MedicinMan December 2011

A BroadSpektrum Healthcare Business Media’s Corporate Social Responsibility Initiative

MedicinMan
~ FIELD FORCE E XCE L LE N CE ~
TM

PHARMA | MEDICAL DE VICES | DIAGNOSTICS | SURGICALS
Vol. 1 Issue 5 www.medicinman.net December 2011

Editorial

WHAT DO MRS NEED TO MAKE THEIR CONTRIBUTORS
WORK ENJOYABLE? - A MedicinMan Survey - B. RAMANATHAN 3

The MedicinMan Poll clearly shows the mainly because LinkedIn seems to be NOUMAAN QURESHI 4
complete disconnect and mismatch be- frequented by senior managers. MRs
tween what senior managers think and and FLMs being on the Field were slow SALIL KALLIANPUR 6
what young professionals want in order to
to respond to the Poll. But once they did;
enjoy their work.
their verdict was clear – They wanted MEDICINMAN SURVEY 1.8
MedicinMan Poll received 140 votes and
Social Respect for their Work and Op-
nearly 50 comments at the time of going to
portunity to Learn and Develop as most CRAIG DIXON 10
Press. The Poll listed 5 factors as contribu-
tors: important factors to enjoy their work.
SHALINI RATAN 12
1. Company Culture 13% The LinkedIn Poll is very comprehensive
2. Job Satisfaction 12% in giving detailed demographics of the WILLIAM FERNANDES 13
voters. Professionals in the 18 to 29 age
3. A Mature Immediate Supervisor 26%
year group – an equal spread of male DEVANAND CHENURI
4. Social Respect for Their Work 26% and female voters overwhelmingly want- VENKAT
14
5. Opportunity to Learn & Develop 24% ed 1. Social Respect for Their Work and
As the Poll began, Mature Immediate 2. Opportunity to Learn and Develop. MOHAN LAL GUPTA 15
Supervisor was the frontrunner. This was Cont. on Page 8

PEOPLE BUILDING—A LOST ART IN PHARMA?
The December issue Success Stories plans by their companies. only built great businesses but more
have remarkable similarities. Both These role models are what industry importantly built great leaders.
Ramanathan and Devanand spent needs to showcase, if the profession In this issue, we have some great arti-
close to 16 years in a single company. of MRs has to gain Social Respect for cles from Salil Kallianpur on the Mag-
Both still cherish their stint as front- their profession. More such leader- ic of Marketing and Dr. Shalini Ratan
line sales professionals and have no ship has to emerge from field sales. on the need for Medical Advisor –
hesitation in attributing their profes- There is enough talent; Indian Phar- Medical Rep partnership. Noumaan
sional success to the development ma needs the will and commitment to Quereshi a healthcare PR profession-
efforts of the MNCs they worked in – build people who build businesses. al has written on personal branding,
Pfizer and May & Baker. Only that will attract and retain fresh which is vital to both professional and
Sales leaders like Ramanathan and talent at the entry level, where it real- personal success. There‟s also a great
Devanand are solid performers. Indi- ly matters. article on “How to Make KAM Work
an Pharma will need more of them to Pfizer is perhaps like the HUL for Pharma” by Craig Dixon, courtesy,
reach $70 billion instead of $50 bil- (Unilever) of Pharma, when it comes eyeforpharma. So enjoy your profes-
lion by 2020 as per media reports. to producing leaders. There are oth- sional development and share your
Their performance was a result of ers too like GSK, Hoechst – now success stories with MedicinMan. ▌
clear-cut learning and development Aventis and Novartis who have not

