Pharma Marketing - Improvement or Insanity? August MedicinMan

MEDICINMANField Force Excellence
TM
August 2013 | www.medicinman.net
LEADERSHIP
IN ACTION WITH
MARSHALL
GOLDSMITH
K
nowledge Capital did a splendid job in or-
ganising the Marshall Goldsmith Leadership
in Action seminar in Mumbai. According
to information received from Knowledge Capital
CEO, Raghoo Potini, more such programs by thought
leaders are in the pipeline. More power to Raghoo and
his fantastic team members at Knowledge Capital in
organizing such path-breaking seminars. (See http://
www.kcapital-us.com/home/n/) for details of forth-
coming seminars. Special thanks to Nikita D’mello of
Knowledge Capital.
The Marshall Goldsmith Leadership in Action seminar
was aimed specifically at enabling successful people
to stop doing things that reduced their effectiveness.
Marshall Goldsmith is the author of 23 books includ-
ing the international bestseller – What Got You Here
Won’t Get You There.
EDITORIAL
©2011WritersoftheRoundtablePress.RoundtableComics.

For us at MEDICINMAN, it was a great privilege to be a
media partner for this transformational learning event.
Unfortunately, we saw delegates from only two pharma
companies – Novartis and Glenmark - at the seminar,
which was a full house show with 300 delegates from all
sectors.
I later had a meeting with Deep Bhandari ex-Novartis
and presently Director-Marketing and Sales Excellence
at UCB Pharma. Deep shared with me how Marshall
Goldsmith played a big role in developing the coaching
program at Novartis. K. Hariram, our chief mentor and
former Managing Director of Galderma also shared his
high regard for Marshall Goldsmith’s simple and effective
coaching methods, which would be ideal to develop
pharma front-line managers.
At the seminar, Marshall Goldsmith shared his coaching
experience with the CEOs of Pfizer and GSK. I hope
that more pharma companies will participate in future
and understand the fundamentals of effective coach-
ing, which is the need of the hour to foster Field Force
Excellence.
What Got You Here Won’t Get You There is a splendid
book that everybody, including Medical Reps, must read
since ‘peer coaching’ is part of Marshall Goldsmith’s
coaching philosophy.
The afternoon session included Vineet Nayar, Vice
Chairman of HCL Technologies and author of Employees
First, Customers Second: Turning Conventional Manage-
ment Upside Down” (Harvard Business Press). Vineet
shared his perspectives on employee engagement for
increased involvement and productivity in an engaging
session with lost of interaction and storytelling.
Do write to me at anupsoans@gmail.com if you would
like to know more about MEDICINMAN Field Force
Engagement and Coaching Programs. -MM
Editorial: Leadership in Action with Marshall Goldsmith | Anup Soans
Connect with Anup Soans on LinkedIn | Facebook |
Twitter
Visit anupsoans.com.
Meet the Editor
Anup Soans is an Author, Facilitator and the
Editor of MedicinMan.
Write in to him: anupsoans@medicinman.net
The MedicinMan team at the Marshall Goldsmith seminar. L-R:
Arvind Nair, COO - MedicinMan, Marshall Goldsmith, Anup Soans
- Editor, MedicinMan.
Turn to Page 28 for snippets
from the Marshall Goldsmith
Leadership in Action seminar.

3 | MedicinMan August 2013
MedicinMan Volume 3 Issue 8 | August 2013
Editor and Publisher
Anup Soans
CEO
Chhaya Sankath
COO
Arvind Nair
Chief Mentor
K. Hariram
Advisory Board
Prof. Vivek Hattangadi; Jolly Mathews
Editorial Board
Salil Kallianpur; Dr. Shalini Ratan; Shashin
Bodawala; Prabhakar Shetty; Vardarajan S;
Dr. Mandar Kubal; Dr. Surinder Kumar
International Editorial Board
Hanno Wolfram; Renie McClay
Executive Editor
Joshua Soans
MedicinMan Academy:
Prof. Vivek Hattangaadi, Dean, Professional
Skills Development
Letters to the Editor: anupsoans@medicinman.net
1. Pharma Marketing: Continuous Improvement
orInsanity?................................................................5
Why does Indian pharma insist on fixing a model
that seems to be obsolete?
Salil Kallianpur
2. The Marks of a Super Rep..................................8
Small things that make a BIG difference in the life of
a Medical Rep.
Shashikant Iyengar
3. Customer-Centric Interaction for the Medical
Rep..........................................................................11
The sales process that puts the Customer at the
center of your sales interactions.
Srinivas Pothapragada
4. Prepare to Promote..........................................16
How to build a pipeline of capable individuals to fill
the roles of FLM and SLM.
K. Hariram
5. Why Great Strategy Often Fails........................21
How to avoid the pitfalls of strategy execution.
Prof. Vivek Hattangadi
6. Introduction to Diabetes Mellitus....................24
What the Field Force needs to know about the
disease that affects over 50 million Indians.
Dr. Amit Dang
7. Five Steps to Breakthrough Performance......26
How FLMs can deliver breakthrough sales
performance with their teams.
Anup Soans
CONTENTS (Click to navigate)

