Medical Rep to President - Inspiring Story of Subroto Banerjee

MEDICINMANField Force excellence

TM

June 2014 | www.medicinman.net

of employee satisfaction

Why are employees in restaurants like Café

Coffee Day seemingly happier than in MNC

pharma companies? For that matter why

is it that Medical Reps in Mankind Pharma are happier

than most other better paying companies? Attrition in

Mankind is rare and field force is far more productive

even in specialties like cardiology.

Sometimes little things make a big difference.

Employees are not machines that can be driven by

efficient processes alone. They need the motivation

to make the processes work. According to a Harris

Interactive Poll, 67 per cent of employees are dissatisfied

because of:

1Inability to get information needed in timely

manner. The best of the Indian companies suffer

from this malady. Even good information takes its own

sweet time to reach the people at the ground level. Field

sales are probably one of the loneliest jobs. Quality of

information and timely dissemination of information

can do wonders to the morale and enthusiasm.

Take a survey today from your field force people to

know their level of satisfaction and their pain points

instead of introducing the newest software to increase

productivity. It is the concern for the people and their

feelings that can improve this score.

2Too Much Paper Work. This problem is endemic.

Paper might have been replaced by spreadsheets,

but managers who should be spending time with

their team members or customers and busy filling

spreadsheets for the sadists at the head office! Examine

what report is critical and what is peripheral. There must

be a single window approach to demanding reports

from field sales people.

3Organisation is not up to date with the latest

technology. Pharma is a laggard when it comes to

adopting the latest technology. I have friends in pharma

who are still using the archaic Windows Explorer. Many

of them complain to me about being unable to access

MedicinMan regularly. We have made the process

so simple, yet these worthies must get everything in

PDF file through email! Some of them ask for personal

information like mobile number via email, when it is

possible to get the same just by Googling my name!

Editorial

Since 2011

Top 5 Killers

among Field force

http://medicinman.net

Anup Soans | Editorial: Top 5 Killers of Employee Motivation

4 Organization has the technology but co-workers

don’t use them to the full potential. Why invest

scarce resource in technology if there is not follow-up

mechanism to ensure its full utilization? Employees who

are laggards in adopting technology must be given the

help that make them to cross the divide quickly instead of

pulling everyone else down with their lethargy.

5Don’t understand the process, rules and

regulations. Can there be anything more ridiculous

than this? Yet company after company fails in clarifying to

their employees what is expected of them vis-à-vis their

roles and as a result, what happens is something this funny

narrative illustrates:

This is a little story about four people named Everybody,

Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody.

There was an important job to be done and Everybody was

sure that Somebody would do it.

Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it.

Somebody got angry about that because it was Everybody’s

job.

Everybody thought that Anybody could do it, but Nobody

realized that Everybody wouldn’t do it.

It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody

did what Anybody could have done.

What steps are you going to take to remove these

minor irritants that have a major impact on employee

satisfaction? -AS

2 | MedicinMan June 2014

Connect with Anup Soans on LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter

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

Write in to him: [email protected]

Meet the editor

“Sometimes little things make a big difference. Employees are not machines that can be driven by efficient processes alone. They need the motivation to make the processes work.”

*INR 800/- for 1 copy of both the books inclusive of Speed Post charges.Contact [email protected] | +91-93422-32949 to make a purchase.

MRP Rs. 599/-

“When the only tool you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail.”

Stop hammering away at your role as a front-line pharma professional and get the right tools for the job!

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HardKnocks for the GreenHorn and SuperVision for the SuperWiser Front-line Manager are best-selling books that have been widely used to develop and motivate front-line pharma professionals.

Written by industry veteran Anup Soans, these books will give you the Knowledge, Attitude, Skills and Habits (KA$H) to succeed in you role as a Medical Rep or Front-line Manager.

1. In Conversation with Subroto Banerjee of Strides Arcolab.........................................................5

Subroto Banerjee shares his thoughts on what’s driving Indian pharma and what’s holding it back.

Interviewed by Anup Soans

2. Ten Steps to Becoming a Leader-Manager.....9

10 ‘do’s’ and ‘don’ts’ for new and aspiring people-

managers and team leaders.

K. Hariram

3. Overcoming Attention Deficit Disorder in Everyday Detailing.................................................16

Pharma selling is an art that requires the combination of scientific value-add and presentation skills to make an impact in the mind of the Doctors.

Dineish Pardesi

4. Visual Card: An Alternative to Visual Aid?.......18

A digital card with product information can add a new dimension to in-clinic interaction.

Mayank Bedi

5. Drivers of Sales force Effectiveness................20

A refresher on what Sales Force Effectiveness (SFE) is and is not.

Prof. Vivek Hattangadi

6. The OTC Market in India: Some Growth Drivers .................................................................................23

Socio-economic changes that are driving the growth of the OTC market in India.

Kumud Kandpal

7. Chai pe Charcha.................................................25

10 lessons learnt by a Product Manager (PM) from the Prime Minister (PM) of India.

Kailash Khatod

8. Artwork by M.Pharm student Varsha Phirke.27

MedicinMan Volume 4 Issue 6 | June 2014

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 Hattangadi, Dean, Professional Skills

Development

Letters to the Editor: [email protected]

CONTENTS (Click to navigate)


Anup Soans: Can you tell us something about your

journey in the Indian Pharma industry?

