how to start sales conversation in pharma

sales conversion

1. How to start sales conversation

2. Doctors opinions about sales reps
(US and Europe)
Longitudinal study od doctor attitudes during
in a period of 2 years*:
Trust:
44% doctors still trusts pharmaceutical
companies
19% mostly do not trust to pharma companies
* Mackintosh, International Journal of Medical Marketing, 2004

3. Doctors opinions about sales reps
(US and Europe)
Comments of doctors that participated in survey:
“Less commercials, more expert information,including
risks and side effects”
Time devoted to med reps
38% doctors that participated in a survey plan to spend
less time with med reps in the future

4. What doctors prefer?
57% doctors would be prepared to
spend more time with med reps if they
brought *:
Additional useful information
Educative materials for patients
Nonbiased scientific studies
* Mackintosh, International Journal of Medical Marketing, 2004

5. What should pharma companies do?
There are two options that pharma
comapies could chose:
1. Shorten converation so that is lasts 30 seconds
2. With right approach to the doctor made
conversation last longer up to 15 minutes

6. What should pharma companies do?
If you chose second approach, at the beginning
you should take care about three things:
First impresion
Introduction to sales convesation
Sales conversation
So, let’s start...

7. First impresion

8. What influences doctor’s
perceptions?
Pharma company
image
Percieved values:
ethics, honesty, trust
Perspetion of med rep:
similarities, intresting
Image of med
rep
Visit outcome
Longterm
cooperation
Recomendations
Wright & Lundstrom, International
Journal of Medical Marketing, 2004

9. Company image
Definition of comapany image:
perception of company actions
Company image influences all
stakeholders

10. Company image
Customer preferences :
1 Pfizer 7.60
2 Bristol-Myers Squibb 7.20
3 Johnson & Johnson 7.19
4 Merck 6.88
5 Eli Lilly 6.78
6 Amgen 5.68
7 Pharmacia 5.57
8 Wyeth 5.32
9 Abbott Laboratories 4.91
10 Schering-Plough 4.80
Company success:
Johnson & Johnson 6th;
Merck ranked 11th;
Pfizer 20th,
EliLilly 29th
Bristol-MyersSquibb 32n
Magazin Fortune, 2002, according to
Wright & Lundstrom, International
Journal of Medical Marketing, 2004

11. Percieved values
In order to gain trust, following values
should be incorporated in mer rep’s
approach:
Patient wellbeing –ethics
Good knowledge of product characteristics –
scientific and not commercial approach
Provision of correct drug information –
disclose all information both favourable and
less favourable (side effects, health risks...)

12. Perception of med rep
Physical appearance –
neatly dressed
Attitude: friendly
relationship, openess
Similarities –common
values, interests

13. Getting to the doctor...

14. Environment
Cold –warm atmosphere?
Private or public?
Diploma or familiy pictures?
Rewards, newspaper’s articles?
Sports medals, achievements...
Attitudes toward work
Sistem of values
Personality type (DISC)

15. Beginning of conversation

16. Introduction
Nurse:
Meet and greet
Remember her name
Doctor:
Handshake
Matching doctor’s handshake: if strong respond equaly, if
weak respond with mildly stronger handshake
Addressing doctor:
Name or surname?

17. Suitable topics: Compliment,
common acquitance, event,
observation
Not suitable: Get down to business
or too personal topics
Establish equal level relationship
with doctor –partners in process of
discovering new information on
drugs
Beginning of conversation

18. Help in establishing equal level
NLP approach: each person codes her experiences
using diminantly one type of representation means:
picture, sound or movement.
Why is that important?
Reveals the way thinking –what kind of information are relevant
to doctor
Gives you chance to adapt to doctor’s style –if you are percieved
as similar, good relationship is more likely to ocurre
Important to know when asking questions
Easier to spot doubts and objections

19. NLP
Recalling
pictures
Construction
of picture
Recalling
sounds
Construction
of sound
Internal
dyalogue
Kinestetics
representation

20. Behaviour of different types
Visual type: stiffed, loud, gestures in front of eyes,
usual sentence –“I can see what you mean...”
Auditive type: moderate voice intensity, bows head
on the side when listening, might avoid looking in the
eyes when listening, usual sentence –“I hear that
you really understand my needs...”
Kinestetic type: relaxed posture, deep voice, speaks
slowly with long breaks, usual sentence –“I feel that
we understand each other...”

21. Adjustmens strategy
Discover the type of the person
Act similar to other party in two areas:
posture and tone of voice
Imitation –adequate and inadequate
Sign of success

22. If visiting doctor for the first time
Present yourself:
Explain how frequently you will see each
other
State the purpose of the visits –longterm
and shortterm goals
Explain benefits doctor/pharmacist will
have from this business relationship (latest
information, scientific research, benefits for
the patient…)
Ask premision to ask questions and than –
do it!

23. Questions
Each section of your presentation should finish with
question. Purposes of questions are different and
might be:
To raise interest
Discovering needs
Verify facts
Clarify objections
Get several small “yes”

24. Tips..
Good presentation is:
Prepared in advance
Good organized
Given in a clear and understandable way
Non-verbal:
Gestures that should be omitted: crossing
arms, tapping on the desk...everything
associated with haste and nervousness

25. Thank you!