January 2012

~ F I E L D F O R C E E XC E L L E N C E ~

TM

P H A R M A | M E D I C A L D E V I C E S | D I A G N O S T I C S | S U R G I C A L S

A BroadSpektrum Healthcare Business Media’s Corporate Social Responsibility Initiative

Vol. 2 Issue 1

MedicinMan

Editorial

www.medicinman.net

CONTRIBUTORS

JOLLY MATTHEWS 3

K. HARIRAM 4

WILLIAM FERNANDES 6

APARNA SHARMA 8

VIVEK HATTANGADI 10

ANUP SOANS 12

The New Year has arrived. The day

seems new, the week is new and the air is

filled with hope, love and desire to create

happiness all over again.

Professionals all over the world take this

as a great opportunity to shed the layers

of frustration and emotional pains that

accumulated over the last year, and re-

start in a new way.

Every Year, during the last few days of

December, I love to read the face, body

language, aura and mind-sets of the visit-

ing Pharma Sales Executives.

It's really invigorating to see how slowly

every single one of them embraces the

spirit of New Years. By the last week,

they are all full with positive energy and

eagerly waiting for 1st January to accept

and practice a new outlook at profession-

al, social and personal levels.

The great irony is that by the 2nd week of

January, all enthusiasm fizzles out and

most of them are back to doing what they

2012: THE YEAR OF THE FOOT SOLDIER BY DR. HEMANT MITTAL

do best, Being the Foot Soldier!

This reminds me of an Uncle of mine

from the Army. A true poster-boy of the

Indian Army; this gentleman is 6ft, very

well built and extremely fit senior level

officer, who is not only proud of his rank

but also fully loaded with discipline and

attitude. I remember once as young ado-

lescent, he had told me, in true military

style "A foot soldiers duty is to obey or-

ders; he doesn't have the right to think."

Years later I found how true it held not

only for the army, but also for many

Medical Reps with who I interact. Draw-

ing a similarity between these two differ-

ent ends of the social spectrum, I pon-

dered on this statement further, and ana-

lyzed: “what made that one foot soldier

or one MR to stand tall in the crowd and

get promoted to Senior Ranks?”

While one should enjoy enthusiasm,

which in most cases is a momentary emo-

tion that comes and goes on its own. The

real focus should be on accepting and

adopting the virtue of success. The virtue

of success is composed of 4 attitudes that

catapult a foot-soldier to great heights in

his career:

1. Firm - A firm person is one who is

ready to take responsibility.

2. Endurance - "tough times never last,

tough people do". Success and Failure

will both touch you; don't run away in

either condition.

3. Learn - Every day is a new experience.

Be ready to learn. Not just from your

experiences, but also from the success

and failure of others. The more you learn,

the better your decision making ability.

4. Modest - Accept Success with grace;

don't show it off... being pompous creates

enemies.

Make 2012 Your Best Year...BEST OF

LUCK!!! ▌

As we have seen in the past five is-

sues of MedicinMan, most people

get into Pharma Field Sales by

„chance‟ rather than by choice. But

the Success Stories of Medical Reps

who rose to great heights of career

success clearly point out a „Design‟

rather than „Default‟.

In Pharma Field Sales there is no

Default setting for success. And

success in Pharma means only ONE

THING – Repeat Rx. Period. Re-

peat Rx is an outcome of an intelli-

gent design. Most field sales people

experience sporadic, intermittent

prescription because they lack a

How to Get Repeat Rx good Design to generate Repeat

Rx.

Repeat Rx is the title of my new

and third book. It is a book by De-

sign; to redress the Default setting

and give Pharma Field Sales people a

new Process for generating Repeat

Rx. It is the outcome of my years of

work and reading, which will serve

as a frame-work but not as rule

book. Of course, you can use it as a

rule book if you are a Beginner or

Amateur. But as you progress to be-

come an Apprentice and Achiever,

you can fine-tune it to suit your spe-

cific situation. (Cont. on page 2)

(Cont.. from page 1) Repeat Rx is a process

guide to transform Beginners into Achievers

through the four steps of Calling, Connecting,

Consulting and Collaborating. The four stag-

es of Repeat Rx and the skills in each stage –

Selling Skills, Social Skills, Technical

Skills and Business Skills are clearly explained

in a simple and illustrated manner for easy un-

derstanding. At the end, there is a comprehensive

three level Assessment Questionnaire to know

where you stand.

