in action with marshall goldsmith - pharma …medicinman.net/download/medicinman aug...

MEDICINMANField Force excellence

TM

August 2013 | www.medicinman.net

LEADERSHIP IN ACTION WITH MARSHALL GOLDSMITH

Knowledge Capital did a splendid job in or-ganising the Marshall Goldsmith Leadership in Action seminar in Mumbai. According

to information received from Knowledge Capital CEO, Raghoo Potini, more such programs by thought leaders are in the pipeline. More power to Raghoo and his fantastic team members at Knowledge Capital in organizing such path-breaking seminars. (See http://www.kcapital-us.com/home/n/) for details of forth-coming seminars. Special thanks to Nikita D’mello of Knowledge Capital.

The Marshall Goldsmith Leadership in Action seminar was aimed specifically at enabling successful people to stop doing things that reduced their effectiveness. Marshall Goldsmith is the author of 23 books includ-ing the international bestseller – What Got You Here Won’t Get You There.

EDITORIAL

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For us at MEDICINMAN, it was a great privilege to be a media partner for this transformational learning event. Unfortunately, we saw delegates from only two pharma companies – Novartis and Glenmark - at the seminar, which was a full house show with 300 delegates from all sectors.

I later had a meeting with Deep Bhandari ex-Novartis and presently Director-Marketing and Sales Excellence at UCB Pharma. Deep shared with me how Marshall Goldsmith played a big role in developing the coaching program at Novartis. K. Hariram, our chief mentor and former Managing Director of Galderma also shared his high regard for Marshall Goldsmith’s simple and effective coaching methods, which would be ideal to develop pharma front-line managers.

At the seminar, Marshall Goldsmith shared his coaching experience with the CEOs of Pfizer and GSK. I hope that more pharma companies will participate in future and understand the fundamentals of effective coach-ing, which is the need of the hour to foster Field Force Excellence.

What Got You Here Won’t Get You There is a splendid book that everybody, including Medical Reps, must read since ‘peer coaching’ is part of Marshall Goldsmith’s coaching philosophy.

The afternoon session included Vineet Nayar, Vice Chairman of HCL Technologies and author of Employees First, Customers Second: Turning Conventional Manage-ment Upside Down” (Harvard Business Press). Vineet shared his perspectives on employee engagement for increased involvement and productivity in an engaging session with lost of interaction and storytelling.

Do write to me at [email protected] if you would like to know more about MEDICINMAN Field Force Engagement and Coaching Programs. -MM

Editorial: Leadership in Action with Marshall Goldsmith | Anup Soans

Connect with Anup Soans on LinkedIn | Facebook | TwitterVisit anupsoans.com.

Meet the Editor

Anup Soans is an Author, Facilitator and the Editor of MedicinMan.

Write in to him: [email protected]

The MedicinMan team at the Marshall Goldsmith seminar. L-R: Arvind Nair, COO - MedicinMan, Marshall Goldsmith, Anup Soans - Editor, MedicinMan.

Turn to 8 for snippets

from the Marshall Goldsmith

Leadership in Action seminar.

3 | MedicinMan August 2013

MedicinMan Volume 3 Issue 8 | August 2013

Editor and Publisher

Anup Soans

CEO

Chhaya Sankath

COO

Arvind Nair

Chief Mentor

K. Hariram

Advisory Board

Prof. Vivek Hattangadi; Jolly Mathews

Editorial Board

Salil Kallianpur; Dr. Shalini Ratan; Shashin Bodawala; Prabhakar Shetty; Vardarajan S; Dr. Mandar Kubal; Dr. Surinder Kumar

International Editorial Board

Hanno Wolfram; Renie McClay

Executive Editor

Joshua Soans

MedicinMan Academy:

Prof. Vivek Hattangaadi, Dean, Professional

Skills Development

Letters to the Editor: [email protected]

1. Pharma Marketing: Continuous Improvement or Insanity?................................................................5

Why does Indian pharma insist on fixing a model that seems to be obsolete?

Salil Kallianpur

2. The Marks of a Super Rep..................................8

Small things that make a BIG difference in the life of a Medical Rep.

Shashikant Iyengar

3. Customer-Centric Interaction for the Medical Rep..........................................................................11

The sales process that puts the Customer at the center of your sales interactions.

Srinivas Pothapragada

4. Prepare to Promote..........................................16

How to build a pipeline of capable individuals to fill the roles of FLM and SLM.

K. Hariram

5. Why Great Strategy Often Fails........................21

How to avoid the pitfalls of strategy execution.

Prof. Vivek Hattangadi

6. Introduction to Diabetes Mellitus....................24

What the Field Force needs to know about the disease that affects over 50 million Indians.

Dr. Amit Dang

7. Five Steps to Breakthrough Performance......26

How FLMs can deliver breakthrough sales performance with their teams.

Anup Soans

CONTENTS (Click to navigate)

Hosted by www.MedicinMan.net. Organized by Knowledge Media Venturz.

FFE & BRAND DRIFT 2014ADVANCE ANNOUNCEMENT:

Encouraged by the overwhelming response for Brand Drift and FFE 2013, we are happy to announce the following:

1. Brand Drift and FFE will be held on consecutive days in 2014.

2. Dates: 7,8 February 2014 at Mumbai.

3. Pharma Service Providers are invited to partner with us for this event.

2014

Your Message HERE at FFE & Brand Drift 2014

CONTACT

[email protected] | +91-987-0201-422

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5 | MedicinMan June 2013

PHARMA MARKETING: “CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT” OR INSANITY? Why does pharma insist on fixing a model that seems to be obsolete,

asks Salil Kallianpur.