Hosted by www.MedicinMan.net. Organized by Knowledge Media Venturz.
FFE & BRAND DRIFT 2014
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Encouraged by the overwhelming response for Brand Drift
and FFE 2013, we are happy to announce the following:
1. Brand Drift and FFE will be held on consecutive days
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2. Dates: 7,8 February 2014 at Mumbai.
3. Pharma Service Providers are invited to partner with us
for this event.
2014
Your Message HERE at
FFE & Brand Drift 2014
CONTACT
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E
5 | MedicinMan June 2013
PHARMAMARKETING:
“CONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENT”
ORINSANITY? Why does pharma insist on fixing a model that seems to be obsolete,
asks Salil Kallianpur.
E
nough said about the pharmaceutical
industry’s business model having run its
course and the need for companies to
‘transform’the way they do business. Despite this,
at industry conferences that I attended last month,
it surprised me to see how few executives agreed.
I gathered from discussions that not many have
been able to fathom where exactly in the scheme
of things is the so-called transformation required.
To my mind, there are some opportunities that the
industry seems to have missed.
New product launches still define a
company’s growth plan.
India is a predominantly generic market with every
category as commoditized as the next. In spite
of this it is peculiar that companies continues to
focus on products and rarely on establishing a
sustainable difference that can help it break away
from the pack.
While products (medicines) undoubtedly remain
the mainstay of revenue, Indian companies
did not diversify into services to augment their
domination of therapeutic categories (through
comprehensive portfolio spreads). With new
products coming few and far between, Indian
companies could have transferred existing equity
into the services domain to create robust cash
flows from“beyond the pill”.
Yet, nobody tried to redefine the term‘product’to
mean anything beyond medicines.

Salil Kallianpur | Pharma Marketing: Continuous Improvement or Insanity?
”
We still obsess about visual aids, in-clinic
detailing and call averages.
Senior executives are unanimous in their opinion
that the dynamics of the business have changed. The
competition is fiercer, the customers are smarter, the
choices they have are many and brand loyalty is a
thing of the past.“Things are not the same as it was
30 years ago”, is a common refrain. And yet companies
choose to operate in the changed environment
in the same manner they did 30 years ago. Albert
Einstein called it insanity. Pharma calls it continuous
improvement.
It is intuitive that if products define our success,
selling them successfully to the doctors who
prescribe it is a key requirement. Pharma marketing
is about two things – information dissemination and
relationship building. It is clear that customers have
adopted non-traditional ways and means to seek
information and build and share relationships. Then,
why does the industry still insist on continuously
improving its traditional methods?
Channel partners continue to be
important only at the end of the month.
Rarely have top executives engaged with channel
partners to learn and adapt to the changed dynamic
and customer profile of today. The business no
longer has fixed demand patterns. This makes
accurate forecasting a challenge. It is assumed that
with the sector opening up to FDI, organized chains
will dominate the distribution pathway as has been
seen elsewhere in emerging markets. This throws up
demands for service levels that are agile and cost-
effective. Every partner will demand customization
in packing, SKUs and delivery schedules. Pharma
must realize that developing a nimble supply chain
may soon be necessary to merely survive and not a
strategic capability.
Flexible prices are still alien to us.
Why hasn’t the industry thought of variable pricing
based on demand (capping it at govt mandated
prices)? Just as soft-drink vending machines adjust
prices based on the length of the queue of customers
or the crowd around the machine, why can’t medicine
prices fluctuate like the prices of airline and movie
tickets based on demand?
Senior executives are
unanimous in their opinion
that the dynamics of the
business have changed.
“Things are not the same
as it was 30 years ago”,
is a common refrain. And
yet companies choose to
operate in the changed
environment in the same
manner they did 30 years
ago.
“

Salil Kallianpur | Pharma Marketing: Continuous Improvement or Insanity?
Point-of-Sales Messaging Using
Technology is Still in the Realm of Science
Fiction.
We all know how important the pricing of our
products are. Problems arise when the only
discussion that we have with our customers is
on how our product is a few paise less than the
competitor. While pharmacoeconomic discussions
may be partially relevant in a commoditized industry,
not one pharma company has explored point-of-
sales messaging to patients.
If bags of chips in supermarkets can contain sliver-
thin LED screens on their packets to explain the
calorific content and play advertisements, why can’t
pharma products use similar technology to carry
corporate advertisements, patient-specific messages,
KOL and patient testimonials or explain MOA of the
product? Of course these will have to be worked out
to pass regulatory strictures but imagine the value,
trust and credibility that the company can create
with the patient by doing so.
The fact that this may sound incredulous and like
science-fiction to many vindicates my case that
pharma has missed valuable opportunities to think
beyond the pill. Senior leaders of the industry must
put their heads together and think of disruptive ways
to transform a tired-old business model that has
shown signs of creaking to a halt. If not, the insanity
of throwing more good money behind bad will
continue. -SK
Senior leaders of the
industry must put
their heads together
and think of disruptive
ways to transform a
tired-old business model
that has shown signs
of creaking to a halt.
If not, the insanity of
throwing more good
money behind bad will
continue.
“
”
Missing something important?
Read past issues of MedicinMan at www.medicinman.net/archives

E
THEMARKSOFA
SUPERREP
SMALL THINGS THAT MAKE A BIG
DIFFERENCE IN THE PROFESSIONAL
LIFEOFAMEDICALREPRESENTATIVE.
PROFESSIONAL ETIQUETTE:
1. Etiquette in hospital corridors and waiting rooms -
what NOT to do:
1It is commonly seen nowadays that field personnel
- MRs and FLMs - encroach upon seats meant for
patients in hospitals and clinics. They do not offer their
seat to senior citizens. Sometimes they even keep their
bags on seats meant for patients. Only when asked
to do so by hospital staff do they vacate the seats,
reluctantly. This behavior is unacceptable and must
change.
2Arguments with patients about who will meet
the Doctor next should be avoided at all costs. At
times Reps are seen fighting amongst themselves over
appointments. These behaviors lower the reputation of
Reps and lead to restrictions on their access to the clinic
or hospital.
3Crowding, loud talk and conducting sales meetings
in waiting rooms has also become commonplace
resulting in Reps being banned. Talking loudly about
Doctors while commuting - while patients, the lay
public and maybe even Doctors listen to every word -
gives a bad impression of the profession and should be
avoided.
4Many Doctors do not like Reps charging their
mobile devices at clinics. It is preferable to carry
a spare battery or a power bank (which can charge a
mobile on-the-go), now available at affordable prices.
Shashikant Iyengar is Zonal
Business Manager at Abbott.

