Now more than ever, it’s important for the pharmaceutical company to make the right, strategic decisions as they develop new products and continue to market existing products into the field. It is quite a journey between product manufacture and end-user and there are many layers of bureaucracy and regulation to deal with before the patient actually gets hold of the much-needed product. This is by any definition a difficult environment and the pharmaceutical consultant can be a major asset.

After many decades of consultation, it looks like legislation will soon change how the US healthcare industry looks and affect one of the world’s most complex industries. Nobody is sure just how these changes will affect organisations directly involved in the business and this change is likely to unfold over a period of many months and years. This will be a period of learning for everyone and it goes without saying that the organisation that is best prepared, will capitalise the most from the opportunities ahead. Many view change as being a threatening situation, but for those who are forward thinking, they can see opportunities and will ensure that pharma consulting firms help them to delineate and take advantage accordingly.

The selection of the pharmaceutical and healthcare consulting firm must be made on the basis of an organisation’s track record and its ability to operate on the leading edge. The consulting company must balance this experience with its ability to make judgements from a knowledgeable perspective and help to recommend that the organisation take certain steps to address specific challenges. The pharmaceutical consultant should be a close ally to senior decision-makers within the organisation and should provide a helping hand with expert input on a timely basis.

Sometimes key management decisions are a little shaky and the pharmaceutical consultant must always be ready to challenge these decisions if a more profitable or more tactical way ahead is available. The consultant will not take over the situation of course, but a good consulting firm is quite able to look at the situation from a “devil’s advocate” or neutral and unbiased position, calling on knowledge and experience of similar situations in the past.

If the pharma consulting firm is worth its salt, it will be able to look into the future and anticipate trends and bring to the attention of the organisation any emerging issues or threats likely to impact the position. Developments within the marketplace could be critical to a planned product down the road and early intervention at decision-making time can often make the difference between great profits or a failed venture. We can see that a relationship between senior executives of the company and the pharmaceutical consulting firm should be very close, with proven synergy and results.

Alan Gillies is the Director of L2L Consulting, an elite pharmaceutical consultancy firm which specialises in Strategy Development and Implementation Excellence for prestigious multi-national organisations.

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A pharmaceutical company faces many challenges, quite apart from the manufacture of its products. The pharmaceutical consulting firm helps the company understand how it needs to educate the consumer. Pharmaceutical companies regularly operate on the sharp end of discovery and their revelations may be truly ground-breaking. Without an adequate marketing channel, these findings might never make their way via the regulators to the front-line professionals. Marketing also insists that the product features and benefits are correctly communicated to the financiers, principally the insurance companies, who seem to have an ever-increasing role in the dissemination of care.

Before a new product may arrive on the desk of the regulators, who determine its future, the company must have marketed both its products and its history within a very competitive and busy environment. It should be noted that certain principals within the industry have an incentive to steer healthcare practitioners and their patients toward older, or generic medications and that these agendas may not be in the best interests of the sufferer. Pharmaceutical companies have a clear incentive to trumpet the benefits of their wares in such a noisy marketplace and help to create a dynamic and forward thinking mindset.

It is unfortunate that the ultimate care of the patient is very often not the ultimate goal of certain vested interests. In popular opinion, healthcare reform is always controversial and the pharmaceutical company would do well to accurately and forcefully communicate its position. The physician takes input from many different sources before he or she makes the decision as to final care, including experience, peer input, education and training, patient history, formularies, techniques and benchmarks – all play their role. Statistics tell us that 90% of the most frequently prescribed drugs are generics and thus it is difficult for pharmaceutical companies to ensure that they are being heard in the right place at the right time. In most cases, pharma consulting firms are used to this difficult environment and can certainly help to open channels and engage practices.

Pharmaceutical companies have been responsible for many of the most amazing discoveries in the world of medicine. Cures that would have been unheard-of a generation ago are now commonplace. Much emphasis must be put on marketing “the word” to ensure that our health care continues to improve.

Alan Gillies is the Director of L2L Consulting, an elite pharmaceutical consultancy firm which specialises in Strategy Development and Implementation Excellence for prestigious multi-national organisations.

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Have you ever heard of the saying, coined by a famous football coach – “winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing!” Remember to keep this mindset engaged at all times. Although valuable contacts may be made and additional experience a must, if no sales are made then no value is realised, either.