So as you step into the New Year, discard your

Default setting and adopt a new Design if you

are serious about getting Repeat Rx.

I wish you all a happy and prosperous New Year

full of Repeat Rx. ▌

Coming in the New Year !

MedicinMan Vol.2 Iss.1

3

Hurrah ! So you got that much awaited promotion letter?

You beat all the traps set in the selection process and best-

ed the odds, so euphoria is a natural consequence! You

tread on clouds and walk into the sunrise of your first

„joint work‟ and that first celebratory masala chai – the

world is suddenly all pink and blue! You do the rounds of

every favourite holy place and thank Bruce Almighty and

all His various incarnations – and lo and behold the first

month is about to roll by. And then comes the first shock -

that accursed word „target!‟

Now you had tackled that dreaded word several times in

your career – that‟s partly the reason why you are now a

FLM, but it was always a matter of personal ability and

personal „contacts‟! The realisation strikes – „target‟ is not

the same singular word anymore! It‟s a word that has mul-

tiple dimensions and multiple challenges and multiple

connotations – now it is a „team word‟ and the team is not

a like a pet dog prepared to roll over and obey. Thereby

lies the first shock to the FLMs comfort system and it‟s

only one of many future shocks...

Other scare words enter the FLM‟s domain quickly... ex-

pectations, accountability, planning, implementation,

commitment, development. What does one do; wonders

the newly promoted FLM. While on-boarding pro-

grammes, hand-holding and mentoring by senior manag-

ers, the painful process of reading books and so on offer

some solutions, none of them will by itself provide a com-

plete answer to the daily challenges.

If the question is: „Isn‟t there a proper „Competency

Framework‟ that guides one to mastery?‟ The answer is:

„There is!‟ If the question is : Isn‟t there a framework of

qualities that fall neatly into brackets such as „Must

have‟, „Should also have‟ and „Would be nice to

have‟, the answer is: „Yes, there is!‟ But all that maybe

insufficient against the daily onslaughts.

A much more simpler and workable framework that can

help while the formal learning processes are formulated

and put in place are the old and trustworthy sisters – Com-

mon Sense and Uncommon Patience. One very basic ques-

tion that should provide a guideline for proper behaviour

could very well be: What are the Key Measurable Delivera-

bles of this Role in my Organisation? In simple words, at

the end of the appraisal period, what am I expected to

deliver? Mind you, there is no standard answer to this

question since expectations and measurable parameters

vary from organisation to organisation and therefore the

question behoves an answer from your boss. Expectedly he

knows the answer, if not, go back to para one and contact

Bruce Almighty!

Jokes apart when you do get an answer on the deliverables,

the next step is to work out on your own, what needs to be

done to efficiently accomplish those deliverables. Each

expectation of the Organisation can easily be broken down

to 5 – 6 key activities, so at the end of an introspective

brainstorming session one will be left with some 30 – 35

„Key activities‟ which need to be done at increasing levels

of efficiency and within a specific time frame – the time

frame being virtually self driven by the prioritisation of

anticipated and expected impacts. Voila! So simple? And

the results follow?

No, not at all, nothing is simple when you are dealing with

human beings and human interactions. Human beings

being the biggest variables, the FLM is actually walking a

mine field. But the Key Deliverables framework has the

merit of keeping those Big Hairy Audacious Goals,

always in front of you and the wisdom and fuel provided by

those goals might be the oars to steer your ship to safe

destinations.

While Training, Coaching, Mentoring does go a long way to

help an FLM find meaning and purpose – one great teach-

er could be failure and its rightful progeny – lessons from

the failure !

Ultimately it all lies in the mind! If you have the passion,

the patience, the perseverance and the pragmatism, you

will soon acquire the penchant!

Reach for that refreshing cup of masala chai ! At the end of

an exhilarating day matching wits and wisdom with un-

precedented situations and unpredictable responses, you

have earned it!

Cheers ! ▌

MIND OVER MASALA CHAI AN EXPLORATION OF THE WORLD OF THE FRONT-LINE MANAGER

by Jolly Mathews

4

MedicinMan Vol.2 Iss.1

"The corporate hierarchy is unfair," said

a fellow passenger in a flight, as an an-

swer to my question, "How is work?"