Subroto Banerjee: Unlike most people, I started my

career, as a Medical Representative by choice. Most

of my career, I have worked in oncology, nephrology,

critical care and other specialty therapy areas. By working

up the ladder, I gathered all the required expertise at

different levels of management. I have worked in great

organizations like Farmitalia, Biological E, Dr. Reddy’s,

Dabur Pharma and currently with Strides Arcolab Limited.

The two pillars of my journey are the key opinion leaders

(KOLs) and my teams. I owe all the success to the great

teams that I have worked with and am proud to have

such great KOLs as friends.

A Field Sales produced many leaders like you. What do

you think are the reasons for decline in the quality of

field force and what measures can reverse the trend?

SI believe that the current generation is far more

intelligent than what we were at the start of our

careers. The challenge is attracting these intelligent

people to pharma. Job opportunities in India have

increased manifold and unfortunately, pharma is lagging

behind many sectors in terms of being a preferred career

In Conversation

E

With Subroto Banerjee of Strides Arcolab

Anup Soans | In Conversation with Subroto Banerjee

Subroto Banerjee joined Strides Arcolab in March 2012 as President India region responsible for the BU which included

the brands business and specialty injectables business in therapy areas like Oncology, Nephrology and Critical Care.

After acquisition of the injectables business of Strides by Mylan, he is responsible for the brands business in India.

Along with P&L responsibility, he is also responsible for building up sustainable front-ending capabilities and to develop and execute the long term plan to emerge as a

sizeable player in the Indian Pharmaceuticals space.

Indian Pharma needs

complete image make-

over. I hardly see

any student aspiring

to make a career in

pharma. Indian Pharma must undertake image building measures in the colleges and universities. Our industry leaders

must be more visible

in different forum to

influence the society

positively.



option. Thus, we tend to get the left overs. Indian Pharma

must attract girls and boys from the academia and train

them according to needs of the industry. There must be a

syndicated approach towards this effort of attracting talent.

Indian Pharma needs complete image make-over. I hardly

see any student aspiring to make a career in pharma. Indian

Pharma must undertake image building measures in the

colleges and universities. Our industry leaders must be more

visible in different forum to influence the society positively.

After all pharma is an evergreen sector with abundant growth

opportunities both in the domestic and international market.

All that is needed is a clear focus to attract and develop

talent, so that people have a better career progression.

A Are pharma management institutions serving their

purpose and how can they adapt their curriculum to the

needs of Indian Pharma?

SI am working with an institution of repute and am happy

to mention that they seem to be doing a very decent job.

However, the true learning for the students will happen with

more real time projects and interaction with the industry.

Seminars and group discussions with industry leaders is a

good way to add value to their curriculum.

AWhat is your assessment of current crop of product

managers and what are the areas for improvement?

SWhile we see a good crop of brand managers, the focus

must be more on the patient and therapy area. The

industry will be driven by ailments which are chronic in

nature. Thus the patient will remain in touch with the brand

and the organization for many years. Product managers

must keep this in mind and build sustainable strategies

towards building the bridge between the patient and the

organization, of course keeping the doctor in the loop.

Product managers must have the bigger picture in mind in

addition to driving the day to day execution of strategies.

They must focus on driving strategies for mid-term and long

term growth.

AWhat are some areas in Indian Pharma where digital

technology and social media can have beneficial impact?

SDigital technology and social media can be a major

platform for health awareness and patient education.

This can also serve as a common communication platform

for all the patients and they can be encouraged to share their

experiences and victories. We must also use the burgeoning

social media to create a positive image for the industry.

“

”

In Conversation

The industry is

currently facing the

fall of the DPCO and

going forward stringent

regulations in the

domestic market are

expected. I see this as an opportunity to focus on increased volumes and make medicines accessible for a great number of Indians.



AWhat other trends do you see impacting Indian

Pharma?

SOTC medicines are an encouraging trend and will

become a major market in the next decade. The

informed and conscious Indian will take to common

OTC products. Trends show that areas like aches/pains,

cough, colds, hyperacidity, minor topical infections, and

indigestion are major OTC categories.

AWhere do you see the Indian Pharma industry in the

immediate, medium and long term?

SThe industry is currently facing the fall of the

DPCO and going forward stringent regulations

in the domestic market are expected. I see this as an

opportunity to focus on increased volumes and make

medicines accessible for a great number of Indians.

The healthcare infrastructure is expected to grow both

through government and private investments and the

pharma industry must bank on this development to

make medicines available to millions of people who

hitherto did not have access to quality medicines. Many

of the existing Fixed Dose Combinations (FDCs) have

also been challenged by the regulators. The industry will

now have to establish the clinical and safety justifications

of such FDCs. This again will bring more efficiency and

transparency in the system.

Though the last few quarters have been tough for the

domestic market, I feel this is temporary and we will see

increased volume growths. We should get back to the

12% – 14% growth phase soon.

The industry will be driven by increasing affordability,

shifting disease patterns and healthcare reforms. The

market is set to reach $ 20 billion mark by 2016 and will

move to world’s top 10 pharma markets.

AWhat are some key areas that Indian Pharma must

take care of, to ensure success in the domestic and

global markets?

SIn the domestic area we must be able to make

medicines accessible to increased number of

patients. In the mid-term horizon this in itself will lead

to a huge and purposeful growth. The industry must set

targets of increasing access year on year till we achieve

global standards in this area.

