This document provides an overview of the key steps in the pharmaceutical sales process: 1) Opening - The first step which involves rapport building and introducing the agenda for the visit. Common opening techniques include introducing yourself, stating the agenda, highlighting customer benefits, and asking for permission to proceed. 2) Exploring - Understanding customer needs through asking questions and active listening. The role is to determine priority needs that the product can satisfy. 3) Satisfying - Meeting customer needs by presenting relevant product features and benefits, checking for acceptance, and looking for buying signals. 4) Closing - Obtaining a commitment, using techniques like summarizing benefits, suggesting future plans, substantiating the plan, and seeking continuation

1. Prepared By:
Mohamed Salah El Dein
MBA – Cairo University
Learning & Development Manager
Salehiya Trade Est.

2. Follow-up
Gaining commitment
Meeting objections
Presentation
Need assessment
Approach
Pre-Approach
Prospecting
M.S.
2

3. A
•Opening
B
•Exploring
C
•Satisfying
D
•Closing
M.S.
3

4. A - Opening
• It’s the first step in selling skills inside the
Doctor’s chamber.
• Effective opening need
Rapport Building

5. Rapport Building

6. Outside Doctor’s Chamber

7. Three “R” Technique

8. Inside Doctor’s Chamber

9. Inside Doctor’s Chamber
Attire
Body Language

10. Inside Doctor’s Chamber
Tonality
Rate of Speech

11. Inside Doctor’s Chamber
Repeat & Approve
Commonality

12. Inside Doctor’s Chamber
Positive Words
Personal Space

13. Personal Space

14. Purpose of the Opening
Get
Attention
Create
Interest

15. Purpose of the Opening
Explain
Purpose of
Visit
The Received
Benefits

16. When to open the call !!
• After the rapport building
statement , as the doctor's
time is very valuable.

17. How to Open ???
Opening
Common
ways
Uncommon
ways

18. Common ways of Opening
1
• Introduction
2
• Agenda
3
• Benefit of the Customer
4
• Invite customer to add in to the Agenda
5
• Getting the permission

19. 1- Introduce yourself
• MR can gives his & his company’s name.
• Example :-
“ I am Ali from Salehiya Pharmaceutical “

20. Introduce yourself
MR
Old
New

21. Old Medical Reps
• Usually not find needs to introduce themselves
with general information as the customer may be
familiar with their & their company’s introductions

22. Old Medical Reps
• Usually begin their call with
previous or old reference & can
move from general statement to
state their agenda for the visit.

23. New Medical Reps
• MUST introduce themselves & their
companies as this is essential
for their Branding

24. Techniques of opening
• Using “impactful” language or
article to gain & hold the attention
of the customer.

25. Examples …….
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
As discussed last time ….
Misery of your patient ….
Quick Relief ……
New study ..
New Dose ….
New Indication ….
New clinical paper …..

26. 2 – State an agenda to the customer
• The medical representatives state
their objectives of the visit.

27. Example …..
• “In the last call I discussed the serum concentration of my
product , today I am here to share with you a new study
about the sensitivity data of the community acquired
pneumonia patients”

28. 3- Benefit of the customer
• It’s very important to tell the customer
about the benefits he/she may receive
from the discussion regarding the
agenda.
• This statement creates interest of the
customer.

29. Example …….
• In the last call I discussed the serum concentration of my
product , today I am here to share with you a new study
about the sensitivity data of the community acquired
pneumonia patients and how their results benefits your
patients as well, I shall now proceed with your permission
…..”

30. 4 - Invite customer to add in to the Agenda
• Ask the doctor if he wants to discuss
anything regarding the disease and
its management area .

31. 4 - Invite customer to add in to the Agenda
• This step is not applicable step in all
situations.
• You can use this step when you have a
good rapport & trust worthy
relationship with the customer

32. Example …..
• “Would you like to add anything to discuss ?”

33. 5- Get the permission to Start
• In the last call I discussed the serum concentration of my
product , today I am here to share with you a new study
about the sensitivity data of the community acquired
pneumonia patients and how their results benefits your
patients as well, May I proceed with your permission …..”

34. Uncommon ways of Opening
1
•Product Method
2
•Benefit Method
3
•Question Methodology
4
•Referral Methodology
5
•Study Methodology

35. 1- Product Method
• Initiating the discussion by Showing the
Product.
• Applicable with
1. Customer is too Busy
2. Customer seems much reluctant to talk
3. Launching a New Product

36. Example …….
• Dr. , this is our new anti-malarial drug which has a unique mode
of action that differentiates it from other drugs and will be most
beneficial to your patients. Can you spare some time for a
detailed discussion ??

