20 May 20 08 VIEW on Sales TALENT DEVELOPMENT I n the increasingly competitive marketplace of the pharmaceutical industry, a high performance salesforce is perhaps the most critical source of competitive advantage.Attracting and selecting the right tal ent is essential to success, given both current business needs and future market opportunities. Knowing the right talent to achieve strategic goals and objectives is the key to success. Knowing the right talent to have on your sales team is the key to dominating the marketplace. Advantages of a CompetencyBased Approach The heart and soul of any pharmaceutical company lies in its salesforce. Therefore, the capabilities, attitudes, and behaviors of the sales team must be aligned with the business strategy. The way in which those capabilities are defined must reflect current needs, as well as prepare the organization to be ready to face changing needs and expectations.To do so, many orga nizations have leveraged competency models as a tool in establishing a common language, framework, and strategy for strengthening their capabil ities. It is critical for organizations to establish effective competency models that will allow them to best define the critical skills and gain competitive advantage through a bestinclass sales team. A competency model defines the knowledge, skills, abilities, and attributes that lead to high performance. A welldesigned model translates an organization’s strategic objectives into actionable behaviors, illustrating the capabilities needed to meet business challenges. The best models are not overly complex, with a “laundry list” of attributes, complicated levels, or highly conceptual definitions. Each competency should have an overall description and specific statements of behavior that provide further defi nition. Good models are usable, easily understandable, and simply defined by recognizable behaviors. These behaviors can be found in either positionspecific or enterprise wide models, depending on the organization. Many pharmaceutical compa nies have created specific models for their sales organizations, articulating the skills and behaviors applicable to and expected of all sales representa tives, regardless of title. Examples of common sales competencies include customer focus, results orientation, communication skills, and accountability. Expertise Necessary The demand for competency models has grown in recent years, but the demand has sometimes outpaced the underlying expertise.The value of modeling comes from the behaviors that comprise the competencies and the methodology used for identifying them. Entering “competency models” in any internet search engine will yield literally thousands of mod els, many based on questionable development techniques. Models must be grounded in the requirements of the job or role, par ticularly if they are to be used as part of an assessment process, such as selection (i.e., preemployment testing, structured interview protocols), performance management (i.e., performance appraisals, compensation, 360degree feedback), or succession planning (i.e., talent reviews, poten tial assessments).The value of any model rests in its application.Therefore, be it through interviews, employee surveys, focus groups, or leadership skill databases, competencies should be developed according to empiri cally valid and technically sound standards.Taking this approach, will ensure that the model provides the optimal utility in driving organizational excel lence. Creating a Framework for Success Competencies provide a common language and framework around performance, creating the foundation for an integrated platform of tools and processes to identify, assess and develop talent. When used to evalu ate current employees, a welldesigned competency model can identify areas for training and development that lead to improved sales perfor mance. When incorporated into the recruiting and hiring system, a com petency model can identify candidates who possess the skills needs for high performance, speeding ramp up times and increasing overall sales capability. At an individual level, the model can serve to show employees how they contribute to the bottom line, as well as set clear expectations for behavior.The more a competency model is integrated into various tal entmanagement initiatives, the more it will become part of the DNA of the company. # PDI Inc. PDI INC., provides commercialization services for established and emerging biopharmaceutical companies.The company, with operations in two areas — sales services and marketing services — is dedicated to maximizing the return on investment for its clients by providing strategic flexibility; sales, marketing and commercialization expertise; and a philosophy of performance. PDI’s commitment is to deliver innovative solutions, unparalleled execution, and superior results for its customers. Driving Sales Excellence Through Competency Modeling Susanne P. Reilly, Ph.D., Vice President, Talent Management The more a competency model is integrated into various talentmanagement initiatives, the more it will become part of the DNA of the company. 0508 pvv VIEWs Proofs 4/30/08 11:34 AM Page 20 PDI ON DEMAND SM combines exceptional vision and 20 years of innovative thinking with tools like Pulsing Sales Teams, Vacancy Coverage and Talent Acquisition to maximize ROI for your brand. Seize every opportunity with tailored sales solutions that help you strike first. Are you ready to strike at a moment’s notice? Visit www.PDIonDemand.com or call David Stievater at 8002427494, x8463. SM Dynamic solutions for a changing market Copyright PDI, Inc. 2007 All rights reserved. ######################### ####################
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Driving Sales Excellence Through Competency Modeling
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