| 90% of physicians said they wanted somewhat less | | | | results |
| or significantly less interactions with sales | | | | Well as they say, "The proof is in the pudding." |
| representatives in their practices. 2008 Sermo | | | | Meaning that if the recipe is followed and the cook |
| Physician Survey How to Increase Face Time with | | | | knows what he/she is doing, then the pudding will |
| Doctors Who Don't Want to See You. | | | | taste good. The same is true of sales. If solution |
| Problem: Limited or no access to physicians It is no | | | | selling is what the doctors really want then they will |
| secret to any pharmaceutical representative that the | | | | give us more time resulting in increased sales. |
| time we get with doctors is decreasing every year. | | | | I wanted to g oto the field and ask people who sell |
| According the 2008 Access Report the average call | | | | to doctors every day if solution selling really works. |
| with a primary care doctor only lasts 80 seconds. | | | | Below you will find testimonies of a sales |
| Today 39% of doctors require and appointment and | | | | representative, sales manager and training manager. |
| 24% won't see reps at all. A recent article in | | | | Shannon Ferrar; TLC Sales Representative; Garden |
| Pharmaceutical Representative Magazine by Susan | | | | City, NY |
| Vargas stated that the growing scarcity of access to | | | | Doctors give me more time when I begin by talking |
| physicians and other decision makers can be | | | | about a problem they are experiencing. If I start by |
| attributed to several factors, most notably time | | | | mentioning a product message they can always say |
| pressures and a perception that representatives don't | | | | they aren't interested or they don't need that |
| contribute enough to the practice of medicine. During | | | | product. It is hard for them to say they don't |
| a focus group one physician said, "What we get from | | | | experience a problem that research shows most of |
| reps is marketing, and it's not impacting patient care." | | | | their peers are having. |
| Solution: Become more focused on impacting patient | | | | Pharma District Manager; Pediatric Division |
| care | | | | Do you feel the problem focused approach to selling |
| Just as you read in the above quote, doctors have | | | | increases face time with physicians? |
| been telling us for years they want us to focus more | | | | Absolutely! As soon as you start selling, a doctor |
| on improving patient care. In 2005 I worked with a | | | | closes up. When you identify a problem it captures |
| company who conducted "Real-Life" Role-Plays with | | | | their attention and they want to hear the solution. |
| physicians. After a long day of role-playing with sales | | | | My reps tell me they are having more fun because |
| representatives we ask the doctors what they | | | | now doctors give them time and want to talk to |
| would like to see when a sales rep is giving their sales | | | | them. |
| message. The overwhelming response was, "Tell | | | | Jenn Hollinger, Manager of Sales Operations and |
| them to solve a clinical problem for us." In January of | | | | Training; Novartis, Canada |
| 2008 I conducted a survey of over 350 doctors in | | | | "Setting up the call with a problem that you know is |
| which we asked them about the qualities they | | | | specific to that physicians practice or patient base |
| wanted to see in an industry representative. 95% of | | | | allows you to engage them right from the start of |
| doctors said they wanted a rep who had the ability | | | | the call. You gain their attention and give yourself the |
| to problem solve. When we asked that same group | | | | opportunity to get acceptance to proceed with |
| of doctors in a focus group what problems they | | | | solving that problem throughout the call. They aren't |
| needed help solving, they could not tell us. Doctors | | | | going to cut you off if they feel they are going to |
| want the representative to understand the patient | | | | gain some valuable information." |
| problems their products can solve and present | | | | Finally, we need to ask, if this type of approach gives |
| problems and solutions. | | | | us more time, does that result in increased sales. The |
| Even executives in the pharmaceutical industry are | | | | answer is yes!! A Best Practices Study revealed Top |
| beginning to promote the concept of selling clinical | | | | Performers (those in the top 10% of sales |
| solutions instead of just marketing. In the February | | | | attainment) are better problem solvers than average |
| 2008 editions of Pharmaceutical Representative and | | | | performers by a margin of 5 to 1. |
| Pharmaceutical Executive Magazines the results of a | | | | Summary |
| Pharmaceutical Executive Panel Discusión | | | | Want to get more time with your doctors and start |
| made the following statement, "The field sales force | | | | increasing prescriptions? Stop marketing your product |
| has to be more focused on solutions and patient | | | | and start impacting patient care by discussing patient |
| outcomes. That means that from a brand standpoint, | | | | problems your product can solve. Oh! one more |
| reps have to be able to convey solutions for the | | | | added benefit to discussing patient problems with |
| practice and for the patient long term" | | | | your doctors; it makes you more PhRMA compliant. |
| Proof: Selling solutions increases FACE time and sales | | | | That's always a plus!! |