good sales representatives is a dedication to their profession and having detailed knowledge about their products, the industry, and the mar ket. Many in the industry say that the role of the sales rep will evolve from being a sample deliv ery person — one of the negative aspects of having an overabundance of reps in the field — to a provider of valuable information for physi cians and other healthcare providers. Several recent surveys reveal that physi cians value a highly educated sales representa tive whose knowledge goes beyond product information.A sales rep must be wellversed in the issues that impact disease management, regulatory, and patient qualityoflife concerns. A great sales rep also possesses a good deal of healthcare business acumen. Sales reps need to understand the entire industry and they need to know how market forces are impacting their customers. This knowledge base goes beyond training; it means reps have to be proactive in their approach and want to develop a solid relationship with physicians built on credible and honest infor mation and feedback. So as waiting rooms thin out and the dan ger of tripping over sample cases diminishes, the focus is back where it should have been all along: providing superior service in the hope of improving patient care. Isn’t this the reason many folks get into the industry in the first place? Taren Grom Editor Sales practices he salesforce arms race, in its current form, may be unofficially over, but keep an eye out for the specialty forces that are being fielded to enhance the physicianrep experience. Many experts believe that there will be a resurgence of specialty sales organizations — field forces that focus on specific patient needs and market segments. In addition, professional sales representa tives will have to hone their skills to become better at defining the payer environment, iden tifying reimbursement issues, and getting involved in product distribution. Regardless of whether pharmaceutical companies are growing or shrinking their sales forces, the fundamentals of selling remain con stant: planning, targeting, relationship manage ment, and goalsetting, according to the consulting firm Best Practices. And it is the specific practices that repre sentatives follow within these areas that sepa rate the top performers from the pack. According to Best Practices’ recent report, reps estimate that it takes at least one to two years in any new territory to develop relation ships with local doctors and office staff. The analysts at Best Practices offer several key best practices to increase rep effectiveness: . Continuously probe the physician’s office culture, policies, and preferences to create a customized sales approach. . Build rapport with physicians by openly discussing goals, office service needs, and physi cians’ needs. . Manage and allocate samples to physi cians according to prescription volume and by coaching doctors on the use of samples. . Create relationshipbuilding programs to meet specific customer needs and preferences. . Manage sales reps by developing mea surable goals, budgeting sufficient resources, and providing continuous coaching. . Empower reps to align planning, targeting, and scheduling activities to reflect their per sonal selling approaches. According to Carolyn Gretton, the author of this month’s Forum,experts agree that what differentiates great sales professionals from T PUBLISHER Lisa Banket EDITOR Taren Grom CREATIVE DIRECTOR Marah Walsh EDITORS Carolyn Gretton Denise Myshko Kim Ribbink DESIGN ASSOCIATE Cathy Liszewski NATIONAL ACCOUNT MANAGERS Cathy Tracy SALES REPRESENTATIVE Kate Guerrierro Copyright 2008 by PharmaLinx LLC, Titusville, NJ Printed in the U.S.A. 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All submissions become the property of PharmaLinx LLC. Letters VIEW ON SALES A SUPPORTING PUBLICATIONTO PHARMAVOICE Taren Grom Stop by Booth No. 337 at the SPBT conference to find out what’s hot in the sales arena. LETTER FROMTHE EDITOR 3 VIEW on Sales May 20 08 0508 pvv forum Final 4/25/08 9:51 PM Page 3
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