Sales Tips & Techniques Blog

Pharmaceutical Industry: Focussing on the role of the Sales Leader

One of the biggest changes we have seen following the increase in competition and cost-cutting in the pharmaceutical industry is the focus on the role of the sales leader and the changing nature of their responsibilities in this new environment.

Clients across the region are asking their sales leader's to devote more time on early-entry key strategic accounts and more time in the field coaching sales conversations. This is happening as it is no longer enough to talk product in the sales calls and the focus has moved to developing needs and creating value. At the same time customers have less time to spend with sales representatives and in a lot of cases a more complex purchasing environment in their organisations. This results in sales representatives needing to enter sales cycles earlier, at higher levels and challenging client assumptions to provide real-value.

Sales managers are the focal point in helping the sales force make this transition and unfortunately there is significant room for improvement in most organisations. In a recent survey from The Integrated Sales Executive Council they found that 66% of sales people indicated that their manager does worse at coaching as opposed to the other behaviours that a sales leader will need to demonstrate, such as planning, assessing risks, championing new initiatives or even delivering bad news to senior management.

They identified that the biggest gaps were around sales coaching very specific behaviours that correlate strongly with success in today’s economy. These included:

• Showing sales people how to appropriately gain commitment from the customer
• Helping sellers identify next steps with a customer
• Helping sales people create demand when the client is indifferent and sees no need for their products or services

Much of Huthwaite’s work over the past months has been working with clients to shape the new role of the sales leader to equip them with the skills, tools and metrics that will create the new pipeline opportunities that will ensure organisations deliver on their growth initiatives.

Shape the new role of the sales leader:

Our research helped us define six characteristics of world class sales coaches and we would be delighted to share this short white paper with you. Please click here for a copy of this and do not hesitate to leave a comment below.
Download it here.