The Marks of a Super Rep | Shashikant Iyengar
PERSONAL GROOMING:
1Polished shoes are a must. I see many Reps wearing shoes
that appear unpolished for weeks. Socks should be clean
and without holes in them. Socks smell more in winter and
during the rainy season when it gets wet and needs to be
changed on daily basis.
2Good shoes with comfortable insoles are a must as we walk
a lot every day. Excessive walking can lead to condition like
Plantar Fasitis, which can be avoided with a pair of comfortable
shoes with good insoles. An investment on a pair of branded
insoles like Dr. Scholls will not be regretted.
3Dressing formally for client visits is an absolute must.
Sport shoes and casual pants (like jeans pants) should
be avoided. This is often seen in small towns and sometimes
even in a big city like Mumbai. Avoid clothes with loud (bright)
colors and check patterns.
Many of these fundamentals might seem unnecessary and are
often neglected during induction, but can have a big impact
on customer perception of the Representative.
HEALTH AND SAFETY
1A proper breakfast will sustain us through the day. Working
on an empty stomach or improper breakfast can drain us
of energy. Not having breakfast and working in hospitals on an
empty stomach could lead to catching infections.
2Have three meals a day for better health. Irregular meal
timing may lead to problems like acidity or other illness.
Hence the need to plan meal timing in spite of a tight schedule
is a must.
3Avoid too many cold drinks. Instead, have a lassi, chass,
limbu sharbat or Energee. Drink plenty of water to keep
hydrated and also to prevent sunstroke. Always carry a bottle
of water in your bag. If possible, carry home-cooked food in a
tiffin box, as done by many, for better health. Avoid food that is
cold to avoid diseases like diarrhea.
4Avoid eating fried snacks like vada pav, samosa, kachori,
bhajjia and other junk food. A simple fruit like Banana
is cheaper and lot healthier. It has simple and complex
carbohydrates which give as instant energy as well as energy in
slow release form. Bananas also prevent acidity and has ulcer
healing properties. It would seem that the Banana is a fruit
designed for field people!
5Some healthy habits are difficult to begin but have
immense benefits. Exercise daily - jogging, walking, yoga,
pranayam and other breathing exercises are activities one can
take up based on time and preference.
Many Reps may be suffering from lifestyle diseases like BP,
Diabetes, Lipid disorder etc. Due to modern stress and strain
even Doctors like cardiologists suffer from heart attacks at the
young age of 40. We need to keep fit and reduce stress to have
a healthy life.
Good shoes with
comfortable insoles are
a must as we walk a
lot every day. Excessive
walking can lead to
condition like Plantar
Fasitis, which can be
avoided with a good pair
of comfortable shoes
with good insoles. An
investment on a good
pair of branded insoles
like Dr. Scholls will not be
regretted.
”
“

The Marks of a Super Rep | Shashikant Iyengar
6Safely riding two-wheelers: many field colleagues have
had accidents and gotten head injuries, which can be
prevented with a helmet. This is especially unfortunate
when the Rep is the sole breadwinner in the family. Safe or
‘defensive’driving is advocated.
7Carry bags: from the old trademark brown leather bags
we have moved over to briefcases, to side shoulder
bags, to backpacks. I often see Reps chatting with each
other while carrying heavy bags. They can choose to keep
the bag down and continue with the chat. Prolonged and
unnecessary carrying of the bag may lead to back pain,
which appears to be common now. Unnecessary carrying
should be avoided.
SOME GENERAL TIPS:
1Many companies now have online reporting. Reports
can be submitted while waiting to meet Doctors, using
a smart phone or tablet. Many reps have smart phones
and use them for games, photos, music etc. They can
also download apps like Medscape and Fierce Markets to
educate themselves on the latest market trends in Medicine
and international pharma. Pads/tabs are now available at
low cost and can be used for updating knowledge or to
store references to show to Doctors.
2Two topics to avoid with customers are religion and
politics. Instead, talk about the latest happenings in the
field of medicine and pharma.
3The recent trend to change jobs too frequently has led
to minimal long-term savings. By changing jobs every
two years or even a year, you loose out on gratuity earnings
and also PF accumulations. PF lies in different PF accounts
and many times it is not transferred and goes to waste lying
in dormant accounts. Some even withdraw these amounts
every time they leave a company with the result that even
after 10 years there is a meager amount in the last PF
account.
PF is a silent and powerful saving mechanism if maintained
properly. Many do not know that there is something called
as VPF (Voluntary PF), which can be deducted by the
employer and deposited in the PF account thus leading to
silent saving every month. 5%/10%/15% of basic can be
deducted by informing the HR or Payroll. These are in safe
hands.
4Improving English communication: even though we are
in the field of communication where English fluency
is a necessity, many of us are not good in this aspect. To
improve, we need to read English newspapers like Times
of India and self-development books. This is not given
much importance. Reps feel that only sales matters and this
important aspect is ignored. Also, to improve, I suggest we
can attempt to solve simple crossword puzzles. We can also
download English dictionary apps on our smart mobiles
and use the same. -SI
Most Reps these have days smart phones
and tablets. In addition to entertainment,
they can be used to update your knowledge
of the latest trends in medicine and the
healthcare market. This will give reps an
enviable advantage over those who do not.