Best Healthcare Companies
to Work For

MedicinManCampusConnect

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MedicinMan Vol.1. Iss.5

You Too Can Be Successful in Sales!
Many people join pharma selling do to reach the desired level. With practice,
by chance rather than choice. I am you progress. This is true in our work-life as
certainly one of them. One common mis- well. Be conscious and aware of your
conception that prevails is that 'I am not thoughts and actions to improve your skill
cut out for Sales'. Let‟s get one thing levels.
straight- “Selling is not just an art... There is no substitute for hard work. One
It’s science too”. This means, selling is a may get quick gains by shortcuts. But for
transferable skill; just like any other skill; sustainable success, there
like computer program- are no shortcuts. In Sales, B. Ramanathan
ming, which seems very one moment you could be Sales Manager
difficult in the beginning. on Cloud Nine and in the Ranbaxy
Great companies focus on next you may go through
training and believe in severe adversities. The best
making this transferable
skill an asset for their or-
part of Sales is that every “SELLING IS
adversity makes you men-
ganization. So, if you have
the inclination and atti-
tally stronger and intellec- NOT JUST AN
tually wiser. Once you
tude, YOU can be success-
ful in Sales.
realize that a well ex-
plained failure is better ART... IT’S
Though I started my ca- than an unexplained
reer with Alidac, I worked with Pfizer for success, you will know to learn from SCIENCE
most part of my career - almost 16 years. I adversities.
owe my professional skills to the training Finally, companies look for stability in can- TOO” THIS
that I received at Pfizer, which I left as a didates. I have seen youngsters changing
senior District Manager. I joined Novo
Nordisk as a Regional Manager and since
companies for flimsy reasons. Though there MEANS,
are different schools of thought regarding
two years I am a Sales Manager with career growth, youngsters should realize
Ranbaxy. In my 22 year career, I have that real career is not a hundred meter SELLING IS A
met field sales people who reached sprint but a marathon. Pharma selling is
top positions and many who stagnat-
ed. So, what are the ingredients of
one of the most rewarding careers. Posses TRANSFERA-
the right attitude for hardwork, an inclina-
career growth? tion for continuous learning, add a strong
dose of discipline and you have the right
BLE SKILL;
Selling is all about experience. One learns
from his own experience and from others. recipe for success. Above all, be passionate
My first learning is that you can learn in whatever you do. Doing something with JUST LIKE ANY
something from everyone. I learned a lot less skill and more passion will bring you
even from new MRs. If you believe that you greater results than doing something with OTHER SKILL”
can learn something from everybody, you more skill but less passion. ▌
will pick up the right thread from every as-
sociate and weave your own fabric. Indulg- PHARMA SELLING IS ONE
ing in gossiping and criticizing doesn‟t take OF THE MOST REWARDING
you anywhere. Learning and unlearning is
part of development. Many times, you can- CAREER.POSSES THE RIGHT
not learn something new and effective be-
cause you are unwilling to unlearn a wrong ATTITUDE FOR HARDWORK,
habit. AN INCLINATION FOR
Be conscious of what you do. This is the
CONTINUOUS LEARNING,
essence of development. When you are con-
scious and aware of your actions, you will ADD A STRONG DOSE OF
find your behavior improving. This is what
Yoga has taught me. In yoga, you will not be DISCIPLINE AND YOU HAVE
able to do a certain asana in the desired way
THE RIGHT RECIPE FOR
for the first time. But you are aware of
where you are, you know what you should SUCCESS.
3


THE BRAND CALLED ―YOU‖
- Noumaan Qureshi HOW TO STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD
Asked about the growth drivers for his organisation How do you wish to be perceived by the
at a media interaction, the CEO responded, “my sev- stakeholders?
enteen hundred boys on the field”! One generally „Trustworthy‟, „knowledgeable‟, „ethical‟, „reliable‟,
hears phrases like „higher disposable incomes‟, „honest‟, „go-getter‟, „initiator‟, „trouble-shooter‟, etc.;
„growing disease incidence‟, „increased patient identify how you wish your stakeholders to perceive
awareness‟, etc. But here was a CEO who was de- you. You cannot be the master of all, but be the best
scribing an internal strength as a growth driver. As a in one or two areas.
good general, was the CEO exhibiting his personal
What behaviours will shape desired percep-
leadership style or was his statement reflecting a
genuine truth about a pharma industry‟s success tion?
secret at large? Words and Actions are two components of com-
Time and again during interactions with the senior munication (people mistakenly believe that commu-
management of pharma companies, field force effec- nication happens only through words). Your ac-
tiveness emerges as the key constituent and concern tions/ behaviour should be consistent with the de-
for success. If field force is so important and leader- sired perception you want to create.
ship is aware of their critical utility, then why does Self-assessment: analyzing personal
one hear about issues like high attrition and youth strengths and areas for improvement
not getting attracted to the Pharma field sales job? „Reflected Best Self‟ is an interesting exercise that
Based on interactions with field force people, one helps one to identify personal strengths. Attitude,
clear concern that emerges is the narrow space for skills and knowledge are the personal development
manoeuvring and the limited target customer uni- areas that require constant improvement.
verse that Pharma serves. When the same constitu- Evaluation
ency is being wooed by a whole industry, and there
Ultimately progress has to be monitored and results
is only „push‟ marketing strategy at play, how does
must be measured. In a professional set-up, your
one stand out from the crowd?
appraisal is an indicator whether you are moving
Tom Peters seems to be addressing Medical Reps towards your desired reputation. On a personal
and Field Sales Managers with his trademark 3R‟s:
front, what the stakeholders are discussing with you
Rolodex, Resume and Reputation. Every field force
will indicate whether they perceive you to be capable
person knows the importance of Rolodex (Customer
of what you believe your capabilities are. If there is a
List) and constantly works towards developing it,
gap in their perception – you must work to bridge
and every professional strives to constantly enhance
that gap.
his Resume. But do field force people think about
Reputation? Personal and the profession‟s reputa- We all realise that we have a reputation, but few
tion? people consciously put in efforts to develop, nurture
and sustain personal reputation. “Control Your
In an article titled „The Brand Called You’ Tom
Own Destiny Or Someone Else Will” said Jack
Peters said: “It's time to learn from the big brands, a
Welch, the legendary business leader and author.
lesson that's true for anyone who's interested in
Are you ready to take control of the process of build-
what it takes to stand out and prosper in the new
ing your own reputation?
world of work. To be in business today, our most
important job is to create and market The Brand Noumaan Qureshi works with one of India’s lead-
Called You”. While people have a personal style ing Public Relations firm and is associated with the
and temperament that builds their reputation, they healthcare industry for over a decade. He frequent-
can also earn from the way organisations build and ly interacts and interviews Pharma Business Lead-
manage their corporate reputation. ers. Views expressed are personal.
Prioritising stakeholders
Identify and prioritise the important people in your
personal and professional sphere – friends, family,
4 work place colleagues, Doctors, Chemists etc. Repu-
tation is built in a social context; it is how others
perceive you.

