In our modern society, pharmaceutical consulting firms are strategically positioned to help companies that are prominent in this dynamic field as they provide numerous additional elements to help the company survive through these difficult times. Generally, pharmaceutical consultants are industry experts and have often assumed key roles in other areas within the healthcare industry before joining the consulting organisation. As such, their recommendations do not come from books, but from a combination of experience, ability and passion for what they do.

Now more than ever, it’s important for the pharmaceutical company to make the right, strategic decisions as they develop new products and continue to market existing products into the field. The journey between product manufacture and the patient involves numerous layers of bureaucracy, regulatory restrictions and enforcement, even though the patient is much in need of a product. It is in such a taught environment that the pharmaceutical consultant can be worth his or her weight in gold.

Legislation is imminent which will change the look of the US healthcare industry (one of the world’s most complex industries) after decades. Even more uncertainty will be in evidence as organisations try to decipher what these changes will be all about, even as this process takes many months and years to unfold. This will be a period of learning for everyone and it goes without saying that the organisation that is best prepared, will capitalise the most from the opportunities ahead. Many view change as being a threatening situation, but for those who are forward thinking, they can see opportunities and will ensure that pharma consulting firms help them to delineate and take advantage accordingly.

The pharmaceutical and healthcare consulting firm should be selected on ability, its proven track record and its potential to help the company significantly. The consulting company must balance this experience with its ability to make judgements from a knowledgeable perspective and help to recommend that the organisation take certain steps to address specific challenges. The pharmaceutical consultant should be a close ally to senior decision-makers within the organisation and should provide a helping hand with expert input on a timely basis.

If key management decisions appear to be built on shaky ground, the pharmaceutical consultant should always be available and ready to implement a challenge to these positions, if better tactics and an alternate approach could result in a more profitable outcome. The consultant will not take over the situation of course, but a good consulting firm is quite able to look at the situation from a “devil’s advocate” or neutral and unbiased position, calling on knowledge and experience of similar situations in the past.

A pharma consulting firm should be able to anticipate trends by looking into its crystal ball and making sure that the organisation is advised of any potential threats or emerging issues that it should be aware of, if likely to impact a position. Developments within the marketplace could be critical to a planned product down the road and early intervention at decision-making time can often make the difference between great profits or a failed venture. The relationship between the pharmaceutical consulting firm and senior executives of the company should be close, established and proven, with a track record of positive outcomes.

Alan Gillies is the Managing Director of L2L Consulting, specialising in enabling pharmaceutical companies to achieve new heights of productivity and performance, throughout all levels of management and revenue generating activities.

The 80/20 rule is a metric used within the business world which reveals that fully 80% of all business can be attributable to only 20% of the actual clients. This can be the subject of conjecture and certain clients are always seen as more important by the pharmaceutical company, due either to their pure volume of sales, their position in the market or other important considerations such as a transition to other market areas. Key account management provisions should be brought in by the company and all members of the sales and marketing team made keenly aware of their existence and importance.

A pharmaceutical company has many different stakeholders and must satisfy a number of different “clients.” The company is always involved in industry positioning, political lobbying, public relations and media, as well as the fundamental issues of sales, marketing and financial measurements. There is so much on the plate, be it daily or weekly and there is always a danger that senior management may take on too many issues and end up being less effective overall. As key account management is only as effective as methods and levels of communication and the efforts of the sales and marketing team, a pharmaceutical consulting firm should be engaged to help the company process.

Once an account is designated as key to the success of the business, a determination should be made and a plan of action composed in concert with the pharmaceutical consultants. The business must look at the relationship from the client point of view and accurately gauge what they feel to be the substance of the relationship. There should be an interactive approach to communication here and the goal should be to create a “win-win” scenario at all times, regardless of complexity. While attention to the essentials is of course important, the key account would be more likely to continue the association if additional value is perceived.

If the client enters the comfort zone when dealing with a pharmaceutical company, it will be more inclined to not only continue the relationship, but also to enhance it or to expand it. Trust is everything and the establishment of a comfort zone promotes the client to relax many of the resources it may engage to control the associated activities, marking the relationship as efficient in its eyes.

Some experts observe that account management is really about damage control. Every now and again problems and issues will undoubtedly arise. It falls to the company to try and understand how a client works and to do its best to anticipate any problems or objections before they occur. If a sales and marketing team has achieved a high level of training and education, it will be much better positioned to get past the hurdles in its path.