E
”

“
What it means to put the Doctor at the center of
your field sales work.
I
n a product-centric pharmaceutical market like India,
Customer-Centric Interaction is no longer a tool only for
marketing executives or product managers. Customer
Centric Interaction is slowly percolating down the ranks and
is being taught to sales representatives and sales executives
to bring a change in a Doctor’s prescription behavior and
treatment algorithm. This also marks the beginning of a
healthy relationship and strategic co-ordination between
marketing and Sales Business Units of pharmaceutical
companies.
Reputed pharmaceutical companies have already adopt-
ed this model and are marching ahead to improvise Sales
Force Excellence and Field Force Effectiveness. Learning
and development teams of these companies are work-
ing towards training the marketing and sales teams on
Customer-Centric Interaction. The field force, in turn, is
reciprocating by implementing the strategies designed by
the marketing team, followed by a customized approach
to generate prescriptions from Health Care Professionals
(HCPs). This organized, and sophisticated approach em-
ployed by pharmaceutical companies is installing confi-
dence and trust among the HCPs, thereby maintaining a
long-term relationship and association with them. Custom-
er Centricity is undoubtedly the driving force to achieve
revenue and growth for today’s Pharmaceutical Industry.
CUSTOMER-CENTRIC
INTERACTIONFOR THE MEDICAL REP
The Doctor’s perception
about the therapy
segment, the treatment
algorithm, and the
prescription behavior can
be traced by a Medical
Representative by
incorporating Customer
Centric Interaction in
his/her Sales Call. There
exists a protocol by
which the Medical Sales
Representative can rule
the sales call, and can win
a “YES” for a prescription
from the Doctor.
Srinivas Pothapragada is a front-line
professional at a leading Pharma company.
 




Customer-Centric Interaction for the MR | Srinivas Pothapragada
Why should a Medical Sales Representative use
Customer-Centric Interaction in his sales calls?
A Medical Sales Representative interacts with the customers
of the pharmaceutical industry on a regular basis. A Medical
Sales Representative understands the needs of a customer,
and updates the Doctor about recent advancements carried
out in the R&D of the product. The Doctor’s perception about
the therapy segment, the treatment algorithm, and the pre-
scription behavior can be traced by a Medical Representative
by incorporating Customer-Centric Interaction in his Sales Call.
There exists a protocol by which the Medical Sales Represen-
tative can rule the sales call, and can win a“YES”for a prescrip-
tion from the Doctor.
Often, there is a fear of rejection or a blunt“NO”from the
doctor. Obviously, the Doctor is also a human being, and he is
more busy than a medical representative. But again, just lip -
service doesn’t work in a doctor’s chamber.
Advanced
Advanced
Emerging
Medium
Figure 1. COURTESY: Accenture (2009). “Sustaining high performance through customer centricity. How customer-centric
business models drive growth for pharmaceutical companies.” http://www.accenture.com.SiteCollectionDocuments/PDF/
Accenture_Customer_Centricity_Pharma_2009.pdf
The above pictorial depiction shows the level of business focus
and Customer Centricity Lifecycle maturity of various Industry
types as on 2009. Looking at recent trends in organizational
behavior, the “Level of Business Focus” in the Pharmaceutical
Industry is slowly moving towards the Customer Centric arm.
Fig. 1: Level of Customer-Centricity Focus by Industry.
Accenture (2009)

”
“A doctor wants the
Medical Rep to understand
him and his needs, earn his
trust, and help him so that
he can help his patients.
Hence, CCI.

Doctors and Behavioral Styles.
Customers or Doctors appear in different“Avatars”and have
different behavioral styles. So it is not advisable to generalize
CCI for all the Sales Calls. Doctors can be categorized into
different types of professionals in a broader perspective:
1. Based on their Assertiveness.
2. Based on how much they interact or mingle with people.
3. Based on how much importance they give to their tasks.
4. Based on how detail-oriented they are.
Now, what does a Doctor usually expect from a Medical Sales
Representative apart from regular visits and updates on the
product?
A doctor wants the Medical Rep to understand him and
his needs, earn his trust, and help him so that he can help
his patients.
Hence CCI.
Basic Model of a CCI in a Doctor’s Chamber.
Ideally, a sales call should start by making a connect to the
last call. The medical representative should plan the call and
start the call with an“interest-generating opening”, fol-
lowed by a“probing question”which tends to elicit infor-
mation from the doctor. This information generally contains
his perspective or opinion on the therapy segment and his
prescription behavior. Based on this information, the medical
representative“shares valid and authenticated informa-
tion”related to his product, and responds to“questions”
or“concerns”raised by the doctor, if any. Finally, the call is
closed after taking a commitment from the Doctor for the
desired number of prescriptions.
Other tools which a medical representative can use in a Doc-
tor’s chamber are –‘FABing’and‘Cornering’. FABing stands for
Features, Advantages, and Benefits;‘Cornering’is a technique
in which, the doctor will not have any option to argue against
the product or its specifications.
How can a Pharmaceutical Company benefit
from Customer-Centric Interaction?
It is believed that Customer Relationship Management, and
thus Customer-Centric Interaction, is the area in which the
marketing team should focus in order to contribute most to
the business both now, and also in the future. Companies
that already incorporated this model into their marketing
strategy few years back are benefitting a lot even though
they face harsh competition from the generic market. CCI
model ensures long-term benefits and insulates the brand
from generic products and competition, by building its repu-
tation with Doctors.


”
“A Doctor wants the
Medical Rep to understand
him and his needs, earn his
trust, and help him so that
he can help his patients.
Hence, CCI.

