Useful Advices - Business

Sales managers frequently approach me for advice on how to keep salespeople motivated, especially when sales reps get into a rut - and seem to keep slipping deeper into it. Tell

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

ing managers what not to do usually solves the problem. Most managers do things to de-motivate salespeople without even knowing it.

Let's take the idea of funnels and forecasts,

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

Examples of combination products may in

for instance. Funnels and forecasts are important aspects of running any sales operation. Both salespeople and managers need to know where they stand in terms of potential oppor

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

tunities, and funnels serve to track those opportunities. No successful business can operate and properly plan for the future without accurate forecasting. In theory, these are

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

absolutely essential to the success of any operation. In reality, however, few words strike terror in the hearts of salespeople like "funnel" and "forecast."

For most salespeop

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

Combination pro

le, the term "funnel review" equates to micromanagement, probation and performance improvement plans. Just hearing the term is enough to shift a sales rep's frame of mind from p

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

ositive to negative. He or she suddenly loses enthusiasm and doesn't know why. Many managers increase funnel reviews as performance slips, which causes performance to slip furth

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

er, and in the end nobody wins. Endless funnel reviews, especially if they're not positive, only serve to reinforce salespeople's self-doubts and limiting beliefs.

Forecasts ar

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

e a similar problem, but in different ways. Few salespeople forecast accurately. Nobody wants to fall short on their forecast, so they embellish, exaggerate and make sure the nu

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

mbers add up to where they should be rather than where they really are. This results in managers who expect those numbers, and salespeople who dodge managers because they know t

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

hey aren't going to perform as forecasted. Then there are salespeople like myself who do the exact opposite - since I hated nothing more than having a manager constantly ask me,

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

Following aspects would a

"When is this one going to close? When is that one going to close?," I intentionally left good deals off my forecast. While it eliminated the problem of constantly being asked w

dd to the challenges in developing combination products:

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

hen all those deals would sign, it created another form of stress in having to deal with the consequences of a funnel that fell short of expectations.

Another word that instant

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

ly de-motivates salespeople is "activity." Unfortunately, in the absence of any other viable advice, most managers simply blurt out, "You need to increase your activity" to any

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

one who isn't at quota. This accomplishes nothing other than setting up the rep to believe that a series of funnel reviews and performance improvement plans are soon to follow.

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

Finally, I see entirely too many managers pushing too hard to spend extra time with salespeople who are falling short. While it's necessary to spend time with these people, it'

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

Professional from academic institutions, pharmaceutical industries, health care indust

s not a good idea to keep asking them what they need help with and to insist on riding along with them. This only turns up the heat another notch on an already stressed-out rep.

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

Nobody who is having trouble likes to be singled out, especially when the extra attention easily can be mistaken for micromanagement.

To keep a struggling salesperson motivated:

.

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

1. Keep the talk of funnels, forecasts and activity to a minimum.

2. Offer help without being overbearing.

3. Put your trust and confidence in that salesperson.

Stick with thes

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

Companies that provide selfless information through particip

e guidelines and you'll not only do a better job of helping those who are having difficulties, but you'll see an overall increase in your sales team's motivation and enthusiasm.

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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What is the first thing you would do if you started losing your key customers to your competitors? Well the simplest way to find out why they are leaving and stop the loss of business is to obviously ask them. To find out what made them leave you and what attracted them to another supplier.

If you are considering a car wash fundraiser for your nonprofit group or organization you need to consider the dates and the Times. It is very important not to have a car wash fundraiser on a three-day weekend or holiday week. There will be less attendance and it will be harder to get the kids to volunteer to help because many of the parents will be taking them out of town to visit grandparents or friends.

A Counsel Interview is a practical approach to dealing with staff problems - and all such situations. Issues rarely solve themselves and therefore it is essential that managers recognise that a problem exists and then solves it as rapidly as possible, because an unhappy employee will not be working at optimum performance levels.

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Useful Advices - Keeping Your Sales Team Motivated

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