Key account management calls for a highly intelligent assessment of the client’s interpretation of any relationship. As always, a level of satisfaction is at the top of the list and when senior management goes overboard, a long-term relationship is likely, with great potential for additional revenues. Satisfaction is top priority, according to pharma consulting firms.

Alan Gillies is the Director of L2L Consulting, an elite pharmaceutical consultancy firm which specialises in Strategy Development and Implementation Excellence for prestigious multi-national organisations.

Few industries are as competitive or are as subject to complex external dynamics as the pharmaceutical and healthcare fields. The pharmaceutical company must be at the top of its game constantly, as it strives to attract and keep the best minds in the business, as it pushes the boundaries of discovery and development, as it conforms to governmental restrictions or as it seeks to survive economically within a very competitive environment. These are significant and daily pressures, which senior management should realise and bring on board the services of pharmaceutical consulting firms, who have experience in all the essential areas.

The population relies on the advances made by pharmaceutical companies as health levels improve, but these companies are facing a lot of challenges nonetheless. Through cutting edge developments, a company may create products able to make a significant difference to the health of the nation, but may yet face considerable obstacles before such products could be brought to market. In addition to scientific and creative expertise, the company must ensure that its sales and marketing and lobbying teams are top-notch. A company should always concentrate on what it does best and in this case bring in pharmaceutical consultants to train and manage sales and marketing teams adequately.

In healthcare, there are a lot of moving parts in between the creation of a pharmaceutical product that could have life-saving capabilities for its end-user and the delivery of said product to the patient. The pharmaceutical company must first satisfy investors and regulators before a product can be brought to creation and must then be able to market its features, benefits and availability to healthcare professionals, pharmacists and to those who hold the purse strings, in many cases the insurance companies. The patient may never get to know that such a product even exists unless the pharmaceutical company’s marketing initiatives are top-notch.

A pharma consulting company is fully aware of the complexities of the industry and has a significant background. Every consultant will have real life experience, earned “on the Street” and be fully aware of all the hurdles a company will encounter.

The biggest monetary investment a company makes is generally in its workforce. The workforce must be correctly incentivised and must be in full possession of all the tools and knowledge to help the company grow. Sales executives must be instilled with the ability to bring the company’s product to the attention of the buyer and must be ready to counter all obstacles that will undoubtedly be put in their way.

It makes sense from every perspective for a pharmaceutical company to engage with a top-notch consulting organisation. A company that stretches itself too thinly may end up taking resources away from its core areas of expertise. The consulting firm is poised to take on the responsibility of training and motivation within the fields of sales and marketing, and to help ensure that the pharmaceutical company achieves its goals.

Alan Gillies is the Director of L2L Consulting, an elite pharmaceutical consultancy firm which specialises in Strategy Development and Implementation Excellence for prestigious multi-national organisations.

While straightforward economics may dictate that a pharmaceutical company’s bottom line is really driven by the need to sell its products for monetary gain, a more holistic view should be taken. The company is in a critical position, market wise in relation to government regulators and the end consumer. This dynamic environment is sometimes difficult to understand and pharmaceutical consultants can definitely benefit the company as it struggles to remain competitive.

Pharmaceutical companies must conform to strict FDA regulations, best use practices and study scientific benchmarks to provide products and services for ongoing use. The importance of marketing in this environment should never be underestimated. As the advisor to the consumer, a pharmacist or physician has a lot of input and must satisfy the patient, whilst also adhering to budgetary restrictions, insurance company stipulations and positions.

The direct communication between health care professionals and the pharmaceutical companies through various marketing channels ultimately dictates the efficient delivery of products and services to the end-user, the patient. It follows that the standard of this marketing and its effectiveness directly contributes to the patient’s ability to live a longer, healthier and more productive life. Marketing in this environment is most certainly a two-way operation. In addition to the company’s communication with the professional about the benefits and risks associated, the science behind the introduction of the products and ways for dissemination and consumption, the professional also communicates back to the company with feedback, real-time findings and data.

The fact that pharma consulting can provide cutting-edge information about conditions and treatments, spotlighting certain illnesses which may not have received much attention, should not be underestimated. We still have many conditions without a cure and pharmaceutical company research can often go a long way to bridging that gap, if not even enabling cutting-edge treatment for patients. There is no guarantee that such amazing products may even find their way into the hands of the sufferer. As such, marketing is pivotal in helping to relay this information from the manufacture, through the professional to the end-user.