Companies which are involved in research of the molecules which they sell, can utilize the
CCI model to fight against competition, and place their product in high-potential therapy seg-
ments where they can get maximum benefits.
A combination of CCI and“Evidence Based Selling”at the Doctor’s chamber will definitely give
the medical representative an edge over others.
In the pharmaceutical industry, the sales team undoubtedly is considered as the “voice of the
customer”. Many experts believe that the marketing team should take this responsibility. But
a significant number of people believe that it is a shared responsibility across multiple roles.
Whatever be the Business Unit, CCI helps an employee in the pharmaceutical industry to grow
personally and professionally. The CCI model itself has a structured and organized way of put-
ting forward facts and is a polite way to ascertain the beliefs and opinions of the customer.
CCI measures the steps which a doctor will take to treat his patients. CCI measures the trust
which a Doctor has on the molecule or product. Simply speaking, CCI measures the pulse rate
of a Doctor. -SP
References:
1. Figure 1. COURTESY: Accenture (2009). “Sustaining high performance through customer centricity. How custom-
er-centric business models drive growth for pharmaceutical companies.” http://www.accenture.com.SiteCollectionDocu-
ments/PDF/Accenture_Customer_Centricity_Pharma_2009.pdf
2. Figure 2 & 3. COURTESY: Economist Intelligence Unit Survey, July 2012. http://www.economistgroup.com/leanback/
advertising/customer-centricity “The CMO’s Conflicting Priorities :: Customer Centricity.”
Fig. 2 COURTESY: Economist Intelligence Unit Survey, July 2012. http://www.economistgroup.com/leanback/advertising/customer-centricity/ “The CMO’s Conflicting Priorities :: Customer Centricity.
Customer-centricity has become increasingly important in a business environment where customers connect with brands on their own terms. (Written by : Samantha Silberberg)
Fig 3. COURTESY :: Economist Intelligence Unit Survey, July 2012.
http://www.economistgroup.com/leanback/advertising/customer-centricity/ “The CMO’s Conflicting Priorities :: Customer Centricity.

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I
n the recent past, I have attended several forums
on Sales Force Effectiveness. On the sidelines I
happened to chat with some industry experts.
Besides various problems relating to FLMs and
SLMs, their sales management behaviors, etc., there
was also confusion expressed as to why decisions
regarding internal promotions are many times not
proving to be successful as expected.
There are two routes which are usually followed
for promoting people: 1. planned promotion and
2. unplanned promotion. In both the cases we
come across disappointments.
Why?
Unplanned promotions take place when there is
a sudden departure of top performers. Given the
pressing sales performance situation, there is a ten-
dency for immediate knee-jerk reactions to‘quick
fix’the problem. One of that is a familiar approach
of promoting the existing top/consistent perform-
ers to the managerial position.
Here comes the pain point. You have a great sales
person or a FLM, who does strong work, and is
thought to be ready for more responsibilities. So
you make him a FLM, or SLM managing managers
and you are very pleased with your swift action.
But only time will tell whether it was a right or
wrong decision.
E
K. Hariram is the former MD
(retd.) at Galderma India. He is
Chief Mentor at MedicinMan
and a regular contributor.
khariram25@yahoo.com
Simple but powerful
pointers to ensure that the
people you promote give
you the results you expect.
PREPARETO
PROMOTE.
E

Prepare to Promote | K. Hariram
From my experience, I would sincerely suggest the following
measures before and after promoting somebody to the FLM
or SLM level, irrespective of the two scenarios mentioned
above.
I strongly subscribe to the view of promoting‘from within’. It
would be ideal to promote with adequate preparation.
My suggestions in this regard:
• Plan the career growth of potential and consistent
performers.
• If internal resources are lacking, then get external help.
• Provide these performers with a coach or mentor to
help them prepare for the future.
• Train, train and train, either internally or externally.
• Provide guidance to help them become role models in
their respective teams.
• Help them learn the basics of MANAGEMENT and LEAD-
ERSHIP.
• Create or involve them in situations to make them think
of new ideas and problem-solving approaches.
• Help them learn through their and others mistakes or
failures.
• Importantly, provide them with communication skills
training.
• Where necessary, provide them with technology related
skills that they could put to use daily.
• Expose them to understanding of interpersonal skills
• Most importantly, train them on SITUATIONAL LEAD-
ERSHIP and EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE to take on the
challenges of team management.
A systematically groomed performer, is always handy in case
of sudden departure of a top performing manager.
Let us clearly understand and remember – the FLMs and
SLMs can play a very pivotal role in bringing about a
multiplying effect that has a very positive influence on the
productivity and performance of the sales team.
At every given opportunity, provide, equip and empower
those whom you want to promote or who are newly pro-
moted. You will reap rich dividends. -KH

EMPOWER YOUR FIELD FORCE
KA$H=CASH
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Senior Managers
Learning and Development Programs from the Leaders in Pharma Field Force Excellence
Signature Programs for Medical Representatives
Constructed on the fundamental premise that a
Medical Representative’s success depends on his
Knowledge, Attitudes, Skills and Habits (KA$H).
Representatives seek success in their personal
and professional lives but look for it in the wrong
places leaving them frustrated. Companies and
bottom-lines suffer when the front-line is not ful-
ly engaged. KA$H=CASH is a high-engagement
module for customer-facing employees.
Repeat Rx is an advanced module for customer-facing
Representatives based on the book by Anup Soans.
Repeat Rx focuses on building lasting relationships
with Doctors by creating value through a process of
Calling Connecting Consulting Collaborating
with the Doctor.
At each stage of this Four Stage process the Represen-
tative acquires measurable skills and competencies
that enable him to add value in the Doctor’s chamber.
Repeat Rx comes with detailed evaluation tools.
In Any Profession,
More KA$H = More Cash
KNOWLEDGE  ATTITUDES  SKILLS  HABITS
MEDICINMAN

SuperVision for the SuperWiser
Front-line Manager.
WHY SHOULD ANY-
ONE FOLLOW YOU?
THE HALF-TIME COACH
anupsoans@gmail.com | +91-934-2232-949 | www.medicinman.net
Signature Programs for Front-line Managers
Signature Programs for Second-line and Senior Managers
Based on the best-selling book by Anup Soans, this program
is for new and experienced Front-line Managers who would
like to get breakthrough performance from their teams.
SuperVision for the SuperWiser Front-line Manager focus-
es on topics such as Team Building, Emotional Intelligence,
Situational Leadership, Coaching and more.
VALUE ADD: Psychometric Assessment*
The Half-Time Coach is based on the concept of half-time
in football. If half-time is so crucial in a game that last only
90 minutes, how much more important in a career that last
a life time.
The Half-Time Coach is a learning-by-reflection program
with a focus on Coaching Skills for senior managers. Mod-
ules also cover Self Awareness, Emotional Intelligence, Em-
ployee Engagement and Sales Change Management.
A walk-the-talk program for cross-functional senior
managers to understand the process of employee
engagement, creating trust and building relation-
ships to build and sustain high-performance teams.
*Psychometrics assessments give in-depth insights into one’s personality preferences and its impact on
interpersonal relationships and teamwork.

