Pharma sales force shape, size and structure — where next?
Retarget your sales force with new resources
Sales force management now plays a critical role in guiding marketing changes and improving prescribing opportunities. New sales force skills, tools and strategies are now needed to meet the requirements of individual physicians. Yet fewer than 25% of the big pharma companies are currently making such changes, and many companies are getting left behind.
A new report from FirstWord Dossier — Pharma sales force shape, size and structure — where next? — analyses the key issues influencing sales force objectives and structure; how some pharma companies have restructured their sales and marketing channels, and whether these changes have been successful or not.
Report Overview
Pharma sales force shape, size and structure — where next? includes advice from 11 leading pharmaceutical sales representatives and marketing experts about how companies can combine new sales force skills, technology and flexibility to build efficient sales rep relationships with increasingly busy doctors. The report also focuses on what doctors really value about sales reps.
Key Report Features
This report will be of value to pharma directors and managers with responsibilities in the following areas:
“Companies have started to establish alternate sales channels. It’s not about one size fits all, mass marketing, television advertising but what does Dr. Jones want, and what influences him or her,” – Liz Cermak, Chief Commercial Officer, Pozen Inc
“Before they make any changes, sales management should set out a series of objectives and measures that they'll come back to over time. Of those, there are probably three major elements to measuring success,” – Craig Robertson, Executive Director, Accenture's Life Sciences group
“People are realising that if they’re going to have smaller forces, then they’re going to have to have the right people. Companies have to create a scientific differentiation between their product and a plethora of other products out in the marketplace,” – Ron Kane, VP, Allora Health Services
“If change is not communicated properly internally, performance will be lacking across the sales force. Good communication, leadership development and training will help the adoption of changes,” – Roxanne Allaire, President at Roxx Consulting Service Inc
Sales force management now plays a critical role in guiding marketing changes and improving prescribing opportunities. New sales force skills, tools and strategies are now needed to meet the requirements of individual physicians. Yet fewer than 25% of the big pharma companies are currently making such changes, and many companies are getting left behind.
A new report from FirstWord Dossier — Pharma sales force shape, size and structure — where next? — analyses the key issues influencing sales force objectives and structure; how some pharma companies have restructured their sales and marketing channels, and whether these changes have been successful or not.
Report Overview
Pharma sales force shape, size and structure — where next? includes advice from 11 leading pharmaceutical sales representatives and marketing experts about how companies can combine new sales force skills, technology and flexibility to build efficient sales rep relationships with increasingly busy doctors. The report also focuses on what doctors really value about sales reps.
Key Report Features
- External and internal forces affecting today's sales revenue
- Signs that a company needs to make structural changes
- Keys to developing a successful new corporate structure
- Insight into what physicians really want from sales reps
- The right resources to optimise pharma sales efficacy
- The successes and failures of other company restructuring
- Effects of mergers and acquisitions on today's sales forces
- Ways to transform dialogue through technology
- Understand the key factors shaping current sales force changes
- Realise the various benefits of restructuring your sales force
- Identify new ways to build good doctor-sales rep relationships
- Learn how to combine sales technology with human interaction
- Effectively communicate your new strategies to your sales force
- Review examples of other big pharma sales force changes
- Measure the success of your new sales force structure
- How successful have other companies been in restructuring?
- How could you organise your new sales structure?
- In what ways can technology enhance rep-physician relationships?
- Do your sales reps have the right skills to reach busy physicians?
- What do 80% of physicians still value about sales reps?
- How are e-detailing, smartphones and PC tablets shaping sales?
- Does the soft sell approach work better in pharma marketing?
- How can you measure the success of your structural changes?
