Useful Advices - Business

We’ve just received another training request to “support a culture shift,” transitioning inbound customer service representatives to proactive, outbound sales professionals. The stated business goal is to deepen client relationships with a large number of targeted clients tha

According to USFDA, a combination product is one composed of any combination of a drug and device; biological product and device; drug and biological product

t may not get enough attention from outside sales people. We’ve also found that many of our clients are in various stages of transforming their Call Centers from cost to revenue centers by adding cross sales goals to existing service goals.

These changes represent a new way

; or drug, device, and biological product and fixed dose combination would include two or more combinations of drug.

Examples of combination products may in

of life in the Call Center. We know that it can be difficult for many Call Center employees to successfully make the transition from skills needed to handle routine customer requests, questions, and problems to proactive sales skills, the ability to quickly identify customer

lude drug-coated devices, drugs packaged with delivery devices in medical kits, and drugs and devices packaged separately but intended to be used together.

needs and offer differentiated product solutions. While some are adjusting to their new responsibilities, it’s been an unwelcome and frustrating change for many, with some employees unable to meet challenging sales goals.

The problem involves several factors, including recru

here is enormous increase in the number of combination products entering the market in the recent years. Combination products have proven advantages but fixe

itment, management, compensation and training, but the biggest pitfall we see is that many service reps have negative impressions of selling and are fearful of it because they don’t know how to do it. We hear comments such as:

“I enjoy helping people who call in, but I wasn’

d dose combinations are still in the process of convincing regulatory authority on their advantages over the single ingredient formulations.

Combination pro

t hired to sell.”

“We’re just pushing products on the customers.”

They haven’t taught us enough about the products to sell them.”

And then there’s the friend of mine who remarked: “So you teach people to how to be annoying and sell people things they don’t need or want.”

ucts have become life saving products for the pharmaceutical companies who doesn’t have many innovative molecules in their product pipeline and have been inc

Few people, Call Center service reps and customers alike, are thrilled with the sales experience. In fact, because of negative reactions to the sales process, one of our clients has replaced the word “sales” with “solution” as a way to instill the impression in service reps t

easingly used in the product life cycle management. Even the companies having product patents are trying to extend their product life cycle through the combi

hat sales should be needs-based, not “pushy” and manipulative. On the customer side, I’ve heard customers try to pre-empt the sales process by immediately stating to the service rep: “Now don’t try to sell me anything today!”

We know that when you provide the right sales str

nation products and maximize the revenues. But the companies involved in this practice are overlooking that they are burdening the patients both economically

ategies and skills to increase confidence and comfort with selling, service reps will more likely embrace sales as a way of life in the Call Center. Whether being expected to cross-sell during a service call or make outbound calls to targeted prospects or clients, the right p

and physically. They need to rightly judge the benefits of the combination products and they have to even look at the risks involved when combining the produ

roduct and sales training can dramatically reduce negativity and frustrations in making a successful transition to selling.

We suggest the following five key sales strategies:

1. Check Confidence. How people feel about sell

ts. Some of the combination products were well accepted by physicians while others suffered. Companies involved in development of combination products are fi

ing affects their desire to do it and ultimately their success. Lack of confidence is the most common contributor to problems with motivation and the ability to close business. A sales person’s voice presence including tone, inflection, volume, pace and energy often reveal hi

ding difficulty in defining their combination products and facing various challenges from selecting a combination to marketing it.

Following aspects would a

s or her mindset and confidence level. Customers are tuned into voice presence more than any other element so it is worth a self-assessment.

2. Do Client Preparation. Reviewing available client information and records helps

dd to the challenges in developing combination products:

Which markets to tap where the combination products can do fairly well?
Which combination prod

to build confidence and rapport. Clients expect us to have a client-centered context for a recommendation or call purpose; without a context they will most likely view the call as “pushy” or as an intrusion, not needs-based. Transition statements help link a product or servic

cts are meaningful and rational?
Which therapeutic categories to select?
Which Combinations can address unmet needs of the patients?
Do combin

e idea to the customer’s immediate situation and should include a brief link to information available or something the customer said.

3. Do Sales Preparation. Like face-to-face-sales people, telephone salespeople are more li

tions increase the patient compliance?
What would be the developing cost?
How to tackle the risks encountered during combination product developmen

kely to achieve their sales goals if they establish specific achievable objectives and back-up objectives for the call. “Winging it” is not a sales objective or strategy. While it is critical to maintain a focus on the client, having a clear sales objective and action step be

t?

As combination products don't fit into the traditional categories of drugs, medical devices, or biological products, the USFDA is in the process of devel

it closing, referring, or sending information, helps create sales momentum. Preparation also involves the process of ensuring the sales dialogue is client-centered. Many sales people spend too much time preparing for what they want to say to a client versus preparing a strat

ping new procedures for reviewing their safety, efficacy and quality.

Professional from academic institutions, pharmaceutical industries, health care indust

egy for achieving client dialogue and uncovering their needs and priorities. We recommend preparing questions around the central theme, “What do I want to learn from the client?”

4. Learn the Client’s Point of View. Clients have a point of v

y and representatives from various regulatory agencies are working out to design the regulatory requirements for manufacture and sale of combination products

iew. Uncovering and selling to the client’s point of view is incredibly persuasive. Now keep in mind that a client’s point of view is often stated as an objection or implied in a question. That’s a good sign! Because objections provide an opportunity to ask deeper questions a

.

As there is an increasing trend of the combination products companies manufacturing such products should be able to tackle the problems involved in the de

nd listen, they can be the dialogue path to building relationships and increasing the salesperson’s ability to be persuasive.

5. Build Trust. Don’t assume that trust exists because you are speaking with an existing client. T

elopment. They need to be wiser in analyzing the market trends and the regulatory requirements.

Companies that provide selfless information through particip

rust is earned during every contact through your ability to demonstrate your needs-based intent. The unintended consequence of a goal-oriented sales focus is that too often it makes customers feel manipulated and used, resulting in shallow relationships and long-term distrust

tion in industry events and feedback to regulatory authorities would be able to face the challenges and will be successful in developing combination products

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