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SalilSpeak MedicinMan Vol.1. Iss.5.

- Salil Kallianpur

THE MAGIC OF MARKETING IN SALES
It all began with an innocuous other than those who consume the compa-
query from a young professional ny‟s products and services. With that said,
on a social networking site. The let‟s begin.
“The subtle
gentleman was em- There is nothing wrong
difference between ployed with one with either (or
Sales and Marketing of the fin- any other)
is best summed up in est com- stream.
panies Both sales
the words of
in the and mar-
Management Guru world. keting lay
Peter Drucker: “Sir, I the founda-
need your tion for young

“Sales sees help”, he wrote. “I
am an MBA and need your ad-
vice on whether to continue with my career
professionals to un-
derstand the importance and the
difficulty of serving customers. Both

it like it is; in sales or switch over to marketing. What
must I do to be able to get a break into the
marketing team?” he enquired. I was in-
streams help young professionals interact
with, observe and understand the nuances
of customer behavior and the economics

Marketing trigued. I knew nothing about this person
and he was seeking career advice from me.
What would my advice be based upon?
that powers the consumer-seller dynamic.
From this experience arise the predomi-
nant characteristics that determine how

sees it like Were there general traits that determine
whether someone „had it in him‟ to be suc-
cessful in sales or marketing or in any other
well the professional will perform in selling
or graduate into marketing. Some of those
characteristics that I have observed and

it ought to discipline? Or did a certain years of experi-
ence or an MBA guarantee success in mar-
keting? Neither, I‟d say, although undoubt-
encourage young readers to adopt are listed
below.
Product based information – It is im-

be.””
edly, both experience and qualifications are portant to always know everything you can
indeed important. Yet, neither determines a possibly know about your products and
person‟s success or failure as a marketer. services. There is no faster way to lose cred-
Sales and marketing are two sides of the ibility than to give your customers the feel-
same coin. So while both functions have the ing that you‟re ill-informed. More im-
same goal of ensuring success for the portantly, over time, that knowledge must
brands they handle, there are subtle differ- morph into analysis. One must begin to
ences in actual day-to-day functioning. That think of new things and ways to create
subtle difference was best summarized by a more value. When one begins to analyze
management guru who said, “Sales sees it facts, questions begin to pop in one‟s mind.
like it is and marketing sees it like it ought If customers are hard-pressed for time and
to be”. don‟t have more than a minute to discuss
So here are my two cents on how I think a products and services, is there value in pur-
person can best transition from a sales role suing the same strategy of talking about
into a marketing role. Before I begin single brands or will a more coordinated
though, I‟d like to add that selling doesn‟t portfolio positioning strategy be effective?
stop when one moves into marketing. In If so, what are potential positioning rela-
tionships between the different brands of
6 fact, selling is the biggest thing on a mar-
keter‟s mind. It‟s only that the customer the portfolio? What is the strategy (and
canvas increases many-fold to include ones timing) for new communication themes?

MedicinMan Vol.1. Iss.5. SalilSpeak
- Salil Kallianpur

THE MAGIC OF MARKETING IN SALES
Creating demand at every opportunity – making as are other things. The “big picture”
When time and effort is spent in the market provides us with context and perspective and
place meeting customers, channel partners and helps us be rational in our decisions, consider-
other stakeholders, we must be sure that every ing a host of factors rather than focusing on
minute is utilized productively. Think about issue-based decision making. Marketers must
what will emerge as new sources of business? zoom out all the time to ensure that communi-
Where can more demand be created? How cation strategy is in perspective with market
challenges making it relevant. Dealing with
would brands be used by our key customers? To
the “nitty gritty” is the day-to-day do‟s and
which patient segments will physicians Rx? Do
don‟ts. This provides actionable items that are
we really know the answers to these questions? invaluable in executing a plan. Salil Kallianpur
Even if we do, do we keep a track of it regularly
At the end of the day, the things that people
to be able to identify new areas to sell in?
want to accomplish in their lives don't change IN
Financial paranoia – Consider the money quickly, and expecting change is futile. You
you invest as your own. If you really do, would may or may not be successful in sales, market- MARKETING
you invest in all the areas where you recently ing or both. It doesn‟t mean you‟re abnormal.
did? Ask yourself that honestly. When there is My advice is to flow along and build on your THE ABILITY
little accountability, every opportunity seems strengths without worrying about things you
lucrative. Do you understand that resources are can‟t do. It doesn‟t mean you‟re bad. It just
TO ZOOM
scarce? There is no unlimited source of money. means that you‟re strong elsewhere. You may BACK TO
How comfortable are you prioritizing invest- not even be aware of career opportunities that
ments? Conversely, if every opportunity is lu- haven‟t come to your notice yet. Frame a po- LOOK AT THE
crative, do you ensure that lucrative opportuni- tential career opportunity from the perspec-
ties are encashed fully? Are you aware and con- tive of the experience that you most enjoyed. “BIG PIC-
stantly thinking of what is the financial impact It may have been interacting with doctors and
of 1) losing Rx to competitors 2) patients drop- patients. Or, you may have enjoyed making TURE” AND
ping out and 3) varying market events? Do you friends with channel partners and people from
have contingency strategies to mitigate risk of the purchase departments in hospitals. Some- ZOOM IN TO
losing business? times, you may well enjoy creating and assist-
ing patient groups for some of your key cus-
THE “NITTY
Obsession to execute – Peter Drucker, the
famous management guru said, “Strategy is on- tomers. And, you may enjoy giving new ideas GRITTY” IS
ly noble intentions unless it degenerates into to the marketing teams in your organizations.
hard work”. How many times have we missed Each of these experiences trigger a sequence AS IM-
that late night call out of laziness? How many of events that may help you build a fruitful
times have we decided not to go back to the career path. That is much closer to where you PORTANT TO
chemist for the all-important audit because he will ultimately discover true value.
was rude to us? How many times did we simply Whatever that path may be, always remember
DECISION
“parrot detail” and walk away without thinking that for successfully creating and dominating MAKING AS
about the impact of the call on the customer? a career, focused execution of a simple con-
How often do we think of the product promo- cept with fanatical consistency is required. A ARE OTHER
tion plan for the quarter? What are the timing/ starting point is developing an action plan
key decision points for the plan? Can we identi- with milestones for implementing each of the THINGS.
fy key strategic initiatives and milestones to key elements. So don‟t worry whether sales is
allow for strategic adjustments as needed? better or marketing. Focus on whether you‟re
What feedback needs to be sent back to HO? enjoying your work. As a friend once said,
How quickly must this be done? This is what “marketing is like making a movie. You‟re the
Drucker meant by “hard work”. director and you have a vision. Its how you get
Some may find this list broad and superficial scores of other people to see that vision that
while others may wonder why there is such de- determines how good the film turns out.”
tailed explanation. It is that very paradox that Here‟s to finding that vision. Good luck! ▌
defines success in business. The ability to zoom
back to look at the “big picture” and zoom in to
Salil Kallianpur is Marketing Manager at
Medtronic. He is an influential healthcare
7
the “nitty gritty” is as important to decision blogger at salilkallianpur@word press.com


