While it may be difficult to categorise the ideal amount of time required to close any sale due to a proliferation of external circumstances, the main goal of a sales executive is to get the prospect to move on to the next stage in an effective buying process. This may not necessarily signify a sale, but there must be either a “yes” or a “no,” and never a “maybe.” Everyone’s time is very valuable and important in these situations, and the executive should be trained to note the subtle responses, language and tone from the prospect, so that he or she knows whether it’s time to move on to prospects who have better potential, or not. Effective implementation requires a sales executive to be on top of time management, including the valuable potential time spent with prospects up front. While this time is generally said to be the most critical part of the sales executive’s day, and much attention may be paid elsewhere to cut down on so-called “non-effective” administrative time, not all time spent engaging with prospects can be classified as fruitful.

Outdated sales tactics have no place in the modern healthcare and pharmaceutical arena. So much is at stake here, as the professional healthcare provider needs to cut to the chase and be in possession of all the appropriate facts. Sales people who are at the top of the game realise that they need to build customer relationships first and foremost and always over deliver, rather than trying to focus on closing sales according to textbook concepts or the analysis of a prospect’s personality. Getting to know the customer’s specific needs and worries is a good way of approaching the issue, and using brainpower to devise ways to overcome the client’s issues is a much better use of valued resources. If you think of how much time it takes to build a rapport and trust with a client, risking this should be avoided at all cost. Other representatives of other organisations may also be vying for the interests of a particular client and there is much to be said for open, honest and frank relationships rather than the implementation of spin tactics.

While sales may indeed be the ultimate objective, sales executives need to spend time carefully investigating how the company could help the professional – in detail, all while not actually pitching the product. Consider your questions carefully and spend time to ask them and gather the information. Get the professional to open up and provide information upon which to base the next pertinent question, and through a process of problem solving such as this, the company will be many steps closer to that important sale and to improving the effective implementation ratio.

At present, pharmaceutical consultants understand how important the implementation ratio is and how much the parent company invests in the cost of its sales team. Generally, pharmaceutical consulting firms can help to elevate these ratios by taking time to train the sales force in the dedicated and specific techniques required to succeed. As a rule, pharma consulting aims to bring out the best potential and allows the company’s senior people to focus on product development and other essential areas.

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.