He complained that leadership at a higher level is

unjust. "When I make a mistake, it goes into

my performance sheet, but when my boss

makes the mistake, which is almost every

day, there is no reprimand.”

I could see the break in professional reality this man

had with his senior. As much as his boss may have

valid justifications he had unwittingly fallen into the

leadership trap.

Leadership is a tricky thing. What you say and do,

and how you behave is noted, evaluated and judged

by your juniors. If you are in a position of sen-

iority, get one thing straight: everything you

do right will be incomprehensible to your

subordinates and every slip you make, will

be noticed, caught and bought by them. A lot

of people fall into the trap of their own position of

superiority. If you are having a tough time with the

misinterpretation of your actions, here are some

leadership traps you need to steer clear from.

Perception is Everything: People will judge you

at every step and will form their own perception

about what you do. Once you understand that, you

can influence your team‟s perception about you pos-

itively. "I want people to have a healthy regard for

my position and so I don't get too friendly with

them," the marketing manager of a pharma compa-

ny told me. Decide what you would like your juniors

to think about you, then go out and build that per-

ception.

Take Credit When it Matters: When you do

something right, make sure that you make that ac-

tion known. Often, people in higher positions don't

talk about their achievements. If you don't tell peo-

ple about your accomplishments, how will you in-

spire them? "I don't take any credit for my achieve-

ments," says my friend, who is the HR head of a

bank. "And surprisingly, when I don't take the cred-

it, no one gives it to me." As a leader, your team

looks up to you for inspiration, and your achieve-

ments provide that. Actions inspire greater than

words. Take every opportunity to set a good example

for others.

Own Up to Your Mistakes: There will be times

when you will goof up. Own up, and set a solid ex-

ample of discipline. 'Even the boss needs to apolo-

gize when he is late' is setting the standards of

equality. When the senior reprimands juniors for the

same action that they sanction for themselves, it not

only sets the wrong example, but also sets you up for

some behind-your-back criticism.

Walk Your Talk: A lot of leaders follow the princi-

ple: "Do as I say but don't do as I do". You need to be

an example of your principles in action. When you

chart the rules, you have to be the first in line to put

them into reality. "My boss shouts at me for shout-

ing at others." I couldn't stop laughing when I heard

someone say this. Do you see the point? Often lead-

ers mistakenly believe their job is to get others to do

the job. In my opinion, the leader's job is to set an

example of the attitude of how the job needs to be

done. That is best prompted through one's own ex-

ample.

Leadership is hard work. What you do right will be

looked upon as "He can do so much and I can't do it

because he is the leader." But what you carelessly

disregarded as a faux pas will be picked up immedi-

ately as, "If he can do this then I can do it too."

Your juniors are watching you all the time - and if

that is true, your greatest power lies in showing

them what will best serve them as future leaders. ▌

LEAD BY EXAMPLE: RECOGNITION WILL FOLLOW - K. Hari Ram, MD Galderma

Med

icinM

an C

reative

s MedicinMan Vol.2 Iss.1

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leading to better outcomes for patients. Promedik Algorithms include patient education information to

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LEADERSHIP BEHAVIOURS OF FRONT-LINE MANAGERS Effective Management is all about

Getting work done through oth-

ers willingly. When it comes to front

line management its more than true & the

Manager with this ability can be truly called

a leader. There are certain behaviors which

separates Leader from a Manager which

can be adopted, learned & developed at any

stage of career for the better results.

An effective Front Line Manager will show

following behaviors with his team in his

every action & reaction.

Demonstrate- Effective FLM not only

gives Sermon or big talks but also demon-

strates through his own actions. He will

demonstrate why he is a leader by his Punc-

tuality, Good Detailing, Selling Skill, Objec-

tion Handling etc. due to which a Sales Rep

not only learns & develops himself

but also respects his Manager. Im-

agine a Manager who is rebuking

his Rep for poor detailing but not

able to demonstrate what is a good

detailing. Or imagine a trickier situ-

ation where a Doctor reserves an

Objection or a Query for a Manager

when he believes that the Rep may

not be able to give proper infor-

mation. If a Manager demonstrates

his Skills & Abilities he will earn

respect from his subordinates who

in turn will seek guidance from

him.