What Do MRs Need to Make Their Work Enjoyable
Results of the Survey :

It was the 45+ year age group that felt Mature Immediate demanding market conditions. Job Satisfaction was most
Supervisor as the most important factor. This disconnect is important for 37 – 44 year olds, signifying the likelihood of
very significant and further probing is needed to under- fatigue caused by doing the same kind of work. What the
stand the reasons for this disconnect. Perhaps the young MedicinMan Poll shows is that at different stages of career
professionals are resigned to the fact that Mature Immedi- different factors are significant and companies must identi-
ate Supervisor is a myth as companies hardly invest in de- fy these factors and address them – different strokes for
veloping front-line managers. Except for a few MNCs and different people instead of one-shot broad-spectrum antibi-
top Indian companies, FLM development is left to chance otic!
and he is at best a Super Salesman. It is also heartening to note that 18 -29 year olds considered
The Success stories of B Ramanathan and Devanand also Opportunity to Learn and Develop as the second most im-
show the kind of importance that great companies like Pfiz- portant factor belying the common perception that today‟s
er and May & Baker gave to developing people at all levels. generation is not interested in learning and development.
All companies must re-think their human resources strate- Companies should take note of this; maybe the youngsters
gies to attract and retain talent in the light of these findings. are tired of the routine classroom training and are looking
Of course, this is too small a study to be definitive but it is a for learning that will actually help them excel at work.
good pilot study and indicative of trends. MedicinMan is The mandate from this Poll clearly points out to Social Re-
willing to collaborate with healthcare companies to do a spect and L & D; companies would do well to focus on how
larger and more comprehensive survey to really understand they can creatively address these issues that is important to
Field Force issues. 18 – 29 year old professionals, who are most likely to be
8 For the 18 – 29 year olds job satisfaction and company cul-
ture also hardly mattered. Perhaps they are realistic enough
working as MRs. And, yes developing great FLMs is defi-
nitely a crucial factor. Together these will lead to better
to know that these are hard to come by given the tough and Company Culture and Job Satisfaction.