37. 2 - Benefit Method
• Open the call by using the most beneficial
feature of your product.
• Applicable with
1. New MR
2. MR who has weak probing skill
3. Drs. who seem reluctant to probing

38. Example
• Dr. , I would like to discuss the product, X, which has a
long half life and is suitable for a single daily dosage”

39. 3 - Question Methodology
• Open the call with question
• Applicable with
1. Reading out information from the customer
2. Needing more time to discuss the product in
details.
3. Launching new product.

40. Example ……
• Dr. , In your opinion, what’s the parameters of an
effective antibiotic for your patients of urinary tract
infection ??

41. 4 – Referral Methodology
• Some customers prescribe certain
drugs due to the influence of their
seniors.
• Applicable with
1. Newly graduated Drs.

42. Example
• Dr. , prescribing of the product ,X, by Dr. ……..
Encouraged me to discuss the details of this product
with you …..

43. 5 – Study Methodology
• Sharing the result of a study or a
survey with the Dr.
• Applicable with
1. Analytical Doctors.

44. Example
• “ ….. Today I would like to share with you a study of
antihypertensive drug, I am sure it will be beneficial in
managing your patients of hypertension, Can I proceed ??”

45. Exercise …….
• Please find the following questions ……..

46. B - Exploring
• Definition :-
• Understanding the customer needs

47. Exploring
How
Many
Needs
Relating
to your
Product
Priority

48. What’s the need???
• The Desire of the customer that can be
satisfied by your product or services
• A problem that customer intends to solve
with the purchase of goods or service
• The result of a gap between customers’
desired states & their actual state

49. What’s a Need Gap ???

50. What’s the Role of the MR ?

51. Types Of Needs

52. How To Explore

53. Asking Questions
• Determine Exactly which information you need
• Choose the question that accomplish your desire outcome
• Keep it simple & avoid complex question
• Just ask & don’t interrogate
• Try to develop a natural style

54. Types of the Question

55. Exploring Technique

56. Active Listening

57. C - Satisfying
• Accomplishment of the
customer’s needs or desires with
your product or service

58. Right Time of Satisfaction
1
• The customer has clearly EXPRESSED
his/her needs
2
• You & The customer fully understood
the needs
3
• Your Product or service can meet the
needs.

59. How to Satisfy ??
Respect customer needs
Provide Features & Benefits
Check for acceptance

60. Respect the Customer’s need
• If the Doctor expressed that quick relief of
pain is his main concern with arthritis
patients, the MR may say :
• “Quick pain relief is really very important for
the patients of arthritis, and our NSAIDs give
pain relief within 10 min.”

61. Provide appropriate Feature & Benefits
The MR should provide the features
& benefits that relevant to
The customer’s needs

62. What’s the features & Benefits ??

63. Insight of the customer

64. Product Ladder
Drug of Choice
2nd line Prescriber
Reserve Therapy
Non User

65. Check for Acceptance
• Use strong confirmed close question.
• “ Are the benefits that I offered to you
for your patients agreed upon? How do
they sound for your patient ?”

66. D- Closing
• It’s the time to get a
commitment of a prescription
from the customer

67. When to close ??
• Once you have satisfied your customer
with relevant feature & benefits as per
his need and the customer gives you
the buying signal

68. Buying Signal
Buying
Signal
Verbal
Non Verbal

69. How to close ??
1. The 4‘S Technique
2. Direct commitment Technique
3. Alternative choice Technique
4. T – Account Technique
5. Success story Technique

70. The 4’S Technique
1. Summarize Agreed Benefits
2. Suggest Future Plan
3. Substantiate your Plan
4. Seek continuation for the next cool

71. Direct Commitment Technique
• Straight a forward request for prescription

72. Alternative choice Technique
• Ask the customer to choose between two or
more choices.

73. T – Account Technique
• Need special condition to be used

74. Success story Technique
• By telling a successful story about your
Product

75. If you work just for money, you’ll never make it.
But if you love what you are doing, and always
put the customer first, success will be yours.
-Ray Kroc

76. Nobody counts the number of ads you run; they
just remember the impression you make.
-William Bernbach

77. It is not your customer’s job to remember you. It is your
obligation and responsibility to make sure they don’t
have the chance to forget you.
-Patricia Fripp

78. Sources
• Pharmaceutical Selling (Four Basic Skills)
Nazir Ahmed
1st Edition, 2013
ISBN 978-87-403-0361-2
http://bookboon.com/

79. M.S.
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