RALEIGH, N.C., June 21, 2001 (PRIMEZONE) -- Campbell Alliance, www.campbellalliance.com, has created a practice area dedicated to helping pharmaceutical companies harness the full potential of their sales forces. This service offering was developed in response to the greatly increased competitive pressures confronting pharmaceutical sales forces.
"Over the past eight years, the number of pharmaceutical sales reps in the U.S. has doubled, but the number of sales calls to physicians has risen by only 10 to 20%," said Garry O'Grady, the practice area's leader. "There is a definite increase in competitive pressure, as more and more reps are struggling to get the attention of a relatively stable number of high-prescribing physicians."
Research has also shown that the average sales call now lasts only two to four minutes, which is very little time for a representative to perform a thorough detail.
"As the number of representatives increases and the length of the average sales call decreases, the potential value of every minute of `face time' with physicians rises dramatically. One of our objectives is to help pharmaceutical reps make the most of every minute in front of a physician," said O'Grady.
According to O'Grady, "making the most of every minute" in front of a physician involves the interplay of numerous factors, including the proper training of sales representatives, effective sales management, the optimal sales organization structure and the sales force's adoption of new technologies. "This practice area can address any or all of those factors in order to help a client's sales force get its message across, generate more revenue and build market share."
Training is arguably the most important factor in ensuring success. "All pharmaceutical companies conduct training for their sales representatives, but we've noticed that specialized interactive training, especially in preparation for a new product launch, can greatly enhance each rep's ability to handle objections, communicate key messages and shorten the time to peak sales. That kind of training is missing in most pharmaceutical companies and we've identified a real need for it," said O'Grady.
Recently, Campbell Alliance conducted a large interactive training program for a product launch at a leading pharmaceutical company. The program was a role-play exercise designed to help representatives handle physicians' objections to the new product. Campbell consultants, most of whom have pharmaceutical or clinical backgrounds, worked in a central call center, playing the role of physicians. Sales representatives called in and, during a simulated detail, were tested on their product knowledge, their ability to handle objections, and their delivery style. More than 2,400 sales representatives were evaluated over a four-week period.
"The interactive training went very well," said John Campbell, President of Campbell Alliance. "It was an excellent way to prepare the sales force for launch. The call center served as a low-risk environment in which to identify reps that needed further development. From our client's perspective, it was better to identify potential problems in a pre-launch role-play rather than after the product is on the market and reps are out there selling." According to Campbell, the client was extremely pleased with the results of the training and plans to use it for future launches.
Campbell Alliance has completed more than 25 projects in the area of sales force optimization, but the new practice area represents the first time the company has built a comprehensive service offering around it. The practice area will work very closely with Campbell Alliance's Process Improvement practice area.
Campbell Alliance is a management consulting firm specializing in pharmaceuticals and health care. Based in Raleigh, NC, the firm boasts a clientele that includes the world's leading pharmaceutical and health care companies, as well as technology companies with pharmaceutical and health care interests.
-0-
CONTACT: Campbell Alliance, Raleigh
Craig Dunkley, Director, Marketing
(919)844-7100
cdunkley@campbellalliance.com