What Do MRs Need to Make Their Work Enjoyable
Thank you to all who participated. Here are Manjunath Shetty Muddappa - Immediate
boss makes lot of difference. Hand holding for
some significant comments:
the first 6 months is very important to guide,
coach, and train the Medical rep. Identify his
Pallab Mukherjee - I think social respect
needs and keep reminding the goals. During
is the most important factor for MRs. Imme-
joint working the Manager must work with passion; 90%
diate Supervisor is important, but that‟s true
of MRs, pick up 40-50% of their immediate boss‟ traits.
for any job. MRs spend most of their time in
field and the respect shown to them is a fac- C S Mehta - No doubt, a Mature Immediate Su-
tor on basis of which lot of MRs decide to stick or quit the pervisor has a vital role to play. At the same time
job. Patients look at them as a waste of time and increas- this fact is realized and practiced only in compa-
es their waiting period. Pharmacies keep them as the last nies with good culture.
priority and doctors hardly treat them with respect. Over-
Chandan Mishra - I would say all five factors
all, if you see, they are considered as "add-ons" and not
are important but to any MR, what is the com-
"nice to have". On basis of my experience of interacting
pany? It is his immediate supervisor; if he is
with more than 1000 reps, I realize that every MR has
good and has respect and value for the MR the
loads of bad stories to share about their field. If MRs get
MR is bound to deliver his best too.
respect, we will attract much better talent. I mean it.
Kapil Garg - All the 5 factors are important.
Amarbir Singh - I agree that people be- But I think Social Respect for the Work is more
important. It gives confidence to MRs, so that
come MRs by chance because there is lack of
they can do their work more professionally and
awareness about this career in the society.
interestingly. It will also bar entry of under
After coming to this profession, people real-
skilled people into the industry and improve the value of
ize that there are ample opportunities and
an MR in the society, because we deserve the best!
rewards for the result oriented and hard
working. I don‟t agree that doctors don‟t respect MRs; Pramodh Nagarajan - It all depends on
they still respect MRs who are sincere and knowledgea- how a Medical Rep is inducted from day one
ble. They know whom to respect and whom not to; be- by his FLM. If the induction is done as per the
cause doctors are an intelligent class of people. company's system and policy, then the MR
enjoys his work. He will contribute well and
willingly; not under the pressure of his FLM.
Bhaskar Chakravorti - In my opinion
For an MR his FLM‟s joint field work is very important. In
(based on 3 decades of relevant experience) a
2 to 3 days field work he should feel that his FLM has
Mature Immediate Supervisor can make the
contributed to his success. If he feels that joint field work
Med Reps job enjoyable. He is the one to cre-
is painful then he leaves the company. Therefore it is in
ate Opportunity to Learn and Develop; make
the hands of FLMs to make Medical Reps job enjoyable.
the Med Rep taste success and obtain job satisfaction. A
confident and successful Med Rep gets Social Respect for Stacey Ordner - For experienced reps with
their work. documented success, all of these are important,
mostly because those reps have options and are
typically highly recruited within the industry.
Vivek Kant Tripathi - I strongly feel that
When I was a field rep, the factor that had the
Social Respect may be one of the factor but most impact on my day to day was FLM. However, in
not a decisive factor. Had social respect been terms of long term job satisfaction, opportunity for ad-
a key factor, Medical Reps would not be leav- vancement to BE the FLM was most important. Individu-
ing one company and joining other or join at als that require "instant gratification" for motivation are
next level where the nature of job is more or not likely to succeed in this industry because the sales
less the same. In my opinion it is the company culture
and then supervisor which makes a big difference.
cycle is much longer than selling tangible product. ▌
9

- Craig Dixon

HOW TO MAKE KAM WORK FOR THE PHARMA SALES FORCE
I was a young Medical Rep (MR) when I first heard the ly, it is not a new concept. First proposed in the 1980s,
term Key Account Management (KAM). I was sitting KAM has been used in other industries for some time.
in a GP‟s waiting room, when in walked an MR Pharma is a late adopter of KAM. But this does
whom I had not seen for a while. He had been on a mean that pharma can benefit from the experience
training course, as his company was adopting already gained in others. At its most basic, KAM is
KAM. I was eager to find out more about this new about customer-orientated co-ordination, or putting
terminology. So I asked what the difference was be- the customer at the heart of the organization, determin-
tween being a Key Account Manager and an MR. The ing what value you can bring to the customer and, ulti-
answer was simple: Nothing really, he had a business mately, being seen a genuine partner. KAM is not a tac-
card with a new designation as Key Account Manager; tic. KAM is not something just for the sales team. KAM
his role remained the same. Is KAM still seen as some- is not something that can be done overnight, and KAM
thing just for the sales team? Do companies, and peo- is certainly not about generating noise in the market-
ple, really view it just as a change of business card? place. KAM is an organizational approach and, as such,
Understanding the customer environment needs to go right through the organization and be em-
bedded in the company culture at all levels to be success-
The healthcare market has changed significantly. Doctors
ful.
were the sole decision makers, with freedom to prescribe
whatever they wanted. Now, decision making involves a Themes of KAM
wide range of stakeholders in most corporate hospitals 1. The formation of KAM is influenced by the market
and large clinics. When there was just a single decision environment and the customer and buyers characteristics
maker, a single contact within the company (the MR) was
2. KAM is multifunctional, including R&D, Medical, Fi-
sufficient. The industry typically adopted a noise ap-
nance, Supply Chain and market access in addition to
proach, (share of the voice) hiring more MRs with the
marketing and sales functions
sole purpose of delivering messages repeatedly and en-
suring their brand had the loudest voice. However, now 3. KAM programs result in special activities for key ac-
there is a multidisciplinary approach to decision making, counts that are not offered to average accounts
and therefore there are multiple stakeholders with whom Dedicated staff are required to manage key accounts, they
the pharma industry needs to interact. require strong interpersonal skills and usually report high
The logical response from the pharma industry would be in the organization (adapted from Homburg et al)
to mirror the customer‟s changed environment and have The next step along the road to KAM involves ad-
multiple contact points within the organization; each dressing a few key questions.
with the skills and knowledge to deliver a valuable inter-
1. How will your organization define an account? Which
action to their counterpart on the customer‟s side. This
accounts are key or strategically important? Who will
type of approach is not just about delivering messages to
manage your key accounts and in what fashion?
a range of stakeholders. This requires a coordinated ap-
proach based around a deep understanding of the cus- The definition of accounts and determination of key ac-
tomer‟s environment, what they are looking to achieve counts is largely dependent upon your market, product
and how your brand can meet or exceed their expecta- portfolio, and strategy.
tions. This is about delivering real value to the customer Addressing these two questions requires a robust process
and the whole account. The Key Account Management that ultimately defines and selects accounts in alignment
(KAM) approach therefore seems a logical fit. But what with your commercial opportunities and your long-term
do we really mean by KAM? strategies. This is not just a case of selecting your current
The Real Meaning of KAM big customers and throwing in a couple of big hospitals
for good measure.
The term KAM is used a lot, and people have different
understanding of what KAM really means. To some, it‟s a The answer to these two pivotal questions will be unique
business plan; to others, something for sales departments to each organization, and the answer to this question in
only; and to some, merely a change of business card! particular is crucial: Who will manage the key accounts
10 Despite the fact that KAM has become a buzzword recent-
and (most importantly) in what fashion? The latter part of