Scientific breakthroughs enable the creation of products which are subsequently sanctioned by the government and this whole process focuses on the need for treatment of chronic illnesses. As such, any by-products or side effects of new solutions may not become known, nor the link between cure and original illness exposed, unless strong marketing channels are open between all concerned.

Generally, pharmaceutical consulting firms are highly skilled at developing communication between vital parties and educating all players. Their interaction, encouragement and foresight can help to ensure that the marketing machine is primed and key players are aware of each other’s vital contributions, so important in this hyper-competitive environment.

Alan Gillies is the CEO of L2L Consulting, a cutting-edge pharma consultancy firm which specialises in optimising productivity and performance within international companies by applying tailored organisational strategies.

Planning is an essential part of a sales and marketing strategy and much attention should be given, but while this may look good on paper it will result in no revenues unless it is put into action. They say that you cannot win the lottery without buying a ticket and this essentially means that you cannot land meaningful sales and revenue unless you engage in the marketplace. Within the pharmaceutical industry, there is much more to be gained than the simple consummation of a contract and the exchange of products, as reputations must be protected, end-users and professionals educated and company position satisfied. To set up a client account takes a lot of interaction, before the objective can be satisfied and real value established. It is so important to develop and train a meaningful sales and marketing team and a pharmaceutical consulting firm has widespread and intense experience in this arena.

Senior management must ensure that all members are team players. To ensure that the ultimate marketing results are achieved, the team must be effectively managed and pharmaceutical consultants are fully positioned to do this. Visualisation is an important tool within sales and marketing and results must be quantified, with control and measurement at all levels. The daily initiatives must be seen as part of an overall and tangible goal and the team should be able to work as a cohesive unit for best results to be achieved.

When all is said and done, the workforce must get out into the market and engage with clients and potential prospects. Although you cannot underestimate the importance of planning and preparation, sales executives must now venture into the real world. While a sales team may be composed of experienced players, there is nevertheless a lot to learn about the health care industry in particular and training is an essential part of staff handling. Without adequate coaching and being unaware of potential loopholes ahead, time can be wasted and worse still, clients can be overlooked or lost in such a competitive marketplace. As they have a considerable amount of experience in the industry, pharma consulting firms appreciate time management and know that full application and dedication is required before key results may be achieved.

Never assume, as this inevitably leads to confusion and poor productivity. Effective implementation requires a level of awareness that comes as part of a true playing team. Each member has a significant contribution to make and these contributions should be visible and not opaque. Eliminate procrastination and encourage action. An effective sales person must be assertive, outgoing and creative.

Out in the market, a salesperson must be completely educated in all the benefits, solutions, finer details and product availability, while also being able to think quickly, reschedule and meet goals. Certain key skills must be in evidence before success may be achieved, but this can certainly be enhanced by full training, great management and team cohesiveness. Invariably, pharmaceutical consulting organisations are primed and ready to take on these challenges.

Alan Gillies is the CEO of L2L Consulting, a cutting-edge pharma consultancy firm which specialises in optimising productivity and performance within international companies by applying tailored organisational strategies.

Proper incentivisation is critical to the effectiveness of an organisation’s sales force. This must be correctly approached however, as it is often poorly thought out or even bypassed, leading to lacklustre results, a reduction in morale and the inefficient use of a key resource. It is not good enough for a pharmaceutical company to rest on its laurels when it comes to its creative ability, as it will be judged by the effectiveness of its sales and marketing team, which must be well trained. Such a team must be comprehensive, well balanced, able to employ different strategies and techniques and perform to a high-level of efficiency within a tough commercial field. The sales team must be well established and managed and pharmaceutical consultants have the experience, knowledge and background to enable this objective.

The achievement of the sale is not the end of the story. While winning a sale is undoubtedly important, as after all without sales nothing is achieved, there must be tangible and measurable value attached to the sale, from every point of view. The sales executive may appear to be very efficient, but unless a meaningful relationship has been created between the buyer and the seller, the overall or net value of the transaction can be questioned. In this analysis, incentives must be prepared and deployed selectively, with the aim of achieving a “win-win” solution all around.

It is human nature for an individual to likely be more productive if he or she is incentivised. This will require the creation of sensible goals related to existing benchmarks. If this is handled correctly it will create a volatile and effective environment, but it can also be detrimental if handled poorly. Rather than setting a goal, the incentive path should be a journey with multiple tiers and an endpoint that is always just out of reach. In this way, the sales executive will be always focused.

