A multinational medical devices company with only a small presence in China wanted to bolster its sales force there. As such, the company engaged Fuld + Company to benchmark the sales force investments, strength, and geographical deployment of its chief competitors in the country. With our global reach, native-language speakers, and resources on the ground, we were able to develop a clear picture of competitor sales force strategies, providing a starting point for our client’s critical strategic decisions on how best to deploy its resources.

1. Page | 1
Understanding
Sales Force
Effectiveness
in China
CASE STUDY

2. UNDERSTANDING SALES FORCE EFFECTIVENESS IN CHINA WWW.FULD.COM
A Starting Point for Strategy
A multinational medical devices
company with only a small presence
in China wanted to bolster its sales
force there. As such, the company
engaged Fuld + Company to
benchmark the sales force
investments, strength, and
geographical deployment of its chief
competitors in the country. With
our global reach, native-language
speakers, and resources on the
ground, we were able to develop a
clear picture of competitor sales
force strategies, providing a starting
point for our client’s critical strategic
decisions on how best to deploy its
resources.
Case Overview

3. UNDERSTANDING SALES FORCE EFFECTIVENESS IN CHINA WWW.FULD.COM
Dual Objectives
Key Business Challenges
1) The company had a new
product in its pipeline.
2) They wanted to be well
established in China in
advance of its release.
Further, the company’s already
small market share in China had
begun to show signs of erosion,
which the client was eager to
reverse.

4. UNDERSTANDING SALES FORCE EFFECTIVENESS IN CHINA WWW.FULD.COM
Distinctive Difficulties
Key Business Challenges
China’s vast size, distinctive culture, and ways of doing business presented
a significant challenge, especially for a company with only a small footprint
there. Our client was not only unsure of how best to expand the sales
force in China, but also lacked the resources and presence to produce an
accurate picture of the sales force strategies of competitors.

5. UNDERSTANDING SALES FORCE EFFECTIVENESS IN CHINA WWW.FULD.COM
What Effectiveness Looks Like
The Fuld Approach
Combining primary and secondary research, and leveraging our global
resources, including Fuld’s research hub in Manila, our team:
 Mapped the presence of the target competitors in the country.
 Conducted interviews with key distributors, medical representatives,
sales representatives and executives from the target companies.
 Identified the geographical structure and focus
of rival sales forces.
 Profiled the sales force
strategies and effectiveness
of key competitors.
 Identified best practices
in sales force activities.

6. UNDERSTANDING SALES FORCE EFFECTIVENESS IN CHINA WWW.FULD.COM
Decision Support
Key Business Impact
With a clear picture of the nature
and extent of competitor sales
activities in the country, the client
had the necessary information to
begin to make decisions about its
sales force strategy, including how
best to:
 Optimize the size and structure
of the sales force, and how best
to deploy it geographically.
 Appropriately allocate its
investments in the expansion
effort.
 Target the most promising
customers and markets.
 Reverse the erosion of market
share.

7. UNDERSTANDING SALES FORCE EFFECTIVENESS IN CHINA WWW.FULD.COM
Where Patience is a Virtue
The Fuld Review
Gathering market intelligence in
China can be particularly difficult for
companies with little presence or
experience there. For life sciences
companies, the task is complicated
by the country’s unfamiliar health
care system. Local knowledge is
indispensable. So is patience –
genuine understanding of such a
vast country takes time. So does
establishing relationships with vital
sources of information, and
understanding potential customers.
The bottom line: creating the most
effective sales force for China from
outside requires a time commitment
that is proportional to the challenge.

8. UNDERSTANDING SALES FORCE EFFECTIVENESS IN CHINA WWW.FULD.COM
Think a similar solution could
work for your organization?
CONTACT US
fuld.com/solutions

9. UNDERSTANDING SALES FORCE EFFECTIVENESS IN CHINA WWW.FULD.COM
NORTH
AMERICA
Global US Headquarters
131 Oliver Street , 3rd Floor | Boston, MA 02110 | USA |  +1 617 492 5900
EUROPE London: 20 Conduit Street | London W1S 2XW | United Kingdom |  +44 (0) 7659 6999
ASIA PACIFIC Manila: 3402 One Corporate Centre | Julia Vargas cor. Meralco Ave. | Ortigas Center, Pasig City | Philippines |  +63 (0) 706 3292
About Fuld + Company
WHO WE ARE
Since 1979 Fuld + Company have pioneered competitive
intelligence, and today we work with leading companies
worldwide to deliver the competitive and market insights they
need to make better business decisions. We don’t rest on our
history and past successes. This means working hard to
deliver uncompromising analysis that generates sound advice
and earns us enduring partnerships with our clients.
WHY CHOOSE US
We are driven to expose our clients to insights about their
industry, their competition and a changing market; designed
to help avoid surprises and industry shocks. Through deep
research, penetrating analysis and strategic gaming + advisory
expertise, our team of professionals help you identify and
solve tactical and strategic challenges. We help reduce the
risks associated with business-critical decision making.
COMPETITIVE + MARKET INTELLIGENCE
Competitive + Brand Insights
War Games / Competitive Simulations
Market Analysis, Share + Sizing
Supply Chain Mapping
GO-TO-MARKET STRATEGY
Brand + Product Positioning / Launch Support
Product Portfolio Roadmap
New Market Entry / Segmentation
Value Chain Analysis
Life Cycle Management
Win / Loss Bid Support
CORPORATE STRATEGIC PLANNING
Early Warning + Scenario Planning
Sales Force Effectiveness
Merger/Acquisition + Licensing
Innovation Strategy
Business Model / Industry Convergence