HOW TO MAKE KAM WORK FOR THE PHARMA SALES FORCE
this question concentrates on the fashion of account man- Cross-functional KAM
agement and is probably the single biggest challenge Cross-functional KAM means that internal stake-
on the road to KAM. This is largely an organiza- holders who may not have been customer-facing
tional challenge. previously will now need to be part of the account
Managing key accounts team. The shift from sales being seen as the sales
The first part of this question is not about title of the team‟s job to the job of everyone in the organization
people, but what knowledge, skill set, and processes will not happen overnight and will often require learning
they will need. new skills. The team-based selling approach that cross-
functional KAM utilizes is commonplace outside the
The Key Account Manager is not a sales person in the
pharma industry. The competencies of internal stake-
traditional sense, but co-ordinates the cross-functional
holders therefore will also need to be considered along-
activities relating to the key account.
side the change management process and changes to the
The Key Account Manager will set up and run a cross- traditional marketing and selling processes.
functional team, making sure all internal functions and
It takes time to drive change within an organization and
stakeholders buy into the KAM process.
even longer to embed that change within the company
The Key Account Manager requires strong interpersonal, culture. If you are currently looking at KAM, you can be
networking, and team-building skills. sure that the road to KAM is going to be long with lots of
The Key Account Manager must be able run internal meet- bends and bumps.
ings and will need to understand the roles and functions of But with a clear vision, the right change management,
all internal stakeholders to enable them to seek out internal senior management buy in, and people with the right
knowledge and information that will add real value to the knowledge, skills, and processes, you can minimize your
key account. chances of breaking down en route and ensure the jour-
The Key Account Manager will need strong strategic plan- ney results in success. ▌
ning skills as well as the ability to interact with people at all
Craig Dixon is director and principal consultant
levels of the organization and exert influence over people
at Marketing and Sales Solutions Ltd. For exclu-
over whom they have no line authority.
sive business insight into and analysis of KAM,
The role of Key Account Manager requires a very different download eyeforpharma's Pharma Key Account
skill and knowledge base compared to the traditional rep, Management Report 2011-2012.
who was there just to deliver messages and create noise in
the marketplace.
Different forms of KAM
Researchers examined 375 organizations in Germany and
the US from the chemical and pharmaceutical, machinery,
electronics, banking, and food industries. The researchers
identified seven different approaches to KAM, which varied
in their degree of formalization and level of senior manage-
ment involvement. So what can we take away from this re-
search?
1. The top management KAM approach may have some
relevance in smaller companies or niche therapeutic areas.
2. However, given the physical size of most pharma com-
panies, the top management approach to KAM may not be
practical.
The cross-functional model of KAM therefore may be the
most relevant KAM model for the pharmaceutical industry
to examine.
11


MED REP – MED ADVISOR PARTNERSHIP
MR (Medical Repre- Additional learning:
sentative) – MA Being with the medical
(Medical Advisor) advisor on field can be tak-
partnership can be a en as an opportunity for
additional learning of the
tool to convert
therapy area. ▌
Knowledge into
This would maximize the
Sales. “DISCUSS
impact of the doctor meet-
A drug has a medical and ing on business.
commercial value for a BEYOND
Learn from the discus-
pharmaceutical company.
sion: A sales call along SCIENCE: THIS
Dr Shalini Ratan Medical advisors play a
with the medical advisor
Founder, Nirvan Life Sciences role of an expert to bridge COULD GIVE AN
should not be a detailing
the gap between Medicine
and Marketing. This is
session. It should be a OPPORTUNITY TO
learning experience of
“A SALES CALL both for the internal and
“How to address a doc- SPEND MORE
external customers.
tor…” It is to understand TIME WITH THE
ALONG WITH THE There are various roles how scientific data can be
MEDICAL ADVISOR
assigned to a Medical Ad- converted into a business DOCTOR. A
visor. This can be from opportunity, learning to
SHOULD BE USED content writing to sales leverage clinical studies, GYNECOLOGIST
training. Besides the con- building relationships, get-
ventional role being played MIGHT BE INTER-
TO UNDERSTAND ting more information on
by the medical expert, a ESTED TO KNOW
therapeutic areas.
HOW SCIENTIFIC new dimension of “On field
Become memorable:
training” to an MR can be SOMETHING
DATA CAN BE looked into. It can open the This is to create a personal
gates for an MR into the space in the doctor‟s mind. ABOUT TUBER-
CONVERTED INTO doctor‟s chamber. Also a Handling questions and
CULOSIS OR A
visit by a medical team curiosity of a client is
A BUSINESS member prevents compla- sometimes more important NEPHROLOGIST
cency to set up between an to engage a customer than
OPPORTUNITY, MR and the doctor. informing only about the WOULD LIKE TO
product and its USP‟s. The
LEARNING TO Understand doctor’s KNOW ABOUT
query may or may not be
behavior: A doctor can
LEVERAGE CLINI- understand a doctor well.
related to the product. LATEST HAPPEN-
Every doctor needs to be Discuss beyond sci-
INGS IN
CAL STUDIES, assessed differently before ence: This could give an
following any particular opportunity to spend more HEALTHCARE.
BUILDING approach like offering time with the doctor. A
gifts, request for prescrip- Gynecologist might be in- SUCH DISCUS-
RELATIONSHIPS, terested to know some-
tions, talking about USP‟s, SIONS GIVE A
detailing the product etc. thing about Tuberculosis
GETTING MORE Understanding customer‟s or a Nephrologist would COMPETITIVE
body language, facial ex- like to know about latest
INFORMATION ON happenings in Healthcare. EDGE TO THE
pressions and keenness to
THERAPEUTIC listen, if observed with ac- Such discussions give a VISITINGMR-
12 curacy can give lead to a competitive edge to the
AREAS.” fruitful communication. visiting MR-MA team. MA TEAM.”