anupsoans@gmail.com | +91-934-2232-949 | www.medicinman.net
Methodology
Webinars and E-Learning
All programs are fully customizable. A pre-program questionnaire is used to capture the
needs and expectations of the participants. Company’s may request a demonstration of a
particular module at no expense (except conveyance to venue).
Programs incorporate the principles of adult learning and are highly participative, audio-vi-
sual and activity-based. Important truths are conveyed through games, stories and videos.
Companies are advised to give participants the books on which the programs are based
for continued learning and development. The same may be procured from the author at a
discount.
Company’s may choose to deliver a program as a webi-
nar - giving the advantage of scale and lowering costs.
Audiences are kept engaged using visually stimulating
slides and powerful delivery. Emphasis is placed on
taking charge of one’s success, even in the absence of
oversight.
Most recently 1,000 reps of a leading MNC were
trained over four webinars with excellent feedback.
Customized issues of
MedicinMan, with inputs
from the company can be
given to the Field Force for
their continuous learning
and development.
MedicinMan currently
reaches 60,000 pharma
professionals.
Interactive Classroom Training
Management Games Audio/Visual
Learning-by-reflectionSimulation
Case Studies
iSharpenMMy Success is My Responsibiliti

WHY
GREAT
OFTEN

STRATEGY
FAILS.
I
n the previous issue of MedicinMan we talked about
the similarities between military strategy and generic
strategies in the Indian pharma industry. I remarked
that strategy execution is far more important than strat-
egy formulation. Strategy execution has been a dismal
failure in most pharma companies in India. We need to
shift our emphasis from mere strategy creation to strat-
egy execution.
Here is an interesting quote on the poverty of strategy
execution: “If military teams and professional athletic
teams performed as well on strategy as corporations do,
they would lose the war and end up on the bottom of the
standings respectively. Yet, very little attention has been
paid to strategy execution. Instead, most of the research
focuses on strategy creation”.1
Prof. Vivek Hattangadi
AND HOW MANAGERS CAN AVOID THE
PITFALLS OF STRATEGY EXECUTION
1. DeLisi Peter. StrategyExecution:
AnOxymoronoraPowerfulFormula
forCorporateSuccess?(http://www.
org-synergies.com/docs/Strategy%20
Execution%20Paper3.pdf)
E

“
”
“When companies fail to deliver on their promises, the most frequent
explanation is that the CEO’s strategy was wrong. But the strategy by
itself is not often the cause. Strategies most often fail because they
are not executed well. Things that are supposed to happen don’t
happen. Either the organizations are not capable of making them
happen, or the leaders of the business misjudge the challenges their
companies face in the business environment, or both.”2
Execution is
the biggest unaddressed issue today in the business world. Its ab-
sence is the single biggest obstacle to success.The cause of most fail-
ures and disappointments are however, mistakenly attributed to oth-
er causes. Leaders place too much emphasis on ‘high level strategy‘,
on ‘intellectualization‘ and ‘philosophizing‘ – however not enough is
done on implementation.2
What could be the most common reasons for poor
strategy execution?
I have listed seven reasons below.
1. Lack of knowledge of the strategy.
2. The strategy was not communicated effectively.
3. There is no commitment to the strategy.
4. There are neither rewards nor incentives for excellence in strategy
execution.
5. People are not appraised for strategy execution.
6. People are not held accountable for strategy execution.
7. Proper control systems not developed to measure and track exe-
cution of strategy.
Medical representatives, who are the actual implementers of strate-
gy and the first-line leaders, who are primarily accountable for exe-
cution, are themselves not aware of the strategy. Reasons could be
many, but perhaps the most important reason is that the strategy
was not communicated effectively. The failure to communicate the
strategic objectives to the field force may mean that the developers
of the strategy are not getting enough information for medical repre-
sentatives to understand what they are supposed to do.
Why are people not committed to the strategy?
W. Chan Kim Renee Mauborgne put it beautifully in their book Blue
Ocean Strategy.3
They say that managers should build execution into
the strategy by using the‘Three E Principles of Fair Process’.
i. Engage the people in strategic decisions by asking for their inputs
and allowing them to refute the merits of one another’s ideas and
assumptions.
ii. Explain clearly so that so that everyone understands why strategic
decisions are taken. An explanation allows people to trust managers’
intentions even if their own ideas have been rejected.
iii. Expectation clarity requires that after a strategy is set, managers
state clearly the new rules of the game. Although the expectations
may be demanding, people should know up front what standards
they will be judged by and the penalties for failure.
2. Bossidy Larry Ram Charan.“Execution:
The Discipline of GettingThing Done”. Crown
Business: NewYork; 2002
3.W. Chan Kim Renee Mauborgne .“Blue
Ocean Strategy: How to Create Uncontested
Market Space and Make the Competition
Irrelevant”. Harvard Business School Press:
Boston; 2009
Why Great Strategy Often Fails | Prof. Vivek Hattangadi
“When companies
fail to deliver on their
promises, the most
frequent explanation is
that the CEO’s strategy
was wrong. But the
strategy by itself is
not often the cause.
Strategies most often
fail because they are
not executed well.