In most cases, pharmaceutical consulting firms tell us that sales executives spend the majority of their time on ancillary and sometimes mundane administrative work and a minority of their time in direct communication with prospects or engaged with client management. This is why time management should be considered as a top priority and company executives should never put onerous administrative and accounting burdens in front of their productive sales team. Creativity and enthusiasm can be stifled within certain outgoing personality types, through the imposition of onerous or even boring demands.

If a comprehensive training program is practised by the organisation, each team member will get the feeling that he or she is dynamically engaged with the overall goal. While administrative burdens should be kept to a minimum as we have said, training must nevertheless be prioritised. Generally, pharma consulting firms can help to roll out the latest in procedures, educate in technical issues and methodology and focus on product awareness. These companies can bring a lot to the corporate table, using an extensive industry background, a variety of different perspectives, pep talks and rallies at just the right time to eliminate even the traces of negative emotions.

Alan Gillies is the CEO of L2L Consulting, a cutting-edge pharma consultancy firm which specialises in optimising productivity and performance within international companies by applying tailored organisational strategies.

All the work that you put into creating and positioning the product will be of no use unless the pharmaceutical company can successfully market its products to the end-user. It is so important to choose a top notch sales and marketing team, training them in the overall benefits and value of the products, as well as the fundamental strategies necessary to be able to achieve a desired result in the market. Despite its importance, the effectiveness of the sales force is often given poor attention. Invariably, pharmaceutical consultants are highly skilled in training and motivating and can bring a company’s sales team up to a high level of effectiveness, with considerable potential gain for the organisation.

One well-known football coach once claimed that “winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing.” Remember to keep this mindset engaged at all times. After all, a sale is either won or lost and a lost sale is of no value whatsoever, experience gained and contacts made notwithstanding.

Motivation is so important and a pharmaceutical consulting firm will help create an array of appropriate measurement tools. Within sales, the measurement of activity levels is only part of the equation. A sales executive is not necessarily highly efficient, even though his or her volume of sales may be high, as ultimate value must be assessed. The creation of the account must foster a value relationship between all the principals, quite apart from the raw dollar amounts involved. It is important to align the buyer’s strategy and position with the company’s. A correct level of incentive is very important and sales people must clearly understand that both the client and the company must achieve value before any deal is consummated.

Incentivisation requires the creation of meaningful benchmarks and goals. There must always be something for the salesperson to reach and always a further incentive throughout the sales structure. If the sales executive is able to “get” to an end result, then he or she will not be adequately motivated to reach even further and keep working.

Time management is essential and while a sales manager will undoubtedly have administrative elements to take care of, the company should make sure that he or she is able to complete these as efficiently as possible, using provided, high-efficiency tools as needed. Did you know that many sales executives actually spend less than 25% of their time in direct communication with clients?

In summary, a sales team can only be highly effective if they have been trained well and are involved in an ongoing process of training. This will include not only product education but also sales technique and delivery elements as well as time management and application theory, with the science of personal inter-communication. To help get this right, engage pharma consulting experts.

Alan Gillies is the CEO of L2L Consulting, a cutting-edge pharma consultancy firm which specialises in optimising productivity and performance within international companies by applying tailored organisational strategies.

Our healthcare system is extremely complicated, with a lot of moving parts, but is nevertheless one of our most important economic drivers. Within this industry, a new product must face complex restrictions and the attention of a variety of different parties. Before a solution to the patient’s problem may be presented, it has to face a complex path from the scientist at one end to the sufferer at the other. Invariably, pharmaceutical consultants are critical to this journey, as they help all those involved to understand the situation, disseminate the information and make decisions.

A pharmaceutical company faces many challenges, quite apart from the manufacture of its products. As a pharmaceutical consulting firm stresses, the company owes the consumer in general a debt of revelation. Most often, the pharmaceutical companies are at the cutting-edge of science and help to uncover solutions or possibilities previously unheard-of. If they have not paid sufficient attention to marketing, all the exploratory work may fail as the path through the regulators to the professionals may seem unclear. Marketing also insists that the product features and benefits are correctly communicated to the financiers, principally the insurance companies, who seem to have an ever-increasing role in the dissemination of care.