A very strong partnership model must be built up with

the government to ensure access to quality medicines for

the poor.

“

”

In Conversation


The industry and the state governments must agree to

develop a model for the purchases made for BPL patients.

We must invest heavily on quality and regulators must be

more stringent towards the fly-by-night operators. There

should be much stricter entry barriers into this industry.

Investing on the right people and the best practices will

ensure growth in the longer term. We must focus on

building people capabilities. We must understand the

key requirements of patients and doctors and try to offer

solutions. For this we need teams who are passionate

towards the cause.

The recent initiative by six pharma giants (LAZORR) is a good

example of improving efficiencies and bringing down input

costs in the supply side. Many such activities need to be

initiated.

I feel that the Indian industry should focus on the following:

1. Shift from market share capture to market creation.

2. Adopt new differentiated business models.

3. Product access

4. Strengthen sales & marketing capabilities -MM

“

In Conversation

Abdul Basit Khan

Ajay Kumar Dua

Amlesh Ranjan

Amrutha Bhavthankar

Andris A. Zoltners

Anthony Lobo

Aparna Sharma

Arvind Nair

Atish Mukherjee

B. Ramanathan

Chayya Sankath

Craig Dixon

Devanand Chenuri

Venkat

Dinesh Chindarkar

Dr. Amit Dang

Dr. Aniruddha

Malpani

Dr. Hemant Mittal

Dr. Neelesh Bhandari

Dr. S. Srinivasan

Dr. Shalini Ratan

Dr. Surinder Kumar

Sharma

Dr. Ulhas Ganu

Geetha G H

H. J. Badrinarayana

Hakeem Adebiyi

Hanno Wolfram

Hitendra Kansal

Iyer Gopalkrishna

Jasvinder Singh

Banga

Javed Shaikh

Jitendra Singh

John Gwillim

Jolly Mathews

Joshua Mensch

K Hariram

K. Satya Mahesh

Ken Boyce

Mahendra Rai

Mala Raj

Manoj Kumar

Juneank Saigal

Milan Sinha

Mohan Lal Gupta

Neelesh Bhandari

Neha Ansa

Nishkarsh Likhar

Noumaan Qureshi

Parveen Gandhi

Pinaki Ghosh

PK Sinha

Prabhakar Shetty

Vivek Hattangadi

Rachana Narayan

Rajesh Rangarajan

Ralph Boyce

Renie McClay

Richa Goyel

Richard Ilsley

RM Saravanan

Sagar S. Pawar

Salil Kallianpur

Salil Kallianpur

Sally E. Lorimer

Sandhya Pramanik

Sanjay Munshi

Shafaq Shaikh

Shalini Ratan

Sharad Virmani

Shiv Bhasin

Spring Sudhakar

Subba Rao Chaganti

Sudhakar Madhavan

Tony O’Connor

V. Srinivasan

Varadharajan K.

Vijaya Shetty

Vishal V. Bhaiyya

Vishal Verma

Vivek Hattangadi

William Fernandez

Our Authors

MEDICINMAN invites contributions from Pharma professionals on topics related to Field Force Excellence. See: www.medicinman.net/author-guidelines for more information.


Getting promoted and becoming a Manager (FLM) requires a shift in outlook, approach and development of tenacity—qualities that aren’t usually taught in MBA schools or in company training programs.

A report from Corporate Executive Board states that, “Nearly 60 percent of the Front Line Managers un-der-perform during their first two years and more than 50 per cent would rather not manage people.”

So, what do successful Managers do that works so well and make them future leaders?

While there are many aspects, here are the top 10 aspects (in reverse order) that will help YOU become a better Manager:

10. Get your priorities right

1. Your Team members and Customers come first

2. Context-based participation and progress mean everything

3. Coach and empower your team members

9. Be willing to take reasonable risks.

1. Go the extra mile to challenge the ‘status quo’ for your team members.

2. Don’t take “no” for an answer easily

3. Encourage creative problem-solving

8. Be open to new and challenging ideas

1. Always look out for new and creative ways to im prove performance.

2. Engage in rigorous practice to achieve expertise (skills are performed fluently, with ease and speed).

K. Hariram

E

10 STEPS TO BECOMING A LEADER-MANAGER10 ‘do’s’ and ‘don’ts’ for new and aspiring people managers and team leaders.

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

He is Chief Mentor at MedicinMan and a regular contributor. [email protected]

A report from

Corporate Executive

Board states that,

“Nearly 60 percent

of the Front Line

Managers under-

perform during their

first two years and

more than 50 per

cent would rather

not manage people.”“

”


7. Understand and manage change - systemic and human.

1. Be a patient problem-solver and carefully work within your organizational systems.

2. Constantly look for tipping points (small things that help people change).

6. Achieve situational mastery over challenging market scenarios.

1. Display confidence and control over your work place.

2. Win others through bedrock leadership ideas and beliefs.

5. Do a few things well, rather than many things poorly

1. This applies across your team and customers

4. Have a clear PURPOSE and goal for everything you and your team does

3. Continuously update your own knowledge and skills

2. Insist on teamwork, consultation and collabora- tion

1. Develop excellent LISTENING skills

Becoming a better manager isn’t always about the tangible skills, expertise or energy. You need to hone the above intangible skills, too. -KH

K. Hariram | 10 Steps to Becoming a Better Leader-Manager

“

”Be a patient problem-solver and carefully work within your organisational systems. Constantly look for tipping points (small things that help people change).

