It is well-known that selling is a dynamic profession, and you need to upgrade your knowledge about your products and services constantly to be a successful salesman. But, the task of salesmen in the pharmaceutical sector is tougher when compared to their counterparts in other industries. Here, the prospect (I mean the doctor) has more knowledge about medicines and diseases than the salesman. How does the pharmaceutical representative make an impact on the doctor and how does he help introduce his company’s medicines? The answer – he needs to be as knowledgeable as the doctor himself. When sales representatives join pharmaceutical companies, they undergo intensive one-month pharmaceutical sales classroom training sessions, where they are trained aggressively by doctors and medical sales managers. This is usually a full time certification course. Once this sales training is complete, they go out to the market and work in the field.
Here are the five types of training that are covered in the exhaustive sales training curriculum.
1. Anatomy & Physiology
The Normal and Abnormal: This includes a thorough training on the human anatomy and physiology – the functions of the various organs, the different parts of the organs, and what happens if they function abnormally. This training is usually conducted by doctors.
2.
Diseases
What are the various diseases for which the company offers medicines? What are their symptoms? What is the future?
What are the various diseases for which the company offers medicines? What are their symptoms? What is the future?
3.
Drugs
What are the drugs available for a particular disease? How does the drug help cure the disease, and what are its indications and contraindications? This training is given by a pharmaceutical specialist.
What are the drugs available for a particular disease? How does the drug help cure the disease, and what are its indications and contraindications? This training is given by a pharmaceutical specialist.
4.
Sales Process
Once sales representatives complete their medical training, the next step would be a through process training on how to work with doctors, how to break the ice and open the conversation, how to introduce the drugs, and how to promote the drug and company. This sales process is critical for effective communication with the doctor. This training usually covers soft skills needed to make a sale and is delivered by a senior sales trainer.
Once sales representatives complete their medical training, the next step would be a through process training on how to work with doctors, how to break the ice and open the conversation, how to introduce the drugs, and how to promote the drug and company. This sales process is critical for effective communication with the doctor. This training usually covers soft skills needed to make a sale and is delivered by a senior sales trainer.
5.
Handling Objections
Finally, sales representatives are trained on how to handle the doctors’ objections. How to reply in a dignified way without being harsh with the prospect.
Finally, sales representatives are trained on how to handle the doctors’ objections. How to reply in a dignified way without being harsh with the prospect.
Once a
sales representative completes this training, he/she is ready to work with
doctors and promote the company’s drugs.