Before a new product may arrive on the desk of the regulators, who determine its future, the company must have marketed both its products and its history within a very competitive and busy environment. It should be noted that certain principals within the industry have an incentive to steer healthcare practitioners and their patients toward older, or generic medications and that these agendas may not be in the best interests of the sufferer. Pharmaceutical companies have a clear incentive to trumpet the benefits of their wares in such a noisy marketplace and help to create a dynamic and forward thinking mindset.

It is unfortunate that the ultimate care of the patient is very often not the ultimate goal of certain vested interests. In popular opinion, healthcare reform is always controversial and the pharmaceutical company would do well to accurately and forcefully communicate its position. The physician takes input from many different sources before he or she makes the decision as to final care, including experience, peer input, education and training, patient history, formularies, techniques and benchmarks – all play their role. If you consider that nine out of ten most frequently prescribed drugs are generics, it should be clear that far from being in a position of dominance, pharmaceutical companies must make every effort to ensure that their marketing messages are heard. Generally, pharma consulting firms play their part in helping to establish channels and best practices.

Pharmaceutical companies have been responsible for many of the most amazing discoveries in the world of medicine. Previous generations would surely marvel at some of the cures available today. To enable healthcare to continue to get better, much emphasis must be placed on marketing.

Alan Gillies is the Managing Director of L2L Consulting, specialising in enabling pharmaceutical companies to achieve new heights of productivity and performance, throughout all levels of management and revenue generating activities.

While straightforward economics may dictate that a pharmaceutical company’s bottom line is really driven by the need to sell its products for monetary gain, a more holistic view should be taken. The company occupies a key position, from a marketing perspective, between the government and other regulators and ultimately the patient. There is a complex understanding and relationship between all the main players and pharmaceutical consultants help to emphasise these individual roles, as they disseminate information to help oil all the moving parts of this complex machine.

Pharmaceutical companies must conform to strict FDA regulations, best use practices and study scientific benchmarks to provide products and services for ongoing use. Marketing plays a critical role in this arrangement and is far more than just a means to an end. The physician or pharmacist has to juggle a lot of information, much of it based on older science, together with the wants and needs of the patient and budgetary restrictions applied by insurance companies or individual positions.

If the patient is to be adequately catered to, it is important that lines of communication between pharmaceutical companies and professionals are open and clear and this is where marketing is so important. It follows that the standard of this marketing and its effectiveness directly contributes to the patient’s ability to live a longer, healthier and more productive life. It’s crucial to remember that these forms of marketing represent a two way street. In addition to the company’s communication with the professional about the benefits and risks associated, the science behind the introduction of the products and ways for dissemination and consumption, the professional also communicates back to the company with feedback, real-time findings and data.

The fact that pharma consulting can provide cutting-edge information about conditions and treatments, spotlighting certain illnesses which may not have received much attention, should not be underestimated. We still have many conditions without a cure and pharmaceutical company research can often go a long way to bridging that gap, if not even enabling cutting-edge treatment for patients. There is no guarantee that such amazing products may even find their way into the hands of the sufferer. As such, marketing is pivotal in helping to relay this information from the manufacture, through the professional to the end-user.

As more and more information is revealed through scientific study, product creation and government rubber-stamping, more of a spotlight is turned on the need for treatment of chronic diseases. As such, any by-products or side effects of new solutions may not become known, nor the link between cure and original illness exposed, unless strong marketing channels are open between all concerned.

In most instances, pharmaceutical consulting firms can also play a critical role in educating clients, producers and users. Their interaction, encouragement and foresight can help to ensure that the marketing machine is primed and key players are aware of each other’s vital contributions, so important in this hyper-competitive environment.

Alan Gillies is the CEO of L2L Consulting, a cutting-edge pharma consultancy firm which specialises in optimising productivity and performance within international companies by applying tailored organisational strategies.

Few industries are as competitive or are as subject to complex external dynamics as the pharmaceutical and healthcare fields. While a pharmaceutical company strives to be on top, it must at the same time push the boundaries without overstepping, satisfy the best scientists available, deal with government restrictions and be successful economically. Faced with so many pressures on a daily basis, business executives would do well to seek out the services of pharmaceutical consulting organisations, offering direct assistance, know-how and experience to form an essential backup or safety net.