EMPOWER YOUR FIELD FORCE

KA$H=CASH

REPEAT Rx

Pharma-specific Training:

� Medical Representatives

� 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

MEDICINMAN

SuperVision for the SuperWiser Front-line Manager.

WHY SHOULD ANY-ONE FOLLOW YOU?

THE HALF-TIME COACH

[email protected] | +91-934-2232-949 | www.medicinman.net

Signature Programs for Front-line Managers

Signature Programs for Second-line and Senior Managers

Based on the best-selling book by Anup Soans, this program is for new and experienced Front-line Managers who would like to get breakthrough performance from their teams.

SuperVision for the SuperWiser Front-line Manager focus-es on topics such as Team Building, Emotional Intelligence, Situational Leadership, Coaching and more.

VALUE ADD: Psychometric Assessment*

The Half-Time Coach is based on the concept of half-time in football. If half-time is so crucial in a game that last only 90 minutes, how much more important in a career that last a life time.

The Half-Time Coach is a learning-by-reflection program with a focus on Coaching Skills for senior managers. Mod-ules also cover Self Awareness, Emotional Intelligence, Em-ployee Engagement and Sales Change Management.


A walk-the-talk program for cross-functional senior managers to understand the process of employee engagement, creating trust and building relation-ships to build and sustain high-performance teams.


*Psychometrics assessments give in-depth insights into one’s personality preferences and its impact on interpersonal relationships and teamwork.

[email protected] | +91-934-2232-949 | www.medicinman.net

Methodology

Webinars and E-Learning

All programs are fully customizable. A pre-program questionnaire is used to capture the needs and expectations of the participants. Company’s June request a demonstration of a particular module at no expense (except conveyance to venue).

Programs incorporate the principles of adult learning and are highly participative, audio-vi-sual and activity-based. Important truths are conveyed through games, stories and videos.

Companies are advised to give participants the books on which the programs are based for continued learning and development. The same June be procured from the author at a discount.

Company’s June choose to deliver a program as a webi-nar - giving the advantage of scale and lowering costs.

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.

Most recently 1,000 reps of a leading MNC were trained over four webinars with excellent feedback.

Customized issues of MedicinMan, with inputs from the company can be given to the Field Force for their continuous learning and development.

MedicinMan currently reaches 60,000 pharma professionals.

Interactive Classroom Training

Management Games Audio/Visual

Learning-by-reflectionSimulation

Case Studies

iSharpenMMy Success is My Responsibiliti

KOL Management Workshop A MEDICINMAN Initiative

OBJECTIVE: This workshop will be hands on approach to understanding the challenges and identifying solutions to help you develop an effective KOL management strategy.

TARGET AUDIENCE- Field Force people responsible for KOL management- Marketing team people involved in KOL management- Medical Affairs people engaged in KOL management - Members of existing KOL management team- MSLs responsible for KOL Management- Company shortlisted candidates for KOL management

TOPICS (included, but not limited to:)1. Moving from a Sales Mindset to KOL Relationship Management Mindset2. Understanding Factors that Lead to KOL Satisfaction3. Effective Communication – The Key Skill for KOL Relationship Management4. Understanding and Executing Effective KOL Relationship Management program5. Interaction and Q & A with a leading KOL

OUTCOME:1. Clear understanding of issues in KOL Management2. Fine tuning existing KOL management programs3. Developing a KOL management strategy and plan4. Executing the KOL strategy

WORKSHOP DURATION: 1 Day

WORKSHOP MATERIAL: Delegate notes - synopsis of the workshop

WORKSHOP COORDINATOR: Knowledge Media Venturz

CONTACT:Chhaya Sankath: +91-98674-21131 | [email protected] Nair: +91-987-0201-422 | [email protected]

Worshop Date: 12th July 2014Workshop Timings: 10:00 am - 04:00 pmVenue: Luxury Hotel, MumbaiTotal seats: only 25 Registration fees:R5,000+tax

WORKSHOP LEADER:Anup SoansAnup Soans has worked as a Medical Rep, Oncology Product Specialist and Front-line Manager in Pharma. Later he moved to IJCP, a pioneer in CME, medico marketing, healthcare communication, where he rose to become the Executive Director. At IJCP, he was responsible for identifying, developing and sustaining a mutually rewarding relationship with over 300 KOLs

in all major specialties for 12 years. Many of the leading and emerging KOLs identified and nurtured by Anup Soans went on win prestigious awards like the Padmashri and Dr. B.C. Roy awards among others.

KOL WORKSHOP REGISTRATION FORMWorkshop date : Saturday 12th July 2014 Workshop timings: 10:00 am to 04:00 pmVenue : Luxury hotel, Mumbai Total seats: 25 Only

Name : Designation / Title :Company Name :Company Address :Phone : Email :

In case of multiple delegates from the same organization please fill up individual registration forms for each member.

Registration DetailsRegistration fees: INR 5000 + 12.36 %Service tax (Per Delegate) The Fees is inclusive of Lunch & Tea & Snacks (Morning & Evening)

Payment must be made in INR by Cheque / Bank Draft or NEFT on or before 7th of July 2014.