IMPACT SELLING and EMOTIONAL SELLING
Sales gurus believe that there are many Customer also tries to take advantage of this
techniques and processes of Selling. relation to get better deal. However, there are
Thousands of books have been written on Selling many benefits of Emotional Selling -- as in new
Processes and Techniques. There are two broad product launch, getting competitor‟s infor-
groupings of Selling Techniques. mation from customer and closing target deficit
gap in the last moment.
Impact Selling and Emotional Selling - There
are different selling processes. They can be short or The Salesmen who adopt Emotional Selling are
long, direct or indirect but finally any product can be very successful and though they may not be
sold by using either Impact or Emotions. very ambitious to progress in their career, they
are very successful when they get promoted as
Impact Selling - In Impact selling the Salesman Managers due to their Emotional Intelligence.
uses the impact of his Communication Skill, Selling
Skill, Presentation Skill, Features and Benefits of In this supersonic era quick results are ex-
products, Differentiation, After-sales service etc. to pected from salesmen; added to this there is
convince his customers. Usually with Impact selling very little time you can expect from a customer
results are faster than through Emotional selling. for a Sales Call. There is lesser time to follow
Impact selling needs thorough preparation and Selling Steps or to build a relationship during a
planning. The Salesman must have sound product Sales call. Therefore the need of the hour is to
knowledge, competitor knowledge, good market and develop the skills required to be expert in both
customer knowledge to get early success. Sales- types of Selling. Successful salesmen are those who
man‟s personality and skills are very important in can combine both types of Selling in different situa-
this type of Selling. Factors like new territory, new tions and with different customers effectively. ▌
customers and new products make little difference
in the success of the Impact Selling. The salesman William Fernandes is Senior Training
who adopts Impact Selling will survive in any situa- Manager at Blue Cross Laboratories.
tion on the basis of his self confidence. This type of Contact him at: wilfer@rediffmail.com
Salesman will always focus on self development and
progress in his career to become a Manager faster
than others.
Emotional Selling - In Emotional Selling, the
Salesman uses his Emotional Intelligence (EI) to
win over the customer. EI includes intrapersonal
and interpersonal skills to develop relations with
customers over time. The EI Salesman uses factors
like brand association of customers in the past, third
party endorsement and appeal to emotions of the
customer to clinch the deal. In Emotional Selling the
Salesman has to establish his identity/image in cus-
tomer‟s mind or the product/company image, de-
pending on the significance of either to the custom-
er. In Emotional Selling, relationship should always
lead to achieving sales objectives and should not be
lost in merely making friendship with the customer.
It is a well known fact that if Salesmen become too
friendly they may hesitate to close the sales aggres-
sively. Emotional Selling can take longer time and
usually addresses the current need of the customer. 13


SUCCESS STORY: DEVANAND CHENURI VENKAT
My first job was with Natco Regional Manager to head
Fine Pharmaceuticals in the Respiratory Specialty
Hyderabad. I was part of Division, Actis. My success
the team that introduced mantra was risk taking and
Time Release Technology, facing challenges boldly in
a novel drug delivery sys- my career.
tem for the first time in In 2005, I took up a new
India. role as Business Manager
Later joined May & Baker to launch Genzyme, a bio-
(M & B) and worked with tech company. They had
them from 1987 t0 2004. It great products like Thymo-
was a great journey of my globulin and we made
Devanand C. Venkat life which I can‟t forget till them very big brands. I had
my last breath. the privilege of launching
M & B was a very unique these brands in Sri Lanka,

MY organization to work for; Nepal, Bangladesh and co-
we had brands from A to Z, ordinate Genzyme‟s pres-
starting Ascabiol and end- ence in Pakistan.

