How many times have we been to a sales seminar, or to a top-flight convention, to become totally engrossed in what we find there, able to “milk” in the atmosphere and to feel the motivation building up inside us? The originators and producers of these events had worked their magic and had provided us with just the right amount of excitement and motivation to push us into the market and get us to sell the services or products without any delay. We can often see this kind of broad motivation originating from pharmaceutical sales training sessions and they are important scheduled events for any sales force. With all that said and done, don’t forget the importance of effective implementation, as all this first-class motivation tends to disseminate into the atmosphere somewhat, when the salesperson actually hits the road, running.

This is a problem that has plagued the corporate trainer and the motivational speaker for generations. It may be relatively easy to propel a salesperson to make a plan and to thereby establish a relative goal, but the execution is often the challenge. It’s all very well talking about theoretical situations in a classroom environment, outlining the threats and challenges that are likely to be faced in the real world and implementing training to ensure that the salesperson is best prepared to cope. However, it must be understood that very many different factors come into play when the salesperson is actually engaged with the prospect and one could argue that the biggest hurdle facing the salesperson when trying to “land” a sale is the attitude or subconscious direction displayed by the salesperson him or herself.

It is very important that pharmaceutical sales training does not set up subconscious, relatively impossible and/or psychologically negative barriers, potentially compromising effective implementation. We often hear that nothing less than a 100% result is acceptable and this often forms the basis for setting sales goals in the first place. Such a “set in stone” position can often result in failure, however, and we must view opportunities from all different angles. Sometimes, a relatively high percentage result is better than 100% of nothing.

The salesperson must always be coached to understand that persistence when facing adversity is critical. This is not to say that the person should push forward under all circumstances, as it is equally as important to understand that certain parameters may have made any kind of sale unattainable. This requires a person to adapt and evolve and use internal motivation to dodge the final line of defence and score the goal.

To create a solid foundation, the organisation must provide absolute commitment in terms of training, resource availability and a strong product, to support the sales force from the beginning. This is where critical, key account management training works best, infusing the right person with the right amount of knowledge and ability, allowing them to implement effectively and according to unequivocal guidance from senior management personnel.

Alan Gillies is the Managing Director of L2L Consulting, specialising in enabling pharmaceutical companies to achieve new heights of productivity and performance, throughout all levels of management and revenue generating activities.