Develop People – Effective FLM

will develop his people as he be-

lieves that People are his best re-

sources & the other resources are

secondary. If he develops people he

can nurture a talent pool & help

them in their career growth. A

learning & developing Sales Rep

will be hardly bothered by other not so de-

motivating factors & may not be lured by

other organizations & attrition can be under

control. Developing & making others paral-

lel to his own ability is a typical character of

a True Leader & in doing so he ensures that

all Replicas are made of him in terms of

Ability & Performance.

Demanding the best out of others-

Demanding best from Self as well as others

is another behavior of a true leader where

there is no place for Mediocrity & Compla-

cency. Expecting the best out of others may

not be easy as you have to give the best

from self. Commitment from self is the im-

portant part which will motivate others to

perform consistently. Updating self with

knowledge, trying creative ideas, Influenc-

ing others to follow may be some of the

ways of demanding best output.

Problem Solving- If you want to be a

good Leader you should solve the problems

of your followers. Your teammates coming

with various problems which are not solved

at their level. If you cannot solve them you

will not be looked upon next time for next

problem & this will create piling up prob-

lems which may be solved otherwise. Many

times a subordinates will rely upon you for

even his personal problems & that‟s the

kind of faith this problem solving ability

generates in your people.

Being a motivating factor for your

colleagues- Instead of using terms as Mo-

tivate others I have purposely used this

statement because you cannot motivate

others by telling stories or giving lectures.

You have to motivate people by your action.

Be true to your word, Drive self to the

cause, Be a part of the plan always & take

initiative in whatever you are doing as a

team. Your mere presence should motivate

them such should be impact of your leader-

ship.

Delegate after Make people making

people competent- competent enough to

delegate as delegating work is a very im-

portant skill of a Leader. But Delegating is a

double edged sword if not used with com-

petent people can destruct morale of the

MedicinMan Vol.2 Iss.1

6

- William Fernandes

DEVELOPING

& MAKING

OTHERS

PARALLEL

TO HIS OWN

ABILITY IS A

TYPICAL

CHARACTER

OF A TRUE

LEADER.

- William Fernandes

LEADERSHIP BEHAVIOURS OF FRONT-LINE MANAGERS

7

MedicinMan Vol.2 Iss.1 MedicinMan Vol.2 Iss.1

DEMAND-

ING THE

BEST OUT

OF OTHERS

- DEMAND-

ING BEST

FROM SELF

AS WELL AS

OTHERS IS

ANOTHER

BEHAVIOR

OF A TRUE

LEADER

WHERE

THERE IS

NO PLACE

FOR MEDI-

OCRITY &

COMPLA-

CENCY.

Team & term you as a mere Delegator. Delegat-

ing to under developed & under skilled people

may not give proper results & kill the purpose

of delegation.

Be a Task master for Procedure & not the

Result- Focusing on right learning or activity

procedure is very important than focusing on

end result. Give task & assignment for imple-

menting processes which will facilitate the end

result. Giving assignment to develop people,

Control them using right controlling tools till

objective is achieved are the areas where a lead-

er should always focus.

This is the era of wide opportunities available

for skilled & competitive people, therefore Its

become very imperative for a Manager to be a

Leader where people will stick to you just be-

cause of your Leadership. This will not only give

a stable Team to you but also a team which will

be only performing due to the last stage of

Team Building Forming, Storming, Norming &

Performing. ▌

YOUR TEAMMATES WILL COME TO YOU WITH PROB-

LEMS THAT CANNOT BE SOLVED AT THEIR LEVEL.

IF YOU CANNOT SOLVE THEM YOU WILL NOT BE

LOOKED UPON NEXT TIME FOR THE NEXT PROBLEM & THIS WILL CREATE PILING UP PROBLEMS WHICH MAY BE SOLVED OTHERWISE.

William Fernandes

8

MedicinMan Vol.2 Iss.1

Aparna Sharma began with a provocative

question – “Did the audience think that HR &

Sales were at loggerheads with each other?”

The audience instantly agreed, since 80% were from sales,

about 15% from finance and 5% from HR. Their view was

that HR was only interested in recruitment metrics and

processes but did not understand or appreciate the chal-

lenges and pressures of achieving sales targets.