SUCCESS ing with Zephrol. I joined
as Animal Health Repre-
Presently, I am working as
a Marketing Manager in a

MANTRA
sentative promoting won- new pharma company.
CULTURE MAKES
derful brands to Veterinari- This is the short story of
ans. my successful journey in ALL THE DIFFER-
WAS RISK In 1995, I became Tech-
nical Representative for X-
the Pharma industry.
I am always interested in
ENCE FOR AN MR
ray Products and general sharing my experience for TO STICK TO A
TAKING brands in the Human Med- the benefit of MRs. I feel
COMPANY. I
icines division. We were nowadays companies
AND taught how important a
customer is and we stood
have stopped giving
proper training and
NEVER FELT THAT

by that standard always, there is an absence of I WAS WORKING
FACING due to which doctors re- good work culture AS AN INDIVIDU-
spected us as equals. among the MRs. I am
AL; THE WORK
CHAL- Culture makes all the dif-
ference for an MR to stick
sorry to say this - may
be due to mushroom-
CULTURE WAS
to a company. I never felt ing of so many small
LENGES that I was working as an companies or lack of
training infrastructure,
LIKE A FAMILY.
individual; the work cul-
companies are not in- WE USED TO
BOLDLY IN ture was like a family. We
used to celebrate Family vesting in manpower CELEBRATE FAMI-
Day and it was mandatory development and as a
LY DAY AND IT
MY for everyone to attend. result, respect for the
profession of MRs has
After becoming Rhone- WAS MANDATORY
declined steeply.
CAREER. Poulenc the culture did not
Devanand C. Venkat is cur-
FOR EVERYONE
14 change. One fine day we
were with Nicholas rently GM Exports at TO ATTEND.
MGMR
Piramal. I was selected as


THE LIGHTER SIDE OF MOTIVATION - Mohan Lal Gupta
MOTIVATION makes people INITI- Mohan: Naturally sir, after all I am Hari: Sorry Mohan, I saw a wrong
ATE actions, MAINTAIN actions and your top performer; delivering more file. Actually your sales are miserably
thereby KEEPS life going. In manage- than your expectations but all due to down this month.
ment, MOTIVATION helps increase your Remote Guidance (salesmen Mohan (takes courage): Naturally sir,
productivity and growth of an organi- Butter well). I am on leave and all the doctors are
zation. MOTIVATION is one single Hari: Mohan, are you on leave or de-motivated (another hearty laugh-
word most often used in all walks of furlough (without leave). ter follows).
life including management. GOOD or
Mohan: sir, how could have I dared to Friends, motivation helps initiate an
LACK of motivation are used to ex-
visit you if I was on furlough (a big action but there is more to it. WE
plain SUCCESS or FAILURE. Let me
hearty laughter by both). need continuous motivation to keep
share a real life episode:
The chit chat, tea, snacks continue. A the action going. Motivation is the
Mohan, an up-country MR, while on Propeller of life and actions. You
little business follows:
vacation, came to Mumbai for sight- Can‟t Act or Move Without Motiva-
seeing. Mohan decided to visit the Hari: Let me see your sales this
tion. ▌
head office of his organization. At the month (the drawer opens); Oh! Won-
head office Mohan, meets the Mar- derful, Mohan, your sales are jump-
keting Chief. Here is the dialogue being even this month.
tween the two: Mohan (the smart): Sir, before leav-
Mohan: Good morning sir, I am Mo- ing, I motivated all my doctors to con-
han, your MR at Lalupura in Bihar. tinue to prescribe.
Hari: NICE to see you Mohan. I have (chit chat continues but Mohan has to
heard a lot about you and your per- go to washroom and; the talk restarts
formance. when he returns)

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14
M: +91 934 2232 949

The 10 Days That Never…
An Elegy for My Mother

She’d been ailing for a while, after a fall
I saw her strength ebb every visit; but her smile was bright as ever; whenever she saw me come
The joy my visits brought her were profound; she’d been proud of her only son always

I worked as a Rep in Mangalore; a small town in the 80s
Each day to see me go out with a tie gave her immense pleasure
Not many in Mangalore had jobs that called for grooming and dressing well
It was one reason I loved my job – made mother so proud each morning to see me go

When I got promoted and moved to Mumbai, she was unhappy to leave her moorings
Yet, she came to share the joy of her son’s success to Mumbai and then to Delhi
Delhi was cruel – the heat and the people too; she chose to return home.
I’ve been shuttling since; work and home; work and home.

Lately I felt her too frail; I had decided I must spend 10 days with her in the hospital; now her home for
close to two years
Planning, planning, planning; we are so good at planning
The 10 days remained just a plan – a number I never hit;
because there were other numbers to hit
Then I got the call; she was slipping
Mumbai to Bangalore and then to Mangalore and Udupi
I sat at her side for three days – at times I felt she knew I was there; at times she was just slipping away
I waited for her; just once to open her eyes and see me; tell me sweet nothings; one last time.
Maybe she would have, if only I had made it to be at her side for the 10 days that never came…

Serofin Soans
(1935—2011)

My mother passed away on the evening of 23 rd November. I want to thank all my friends in pharma for
their condolences. Special thanks to the Edit Team for their support and prompt submission of articles.
And the biggest thanks to my son Joshua, but for whose toil, this issue would not have come on time as
is our wont. – Anup Soans, Editor

MedicinMan December 2011

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