Enough said about the pharmaceutical industry’s business model having run its course and the need for companies to

‘transform’ the way they do business. Despite this, at industry conferences that I attended last month, it surprised me to see how few executives agreed.

I gathered from discussions that not many have been able to fathom where exactly in the scheme of things is the so-called transformation required. To my mind, there are some opportunities that the industry seems to have missed.

New product launches still define a company’s growth plan.India is a predominantly generic market with every category as commoditized as the next. In spite of this it is peculiar that companies continues to focus on products and rarely on establishing a sustainable difference that can help it break away from the pack.

While products (medicines) undoubtedly remain the mainstay of revenue, Indian companies did not diversify into services to augment their domination of therapeutic categories (through comprehensive portfolio spreads). With new products coming few and far between, Indian companies could have transferred existing equity into the services domain to create robust cash flows from “beyond the pill”.

Yet, nobody tried to redefine the term ‘product’ to mean anything beyond medicines.

Salil Kallianpur | Pharma Marketing: Continuous Improvement or Insanity?

”6 | MedicinMan June 2013

We still obsess about visual aids, in-clinic detailing and call averages.

Senior executives are unanimous in their opinion

that the dynamics of the business have changed. The

competition is fiercer, the customers are smarter, the

choices they have are many and brand loyalty is a

thing of the past. “Things are not the same as it was

30 years ago”, is a common refrain. And yet companies

choose to operate in the changed environment

in the same manner they did 30 years ago. Albert

Einstein called it insanity. Pharma calls it continuous

improvement.

It is intuitive that if products define our success,

selling them successfully to the doctors who

prescribe it is a key requirement. Pharma marketing

is about two things – information dissemination and

relationship building. It is clear that customers have

adopted non-traditional ways and means to seek

information and build and share relationships. Then,

why does the industry still insist on continuously

improving its traditional methods?

Channel partners continue to be important only at the end of the month.

Rarely have top executives engaged with channel

partners to learn and adapt to the changed dynamic

and customer profile of today. The business no

longer has fixed demand patterns. This makes

accurate forecasting a challenge. It is assumed that

with the sector opening up to FDI, organized chains

will dominate the distribution pathway as has been

seen elsewhere in emerging markets. This throws up

demands for service levels that are agile and cost-

effective. Every partner will demand customization

in packing, SKUs and delivery schedules. Pharma

must realize that developing a nimble supply chain

may soon be necessary to merely survive and not a

strategic capability.

Flexible prices are still alien to us.

Why hasn’t the industry thought of variable pricing

based on demand (capping it at govt mandated

prices)? Just as soft-drink vending machines adjust

prices based on the length of the queue of customers

or the crowd around the machine, why can’t medicine

prices fluctuate like the prices of airline and movie

tickets based on demand?

Senior executives are unanimous in their opinion that the dynamics of the business have changed. “Things are not the same as it was 30 years ago”, is a common refrain. And yet companies choose to operate in the changed environment in the same manner they did 30 years ago.

“


Salil Kallianpur | Pharma Marketing: Continuous Improvement or Insanity?

Point-of-Sales Messaging Using Technology is Still in the Realm of Science Fiction.

We all know how important the pricing of our

products are. Problems arise when the only

discussion that we have with our customers is

on how our product is a few paise less than the

competitor. While pharmacoeconomic discussions

may be partially relevant in a commoditized industry,

not one pharma company has explored point-of-

sales messaging to patients.

If bags of chips in supermarkets can contain sliver-

thin LED screens on their packets to explain the

calorific content and play advertisements, why can’t

pharma products use similar technology to carry

corporate advertisements, patient-specific messages,

KOL and patient testimonials or explain MOA of the

product? Of course these will have to be worked out

to pass regulatory strictures but imagine the value,

trust and credibility that the company can create

with the patient by doing so.

The fact that this may sound incredulous and like

science-fiction to many vindicates my case that

pharma has missed valuable opportunities to think

beyond the pill. Senior leaders of the industry must

put their heads together and think of disruptive ways

to transform a tired-old business model that has

shown signs of creaking to a halt. If not, the insanity

of throwing more good money behind bad will

continue. -SK

Senior leaders of the industry must put their heads together and think of disruptive ways to transform a tired-old business model that has shown signs of creaking to a halt. If not, the insanity of throwing more good money behind bad will continue.

“

”

Missing something important?Read past issues of MedicinMan at www.medicinman.net/archives

E


THE MARKS OF A SUPER REPSMALL THINGS THAT MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE IN THE PROFESSIONAL LIFE OF A MEDICAL REPRESENTATIVE.PROFESSIONAL ETIQUETTE:1. Etiquette in hospital corridors and waiting rooms - what NOT to do:

1It is commonly seen nowadays that field personnel - MRs and FLMs - encroach upon seats meant for

patients in hospitals and clinics. They do not offer their seat to senior citizens. Sometimes they even keep their bags on seats meant for patients. Only when asked to do so by hospital staff do they vacate the seats, reluctantly. This behavior is unacceptable and must change.