Sharing from her personal experience Aparna Sharma,

narrated how having worked as a sales professional helped

her in creating a partnership between Sales and HR. She

advocated cross-functional tenures for Sales and HR people

to ensure better partnership by understanding and appreci-

ating the challenges faced by the other. “Only the wearer

knows where the shoe pinches" If Sales and HR

continue to operate as specialists instead of partners, they

will continue to be perceived as adversaries in disconnected

silos.

Great Sales People are an asset for any company as Sales

Force is: the Face of the Company; Creators of Top line;

Brand Builders and Play a Key Role in Employer Brand-

ing.

1. Investment: Great Sales People believe that the differ-

ence between winning and losing, more often than not, is a

very slim margin. Companies need to invest heavily in ac-

quiring the latest technology and in developing people.

2. Consistent: Poor selling done consistently will be more

effective than great selling done sporadically.

3. Confident: Great Sales People believe in their products,

their services, and their people.

10 Factors That Makes Great Sales People

4. Patient: A hunter will sit in the trees for days waiting for

a clear shot. .

5. Customer Orientation: Great Sales People adapt their

products, terms and even their delivery schedules to meet

the specific need of customers.

6. Relationship: Great Sales People are in this for the long

haul, and getting the order is only the first step.

7. Measurement: Any behavior that is rewarded will tend

to be repeated, so Great Sales People reward every custom-

er for the opportunity to serve them.

8. Convenient: Great Sales People are both receptive and

responsive. They know that they have to be "user friendly."

9. Excitement: Great Sales People are enthusiastic, and

militantly optimistic.

10. Commitment: The Great Sales Person is enlisted in a

larger mission that just closing the deal and getting the

order.

Likewise Great HR People are also an asset for companies

as HR People are: Responsible of Right Selection and

Onboarding; Performance Management; Retention and

Development; Organizational Culture.

1. Investment: Great HR People also believe that the dif-

ference between winning and losing, more often than not,

is a very slim margin. So they invest heavily in technology,

in people, and in themselves.

2. Consistent: Poor HR Delivery done consistently will be

more effective than great HR Delivery done sporadically.

3. Confident: Great HR People believe in their processes,

services and their people.

FORGING STRONG PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN HR AND SALES

This is an excerpt of proceedings of

a top ranked interactive session led

by Ms. Aparna Sharma at the Sales

Performance Conference 2011 orga-

nized by ITP Publications, a UK

based B2B media company at the

JW Marriot, Mumbai on 24th and 25th

November 2011. – Editor

APARNA SHARMA

10 Factors That Makes Great HR People

MedicinMan Vol.2 Iss.1 MedicinMan Vol.2 Iss.1

4. Patient: A hunter will sit in the trees for days waiting

for a clear shot. .

5. Employee Orientation: Great HR People offer a wide

variety of benefits and propositions, and adapt their of-

ferings terms, even their delivery schedules to meet the

Employee needs.

6. Subsequent: Great HR People are in this for the long

haul, and getting the Employee Hired is only the first

step.

7. Measurement: Any behavior that is rewarded will tend

to be repeated, so Great HR People Reward Every Em-

ployee Action Which Is Worthy Of Recognition.

8. Convenient: Great HR People are both receptive and

responsive. They know that they have to be "user friend-

ly."

9. Excitement: Great HR People are enthusiastic, and

militantly optimistic.

10. Commitment: The HR people are enlisted in a larger

mission that just closing the Offer and Getting the Person

Onboarded.

1. What‟s the target for the month?

2. Which are the priority brands?

3. Which are the top ten performing territories?

4. What is the PCPM for the organization?

5. What's the current vacancy status & where is Tanaku

& Wardha?