Cheques to be issued in the name of KNOWLEDGE MEDIA VENTURZ LLP , payable at Mumbai & sent to The Conference Secretariat, A-302, Kshitij C.H.S.L, Off Film City Road, Behind Satellite Towers, Goregaon East, Mumbai 400063.

NEFT DetailsBank Name : AXIS BANK Bank Address: Goregaon West, Mumbai (MH), Gr Flr, Patkar College, S V Road, Goregaon West, Mumbai -62. Account Name : KNOWLEDGE MEDIA VENTURZ LLP Account No : 913020033732313 IFSC Code : UTIB0000647

For further details Contact:

Arvind Nair Chhaya Sankath 9870201422; [email protected] 9867421131; [email protected]

In the era of digital marketing iPad presentations may take over traditional printed Visual Aids. However, generating interest in product promotions is becoming increasingly difficult. Medical

Reps have little time to impress the doctor because every company is operating with several divisions and each generic molecule has more than 40-50 brands. Indian pharma companies are not just copying molecules, they are copying one another’s business strate-gy as well - of multiple divisions. In this scenario, in-clinic interaction has lost its appeal.

Background:Doctors have become sales-savvy because they are dealing with the best and worst sales presentations day in and day out: from MNCs and branded generics to PCD companies. On the other hand, Medical Reps are limited to the line of communication provided by product managers who focus on drawing the doctor’s attention to PRICE as the differentiator in most cases. Secondly, POSITIONING the brand with indication, latest articles and trial updates is stale and ineffective in today’s context of one molecule, fifty brands and two hundred scientific reports! Marketing managers have to conceive a concept that attracts the doctor’s attention; prepare a lucid and memorable message, which can be delivered without any distortion by the Medical Rep.

Dinesh Pardesi


Pharma selling is an art that requires the combination of scientific value-add and presentation skills to make an impact in the mind of the Doctors.

E

OVERCOMING ATTENTION DEFICIT DISORDER IN

EVERYDAY DETAILING

Dineish Pardesi is a pharma professional.


The Problem:Indian Pharma is blindly following the West and is focusing on SFE, ACE and what not! Highly technical talent and resources are employed in building sales force effectiveness to monitor and classify doctor calls. ACE is employed to analyse commer-cial viability of a doctor call. This has turned marketing from field based reality into virtual reality of spreadsheets and var-ious data outputs. Where does marketing get its inputs from anyway? It gets it from field sales people. The person who cre-ates and owns SFE and ACE has never worked in the field and the field sales people who provide the inputs are alien to its outcome. The irony of the situation is that power and control has shifted from field to the head office and responsibility and accountability has shifted from head office to the field.

The Solution:Despite the dawn of digital era, Medical Reps are the only vital link between the company and doctors and this makes them a special people. Competent senior Medical Reps are aware when time is scarce and use words economically. Being com-mitted to results, they do a lot of homework before making a call, like pre-approach and gauging the environment, mood of the doctor, his likes and dislikes, inclination to the topic and so on.

There is no way where you can predict the sales outcome by putting in values in the spreadsheets or by following ORG-IMS and C MARC data. Market information is going to be dynamic and will remain a manual skill of Medial Reps and front-line managers. Systematic RCPA is needed to understand the mar-ket potential. RCPA will give the number of prescriptions and key prescribers as well as knowledge of competitive brands in the territory. This requires patience and special talent to ask relevant and random questions from important persons working at various pharmacies. Now that you have the list of key prescribers, rope in right customers and provide the right impetus. By this I mean, you must know what will shift his attention from the brand he is currently using to your brand. This can happen by generating genuine interest. How? Now this cannot be taught in any school of pharmaceutical man-agement. It comes from being on the field, awareness, keen interest, analysing and synchronising the data of doctor’s prescribing habit. As doctors begin to respond to your efforts, engage them in an ethical way and ensure that you fulfill his need of patient-centric CME of practical use.

Finally, do not take the doctor for granted; you have to renew the relationship as if it is new love and always keep the passion alive. Remember, selling is an art and Visual Aid is an artist’s brush to paint an attractive picture of your products in the doctor’s mind. -DP

Dineish Pardsesi | Overcoming Attention Deficit Disorder in Everyday Detailing

“

”

Despite the dawn of digital era,

Medical Reps are the only vital

link between the company and

doctors and this makes them

a special people. Competent

senior Medical Reps are aware

when time is scarce and use

words economically. Being

committed to results, they

do a lot of homework before

making a call, like pre-approach

and gauging the environment,

mood of the doctor, his likes

and dislikes, inclination to the

topic and so on.


A Medical Rep carrying a big bag outside the doctor’s chamber is an unseemly sight. More than focusing on his job he is taking care of the bag. Sometimes the samples falls or the Visual Aid gets damaged while handling. It is too disorganized. The total impact is lost in this exercise. Can the concept be reinvented? What if you come across a Medical Rep who is carrying a small box that appears to be a ‘gift’ but is actually a complete detailing aid? This concept is called Visual Card.

A ‘concept’ visual card is of the size of a visiting card or slightly larger. It can be designed in a way that on one side it mentions the brand name and its key promotional aspects (indications and benefits). On the same side can be an image of the product being detailed and the theme associ-ated with it. The same side can state the dosage forms. One important aspect that will make this card a success is to put some graphic image that grabs the attention of the doctor straight away. This should be in direct sync with the product name or the concept for which the product is introduced. The box itself can be designed aesthetically with color-cod-ing to look like a modern gizmo.

