Sales

A Guide to the Sales Structure

The main objective in every call is to persuade the customer to initiate or increase prescribing of your product. Before each call you should have a pre-call objective.  To ensure this objective is achieved every time, it is important to give each call a structure.

Every call should have a SMART objective:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Achievable
• Realistic
• Time scale

For example:

“I will convince the GP to prescribe Product X for the next 6 patients with acute pain over the next 6 weeks”

The I D E A L S structure breaks the detail down into manageable segments:

• Introduction
• Discovering Information
• Explain features and benefits
• Ask for commitment
• Leave reminders
• Self Analysis

I = Introduction

The opening is the skill of capturing the customers attention and focusing on the sales call

A powerful impact to open the sales call will help you state your objective and gain the interest of the customer.

Keep the introduction short and simple;

Set the agenda

State the value to the customer

Gain acceptance

For example:

• “I am sure that you see many patients with acute pain.  I’d like to show you how product X can offer you solutions when treating pain.  How does that sound?”

Your opening can make or break the call

D = Discovering information

Identify the needs of the customer by using questioning techniques.

This is probably the most important part of the sales call as the answers he gives you will help you find out about his prescribing habits and what you need to do to convince them why he needs your product.

Good questions can both save time and buy you time

Open questions

These usually begin with What, Where, Why, When, Who and How

This will encourage the customer to talk, therefore building rapport

For example:

• “What problems do you face when treating acute pain?”
• “Where do you currently fit product X into your prescribing for pain?”
• “What other products do you use to treat pain?”
• “Why do you prescribe this particular product?”

Closed questions

Clarify and confirm

Bring the conversation back on track

Maintain the “yes” momentum, which makes closing easier

For example:

• “Would that be useful to you?”
  “Do you have patients for whom this would be of benefit?”
  “How does that sound?”
  “Can you think of any reason why you wouldn’t use product X?”

Also effective as ‘tag’ questions.  Use them at the end of a selling message to gauge the customer’s interest.

Remember:

• Not to interrogate the doctor; if there is no logic to your questions you are likely to irritate him/her
• Listen to the answers and react appropriately
• Questions should follow a logical progression

E = Explain features and benefits

Product may have several features / selling messages that you need to get across during every call.

The objective is to present the features (characteristics) of the product

Relate the benefits (value) of the product to the customer’s needs and their patient’s needs

For example

• “You explained earlier that when your patients are in acute pain you want to give them something that works quickly … (the need) … product X relieves pain in 15 minutes … (the feature) … which means that your patients will get the fast pain relief they want (the benefit)”
• “You also said that cost is important to you … (the need) … you’ll be pleased then to know that product X is less expensive that the leading brand … (the feature) … which means that you will save money (the benefit)”

Finish each sentence with a ‘tag’ question.  This should close the customer into an agreement.

For example

• “Would that be useful to you?”

A = Ask for commitment

Obtaining a firm commitment to prescribe your product is the most satisfying aspect of your work.

Summarise:

Before asking a closing question, summarise what has been agreed

For example:

• “We agreed that product X was fast acting and less expensive than the leading brand, which both were features you said were important to you”

Agree Action

Agree what the customer will do as a result of your call

Be enthusiastic about seeing the doctor again to see how the patients are responding to the treatment. 

Ask for the doctor to agree to see you again and try to organise another meeting

For example:

• “Will you prescribe product X for the next 6 patients with acute pain and we can review it in 6 weeks time?”

L = Leave reminders

It is rare that the customer will ponder the subject of your product once you have left the call, so it is important that you reinforce the commitment you gained by making use of support materials.

Use starter packs / samples by linking them to a specific patient

Place value and leave pieces / prescribing information so that they don’t get placed in a drawer and forgotten

Make use of the GPs desk to place pens, pads, stickers and other access items to remind him of the product name and dosage

Sell it … don’t just leave it

S = Self-analysis

The reason medical selling is often seen as the most difficult form of selling is because you don’t get immediate feedback as to how effective you are.

There is a danger, therefore, that representatives carry on seeing customers without developing their skills.

After each call ask yourself

“Did I achieve my S M A R T call objective?” 

If not why not?  Check the stages of I D E A L S to assess your strengths and weaknesses

“How can I improve next time?”

If you did something well, keep doing it, then set your next call objective!

Analysing your work will lead to more meaningful call objectives and greater job satisfaction.

Benefits of I D E A L S

• Allows detailed planning of every call
• Allows the representative to keep control of the call
• Allows a logical progression towards a successful close
• Allows meaningful post-call analysis and helps the representative prepare the next call objectives
• The I D E A L S structure is easy to learn and simple to follow!

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