Pharmaceutical companies face a significant challenge, even as they are poised to make considerable contributions toward the overall health of the population. Scientific breakthroughs may enable the company to come up with a truly magnificent product, certain to benefit the health of the nation, but a long way from distribution due to obstacles in its path. In addition to scientific and creative expertise, the company must ensure that its sales and marketing and lobbying teams are top-notch. While the company should concentrate on its core values, it could enlist the services of pharmaceutical consultants to ensure that sellers and marketing teams are fully trained and ready to hit the ground running.

In healthcare, there are a lot of moving parts in between the creation of a pharmaceutical product that could have life-saving capabilities for its end-user and the delivery of said product to the patient. The pharmaceutical company must first satisfy investors and regulators before a product can be brought to creation and must then be able to market its features, benefits and availability to healthcare professionals, pharmacists and to those who hold the purse strings, in many cases the insurance companies. The patient may never get to know that such a product even exists unless the pharmaceutical company’s marketing initiatives are top-notch.

A pharma consulting company is fully aware of the complexities of the industry and has a significant background. Consultants will have hands-on experience, not text book smarts and be very aware of the loopholes and pitfalls that a company may face ahead.

One of the largest costs for a company is usually its workforce. Without proper incentives, the best tools and knowledge base, the workforce cannot be of best value to the company. All sales executives must not only be aware of the ins and outs of every product, but they must be ready to answer all challenges that they will surely face.

It makes sense from every perspective for a pharmaceutical company to engage with a top-notch consulting organisation. A company that stretches itself too thinly may end up taking resources away from its core areas of expertise. A consulting firm will train and motivate the sales and marketing team so that they are perfectly placed to be of service to the host organisation.

Alan Gillies is the Director of L2L Consulting, an elite pharmaceutical consultancy firm which specialises in Strategy Development and Implementation Excellence for prestigious multi-national organisations.

Proper incentivisation is critical to the effectiveness of an organisation’s sales force. However, the methods of incentivisation are often misinterpreted, poorly devised or glossed over, ultimately leading to low levels of efficiency and morale, poorly motivated individuals and lacklustre results. The pharmaceutical company may be a leader in its field, be very creative and with cutting-edge solutions, but the organisation will only be truly effective if its sales and marketing team is well prepared and trained. The team must not only be knowledgeable about the product, its features and benefits, but must be infused with the knowledge, techniques and strategies needed to exist and produce within a highly competitive commercial environment. Most pharmaceutical consultants have a wide range of experience themselves and know full well how to motivate, manage and process a sales team.

Far too often the act of a sale is construed as a perfect result. While winning a sale is undoubtedly important, as after all without sales nothing is achieved, there must be tangible and measurable value attached to the sale, from every point of view. The sales executive may appear to be very efficient, but unless a meaningful relationship has been created between the buyer and the seller, the overall or net value of the transaction can be questioned. In this analysis, incentives must be prepared and deployed selectively, with the aim of achieving a “win-win” solution all around.

Productivity generally increases if an individual is incentivised, as this is within our nature. Create sensible goals to move the sales force forward. If this is handled correctly it will create a volatile and effective environment, but it can also be detrimental if handled poorly. Rather than setting a goal, the incentive path should be a journey with multiple tiers and an endpoint that is always just out of reach. In this way, the sales executive will be always focused.

Feedback from pharmaceutical consulting firms will tell us that sales executives are often engaged with mundane and administrative work and spend only a small amount of their time directly communicating with productive targets. This is why time management should be considered as a top priority and company executives should never put onerous administrative and accounting burdens in front of their productive sales team. Indeed, if these boring tasks get completely out of control, certain personality types can rebel and this can have a serious, knock-on effect on creativity and achievements.

If a comprehensive training program is practised by the organisation, each team member will get the feeling that he or she is dynamically engaged with the overall goal. While administrative burdens should be kept to a minimum as we have said, training must nevertheless be prioritised. Generally, pharma consulting firms can help to roll out the latest in procedures, educate in technical issues and methodology and focus on product awareness. These companies can bring a lot to the corporate table, using an extensive industry background, a variety of different perspectives, pep talks and rallies at just the right time to eliminate even the traces of negative emotions.

Alan Gillies is the CEO of L2L Consulting, a cutting-edge pharma consultancy firm which specialises in optimising productivity and performance within international companies by applying tailored organisational strategies.