2Arguments with patients about who will meet the Doctor next should be avoided at all costs. At

times Reps are seen fighting amongst themselves over appointments. These behaviors lower the reputation of Reps and lead to restrictions on their access to the clinic or hospital.

3Crowding, loud talk and conducting sales meetings in waiting rooms has also become commonplace

resulting in Reps being banned. Talking loudly about Doctors while commuting - while patients, the lay public and maybe even Doctors listen to every word - gives a bad impression of the profession and should be avoided.

4Many Doctors do not like Reps charging their mobile devices at clinics. It is preferable to carry

a spare battery or a power bank (which can charge a mobile on-the-go), now available at affordable prices.

Shashikant Iyengar is Zonal Business Manager at Abbott.

The Marks of a Super Rep | Shashikant Iyengar


PERSONAL GROOMING:

1Polished shoes are a must. I see many Reps wearing shoes that appear unpolished for weeks. Socks should be clean

and without holes in them. Socks smell more in winter and during the rainy season when it gets wet and needs to be changed on daily basis.

2Good shoes with comfortable insoles are a must as we walk a lot every day. Excessive walking can lead to condition like

Plantar Fasitis, which can be avoided with a pair of comfortable shoes with good insoles. An investment on a pair of branded insoles like Dr. Scholls will not be regretted.

3Dressing formally for client visits is an absolute must. Sport shoes and casual pants (like jeans pants) should

be avoided. This is often seen in small towns and sometimes even in a big city like Mumbai. Avoid clothes with loud (bright) colors and check patterns.

Many of these fundamentals might seem unnecessary and are often neglected during induction, but can have a big impact on customer perception of the Representative.

HEALTH AND SAFETY

1A proper breakfast will sustain us through the day. Working on an empty stomach or improper breakfast can drain us

of energy. Not having breakfast and working in hospitals on an empty stomach could lead to catching infections.

2Have three meals a day for better health. Irregular meal timing may lead to problems like acidity or other illness.

Hence the need to plan meal timing in spite of a tight schedule is a must.

3Avoid too many cold drinks. Instead, have a lassi, chass, limbu sharbat or Energee. Drink plenty of water to keep

hydrated and also to prevent sunstroke. Always carry a bottle of water in your bag. If possible, carry home-cooked food in a tiffin box, as done by many, for better health. Avoid food that is cold to avoid diseases like diarrhea.

4Avoid eating fried snacks like vada pav, samosa, kachori, bhajjia and other junk food. A simple fruit like Banana

is cheaper and lot healthier. It has simple and complex carbohydrates which give as instant energy as well as energy in slow release form. Bananas also prevent acidity and has ulcer healing properties. It would seem that the Banana is a fruit designed for field people!

5Some healthy habits are difficult to begin but have immense benefits. Exercise daily - jogging, walking, yoga,

pranayam and other breathing exercises are activities one can take up based on time and preference.

Many Reps may be suffering from lifestyle diseases like BP, Diabetes, Lipid disorder etc. Due to modern stress and strain even Doctors like cardiologists suffer from heart attacks at the young age of 40. We need to keep fit and reduce stress to have a healthy life.

Good shoes with comfortable insoles are a must as we walk a lot every day. Excessive walking can lead to condition like Plantar Fasitis, which can be avoided with a good pair of comfortable shoes with good insoles. An investment on a good pair of branded insoles like Dr. Scholls will not be regretted.

”

“


The Marks of a Super Rep | Shashikant Iyengar

6Safely riding two-wheelers: many field colleagues have had accidents and gotten head injuries, which can be

prevented with a helmet. This is especially unfortunate when the Rep is the sole breadwinner in the family. Safe or ‘defensive’ driving is advocated.

7Carry bags: from the old trademark brown leather bags we have moved over to briefcases, to side shoulder

bags, to backpacks. I often see Reps chatting with each other while carrying heavy bags. They can choose to keep the bag down and continue with the chat. Prolonged and unnecessary carrying of the bag may lead to back pain, which appears to be common now. Unnecessary carrying should be avoided.

SOME GENERAL TIPS:

1Many companies now have online reporting. Reports can be submitted while waiting to meet Doctors, using

a smart phone or tablet. Many reps have smart phones and use them for games, photos, music etc. They can also download apps like Medscape and Fierce Markets to educate themselves on the latest market trends in Medicine and international pharma. Pads/tabs are now available at low cost and can be used for updating knowledge or to store references to show to Doctors.

2Two topics to avoid with customers are religion and politics. Instead, talk about the latest happenings in the

field of medicine and pharma.

3The recent trend to change jobs too frequently has led to minimal long-term savings. By changing jobs every

two years or even a year, you loose out on gratuity earnings and also PF accumulations. PF lies in different PF accounts and many times it is not transferred and goes to waste lying in dormant accounts. Some even withdraw these amounts every time they leave a company with the result that even after 10 years there is a meager amount in the last PF account.

PF is a silent and powerful saving mechanism if maintained properly. Many do not know that there is something called as VPF (Voluntary PF), which can be deducted by the employer and deposited in the PF account thus leading to silent saving every month. 5%/10%/15% of basic can be deducted by informing the HR or Payroll. These are in safe hands.