Motivation is so important and a pharmaceutical consulting firm will help create an array of appropriate measurement tools. Within sales, the measurement of activity levels is only part of the equation. A sales executive is not necessarily highly efficient, even though his or her volume of sales may be high, as ultimate value must be assessed. If a valuable relationship is not established between all principals concerned, then the account may not necessarily be seen as successful, as we need to judge more than the actual dollar amount involved. It is important to align the buyer’s strategy and position with the company’s. Sales people should not be incentivised unless there is a clear gain for the company and the client achieves value, thereby cementing the relationship.

Levels of incentive must be tied to achievable and attainable levels and goals. There must be a tangible carrot at the end of the road and achievable targets should lead to further incentives on a structured basis. If the sales executive is able to “get” to an end result, then he or she will not be adequately motivated to reach even further and keep working.

The adoption of time management cannot be underestimated and the company should strive to ensure that the sales manager is not bogged down with too many administrative elements, through the provision of the latest, cutting-edge tools to streamline work. Did you know that many sales executives actually spend less than 25% of their time in direct communication with clients?

We can see that for the sales team to be effective, each member must be adequately trained and furthermore must engage in a process of ongoing training. Such training will include education in the products to be sold, latest sales techniques and delivery processes in addition to management of time and the vital elements of interpersonal communication. To help get this right, engage pharma consulting experts.

Alan Gillies is the CEO of L2L Consulting, a cutting-edge pharma consultancy firm which specialises in optimising productivity and performance within international companies by applying tailored organisational strategies.

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Each sales executive must be a team player and top management must ensure this is the case. To ensure that the ultimate marketing results are achieved, the team must be effectively managed and pharmaceutical consultants are fully positioned to do this. Visualisation is an important tool within sales and marketing and results must be quantified, with control and measurement at all levels. The daily initiatives must be seen as part of an overall and tangible goal and the team should be able to work as a cohesive unit for best results to be achieved.

When all is said and done, the workforce must get out into the market and engage with clients and potential prospects. There is a time and a place for the planning and charting of the program, but no sales are made until executives interact in the real world. While a sales team may be composed of experienced players, there is nevertheless a lot to learn about the health care industry in particular and training is an essential part of staff handling. Without adequate coaching and being unaware of potential loopholes ahead, time can be wasted and worse still, clients can be overlooked or lost in such a competitive marketplace. In most cases, pharma consulting firms fully understand how important time management is and how effective implementation is not possible in the wider scheme without strict adherence and application.

It is never good to assume anything, as this could lead to confusion and delay. Effective implementation requires a level of awareness that comes as part of a true playing team. Celebrate the contribution of each team member and make sure that it is completely visible to all concerned. Eliminate procrastination and encourage action. Three critical components make up an effective salesperson – creativity, assertiveness and flair.

When in the marketplace, the salesman or woman must be fully up to speed on product details, benefits, solutions and item availability, but must also be an effective manager, able to prioritise and still achieve stated benchmarks and goals. Certain key skills must be in evidence before success may be achieved, but this can certainly be enhanced by full training, great management and team cohesiveness. Invariably, pharmaceutical consulting organisations are primed and ready to take on these challenges.

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.

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A pharmaceutical company has many different stakeholders and must satisfy a number of different “clients.” So many different issues have to be addressed including the company’s position, public relations and media activities, lobbying in political circles, quite apart from core issues of marketing and economics. There is a lot to take on, from a daily and weekly perspective and company executives must ensure that they do not try and address too many complex issues while diluting their overall effectiveness. Key account management will not be effective if certain layers of communication are not maintained, leading to a less efficient sales and marketing operation and calling for a pharmaceutical consulting firm to be retained for best effect.

Following the appointment of a specific account to the role of “key,” the pharmaceutical consultants should help in composing a concerted plan of action. The business must look at the relationship from the client point of view and accurately gauge what they feel to be the substance of the relationship. Communication must be full and constant and all parties must be able to achieve a “win” no matter how complex this is to achieve. The key account is more likely to want to continue with the company if value is delivered over and above the core essentials.

A comfort zone must be the desired result, for if the client senses this, then a continuation can be expected and an expansion possible. Trust is everything and the establishment of a comfort zone promotes the client to relax many of the resources it may engage to control the associated activities, marking the relationship as efficient in its eyes.