What are the building blocks of execution?
Say Larry Bossidy and Ram Charan2
:
• Know your people and your business. Leaders have to live their
businesses.
• Insist on realism. To make realism a priority - start by being realistic
yourself
• Set clear goals and priorities - Leaders who execute focus on a very
few clear priorities that everyone can grasp.
• Follow through.
• Reward the doers. If you want people to produce specific results,
you reward them accordingly.
• Expand people’s capabilities. Education is an important part of ex-
panding people’s capabilities.
• Know yourself. Know thyself…it’s the core of authenticity.
Self-awareness gives you the capacity to learn from your mistakes as
well as your successes. It enables you to keep growing.
Excellence in execution will make a company to choose a more ro-
bust strategy. A company cannot have a worthwhile strategy if you
do not have the wherewithals to get it executed. The winners on
the field of business will be those corporations, who not only have
a good, solid strategy, but more importantly, execute it well. -VH
“
”
“When companies
fail to deliver on their
promises, the most
frequent explanation is
that the CEO’s strategy
was wrong. But the
strategy by itself is
not often the cause.
Strategies most often
fail because they are
not executed well.
Why Great Strategy Often Fails | Prof. Vivek Hattangadi
Humor at the Workplace

D
iabetes mellitus (DM), a common disorder is
characterized by increased blood glucose levels
i.e. hyperglycemia. The World Health Organiza-
tion (WHO) has projected that the occurrence of DM is
increasing in epidemic proportions, especially in devel-
oping countries.
India currently leads the world in number of people with
DM and at present, the number of people suffering from
DM in the age group of 20-79 years in India is more than
50 million. These numbers are predicted to increase to
79.4 million by year 2030. The reasons for this marked
increase are changes in lifestyle, people living longer
than before (ageing) and low birth weight which can
lead to DM during adulthood. The occurrence of DM is
influenced by genetic, ethnic and socioeconomic factors.
There are four broad groups of DM - type 1 DM, type 2
DM, diabetes during pregnancy (gestational diabetes)
and‘other forms of diabetes’. Type 1 DM (earlier known
as Insulin dependent Diabetes Mellitus) is associated
with a decrease in insulin secretion and type 2 DM (ear-
lier known as Non Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus)
results from impaired use and synthesis of glucose and
compensatory decrease in insulin release in the body.
Insulin is secreted after the intake of foods containing
sugars. Insulin helps in regulating the glucose levels in
the body.
E
INTRODUCTIONTO
DIABETESMELLITUS
Knowledge
Series for
the FF
Table 1. Diagnostic criteria for Diabetes Mellitus
Fasting plasma glucose (mg/dL) (FPG) ≥ 126
Two hours after glucose load (mg/dL)* ≥ 200
HbA1c (%) ≥ 6.5
FPG- Blood glucose levels after 8 hours of not eating anything
(fasting). *Two hours after intake of 75 g oral glucose
Dr. Amit Dang is Director at Geronimo
Healthcare Solutions Private Limited.
“
”
India currently leads
the world in number of
people with DM and at
present, the number of
people suffering from DM
in the age group of 20-
79 years in India is more
than 50 million. These
numbers are predicted to
increase to 79.4 million by
year 2030.
E

Introduction to Diabetes Mellitus | Dr. Amit Dang
Hyperglycemia can lead to acute symptoms (sudden, sharp
or of short duration) and chronic (long-term or persistent)
complications. The chronic complications that arise from
prolonged hyperglycemia are mainly retinopathy (may lead
to blindness), neuropathy (tingling, numbness and changes in
feelings in the toes, fingers and hands), nephropathy (decrease
in kidney function,) and cardiovascular diseases. People with
diabetes are 25 times more likely to develop blindness, 17
times more likely to develop kidney disease, 30-40 times more
likely to undergo amputation, two to four times more likely to
develop myocardial infarction and twice more likely to suffer
a stroke than non-diabetics. These chronic complications can
be controlled in many patients by sustained control of blood
glucose.
The management of diabetes can be divided into three main
components (Figure 1). The medication treatment options
target different processes of glucose metabolism. These are
Insulin analogs, sulfonylureas, meglitinide analogs, biguanides,
thiazolidinediones, α glucosidase inhibitors, (Glucagon like
peptide-1) GLP-1 receptor agonists, (Dipeptidyl peptidase 4)
DPP-4 inhibitors.
All the pharmacologic treatment options will be discussed in
the next issues. -AD
TREATMENT OF DIABETES MELLITUS
Control of Blood Sugar Levels
• Diet/ lifestyle
• Exercise
• Medication
• Dyslipidemia
(mainly increased
Cholesterol and
LDL-C levels)
• Hypertension
• Obesity
• CV disease
• Retinopathy
• Cardiovascular
disease
• Neuropathy
• Nephropathy
• Other complications
Treatment of Associated Conditions Screening/Management of Complications
LDL-C: Low density lipoprotein-cholesterol; CV: cardiovascular
REFERENCES
1. International Diabetic Federation.
http://archive.diabetesatlas.org/
content/prevalence-estimates-
diabetes-mellitus-dm-2010.
2. Pradeepa R, Deepa R, Mohan V.
Epidemiology of diabetes in India-
current perspective and future
projections. J Indian Med Assoc
2002;100(3):144-8