4Improving English communication: even though we are in the field of communication where English fluency

is a necessity, many of us are not good in this aspect. To improve, we need to read English newspapers like Times of India and self-development books. This is not given much importance. Reps feel that only sales matters and this important aspect is ignored. Also, to improve, I suggest we can attempt to solve simple crossword puzzles. We can also download English dictionary apps on our smart mobiles and use the same. -SI

Most Reps these have days smart phones and tablets. In addition to entertainment, they can be used to update your knowledge of the latest trends in medicine and the healthcare market. This will give reps an enviable advantage over those who do not.

E

”

“


What it means to put the Doctor at the center of your field sales work.

In a product-centric pharmaceutical market like India, Customer-Centric Interaction is no longer a tool only for marketing executives or product managers. Customer

Centric Interaction is slowly percolating down the ranks and is being taught to sales representatives and sales executives to bring a change in a Doctor’s prescription behavior and treatment algorithm. This also marks the beginning of a healthy relationship and strategic co-ordination between marketing and Sales Business Units of pharmaceutical companies.

Reputed pharmaceutical companies have already adopt-ed this model and are marching ahead to improvise Sales Force Excellence and Field Force Effectiveness. Learning and development teams of these companies are work-ing towards training the marketing and sales teams on Customer-Centric Interaction. The field force, in turn, is reciprocating by implementing the strategies designed by the marketing team, followed by a customized approach to generate prescriptions from Health Care Professionals (HCPs). This organized, and sophisticated approach em-ployed by pharmaceutical companies is installing confi-dence and trust among the HCPs, thereby maintaining a long-term relationship and association with them. Custom-er Centricity is undoubtedly the driving force to achieve revenue and growth for today’s Pharmaceutical Industry.

CUSTOMER-CENTRIC INTERACTIONFOR THE MEDICAL REP

The Doctor’s perception about the therapy segment, the treatment algorithm, and the prescription behavior can be traced by a Medical Representative by incorporating Customer Centric Interaction in his/her Sales Call. There exists a protocol by which the Medical Sales Representative can rule the sales call, and can win a “YES” for a prescription from the Doctor.

Srinivas Pothapragada is a front-line professional at a leading Pharma company.

Customer-Centric Interaction for the MR | Srinivas Pothapragada


Why should a Medical Sales Representative use Customer-Centric Interaction in his sales calls? A Medical Sales Representative interacts with the customers of the pharmaceutical industry on a regular basis. A Medical Sales Representative understands the needs of a customer, and updates the Doctor about recent advancements carried out in the R&D of the product. The Doctor’s perception about the therapy segment, the treatment algorithm, and the pre-scription behavior can be traced by a Medical Representative by incorporating Customer-Centric Interaction in his Sales Call. There exists a protocol by which the Medical Sales Represen-tative can rule the sales call, and can win a “YES” for a prescrip-tion from the Doctor.

Often, there is a fear of rejection or a blunt “NO” from the doctor. Obviously, the Doctor is also a human being, and he is more busy than a medical representative. But again, just lip - service doesn’t work in a doctor’s chamber.

Advanced

Advanced

Emerging

Medium

Figure 1. COURTESY: Accenture (2009). “Sustaining high performance through customer centricity. How customer-centric business models drive growth for pharmaceutical companies.” http://www.accenture.com.SiteCollectionDocuments/PDF/Accenture_Customer_Centricity_Pharma_2009.pdf

The above pictorial depiction shows the level of business focus and Customer Centricity Lifecycle maturity of various Industry types as on 2009. Looking at recent trends in organizational behavior, the “Level of Business Focus” in the Pharmaceutical Industry is slowly moving towards the Customer Centric arm.

Fig. 1: Level of Customer-Centricity Focus by Industry. Accenture (2009)

”

“A doctor wants the Medical Rep to understand him and his needs, earn his trust, and help him so that he can help his patients.Hence, CCI.



Doctors and Behavioral Styles.Customers or Doctors appear in different “Avatars” and have different behavioral styles. So it is not advisable to generalize CCI for all the Sales Calls. Doctors can be categorized into different types of professionals in a broader perspective:

1. Based on their Assertiveness.

2. Based on how much they interact or mingle with people.

3. Based on how much importance they give to their tasks.

4. Based on how detail-oriented they are.

Now, what does a Doctor usually expect from a Medical Sales Representative apart from regular visits and updates on the product?

A doctor wants the Medical Rep to understand him and his needs, earn his trust, and help him so that he can help his patients.

Hence CCI.

Basic Model of a CCI in a Doctor’s Chamber.Ideally, a sales call should start by making a connect to the last call. The medical representative should plan the call and start the call with an “interest-generating opening”, fol-lowed by a “probing question” which tends to elicit infor-mation from the doctor. This information generally contains his perspective or opinion on the therapy segment and his prescription behavior. Based on this information, the medical representative “shares valid and authenticated informa-tion” related to his product, and responds to “questions” or “concerns” raised by the doctor, if any. Finally, the call is closed after taking a commitment from the Doctor for the desired number of prescriptions.

Other tools which a medical representative can use in a Doc-tor’s chamber are – ‘FABing’ and ‘Cornering’. FABing stands for Features, Advantages, and Benefits; ‘Cornering’ is a technique in which, the doctor will not have any option to argue against the product or its specifications.

