You’ve got mail Mr area sales manager!

K Gopal makes an attempt to present the grievances of a new medical representative through a letter to the area sales manager

The frontline manager in a pharmaceutical company plays a pivotal role in the success of the organisation. One of the key functions of a frontline manager is induction and development of the new medical representatives (MR). Do we know his apprehensions, his expectations and his hidden fears?

Here is an open letter from a new MR to his area manager.

An Open Letter

To the area sales manager

I’ m a new medical representative here. I know it’s a great company and I had excellent training on all the products. I am aware of the fact that our company is likely to be always a leader in the pharma industry. I did not join this company for all these reasons.

YOU are the reason why I decided this was the company for me. I have heard a lot about what a great area manager you are and I want to learn from you. I want you to be my personal coach and my mentor. You invest time in me and I promise you and the company that I will exceed all your expectations. I hope you don’t mind, but I have a few suggestions that will help you help me.

One thing at a time. Please!

I did learn about all our products during the initial training. I have a lot more to learn about our products, our services and our customers. While there is so much to learn, I am afraid I can only absorb one new idea at a time. I like to find out how to do something and then focus my attention on trying out this new idea in my day-to-day live situations. Whenever I put new learning into practice while dealing with customers, I learn a little more. Sometimes, I try a new approach and it falls flat. I stumble around and just miss getting all the words out in the right order. When you are around next time, please help me to learn. Just one step at a time please! I am still learning

Help me understand!

Here’s another thing you can do for me. We’ve spent time talking about pharmaceutical selling and I know you have a lot of great ideas. Some of them are easy. When you talk about them, I know just what to do. Others are much harder for me to implement because I don’t know exactly how to go about it. The other day you suggested that I could improve my detailing by asking more open-ended questions. I know what an open-ended question is, but I’m not sure of the best way to phrase them.

I know this is a great technique, but I need to know a lot more if it’s going to work for me. So this is what I suggest. Sit down with me for half hour every day you work with me and let’s talk about these details. Let me try a few examples. I face competition from some new molecules and we can talk about how to use the technique in specific situations. Then I will go out and try it and report back to you on what happened. Please help me to understand. What looks like as child’s play may not be all that simple for me. I am still learning.

Make me feel like a success

I am a good medical representative committed to doing a good job. I promise you I’m going to be trying my best, but I know that I make mistakes. So when you are doing joint-work with me and when we sit down to talk about what happened during the calls, don’t point out all of my faults. Some of them I just can’t help. I am sure you would like not like to destroy my self-esteem. Now I am not saying you should take it easy on me. Just think about how to help me focus on the positive aspects of what I can do better. I promise you I will be open to your suggestions. I am still learning.

Give me time to get used to a new idea

Like I said before, when you give a new suggestion or a new idea, I have to spend time trying it out. Do you remember our discussion on handling objections? I know you’re right when you tell me to find out what’s behind the objection before I open my mouth with an answer, but like I said, this one is tough for me. I want to just react. But I’m working on it and I will try one right away.

I will remember your words - ‘‘All opportunities come cleverly disguised as objections.’’ Give me some time. Later, I will need help with other aspects of my job - like what I can do at CMEs, Patient

Education Programmes and other relationship - building exercises. I look forward to your visits because I consider these as learning sessions. I need your valuable inputs to develop myself.

Thank you for reading this letter.

Can you help me with some consultant calls next week? Please remember, I am still learning.

From a new MR

The writer is Chennai based pharma sales training consultant. Email: gopalk19@rediffmail.com