6. What's the sales process?

7. What are the basic HR expectations of a Sales Rep?

8. Who are the talented guys to be retained & developed?

9. Who are on PIP?

10. How does HR impact sales?

1. Right Hire & Onboarding

2. Right Training, Coaching & Mentoring.

3. Compensation & Regular Market Corrections

4. Employee First Policies

5. Illustrative Career Paths & Periodic Stay Interviews

6. AC & DC

7. Peaceful Exit & Faster Clearance of IR Issues

The process of building a collaborative HR- Sales partner-

ship is multidimensional. It involves:

1. Recognizing Opportunities For Strategic Change

2. Mobilizing People And Resources To Create & Drive

Strategic Changes

3. Developing A Shared Vision Of Long-Term Action

Plan

4. Seeking Support and Involvement from Diverse and

Non-Traditional Partners

5. Choosing an Effective Organi-

zation Structure;

6. Building Trust Among Collabo-

rators

7. Developing Learning Opportu-

nities for the Sales Team. ▌

FORGING STRONG PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN HR AND SALES

10 Questions that Facilitate Sales – HR Partnership

Top HR contributions to Creating Great Sales Force

How to Build Strong Sales – HR Partnerships -

Aparna Sharma is Director HR at Deutsche Bank Global Services. She has worked with Monsanto, Novartis and UCB Pharma. http://in. l inkedin.com/pub/aparna -sharma/5/31a/899

Credits: Orvel Ray Wilson is an author and speaker on sales, marketing and management, and co-author of Guerrilla Selling: Unconventional Weap-ons and Tactics for Making the Sale

9

MedicinMan Vol.2 Iss.1

10

In the good old days, „technical skills‟, or what we com-

monly know as „product knowledge‟, played a very im-

portant role in communication with doctors. Apart from

MNCs, even Indian companies spent two to three months

during the induction training program for the medical

representatives. This gave them enough self-confidence

to speak to doctors and discuss the benefits of their prod-

ucts.

Even today, doctors heavily rely on pharma companies

for information. Therefore delivering scientific communi-

cation correctly is vital. This is possible only when one

has thorough subject knowledge.

But sadly, this very important aspect of brand promotion

is getting neglected. More time is spent on dubious brand

promotional activities for quick results. In the process,

brand building activities by displaying technical skills

takes a backseat. Many companies do not even conduct

induction training programs. The new recruits are

pushed into the sea – sink or swim; “It‟s your headache”

is the silent message which is communicated.

Result? Untrained medical representatives go into the

field – the brand takes a beating as it is under-used. The

hidden losses remain hidden and both, the pharma com-

pany and patients stand to lose. The benefits of the brand

are not extended to the patient because of lack of aware-

ness. The limited technical skill of the brand manager,

and therefore the field-force is responsible for this.

In the book „WHAT THE PHARMA CEO WANTS FROM

THE BRAND MANAGER‟, two real-life case studies have

been cited. These two case studies are reproduced here.

CASE STUDY 1

It is generally assumed that dermatologists prescribe

moisturizers only in winter. This is not a correct as-

sumption.

A client of mine markets a wide range of moisturizers.

About 60% of the sales were made during the period

November to February after which the sales declined

substantially. The brand manager did not have any solu-

tion to this. The CEO of the company approached me. I

studied these products and their promotional strategies

intensely. I realized that there is a vacant slot, which I

confirmed by meeting dermatologists across the country.

Moisturizers have a very important role to play in chron-

ic skin conditions like psoriasis and atopic dermatitis.

These conditions are generally characterized by sudden

and severe flare-ups followed by a period of remission

and again flare-ups and remission. During the flare-ups,

doctors prescribe corticosteroids and then stop therapy

after the severity subsides. Instead, if doctors prescribe a

moisturizer along with steroids during the flare-ups and

continue with just the moisturizer during the remission

period, the patient can be doubly benefitted.

1. The severity and the intensity of the next flare-up

will reduce considerably.

2. The intervals between two episodes of flare-ups can

also be prolonged.

If the brand manager had deep technical knowledge of

moisturizers, these products could have been promoted

in chronic skin conditions – much before my interven-

tion! The positioning strategy was changed. With this

there was a steep rise in the sales of their moisturizers

even during the non-winter months.

- Vivek Hattangadi

THE IMPORTANCE OF TECHNICAL SKILLS IN BRAND PROMOS

MedicinMan Vol.2 Iss.1 MedicinMan Vol.2 Iss.1

11

CASE STUDY 2 Amisulpride is a widely used antipsychotic for treating both positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia. At low dose, it is an excellent drug for treating dysthymia i.e. low grade depression. It is now conclusively proven that the prognosis of chronic disease like hypertension, gastric ulcers is better when the mind is also treated with anti-depressants or anxiolytics. Low dose amisulpride therefore has a great potential to be co-prescribed by cardiologists, gastroenterologists and other specialties treating chronic disease conditions. I recommended this strategy to a client of mine and the

outcome was beyond expectations.