How can a Pharmaceutical Company benefit from Customer-Centric Interaction?It is believed that Customer Relationship Management, and thus Customer-Centric Interaction, is the area in which the marketing team should focus in order to contribute most to the business both now, and also in the future. Companies that already incorporated this model into their marketing strategy few years back are benefitting a lot even though they face harsh competition from the generic market. CCI model ensures long-term benefits and insulates the brand from generic products and competition, by building its repu-tation with Doctors.

”

“A Doctor wants the Medical Rep to understand him and his needs, earn his trust, and help him so that he can help his patients.Hence, CCI.



Companies which are involved in research of the molecules which they sell, can utilize the CCI model to fight against competition, and place their product in high-potential therapy seg-ments where they can get maximum benefits.

A combination of CCI and “Evidence Based Selling” at the Doctor’s chamber will definitely give the medical representative an edge over others.

In the pharmaceutical industry, the sales team undoubtedly is considered as the “voice of the customer”. Many experts believe that the marketing team should take this responsibility. But a significant number of people believe that it is a shared responsibility across multiple roles. Whatever be the Business Unit, CCI helps an employee in the pharmaceutical industry to grow personally and professionally. The CCI model itself has a structured and organized way of put-ting forward facts and is a polite way to ascertain the beliefs and opinions of the customer.

CCI measures the steps which a doctor will take to treat his patients. CCI measures the trust which a Doctor has on the molecule or product. Simply speaking, CCI measures the pulse rate of a Doctor. -SP

References:

1. Figure 1. COURTESY: Accenture (2009). “Sustaining high performance through customer centricity. How custom-er-centric business models drive growth for pharmaceutical companies.” http://www.accenture.com.SiteCollectionDocu-ments/PDF/Accenture_Customer_Centricity_Pharma_2009.pdf

2. Figure 2 & 3. COURTESY: Economist Intelligence Unit Survey, July 2012. http://www.economistgroup.com/leanback/advertising/customer-centricity “The CMO’s Conflicting Priorities :: Customer Centricity.”

Fig. 2 COURTESY: Economist Intelligence Unit Survey, July 2012. http://www.economistgroup.com/leanback/advertising/customer-centricity/ “The CMO’s Conflicting Priorities :: Customer Centricity. Customer-centricity has become increasingly important in a business environment where customers connect with brands on their own terms. (Written by : Samantha Silberberg)

Fig 3. COURTESY :: Economist Intelligence Unit Survey, July 2012.http://www.economistgroup.com/leanback/advertising/customer-centricity/ “The CMO’s Conflicting Priorities :: Customer Centricity.

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In the recent past, I have attended several forums on Sales Force Effectiveness. On the sidelines I happened to chat with some industry experts.

Besides various problems relating to FLMs and SLMs, their sales management behaviors, etc., there was also confusion expressed as to why decisions regarding internal promotions are many times not proving to be successful as expected.

There are two routes which are usually followed for promoting people: 1. planned promotion and 2. unplanned promotion. In both the cases we come across disappointments.

Why?

Unplanned promotions take place when there is a sudden departure of top performers. Given the pressing sales performance situation, there is a ten-dency for immediate knee-jerk reactions to ‘quick fix’ the problem. One of that is a familiar approach of promoting the existing top/consistent perform-ers to the managerial position.

Here comes the pain point. You have a great sales person or a FLM, who does strong work, and is thought to be ready for more responsibilities. So you make him a FLM, or SLM managing managers and you are very pleased with your swift action.

But only time will tell whether it was a right or wrong decision.

E

K. Hariram is the former MD (retd.) at Galderma India. He is

Chief Mentor at MedicinMan and a regular contributor.

[email protected]

Simple but powerful pointers to ensure that the people you promote give you the results you expect.

PREPARE TO PROMOTE.


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Prepare to Promote | K. Hariram

From my experience, I would sincerely suggest the following measures before and after promoting somebody to the FLM or SLM level, irrespective of the two scenarios mentioned above.

I strongly subscribe to the view of promoting ‘from within’. It would be ideal to promote with adequate preparation.

My suggestions in this regard:

• Plan the career growth of potential and consistent performers.

• If internal resources are lacking, then get external help.

• Provide these performers with a coach or mentor to help them prepare for the future.

• Train, train and train, either internally or externally.

• Provide guidance to help them become role models in their respective teams.

• Help them learn the basics of MANAGEMENT and LEAD-ERSHIP.

• Create or involve them in situations to make them think of new ideas and problem-solving approaches.

• Help them learn through their and others mistakes or failures.

• Importantly, provide them with communication skills training.

• Where necessary, provide them with technology related skills that they could put to use daily.

• Expose them to understanding of interpersonal skills

• Most importantly, train them on SITUATIONAL LEAD-ERSHIP and EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE to take on the challenges of team management.

A systematically groomed performer, is always handy in case of sudden departure of a top performing manager.

Let us clearly understand and remember – the FLMs and SLMs can play a very pivotal role in bringing about a multiplying effect that has a very positive influence on the productivity and performance of the sales team.

At every given opportunity, provide, equip and empower those whom you want to promote or who are newly pro-moted. You will reap rich dividends. -KH

EMPOWER YOUR FIELD FORCE

KA$H=CASH

REPEAT Rx

Pharma-specific Training:

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� Field Sales Managers

� Senior Managers

Learning and Development Programs from the Leaders in Pharma Field Force Excellence

Signature Programs for Medical Representatives

Constructed on the fundamental premise that a Medical Representative’s success depends on his Knowledge, Attitudes, Skills and Habits (KA$H). Representatives seek success in their personal and professional lives but look for it in the wrong places leaving them frustrated. Companies and bottom-lines suffer when the front-line is not ful-ly engaged. KA$H=CASH is a high-engagement module for customer-facing employees.

