Redeployed Effective Utilization of Medical Representatives.

Currently the pharmaceutical companies are mostly utilizing general pool of medical representatives and that too the same man for all kinds of end market segement marketing. Stratified sales specialization though exist in a number of pharma companies, still it is now now a very loved concept. The same medical representative meets all sort of end consumer segements namely hospitals; all kinds of therapeutical applications. Same medical representatives is required to know all kinds of products of the organization and thus acquire mastery over all kinds of products marketed by the organization. In result, the focus of marketing may be of little impact. Of the total marketing and sales resources, strageties now need to be focussed in the following directions:

• Right now dedicated distributors are hardly playing any significant in pushing, retaining and promoting the companies products in the existing market penetrations. The logistics and distribution department of the pharma companies must review their strategies that how can they use the distributors awareness, education and competencies for retaining their current market shares.
• Further to this, those distributors who are holding franchise of many companies in the same therapeutic categories, one has to analyze what the incremental marketing and sale promotion role the said distributor is playing in retaining and enhancing the market share of the company in the given product segement lines.
• Selection criteria of the distributors and retailers need to be worked out and through education awareness and communication, the companies are required to use to retain their current market segment and share in over the counter sale drugs which normally is purchased without prescriptions.

Phamarceutical formualations marketing is right now sales/marketing staff driven. An organogram is drawn. Requirements of the qualifications, experience and competence are taken. The companies have to benchmark themselves with the marketing and sales experience and competence of some of the global leader companies. Indian top marketing brass has to find time to review their own organogram and redesign the structure. Since marketing strategies and their risks do depend on the structural differences in the marketing tools and approaches adopted by global players and national players.

First of all, renewed energies and efficiencies are required. At the same time, to ensure that the marketing resources do stay with the organization, the concept of stress management need to be thought from the field staff positions. The cost benefit of marketing should not be enhanced which become disadvantageous. The cost of marketing need to be understood and rationalized. And this data must be shared with the marketing and sales staff. The gross contribution and net contribution need to be thought in following positions:

a. Without marketing and sales costs: what is the net contribution organization proposes to have. This is the cost plus profit without marketing costs.

b. Now incremental marketing cost and benefits in terms of net value additions should be shared with the key marketing officials and such incremental resources need to be now on permanent resources base and temporary annual target basis achieved basis.

Of the total staff, whose experience is more than five years, such marketing and sales resources to be utilized by putting them in specialized product marketing and sales, and their reliance not to be put on junior and new teams. Value added product and their gross contributions should be with the experienced personnel. Twenty percent products if adding 80% gross contributions, such products and their marketing and sales strategies should essentially be with the experienced marketing resources. And incremental strategic marketing training of such resources need to be imparted where in the continual communication net work with the doctors through websites, mobiles, and other communication resources need to be worked out.

This requires a detailed market structure analysis and then redeployment of marketing and resources.

Specialized marketing by experienced personnel and their training and personality assumes a significance and this need to reoriented and focussed by the HR and training resources of the marketing department. Final one point need to be made: quality of the training resources of the HR and Marketing plays a serious role in motivating and instilling marketing strategies confidence. This training resources need to upgraded, refreshed and reviewed seriously by the organization. Normally, this is very often an ignored aspect of the marketing functions. Training of the marketing resources should not be taken as a routine activities but an opportunity to fill energies and motivations and building a personality.

drbmsharma.