Planning is an essential part of a sales and marketing strategy and much attention should be given, but while this may look good on paper it will result in no revenues unless it is put into action. No one ever wins a lottery prize without buying a ticket and in business terms, revenues may not be realised unless action occurs in the marketplace. Selling within the pharmaceutical business is much more than inking contracts and exchanging products for cash, it is also about management of reputations, the education of professionals and end users and corporate positioning. To set up a client account takes a lot of interaction, before the objective can be satisfied and real value established. This is where team training comes in and a pharmaceutical consulting firm can be engaged to offer comprehensive knowledge and experience to the sales and marketing program.

Each sales executive must be a team player and top management must ensure this is the case. From an overall perspective, effective marketing requires good management of this team and this is where pharmaceutical consultants are worth their weight in gold. Visualisation is an important tool within sales and marketing and results must be quantified, with control and measurement at all levels. Day by day programs are part of an ultimate and achievable goal and when a team works together as one, good results can be anticipated.

When all is said and done, the workforce must get out into the market and engage with clients and potential prospects. Although you cannot underestimate the importance of planning and preparation, sales executives must now venture into the real world. While a sales team may be composed of experienced players, there is nevertheless a lot to learn about the health care industry in particular and training is an essential part of staff handling. A poorly educated sales team may be unaware of some significant problems that they could encounter, resulting in wasted time and potential clients lost to other competitors. In most cases, pharma consulting firms fully understand how important time management is and how effective implementation is not possible in the wider scheme without strict adherence and application.

Never assume, as this inevitably leads to confusion and poor productivity. To be effective, the sales team member must be fully aware of the cohesive importance of a true team. Each member has a significant contribution to make and these contributions should be visible and not opaque. Once again, the overall goal is to engage and not to procrastinate. An effective sales person must be assertive, outgoing and creative.

When in the marketplace, the salesman or woman must be fully up to speed on product details, benefits, solutions and item availability, but must also be an effective manager, able to prioritise and still achieve stated benchmarks and goals. Effective implementation requires core skills, but also ongoing training and perfect management, both for the individual and for a marketing force as a whole. Invariably, pharmaceutical consulting organisations are primed and ready to take on these challenges.

Alan Gillies is the Managing Director of L2L Consulting, specialising in enabling pharmaceutical companies to achieve new heights of productivity and performance, throughout all levels of management and revenue generating activities.