The 80/20 rule is a metric used within the business world which reveals that fully 80% of all business can be attributable to only 20% of the actual clients. Whether this is essentially correct or not, it is certainly true that some clients take on additional importance in the eyes of the pharmaceutical company, whether this is from the point of view of transactions, their market dominance or other more strategic elements such as the provision of a gateway to other segments and markets. Key account management provisions should be brought in by the company and all members of the sales and marketing team made keenly aware of their existence and importance.

A pharmaceutical company has many different stakeholders and must satisfy a number of different “clients.” The company is always involved in industry positioning, political lobbying, public relations and media, as well as the fundamental issues of sales, marketing and financial measurements. There is a lot to take on, from a daily and weekly perspective and company executives must ensure that they do not try and address too many complex issues while diluting their overall effectiveness. Key account management will not be effective if certain layers of communication are not maintained, leading to a less efficient sales and marketing operation and calling for a pharmaceutical consulting firm to be retained for best effect.

Following the appointment of a specific account to the role of “key,” the pharmaceutical consultants should help in composing a concerted plan of action. The business must look at the relationship from the client point of view and accurately gauge what they feel to be the substance of the relationship. There should be an interactive approach to communication here and the goal should be to create a “win-win” scenario at all times, regardless of complexity. The key account is more likely to want to continue with the company if value is delivered over and above the core essentials.

A comfort zone must be the desired result, for if the client senses this, then a continuation can be expected and an expansion possible. When trust is established, the client will often not have to engage so many of its resources in trying to oversee and control the related activities and will foresee the relationship as an efficient one.

It has been said that account management is often one of “damage control.” Certainly issues and problems will arise from time to time. The company should do its utmost to fully understand the workings of its client and try and pre-empt any objections or problems. The more educated the sales and marketing team and the better the training levels initiated, the more likely it is that any potential stumbling blocks will be easily resolved.

Key account management requires a constant review of the client’s interpretation of the relationship. Satisfaction is paramount and should the company and its executives go the extra distance, an enhanced relationship and additional revenue opportunities are very likely. In almost every instance, pharma consulting firms practice the art of delivering satisfaction.

Alan Gillies is the Director of L2L Consulting, an elite pharmaceutical consultancy firm which specialises in Strategy Development and Implementation Excellence for prestigious multi-national organisations.

All the work that you put into creating and positioning the product will be of no use unless the pharmaceutical company can successfully market its products to the end-user. The selection of a productive sales and marketing team is critical to the survival of the company and this team must be adequately trained in not only the value and benefits of the product, but the techniques, initiatives and strategies necessary to go out into the marketplace and actually sell. Sales force effectiveness is of such critical importance, yet it is often poorly reviewed or supervised. Generally, pharmaceutical consultants have the desired levels of training to be able to motivate the company sales force, resulting in considerable financial gain due to elevated efficiency.

One well-known football coach once claimed that “winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing.” This is a mindset that a sales and marketing executive should retain at all times. After all, a sale is either won or lost and a lost sale is of no value whatsoever, experience gained and contacts made notwithstanding.

Motivation is so important and a pharmaceutical consulting firm will help create an array of appropriate measurement tools. It is important to remember that activity levels are not the “be all and end all” of sales. It should be remembered that sales volume by itself is not an indicator of efficient activity by the sales executive, as it must be related to value. If a valuable relationship is not established between all principals concerned, then the account may not necessarily be seen as successful, as we need to judge more than the actual dollar amount involved. It is important to align the buyer’s strategy and position with the company’s. Sales people should not be incentivised unless there is a clear gain for the company and the client achieves value, thereby cementing the relationship.

Incentivisation requires the creation of meaningful benchmarks and goals. There must always be something for the salesperson to reach and always a further incentive throughout the sales structure. If the sales executive is able to “get” to an end result, then he or she will not be adequately motivated to reach even further and keep working.

Time management is essential and while a sales manager will undoubtedly have administrative elements to take care of, the company should make sure that he or she is able to complete these as efficiently as possible, using provided, high-efficiency tools as needed. Did you know that many sales executives actually spend less than 25% of their time in direct communication with clients?

We can see that for the sales team to be effective, each member must be adequately trained and furthermore must engage in a process of ongoing training. This will include not only product education but also sales technique and delivery elements as well as time management and application theory, with the science of personal inter-communication. Bring in pharma consulting experts to get the mix right.

Alan Gillies is the Director of L2L Consulting, an elite pharmaceutical consultancy firm which specialises in Strategy Development and Implementation Excellence for prestigious multi-national organisations.