to know everything Do “they” know everything?


Never argue Don’t be too predictable-be different Taking risks Working at odd hours Controlling your temper Institutional/hospital selling Joint sales calls So! Was it a good day or a bad day?


It isn’t fun if it’s easy “No medical reps please” Competitor loyal Apathetic doctors “I am the authority” Analytical and critical doctors Loyal and non loyal customers


Evaluate thy “self” Make yourself dearer for the

employer Climbing up the ladder by

volunteering “Furlough” “kaizen” training and learning Choose your future today


Motivation You are master of your success Are you Mr. Perfect? Managing your stress Ride the change lion Self respect


PHARMA SALES IS IT AS SIMPLE AS 2 + 2 = 4 SMILE, LAUGH AND TAKE IT EASY! RELAX AND HAVE FUN

Relax!