The other side of the card can carry a short description of its mechanism of action and side effects; next to it can be an embedded microchip. When the doctor asks for de-

Mayank Bedi

E

VISUAL CARD: AN ALTERNATIVE TO VISUAL AID?A digital card with product information can add a new dimension to in-clinic interaction.

Mayank Bedi studies at the Narsee Monjee Institute for Management Studies and is an

intern at Allergan.

A ‘concept’ visual

card is of the size

of a visiting card or

slightly larger. When

the doctor asks for

detailed studies,

the microchip can

be registered with

doctor’s fingerprint.

Whenever the doctor

needs any details

about the product, all

he needs to do is to

swipe a finger across

the microchip. The

microchip will flash

the related details on

the visual card itself.

“

”


tailed studies, the microchip can be registered with doctor’s fingerprint. Whenever the doctor needs any details about the product, all he needs to do is to swipe a finger across the microchip. The microchip will flash the related details on the visual card itself (or can be connected to nearest PC/Laptop/Tablet). One product per visual card.

For detailing more than one product, the Medical Rep has to carry a deck. The deck after detailing can be given to the doc-tor so that he can use it for future reference. So, a visual card can be handy for the Medical Rep to carry and detail, also the doctor does not need extra space to store and access it.

In the same box, samples can be kept for ease of carrying, ease of access and portability for both the Medical Rep and the doctor.

Last but the most important factor is that it will improve the image of the Medical Rep from a typical MR to an informed, tech-savvy healthcare professional. Most importantly, it can boost self-confidence and increase the enthusiasm towards work.

A possible win-win situation? -MB

“

”

Last but the most

important factor is that

the Visual Card will

improve the image of

the Medical Rep from

a typical MR to an

informed, tech-savvy

healthcare professional.

Mayank Bedi | Visual Card: An Alternative to Visual Aid?


With fewer new products being introduced in the Indi-an Pharmaceutical Market (IPM), and shorter brand life cycles, pharma field force managers face pressure

to improve the return on the current sales force investment. To cap it all, IPM is beleaguered with problems arising from price controls, the aggressive and volatile unions of pharma traders (PWA, RDCA, BCDA and their likes) and trade unions like FMRAI. High attrition rate, inability to attract and retain talent further compounds the problem.

Senior pharma sales managers now face two difficult tasks. They have to make the right decisions and implement it effectively. Both have to be done quickly.

The largest spend in pharma sales and marketing is usually on the sales force; in IPM usually 25-30% of the sales. Developing an effective sales force can enhance returns.

Sales force effectiveness typically meant three things to an Indian pharmaceutical company:

1. Increasing the number of doctors in the list / changing the list.

2. Increasing the frequency of calls.

3. Enhancing the effectiveness of the messages delivered within the calls.

Almost no Indian pharma company was looking at sales force effectiveness from the perspective of how the roles of people -

Vivek Hattangadi

E

DRIVERS OF SALES FORCE EFFECTIVENESS

A refresher on what Sales Force Effectiveness is and is not.

Prof. Vivek Hattangadi is a Consultant in Pharma Brand Management and Sales

Training at The Enablers. He is also visiting faculty at CIPM Calcutta (Vidyasagar

University) for their MBA course in Pharmaceutical Management.

[email protected]


those who influence prescriptions - were changing, and how their individual needs were changing. Today that position has reversed.

Sales Force Effectiveness means developing an outstanding sales force which can leverage the marketing tools to opti-mize productivity - through prescription generation. Some tools include the effective joint field work by managers, sales promotional material, cycle meetings and training programs and many more.

A high quality sales force alone can assure high performance in today’s complex and highly competitive environment, and that too at lower costs. The power of the sales force continues to be and will remain a significant factor. An inefficient sales force can have a massive negative effect on its brands and incompetent sales teams can wreak havoc on market share.

Sales force effectiveness and training are sometimes thought to be synonyms, but it is not so.

Sales force effectiveness means to increase productivity, to cut expenditure and boost the morale of the field force. SFE is to ensure that every single minute a medical representative spends with the doctor is optimized. On the other hand, train-ing focuses on developing hard and soft skills, line manager coaching process and development. Training can be only one of the important elements of sales force effectiveness. Sales force effectiveness cannot be considered as training function alone.

The most important driver of sales force effectiveness is the quality of leadership provided by the first-line managers. Others include customer knowledge, knowledge of competi-tion, skills and capabilities to succeed along with appropriate field activities, strategy execution management and commu-nication. Let us examine each of these drivers of SFE.

Leadership skills: The strength of the first-line managers is the strength of the organization. Poor quality first-line managers stifle the success if an organization. First-line man-agers can provide strong leadership when they have vision and the conviction to make their vision a reality. A first-line manager can have his own vision statement which is aligned with that of his organization. Good leadership for sales force effectiveness requires excellent human qualities, which go far beyond conservative concepts of authority. Good leaders are an enabling force. Perhaps the concept of ‘Servant Leadership’ advocated by Chanakya and modernized by Robert Greenleaf should be considered.

Customer knowledge: It means understanding your pre-scribers inside out, so that you can manage and nurture them and get the best output. Many first-line managers do have knowledge of their prescribers/potential prescribers, fre-quently this is in a fragmented form and difficult to share or

“

”

Sales Force Effectiveness

means developing an

outstanding sales force

which can leverage

the marketing tools to

optimize productivity

- through prescription

generation.