STEPS
TO BREAK
THROUGH
PERFORMANCE5
1
Define the sales process clearly.
The selling process must be clearly defined and understood
step by step by all the people responsible for achieving
the sales target. FMs must develop comprehensive, realistic and
step-by-step guidelines that enable PSRs to achieve their targets.
FMs must organise coaching sessions with top performers and key
customers to identify current best practices and constantly refine
the sales process. FMs must direct PSRs to channel their energies
into areas that will produce the highest and quickest results. Even
competent PSRs become discouraged when their efforts do not
pay off quickly and spend longer hours struggling and working
less efficiently to achieve their sales targets. The reasons for failure
to convert potential into prescriptions will vary for each PSR, but
the end result will be the same: wasted efforts and a failure to
achieve higher productivity, leading to an increased cost of sales.
PSRs are motivated to achieve higher levels of performance when
management systems and incentive structures are aligned with
the sales process. This alignment will enable FMs to monitor the
activity, assess progress and impact PSR productivity.
2
Develop new skills to counter Doctor
fatigue from traditional selling meth-
ods.
The shift in preference from visual-aid detailing to consultative
problem-solving is bringing with it the need for innovation in
selling skills. Doctors are granting access to PSRs who are able
to create dialogue, trust and credibility while demonstrating
the commitment to building a mutually beneficial relationship.
Traditional training has the disadvantage of imparting skills that
have become generic, leading to a disinterest in detailing among
most physicians. This is also leading to many companies prefer-
ring quick-fix deals with doctors and trade instead of investing
in continuously training PSRs to develop new skills. The conven-
tional methods of training PSRs were better suited to a market in
which sales cycles were reasonably stable as compared to today’s
dynamic and hypercompetitive pharmaceutical sector. While train-
ing and development are critical, it must be done more frequently
and in smaller modules, with a minimum disruption to the PSR’s
daily work. However, training alone will not ensure breakthrough
performance.
Anup Soans
ChuckYeager, the first pilot to break the sound
barrier, had this to say:“The barrier was not in
the sky.The barrier was in our minds.”
E

A careful blend of coaching by FMs and mentoring by senior man-
agers, who can share best practices among the team members
so that they can respond effectively to new trends in the market-
place, is needed.
3
Focus on productivity instead mere
activity.
Even senior PSRs are often not clear about how to identify
and target prescribers who are most likely to have a genuine need
for their product. Many PSRs will visit doctors regardless of the de-
gree of sales opportunity they present. PSRs who lack a disciplined
approach, systematic planning and a prioritisation of their selling
activities often find themselves spending time meeting accessi-
ble doctors rather than taking the trouble to meet and influence
doctors who have the power to impact their business significantly.
While targeting doctors, FMs must analyse physician behaviour,
demographics and attitudes to segment the markets and direct
their PSRs to focus on doctors who are most likely to respond
favourably to their product promotions. FMs will be able to gain
an improvement in performance by systematically qualifying and
rating doctors based on their potential as customers and taking
the time to help PSRs focus their selling time on the 20 per cent of
core customers for each product category who can earn them 80
per cent of the results.
4
Remove self-limiting beliefs that con-
strain performance.
A commonly overlooked area in developing PSRs is the
adverse impact of self-limiting beliefs on their performance. The
transference theory explains that the PSR’s state of mind is often
transferred to the doctor, thus influencing the outcome of a sales
call. When PSRs lack confidence in their abilities, their product or
their company it can lead to call reluctance. To counter this, FMs
must create and sustain a high-morale state of mind in their PSRs.
While FMs quickly grasp the essentials of field sales management,
few are able to transform the negative self image of a PSR into
a positive one. The good news is that beliefs can change. Inputs
create outputs. By changing the mental attitudes brought about
by negative thinking, PSRs can improve their self-image.
5
Develop PSRs into Breakthrough Per-
formers.
The single biggest influence on the performance of a PSR is
the FM. Yet FMs do not spend sufficient time to train and develop
PSRs. FMs accustomed to achieving success through personal ac-
tions overlook their greatest potential source of power the power
to increase sales by developing PSRs. Even when they do recog-
nise the importance of developing their PSRs, many FMs find that
they lack the skills and resources to do it effectively. To make things
worse, most sales teams consist of individuals with different levels
of experience and ability. So the question of developing the whole
team becomes too daunting to contemplate. FMs need to be on a
continuous learning mode and should spend their waking hours
visualising and planning the development of PSRs. -AS
Anup Soans is the author of
“HardKnocks for the GreenHorn”,
SuperVision for the SuperWiser
Front-line Manager”and“Repeat Rx”.
He is a facilitator of Learning and
Development Programs for Managers
and Medical Reps at India’s top
Pharma Company’s
Contact:
anupsoans@gmail.com
+91-93422-32949
5 Steps to Breakthrough Performance | Anup Soans

➜➜ Behavioral coaching is NOT about changing people who don’t care.
➜➜ Paradox of life: Successful people are delusional. Delusional people are happier and
more productive. Realistic people are depressed.
➜➜ More Successful harder to take feedback, harder to accept faults. Therefore harder to
coach.
➜➜ Question to ask everyday –“Was my behavior in line with the values that I preach?
➜➜ Question before engaging in any activity - Is this going to help me be a better
professional? Improve my health? Be a better spouse/parent?
➜➜ What have you put off today that you needed to do to make progress in your
professional/personal life?
➜➜ If your heart’s not in it don’t do; it’s your life!
➜➜ Why should I be in charge of anything if I can’t control myself?
➜➜ Feedback from direct reports – not a career enhancing move!
➜➜ Every decision in the world has been made by the person who has the power to make
that decision – make peace with that.
➜➜ It’s not the doctor’s job to Rx your product; it’s your job to SELL it. Adapted from Peter
Drucker.
➜➜ Nobody knows the future anyway – we’re all guessing.
➜➜ Select the right person to coach – if they don’t care, don’t waste your time.
➜➜ Coaching is about them, not about you – always ask,“How can I help you?”
➜➜ Nobody loses weight because they buy a diet book. Coaching works if the person
being coached is willing to work.
➜➜ Don’t overrate your self. More people have died because of doctor’s ego than Vietnam
and Iraq war combined!
➜➜ Doctors don’t let nurses ask questions – their ego compromises patient safety.
➜➜ Feedback is about the past – helps you know where you are. Feedforward is about the
future – helps you go where you want to go.
➜➜ Lesson for leaders before you talk –“Is it worth it”?
➜➜ Final thought – Remember, it’s Showtime! (Everyday in the morning tell yourself)
“LEADERSHIP IN ACTION”with Marshall Goldsmith

Pharma Marketing - Improvement or Insanity? August MedicinMan

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