This report will be of value to pharma directors and managers with responsibilities in the following areas:
- Market access
- National & regional sales directors
- Sales management
- Marketing management
- Business development
- Brand marketing
- Pricing & reimbursement
- Corporate communications
- Key Opinion Leader Liaison teams
- Medical affairs
- Liz Cermak, Executive VP, Chief Commercial Officer, Pozen Inc
- Craig Robertson, an executive director, Accenture's Life Sciences Group
- Matthew Gurin, VP, US Life Sciences Consulting, the Hay Group
- Ron Kane, Vice President, Allora Health Services, In Touch Solutions
- Jerry Maynor, Director, Marketing and Business Development for North America, Cegedim Strategic Data
- Christopher S Wright, Managing Principal, ZS Associates US Pharmaceuticals Practice
- Chris Morgan, Office Managing Principal of ZS Associates' office in London
- V Srinivasan, General Manager-Sales Admin, HR & Personnel, Stedman Pharma
- Roxanne Allaire, President at Roxx Consulting Service Inc
- Derrick Sims, MD, internist, Rochelle Park, NJ, USA
- Carys Mai Williams, Staff Grade Doctor in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, North East London Foundation Trust
“Companies have started to establish alternate sales channels. It’s not about one size fits all, mass marketing, television advertising but what does Dr. Jones want, and what influences him or her,” – Liz Cermak, Chief Commercial Officer, Pozen Inc
“Before they make any changes, sales management should set out a series of objectives and measures that they'll come back to over time. Of those, there are probably three major elements to measuring success,” – Craig Robertson, Executive Director, Accenture's Life Sciences group
“People are realising that if they’re going to have smaller forces, then they’re going to have to have the right people. Companies have to create a scientific differentiation between their product and a plethora of other products out in the marketplace,” – Ron Kane, VP, Allora Health Services
“If change is not communicated properly internally, performance will be lacking across the sales force. Good communication, leadership development and training will help the adoption of changes,” – Roxanne Allaire, President at Roxx Consulting Service Inc
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
INDUSTRY IN TRANSITION
Trying a softer sell approach
Down trend on promotion spending
Changing economic conditions and market forces
Sales force productivity declining
A successful future requires new strategies
Multi-faceted challenges
Judgment skills are key
LOSS OF REVENUE TRIGGERS A SALES FORCE RESTRUCTURING
External forces
Mergers and acquisitions
The ineffective sales force
Less physician face time
Impact of technology, other issues
DEVELOPING A NEW SALES FORCE STRUCTURE
Business consultants
Discard single field deployment model
A customer-centric structure
Communicate the new structure
MEASURING THE SUCCESS OF SALES FORCE CHANGE
Assessing success
Analysing soft data
Customer satisfaction, market share and profitability
Return on investment
Applying software
WHAT PHYSICIANS WANT FROM SALES REPS
Doctors need useful drug data
Taking note of helpful scientific data
Insurance coverage is important
The sales rep as an extension of the company
New indications for medicines
A personal approach
A good physician-rep relationship helps drive prescriptions
Attaining access indicates that doctors take notice
Noting what physicians respond to
KEYS TO SUCCESSFUL REORGANISATIONS
Opportunity for experimentation
Change is necessary
Change involves emotions
Keeping focused; using the best resources
SOCIAL MEDIA ENHANCES THE REP-PHYSICIAN RELATIONSHIP
New communications channel
Engaging and transforming dialogue through technology
Filling the void
Blurring the lines
E-detailing satisfaction
CONCLUSIONS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
INDUSTRY IN TRANSITION
Trying a softer sell approach
Down trend on promotion spending
Changing economic conditions and market forces
Sales force productivity declining
A successful future requires new strategies
Multi-faceted challenges
Judgment skills are key
LOSS OF REVENUE TRIGGERS A SALES FORCE RESTRUCTURING
External forces
Mergers and acquisitions
The ineffective sales force
Less physician face time
Impact of technology, other issues
DEVELOPING A NEW SALES FORCE STRUCTURE
Business consultants
Discard single field deployment model
A customer-centric structure
Communicate the new structure
MEASURING THE SUCCESS OF SALES FORCE CHANGE
Assessing success
Analysing soft data
Customer satisfaction, market share and profitability
Return on investment
Applying software
WHAT PHYSICIANS WANT FROM SALES REPS
Doctors need useful drug data
Taking note of helpful scientific data
Insurance coverage is important
The sales rep as an extension of the company
New indications for medicines
A personal approach
A good physician-rep relationship helps drive prescriptions
Attaining access indicates that doctors take notice
Noting what physicians respond to
KEYS TO SUCCESSFUL REORGANISATIONS
Opportunity for experimentation
Change is necessary
Change involves emotions
Keeping focused; using the best resources
SOCIAL MEDIA ENHANCES THE REP-PHYSICIAN RELATIONSHIP
New communications channel
Engaging and transforming dialogue through technology
Filling the void
Blurring the lines
E-detailing satisfaction
CONCLUSIONS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