Vivek Hattangadi | Drivers of Sales Force Excellence


analyze. Often it is incomplete. Customer knowledge includes collection of information and viewpoints that a first-line man-ager has about his doctors. The role of customer knowledge management is to capture and organize this data to allow it to be shared and discussed with the team. Customer knowl-edge also means the compilation of information to get the insight you need to build long-lasting relationships with the customers.

Knowledge of competition: When interacting with my clients, I am surprised about how little they know about com-petition. They often lack understanding about their branding strategies and marketing tactics. Knowing who your compet-itors are, and what they are offering, can help you to make your products, services and marketing stand out. It will en-able you to do a SWOT Analysis of your competitors, and help you to respond to competitors marketing campaigns with your own initiatives. You can use this knowledge to create marketing strategies that take advantage of your competitors’ weaknesses, and improve your own business performance. You can also asses any threats posed by both new entrants to your market and current competitors. This knowledge will help you to be realistic about how successful you can be.

Strategy execution management: Strategy execution is the buzz word in the management circles today. Strategy Execu-tion Management is the set of tools and processes to translate the organization’s strategy and business plan into reality. It is not just accomplishing a task or a goal, but also achieving the underlying business objectives. A good execution manage-ment will focus on WHAT as well as HOW of an achievement. If an organization has to deliver superior performance, without doubt, the people accountable for strategy execution – the first-line managers hold the key. A good first-line manager knows the strategies of the organization by heart and then ensures that his team has understood it well so that they execute them effectively.

Communication: Getting your message across in a way that is clear and coherent to everyone that is listening is a critical skill for the first-line manager in developing sales force effec-tiveness. Effective sales force communication helps to bring about a high performing field sales force. However, the field force spends a lot of time on unnecessary or redundant com-munication. This wasted time affects sales force effectiveness and undermines the company performance. Communication is a skill area which a first-line manager needs to master to enhance sales force effectiveness.

Conclusion: An effective sales force can make all the differ-ence, turning an average performing company into a leader in the IPM. Isn’t it time you put in your efforts to improve the effectiveness of your team? -VH

“

”

Getting your message

across in a way that is

clear and coherent to

everyone that is listening

is a critical skill for the

first-line manager in

developing sales force

effectiveness.

Vivek Hattangadi | Drivers of Sales Force Excellence


Globally, the Indian pharmaceutical industry ranks 3rd in terms of volume and 14th in terms of value. In 2011 Indian OTC market was estimated at $ 1.7 billion with an annual growth rate of 23%. Currently, India ranks 11th in terms of the OTC market size globally which is forecasted to be close to $ 6.5 billion by 2016.

Growth drivers of OTC Market in India: 1. RISING AWARENESS ABOUT PREVENTIVE CARE has driven the growth of various categories like nutraceuticals, vitamins and dietary supplements. People now feel and know that prevention in long term not only saves the over-all healthcare cost but also keeps them healthy on a day to day basis.

2. SELF MEDICATION TENDENCY:

Due to:

• Higher education levels

• Lack of time for small ailments in today’s stressful life-style.

• Cost saving on consulting fees which they have to pay to doctors

3. LIFESTYLE FACTORS: With busy lifestyles, people are looking for quick and easy solutions to their problems. Some products which have made use of this need of con-sumers are Amrutanjan , Digene Fast Melt, Vicks Vapocool signifying quickness of their products. Changing lifestyle habits boosted the growth of gastrointestinal OTC products by 8% in 2013. (Nicholas hall)

4. PRODUCT INNOVATION

Introduction of smaller packs (a concept of FMCG industry) has also driven the access of products in terms of:

• Being economical and affordable to masses

• Convenience in carrying. Ex; Amrutanjan balm comes in a 5g pack which is convenient to carry for consumers.

Kumud Kandpal

E

OTC MARKET IN INDIA: SOME GROWTH DRIVERSSocio-economic changes that are driving the growth of the OTC market in India.

Kumud Kandpal is a Management Associate- International Marketing at Bioplus Life Sciences.


5. PROMOTION

Use of Mass Media:

• Heavy promotion and marketing campaigns through TV, Print and digital promotion led to increase in the demand for these products.

Endorsements by Celebrities:

• Mary Kom for Polycrol Gel, Sonali Bendre for Volini, Sal-man Khan for Revital. Using Mary Kom strengthened the position of Polycrol gel in East India to No.1 position

6. CHANNELS DEVELOPMENT

Availability of products in hypermarkets, grocery stores and healthcare specialist retailers led to increase in sales as it in-creases convenience for consumers to shop for such products while making their day to day shopping.

7. RURAL PENETRATION :

Rural penetration initiative by many companies like Ranbaxy, Mankind, Pfizer, Dabur India Ltd which has increased the accessibility of their brands in Tier 2 &Tier 3 cities. Ex. Ranbaxy and Pfizer partnered with ITC to distribute their range of OTC products Revital, Pepfiz, Volini & Chericof

8. PRODUCT INNOVATIONS:

1. ENO launched tablets with different flavors and packaging, whereas traditionally it has been only in powder formats. The entire antacids category is close to (US$125mn) in 2013 where ENO is around $ 40 million with 32% Market share. ENO also launched Refreshing liquid (ENO GEL).