It has been said that account management is often one of “damage control.” Certainly issues and problems will arise from time to time. The company should do its utmost to fully understand the workings of its client and try and pre-empt any objections or problems. The more educated the sales and marketing team and the better the training levels initiated, the more likely it is that any potential stumbling blocks will be easily resolved.

Key account management requires a constant review of the client’s interpretation of the relationship. As always, a level of satisfaction is at the top of the list and when senior management goes overboard, a long-term relationship is likely, with great potential for additional revenues. Satisfaction is top priority, according to pharma consulting firms.

Alan Gillies is the CEO of L2L Consulting, a cutting-edge pharma consultancy firm which specialises in optimising productivity and performance within international companies by applying tailored organisational strategies.

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The achievement of the sale is not the end of the story. While winning a sale is undoubtedly important, as after all without sales nothing is achieved, there must be tangible and measurable value attached to the sale, from every point of view. However efficient the executive, without the creation of a good relationship between both parties, the long-term baseline value of the transaction is questionable. In this analysis, incentives must be prepared and deployed selectively, with the aim of achieving a “win-win” solution all around.

Productivity generally increases if an individual is incentivised, as this is within our nature. Create sensible goals to move the sales force forward. If this is handled correctly it will create a volatile and effective environment, but it can also be detrimental if handled poorly. The goals set should represent a journey rather than the destination and multi-tiered targets should encourage, but always lead to a “carrot” which is just out of reach. In this way, the sales executive will be always focused.

In most cases, pharmaceutical consulting firms tell us that sales executives spend the majority of their time on ancillary and sometimes mundane administrative work and a minority of their time in direct communication with prospects or engaged with client management. Due to this amazing statistic, time management should be a top priority and executives should do whatever they can to cut down on the ancillary or administrative work necessary. Creativity and enthusiasm can be stifled within certain outgoing personality types, through the imposition of onerous or even boring demands.

A sales force will only be really effective if a comprehensive training process is in place and the team member must feel that he or she is part of a dynamic organisation. Do not confuse administration with training – training is a priority, while administrative burdens should be minimised. Generally, pharma consulting firms can help to roll out the latest in procedures, educate in technical issues and methodology and focus on product awareness. These companies can bring a lot to the corporate table, using an extensive industry background, a variety of different perspectives, pep talks and rallies at just the right time to eliminate even the traces of negative emotions.

Alan Gillies is the CEO of L2L Consulting, a cutting-edge pharma consultancy firm which specialises in optimising productivity and performance within international companies by applying tailored organisational strategies.

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The achievement of the sale is not the end of the story. While winning a sale is undoubtedly important, as after all without sales nothing is achieved, there must be tangible and measurable value attached to the sale, from every point of view. However efficient the executive, without the creation of a good relationship between both parties, the long-term baseline value of the transaction is questionable. In this analysis, incentives must be prepared and deployed selectively, with the aim of achieving a “win-win” solution all around.

It is human nature for an individual to likely be more productive if he or she is incentivised. Create sensible goals to move the sales force forward. Correct incentivisation will enhance the effectiveness of the sales force, but the opposite is also true. The goals set should represent a journey rather than the destination and multi-tiered targets should encourage, but always lead to a “carrot” which is just out of reach. In this way, the sales executive will be always focused.

Feedback from pharmaceutical consulting firms will tell us that sales executives are often engaged with mundane and administrative work and spend only a small amount of their time directly communicating with productive targets. Due to this amazing statistic, time management should be a top priority and executives should do whatever they can to cut down on the ancillary or administrative work necessary. Creativity and enthusiasm can be stifled within certain outgoing personality types, through the imposition of onerous or even boring demands.

If a comprehensive training program is practised by the organisation, each team member will get the feeling that he or she is dynamically engaged with the overall goal. While administrative burdens should be kept to a minimum as we have said, training must nevertheless be prioritised. This should include product awareness as well as methodology and techniques, and the latest procedures can be implemented through pharma consulting firms. Such companies have been proven to raise morale, cut out negative emotions, inject just the right amount of enthusiasm and draw on their extensive industry background.

Alan Gillies is the Director of L2L Consulting, an elite pharmaceutical consultancy firm which specialises in Strategy Development and Implementation Excellence for prestigious multi-national organisations.

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