Some people would say that it can be very difficult to determine the ideal amount of time needed to close a sale, due to so many external influences, but a sales executive should be primed to move the prospect on to the next stage in any effective procedure. This may not necessarily signify a sale, but there must be either a “yes” or a “no,” and never a “maybe.” Everyone’s time is very valuable and important in these situations, and the executive should be trained to note the subtle responses, language and tone from the prospect, so that he or she knows whether it’s time to move on to prospects who have better potential, or not. Effective implementation requires the sales executive to pay particular attention to time management and this extends to the time actually spent face-to-face, as well. Many advocate that the time spent with a potential prospect face-to-face is the most valuable of any sales executive’s day, requiring that all “non effective” time spent on administration and other issues be contained, but remember that not all of the prospect’s time can bring a “result.”
Outdated sales tactics have no place in the modern healthcare and pharmaceutical arena. So much is at stake here, as the professional healthcare provider needs to cut to the chase and be in possession of all the appropriate facts. Sales people who are at the top of the game realise that they need to build customer relationships first and foremost and always over deliver, rather than trying to focus on closing sales according to textbook concepts or the analysis of a prospect’s personality. It’s important to get to know the specific worries and needs of the customer and to use experience and ability to devise a way to assuage the client’s issues. It takes a long time to build up the trust and rapport with a client, and it can be easily removed. Other representatives of other organisations may also be vying for the interests of a particular client and there is much to be said for open, honest and frank relationships rather than the implementation of spin tactics.
The ultimate objective of a sales executive is of course to close a sale, but all the background work must be completed carefully involving an investigation of how a company could help a professional, rather than pitching a product. Always ask the right questions and spend as much time as necessary considering what these questions should be. Get the professional to open up and provide information upon which to base the next pertinent question, and through a process of problem solving such as this, the company will be many steps closer to that important sale and to improving the effective implementation ratio.
At present, pharmaceutical consultants understand how important the implementation ratio is and how much the parent company invests in the cost of its sales team. Generally, pharmaceutical consulting firms can help to elevate these ratios by taking time to train the sales force in the dedicated and specific techniques required to succeed. As a rule, pharma consulting aims to bring out the best potential and allows the company’s senior people to focus on product development and other essential areas.
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.