Repeat Rx is an advanced module for customer-facing Representatives based on the book by Anup Soans. Repeat Rx focuses on building lasting relationships with Doctors by creating value through a process of Calling > Connecting > Consulting > Collaborating with the Doctor.

At each stage of this Four Stage process the Represen-tative acquires measurable skills and competencies that enable him to add value in the Doctor’s chamber. Repeat Rx comes with detailed evaluation tools.

In Any Profession, More KA$H = More Cash

KNOWLEDGE ATTITUDES SKILLS HABITS

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Audiences are kept engaged using visually stimulating slides and powerful delivery. Emphasis is placed on taking charge of one’s success, even in the absence of oversight.

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OFTEN

STRATEGYFAILS.

In the previous issue of MedicinMan we talked about the similarities between military strategy and generic strategies in the Indian pharma industry. I remarked

that strategy execution is far more important than strat-egy formulation. Strategy execution has been a dismal failure in most pharma companies in India. We need to shift our emphasis from mere strategy creation to strat-egy execution.

Here is an interesting quote on the poverty of strategy execution: “If military teams and professional athletic teams performed as well on strategy as corporations do, they would lose the war and end up on the bottom of the standings respectively. Yet, very little attention has been paid to strategy execution. Instead, most of the research focuses on strategy creation”.1

Prof. Vivek Hattangadi

AND HOW MANAGERS CAN AVOID THE PITFALLS OF STRATEGY EXECUTION

1. DeLisi Peter. Strategy Execution:

An Oxymoron or a Powerful Formula

for Corporate Success? (http://www.

org-synergies.com/docs/Strategy%20

Execution%20Paper3.pdf)

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“When companies fail to deliver on their promises, the most frequent explanation is that the CEO’s strategy was wrong. But the strategy by itself is not often the cause. Strategies most often fail because they are not executed well. Things that are supposed to happen don’t happen. Either the organizations are not capable of making them happen, or the leaders of the business misjudge the challenges their companies face in the business environment, or both.”2 Execution is the biggest unaddressed issue today in the business world. Its ab-sence is the single biggest obstacle to success. The cause of most fail-ures and disappointments are however, mistakenly attributed to oth-er causes. Leaders place too much emphasis on ‘high level strategy‘, on ‘intellectualization‘ and ‘philosophizing‘ – however not enough is done on implementation.2

What could be the most common reasons for poor strategy execution? I have listed seven reasons below.

1. Lack of knowledge of the strategy.

2. The strategy was not communicated effectively.

3. There is no commitment to the strategy.

4. There are neither rewards nor incentives for excellence in strategy execution.

5. People are not appraised for strategy execution.

6. People are not held accountable for strategy execution.

7. Proper control systems not developed to measure and track exe-cution of strategy.

Medical representatives, who are the actual implementers of strate-gy and the first-line leaders, who are primarily accountable for exe-cution, are themselves not aware of the strategy. Reasons could be many, but perhaps the most important reason is that the strategy was not communicated effectively. The failure to communicate the strategic objectives to the field force may mean that the developers of the strategy are not getting enough information for medical repre-sentatives to understand what they are supposed to do.

Why are people not committed to the strategy? W. Chan Kim & Renee Mauborgne put it beautifully in their book Blue Ocean Strategy.3 They say that managers should build execution into the strategy by using the ‘Three E Principles of Fair Process’.

i. Engage the people in strategic decisions by asking for their inputs and allowing them to refute the merits of one another’s ideas and assumptions.

ii. Explain clearly so that so that everyone understands why strategic decisions are taken. An explanation allows people to trust managers’ intentions even if their own ideas have been rejected.

iii. Expectation clarity requires that after a strategy is set, managers state clearly the new rules of the game. Although the expectations may be demanding, people should know up front what standards they will be judged by and the penalties for failure.

2. Bossidy Larry & Ram Charan. “Execution:

The Discipline of Getting Thing Done”. Crown

Business: New York; 2002

3. W. Chan Kim & Renee Mauborgne . “Blue

Ocean Strategy: How to Create Uncontested

Market Space and Make the Competition

Irrelevant”. Harvard Business School Press:

Boston; 2009

Why Great Strategy Often Fails | Prof. Vivek Hattangadi

“When companies fail to deliver on their promises, the most frequent explanation is that the CEO’s strategy was wrong. But the strategy by itself is not often the cause. Strategies most often fail because they are not executed well.


What are the building blocks of execution?

Say Larry Bossidy and Ram Charan2:

• Knowyourpeople andyourbusiness. Leadershave to live theirbusinesses.

•Insistonrealism.Tomakerealismapriority-startbybeingrealisticyourself

•Setcleargoalsandpriorities-Leaderswhoexecutefocusonaveryfew clear priorities that everyone can grasp.

•Followthrough.

•Rewardthedoers.Ifyouwantpeopletoproducespecificresults,you reward them accordingly.

•Expandpeople’scapabilities.Educationisanimportantpartofex-panding people’s capabilities.

• Know yourself. Know thyself…it’s the core of authenticity.Self-awareness gives you the capacity to learn from your mistakes as well as your successes. It enables you to keep growing.

