Bengaluru, February 27, 2016: Once a field force in Pharma Industry is selected, and given Training, how many times he/she is called to attend refresher courses for enhancement in Product Knowledge, and improving the effectiveness of detailing? It is normally very rare or nil in a majority of Organizations. Under the circumstances, it can only be concluded that we are not equipping the Field Force with the desired skills and knowledge to succeed in the market place. Here are a few suggestions as to how we can improve their Product Knowledge, and also improve the effectiveness of their Detailing, not in a mundane way, but in a very interesting and joyful way. When we enjoy what we are doing, it gets engraved in our mind very easily, which may remain with us for a long time to come also.
1) Product Knowledge:
The Product Management Team can select the three most important Products (depending upon the importance and volume of sales) for the learning at the end of every quarter, may prepare the reading material, and also simple questions to test the grasping/understanding level of the Field Force. For the next quarter, similar exercise can be done for the next three products in the order of importance. Thus in a calender year, we can brush up the Product Knowledge and detailing effectiveness of atleast twelve products.
Questions should be prepared in such a fashion that they Field Force are only required to select the correct answer from the options given, as per example given below. There should be no need to write anything. If writing is involved, this may eat into their precious field working time, and may not be to the liking of a majority of field force as well. To complete this exercise, no field force is required to come to Head Office, which means saving of lot of money on account of to and fro travelling fare, boarding & lodging expenses, and also precious field working time.
What is the most important advantage of our iron Syrup, which is not there in our Competitors?
(choose the right option from the ones given below)
a) Pleasant colour
b) Better viscocity
c) Price
d) Absence of a bitter after taste
For the above question, the right answer may be option (d) which should only be ticked. This may not take much time, and may be a game to attend as well. Such an online exercise can easily be developed by the in-house IT/EDP Department, or may take the help of any IT Solutions Companies. The reading material prepared by Product Management Team for each Product should be not be much – ideally not more than 3 pages – and questions as suggested above should be prepared to cover all the topics discussed in the reading material. Soft copy of reading material may be sent to the concerned Field staff atleast a week in advance, so as to give them adequate time to go through the material inspite of their busy schedule, and test may be conducted online on a Holiday/Sunday. The duration of the test may not be more than 1 hour – to go through a maximum of 9 pages and then tick mark the right answer only for the questions. The results, i.e. Marks scored by them in the test, and also what is the correct answer for the wrong answers should also be mailed to their official e-mail id immediately. Any one scoring below the minimum standard (example it may be 70%), should be required to take up the test again, till he/she scores 70% and above.
2) Detailing Skill enhancement:
Detailing for the above three Products, should be heard by the Area Sales Managers concerned, and marks out of a total of 10 may be given depending upon a) clarity, b) flow, c) pause – whenever there is a full stop, comma, etc, and d) voice modulation – raise the pitch whenever we talk of the strength/superiority of the product, etc. The Area Sales Managers, once the quarterly Sales Review Meeting is over, can conduct this exercise, which should not take more than an hour – @ 10 minutes for each for a team of 5 MRs. The marks scored by each one in the team should be sent to Marketing Team at H.O. by the ASMs concerned by the same evening. The ASMs should share their observations on the detailing to each one in the Team for information and also for taking up corrective measures for improvement.
The Product Management Team, should collect details of marks scored by each and every Field Force for the quarter – both for the online test, and also for the detailing – and in their in-house publication meant for the field force should proudly publish the name and H.Q. of field force who have secured the 1st three positions and announce rewards (cash or kind). Due weightage for such achievements should also be given at the time of selecting candidates for promotions/career growth.
The above exercise if implemented consistently, and in all sincerity, we are sure will improve the Product knowledge as well as detailing effectiveness of the field force, and equip them to beat the competition with confidence in the market place. Above all, this way of learning is simple, easy, fun to do, and therefore sinks in deep.
(The author Mr.V.Srinivasan has over 35 years of rich experience in Pharma Industry and has headed Sales/Marketing Administration, HR, Personnel, Admin and Training functions in reputed Pharma Companies. Besides, he has over 400 published articles to his credit in India and abroad. He can be reached at shridhar1956@rediffmail.com, mobile no:9972390513)
Corporate Comm India (CCI Newswire)