What are the lessons one can learn? Without sound prod-

uct knowledge one may not be able to realize the full poten-

tial of the brand. With poor product knowledge, one can

only see boundaries and limitations of a brand. With good

technical skills, all these limitations disappear, because

now, we see with our mind which does not see the limita-

tions. ▌

THE IMPORTANCE OF TECHNICAL SKILLS IN BRAND PROMOS

UNTRAINED MEDICAL REPRE-

SENTATIVES GO INTO THE

FIELD – THE BRAND TAKES A

BEATING AS IT IS UNDER-USED.

THE HIDDEN LOSSES REMAIN

HIDDEN AND BOTH, THE PHAR-

MA COMPANY AND PATIENTS

STAND TO LOSE. THE BENEFITS

OF THE BRAND ARE NOT EX-

TENDED TO THE PATIENT BE-

CAUSE OF LACK OF AWARENESS.

THE LIMITED TECHNICAL SKILL

OF THE BRAND MANAGER, AND

THEREFORE THE FIELD-FORCE

IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS.

MedicinMan Vol.2 Iss.1

12

MRS & FLIGHT ATTENDANTS – FATIGUED AND FLOPPY Medical Reps and Flight Attendants -

their job profiles have many similari-

ties. They are the front-end of their businesses

and customers form their opinion about their com-

panies based on their interactions with these brand

ambassadors.

I was returning after a long hard day‟s work on the

field with Med Reps to assess their learning and

development needs. As I boarded the airlines of the

“King of Good-times”, I couldn‟t help noticing the

tired and floppy demeanor of the twenty some-

thing pretty but dispirited face. She went through

the motions of the statutory announcements with

an air of resignation. Her heart was not in it, nei-

ther was her mind as she stumbled over the

„detailing‟ talk. The fizz was just not there and I

began to see the similarities between the Med Reps

and the Floppy Flight Attendant – both going

through the motions – they were there till some-

thing else came up; the waiting had been more

than they anticipated.

The Med Reps job was once high profile with few

MNC vacancies available and some Indian compa-

nies with good global collaborations. It had fallen

out of favor with the mushrooming of pharma

companies since the 90s and too many drugs chas-

ing too few prescriptions. Were the Airlines too

falling into that rat race, making this once glamor-

ous job a mundane waiter-in-the-sky? The doc-

tors were spoiled for choice and demanded every-

thing from durables to durex. Is the Airline indus-

try too on its way to becoming generic – a big fall

from the heady days of brand image?

Every profession goes through the cycle of rise and

fall, much like nations, politicians, business and

products and unless reinvented fall by the wayside.

Medical profession is no longer the exclusive do-

main of the noble; air travel is now within the

reach of the trader who carries an extra sack of

goods as cabin baggage to make up for the differ-

ence between air and rail fare. Consequently both

Med Reps and Flight Attendants have lost their

glamour. The train TTE on the other hand seems to

have regained lost ground and is in most cases

well groomed/behaved and takes pride in his well

paid and secure job.

It‟s about time that Airlines reinvent

and make themselves attractive before it

goes the Pharma way. BTW, it would not

hurt Pharma if it took steps to rethink

and retool the front-line before it be-

comes the last option of the unemploya-

bles. ▌

EVERY PROFESSION

GOES THROUGH THE

CYCLE OF RISE AND

FALL, MUCH LIKE

NATIONS, POLITICIANS,

BUSINESS AND PROD-

UCTS AND UNLESS REIN-

VENTED FALL BY THE

WAYSIDE.

EXECUTIVE TEAM

EDITOR

Anup Soans

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Joshua Soans

COO

Arvind Nair

ADVISORY BOARD

Prof. Vivek

Hattangadi

Jolly Mathews

EDITORIAL BOARD

Shashin

Bodawala

Salil Kallianpur

Dr. Shalini Ratan

Prabhakar Shetty

Varadarajan S

Dr. Mandar Kubal

CONSULTANTS

Amit Shekhar

Anup Soans, Editor

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