Excellence in execution will make a company to choose a more ro-bust strategy. A company cannot have a worthwhile strategy if you do not have the wherewithals to get it executed. The winners on the field of business will be those corporations, who not only have a good, solid strategy, but more importantly, execute it well. -VH

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“When companies fail to deliver on their promises, the most frequent explanation is that the CEO’s strategy was wrong. But the strategy by itself is not often the cause. Strategies most often fail because they are not executed well.

Why Great Strategy Often Fails | Prof. Vivek Hattangadi

Humor at the Workplace

Diabetes mellitus (DM), a common disorder is characterized by increased blood glucose levels i.e. hyperglycemia. The World Health Organiza-

tion (WHO) has projected that the occurrence of DM is increasing in epidemic proportions, especially in devel-oping countries.

India currently leads the world in number of people with DM and at present, the number of people suffering from DM in the age group of 20-79 years in India is more than 50 million. These numbers are predicted to increase to 79.4 million by year 2030. The reasons for this marked increase are changes in lifestyle, people living longer than before (ageing) and low birth weight which can lead to DM during adulthood. The occurrence of DM is influenced by genetic, ethnic and socioeconomic factors.

There are four broad groups of DM - type 1 DM, type 2 DM, diabetes during pregnancy (gestational diabetes) and ‘other forms of diabetes’. Type 1 DM (earlier known as Insulin dependent Diabetes Mellitus) is associated with a decrease in insulin secretion and type 2 DM (ear-lier known as Non Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus) results from impaired use and synthesis of glucose and compensatory decrease in insulin release in the body. Insulin is secreted after the intake of foods containing sugars. Insulin helps in regulating the glucose levels in the body.


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INTRODUCTION TO DIABETES MELLITUS

KnowledgeSeries for

the FF

Table 1. Diagnostic criteria for Diabetes Mellitus

Fasting plasma glucose (mg/dL) (FPG) ≥ 126

Two hours after glucose load (mg/dL)* ≥ 200

HbA1c (%) ≥ 6.5

FPG- Blood glucose levels after 8 hours of not eating anything (fasting). *Two hours after intake of 75 g oral glucose

Dr. Amit Dang is Director at Geronimo Healthcare Solutions Private Limited.

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India currently leads the world in number of people with DM and at present, the number of people suffering from DM in the age group of 20-79 years in India is more than 50 million. These numbers are predicted to increase to 79.4 million by year 2030.

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Introduction to Diabetes Mellitus | Dr. Amit Dang

Hyperglycemia can lead to acute symptoms (sudden, sharp or of short duration) and chronic (long-term or persistent) complications. The chronic complications that arise from prolonged hyperglycemia are mainly retinopathy (may lead to blindness), neuropathy (tingling, numbness and changes in feelings in the toes, fingers and hands), nephropathy (decrease in kidney function,) and cardiovascular diseases. People with diabetes are 25 times more likely to develop blindness, 17 times more likely to develop kidney disease, 30-40 times more likely to undergo amputation, two to four times more likely to develop myocardial infarction and twice more likely to suffer a stroke than non-diabetics. These chronic complications can be controlled in many patients by sustained control of blood glucose.

The management of diabetes can be divided into three main components (Figure 1). The medication treatment options target different processes of glucose metabolism. These are Insulin analogs, sulfonylureas, meglitinide analogs, biguanides, thiazolidinediones, α glucosidase inhibitors, (Glucagon like peptide-1) GLP-1 receptor agonists, (Dipeptidyl peptidase 4) DPP-4 inhibitors.

All the pharmacologic treatment options will be discussed in the next issues. -AD

TREATMENT OF DIABETES MELLITUS

Control of Blood Sugar Levels

• Diet/ lifestyle• Exercise• Medication

• Dyslipidemia (mainly increased Cholesterol and LDL-C levels)

• Hypertension• Obesity• CV disease

• Retinopathy• Cardiovascular

disease• Neuropathy• Nephropathy• Other complications

Treatment of Associated Conditions Screening/Management of Complications

LDL-C: Low density lipoprotein-cholesterol; CV: cardiovascular

REFERENCES

1. International Diabetic Federation. http://archive.diabetesatlas.org/

content/prevalence-estimates-diabetes-mellitus-dm-2010.

2. Pradeepa R, Deepa R, Mohan V. Epidemiology of diabetes in India-

current perspective and future projections. J Indian Med Assoc

2002;100(3):144-8


STEPS TO BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE5

1Define the sales process clearly.The selling process must be clearly defined and understood step by step by all the people responsible for achieving

the sales target. FMs must develop comprehensive, realistic and step-by-step guidelines that enable PSRs to achieve their targets. FMs must organise coaching sessions with top performers and key customers to identify current best practices and constantly refine the sales process. FMs must direct PSRs to channel their energies into areas that will produce the highest and quickest results. Even competent PSRs become discouraged when their efforts do not pay off quickly and spend longer hours struggling and working less efficiently to achieve their sales targets. The reasons for failure to convert potential into prescriptions will vary for each PSR, but the end result will be the same: wasted efforts and a failure to achieve higher productivity, leading to an increased cost of sales. PSRs are motivated to achieve higher levels of performance when management systems and incentive structures are aligned with the sales process. This alignment will enable FMs to monitor the activity, assess progress and impact PSR productivity.