2. Polycrol Extra Strong is packaged in a portable transparent bottle with an informative label that helps consumers under-stand how it works in the stomach.

9. EVOLUTION OF DIGITAL MEDIA:

Ranbaxy has used extensively the use of digital media to pro-mote Revital, Volini and Pepfiz.

The Pepfiz campaign was conducted via Facebook and asked participants questions about food of choice to be declared India’s Biggest Foodie.

Revital facebook page alone has a liking by more than 3.5 lakh people, Amrutanjan roll on balm has more than 40,000 likes . This provides an active platform for the brands to engage and converge with the consumers. -KK

“

”

With busy lifestyles,

people are looking

for quick and easy

solutions to their

problems. Some

products which have

made use of this need

of consumers are

Amrutanjan , Digene

Fast Melt, Vicks

Vapocool signifying

quickness of their

products. Changing

lifestyle habits

boosted the growth of

gastrointestinal OTC

products by 8% in 2013.

Kumud Kandpal | OTC Market in India: Some Growth Drivers


Lesson 1 - Endorsements and word of

mouth are the most effective marketing

tools.

People endorse a product only when they have

trust and their expectations are fully met. (Many

KOLs like Ratan Tata and Ram Jethmalani named

Modi for PM)

Lesson 2 - Marketing must be a regular prac-

tice and promotions should never stop.

Thanks to the successful viral campaign, a hope

was created in the minds of the citizens that

NaMo is the only solution to all the problems of

India.

As soon as he was nominated as the PM candi-

date, he started a series of huge, well planned

rallies. Very few rallies were planned in the

regions where his party had a strong presence.

The focus was on the biggest states, places

where his hold was weak and places where the

competitors were losing faith of customers. The

best part of rallies were customized take home

messages for the audience - good governance;

minimum government, maximum governance;

nation first; and many more.

Lesson 3 - Prioritize and execute the high impact plans more than others to maximize returns.

Lesson 4 - Nothing is better than personally meeting customers and demonstrating the product.

Lesson 5 - Always end your call with a memo-rable statement that summarizes the call.

Once he started using these statements, every-one in his party used the same message.

Lesson 6 – Launching a campaign without having insights about the customer is like open-ing an umbrella and praying for rain.

Lesson 7 – Ab ki baar -- one big idea! If you get that... you have cracked the campaign right!

Lesson 8 - There is no final marketing plan, the plan has to dynamic and responsive to the market changes

Lesson 9 - If you are not using the technology, you are missing the bus.

Lesson 10 - Always keep your best for the last.

By turning the taunt into a slogan and playing the underdog, (Chaiwallah) he created a lasting emotional bond with voters. -KK

Kailash Khatod

E

10 lessons learnt by a Product Manager (PM) from the Prime Minister (PM) of India.

Chai Pe Charcha

Read the complete article at the Author’s blog here.

Kailash Khatod is a young pharma professional, an avid blogger and social media enthusiast.

Follow him on Twitter: @kailashkhatod

http://kailashkk.wordpress.com/2014/05/21/what-a-pm-learned-from-the-pm/

A new book by Renie McClay published by ASTD Press is apt for the global executive with a local vision. “The Art of Modern Sales Management” has 12 chapters, each written by a leader in the field from around the world.

Renie McClay, MA, CPLP, has been a dynamic performance improvement

professional for 20 years. She has been successful in sales, management, and

learning and performance roles at several Fortune 500 companies (Kraft,

Pactiv, and Novartis). Founder of Inspired Learning LLC, she continues

to bring her passion and practical approach to all project work. Inspired

Learning LLC does design and delivery of energetic programs and projects

around the world.

Now available for readers in India on Kindle and print on Amazon. Download a free chapter of the book here.

The Art of Modern Sales Management is a must read for any global sales leader. It's practical, relevant, and grounded in the experience of seasoned sales professionals who make a significant difference in the organizations that they serve. This book includes many useful tips and actionable ideas that any sales leader can use. --Kimo Kippen, Chief Learning Officer, Hilton Worldwide

Renie has done a great job of selecting thought leaders that speak to the challenges of selling in our new, connected world. I absolutely love the framework of the book and found myself skipping from one chapter to another based on what I thought was most relevant to the problems I am most interested in solving today. This book is a must for anyone that understands that front-sales management is tomorrow’s competitive advantage. --Pat Martin, VP of Sales, Estes Express

Renie is on top of her game again and brings the A Team to the world of Modern Sales Management. With the explosion of social media and the immediacy of shared experience for buyers and sellers, The Art of Modern Sales Management is a practical guide to navigating these changing realities, and the action plans offered provide tools to ensure the best opportunity for success. If you have a leadership role within the sales organization, you need this book as a guide and resource. --Gary Summy, Director of Business Development Global Accounts Operations, Xerox Corporation

http://www.amazon.com/The-Art-Modern-Sales-Management/dp/1562868977

http://www.astd.org/Publications/Books/The-Art-of-Modern-Sales-Management

``

Varsha Phirke is studying M.Pharm (Pharmaceutics) and is preparing for a career in the Pharma sector along with practicing her skills as an artist.

~ Artwork by M.Pharm student Varsha Phirke ~E

Medical Rep to President - Inspiring Story of Subroto Banerjee

Health & Medicine

Transcript of Medical Rep to President - Inspiring Story of Subroto Banerjee