It’s very difficult to get ahead of the game in the pharmaceutical sales business and a training consultant must be able to look at a whole list of different criteria in order to motivate the sales force to succeed. The goal of first-rate performance is achievable if the consultant is able to help the client understand and first define benchmarks and competencies. Without the ability to measure these competencies, goals cannot realistically be set and individuals may not aspire to meet them. It is therefore important that the pharmaceutical company understands and helps to develop the framework at the outset.

When certain sales targets have been identified, marketing positions that are specific to those goals must be designed. Within each role, an individual’s tasks must be identified and methods assessed. It is likely that each role within an organisation will retain certain uniform competencies, which could be regarded as core principles, but it is very important to accurately define the competencies that are specific to the role and thus must be mastered by the individuals so assigned.

As a rule of thumb, pharmaceutical sales training should take into account cutting edge methodology and utilise the experience and ability of the consultant organisation to best effect. Selling skills have become more advanced and rely less on pure number crunching and goal orientation, but rather focus on personal interaction with the buying entity. To pick up specific product knowledge, pertinent to the individual’s objective, requires a salesperson to have a clear understanding of the buyer’s position and the variety of external factors that could influence his or her decision, when it comes to decision time.

The salesperson must be fully aware of where his or her employer stands from an overall perspective, certainly in relation to the brand position and this is where pharmaceutical sales training comes into its own. The consultant imparts to the salesperson how the market is made up, how certain levels of strategic marketing can best push the brand and how the most modern communication methods can help.

Today’s salesperson must be very good at communicating and understand the intricacies of public relations. The buyer/seller relationship in the modern pharmaceutical business can often represent more of an informational partner exchange. Often, very subtle and difficult to determine factors may influence the buying decision, and the salesperson must try and understand these.

If an account is determined to be principle and essential to the pharmaceutical company’s existence going forward, key account management training must ensure that the individuals responsible for handling these accounts are up to speed. Standard sales and closing skills will not be sufficient alone and more focused and specific skill sets could be required. The pharmaceutical company must understand that the key account is looking for more than might be immediately obvious and that a straightforward, two-way interaction is not sufficient for success. Other than the particular person responsible for face-to-face relations with the key account, everybody involved must understand the delicacy of dealing with the account and that there may be some special techniques needed, if an ultimately successful relationship is to be enjoyed with this client.

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.