2Develop new skills to counter Doctor fatigue from traditional selling meth-ods.

The shift in preference from visual-aid detailing to consultative problem-solving is bringing with it the need for innovation in selling skills. Doctors are granting access to PSRs who are able to create dialogue, trust and credibility while demonstrating the commitment to building a mutually beneficial relationship. Traditional training has the disadvantage of imparting skills that have become generic, leading to a disinterest in detailing among most physicians. This is also leading to many companies prefer-ring quick-fix deals with doctors and trade instead of investing in continuously training PSRs to develop new skills. The conven-tional methods of training PSRs were better suited to a market in which sales cycles were reasonably stable as compared to today’s dynamic and hypercompetitive pharmaceutical sector. While train-ing and development are critical, it must be done more frequently and in smaller modules, with a minimum disruption to the PSR’s daily work. However, training alone will not ensure breakthrough performance.

Anup Soans

Chuck Yeager, the first pilot to break the sound barrier, had this to say: “The barrier was not in the sky. The barrier was in our minds.”

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A careful blend of coaching by FMs and mentoring by senior man-agers, who can share best practices among the team members so that they can respond effectively to new trends in the market-place, is needed.

3Focus on productivity instead mere activity.Even senior PSRs are often not clear about how to identify

and target prescribers who are most likely to have a genuine need for their product. Many PSRs will visit doctors regardless of the de-gree of sales opportunity they present. PSRs who lack a disciplined approach, systematic planning and a prioritisation of their selling activities often find themselves spending time meeting accessi-ble doctors rather than taking the trouble to meet and influence doctors who have the power to impact their business significantly. While targeting doctors, FMs must analyse physician behaviour, demographics and attitudes to segment the markets and direct their PSRs to focus on doctors who are most likely to respond favourably to their product promotions. FMs will be able to gain an improvement in performance by systematically qualifying and rating doctors based on their potential as customers and taking the time to help PSRs focus their selling time on the 20 per cent of core customers for each product category who can earn them 80 per cent of the results.

4Remove self-limiting beliefs that con-strain performance.A commonly overlooked area in developing PSRs is the

adverse impact of self-limiting beliefs on their performance. The transference theory explains that the PSR’s state of mind is often transferred to the doctor, thus influencing the outcome of a sales call. When PSRs lack confidence in their abilities, their product or their company it can lead to call reluctance. To counter this, FMs must create and sustain a high-morale state of mind in their PSRs. While FMs quickly grasp the essentials of field sales management, few are able to transform the negative self image of a PSR into a positive one. The good news is that beliefs can change. Inputs create outputs. By changing the mental attitudes brought about by negative thinking, PSRs can improve their self-image.

5Develop PSRs into Breakthrough Per-formers.The single biggest influence on the performance of a PSR is

the FM. Yet FMs do not spend sufficient time to train and develop PSRs. FMs accustomed to achieving success through personal ac-tions overlook their greatest potential source of power the power to increase sales by developing PSRs. Even when they do recog-nise the importance of developing their PSRs, many FMs find that they lack the skills and resources to do it effectively. To make things worse, most sales teams consist of individuals with different levels of experience and ability. So the question of developing the whole team becomes too daunting to contemplate. FMs need to be on a continuous learning mode and should spend their waking hours visualising and planning the development of PSRs. -AS

Anup Soans is the author of “HardKnocks for the GreenHorn”,

SuperVision for the SuperWiser Front-line Manager” and “Repeat Rx”.

He is a facilitator of Learning and Development Programs for Managers

and Medical Reps at India’s top Pharma Company’s

Contact:

[email protected] +91-93422-32949

5 Steps to Breakthrough Performance | Anup Soans

➜ Behavioral coaching is NOT about changing people who don’t care.

➜ Paradox of life: Successful people are delusional. Delusional people are happier and more productive. Realistic people are depressed.

➜ More Successful harder to take feedback, harder to accept faults. Therefore harder to coach.

➜ Question to ask everyday – “Was my behavior in line with the values that I preach?

➜ Question before engaging in any activity - Is this going to help me be a better professional? Improve my health? Be a better spouse/parent?

➜ What have you put off today that you needed to do to make progress in your professional/personal life?

➜ If your heart’s not in it don’t do; it’s your life!

➜ Why should I be in charge of anything if I can’t control myself?

➜ Feedback from direct reports – not a career enhancing move!

➜ Every decision in the world has been made by the person who has the power to make that decision – make peace with that.

➜ It’s not the doctor’s job to Rx your product; it’s your job to SELL it. Adapted from Peter Drucker.

➜ Nobody knows the future anyway – we’re all guessing.

➜ Select the right person to coach – if they don’t care, don’t waste your time.

➜ Coaching is about them, not about you – always ask, “How can I help you?”

➜ Nobody loses weight because they buy a diet book. Coaching works if the person being coached is willing to work.

➜ Don’t overrate your self. More people have died because of doctor’s ego than Vietnam and Iraq war combined!

➜ Doctors don’t let nurses ask questions – their ego compromises patient safety.

➜ Feedback is about the past – helps you know where you are. Feedforward is about the future – helps you go where you want to go.

➜ Lesson for leaders before you talk – “Is it worth it”?

➜ Final thought – Remember, it’s Showtime! (Everyday in the morning tell yourself )

“LEADERSHIP IN ACTION”with Marshall Goldsmith