Redefining CRM in the era of Facebook

It is finally here.

A virtual network to connect people to a common base. Facebook is a formidable tool, not simply for the social shananigans of gossipy exchanges or voyeuristic peeks into your friends' lives but it is also extremely helpful in giving what are often tedious professional relationships a little casuality and light-heartedness.

It took me a while to use Facebook. I was little reticent in the beginning but soon found my email inbox assuged with numerous 'invitations' and didnt want to appear prudish to all my 'friends'- which is a generic term that includes faraway relatives, primary school friends whom you've never spoken to even back then and almost forgotten ex-colleagues who had somehow never failed to let slip some unsavoury details about you to your boss. Now, I check my FB- an affectional acronym for Facebook- on an almost daily basis to get the dish on whats happening in these acquitances' lives. While it hasn't developed into an obsession yet, which I happen to know, Facebookititis is pretty prevalent. I happen to think it has evolved into an almost perfect mode of communication for professional networking.

I just wish that the FB-revolution had happened earlier in my early days of repping. Then I would not have to visit the same doctor 3 times in a week with Starbucks' latte and Polar sugar rolls just to befriend him enough to try my samples and prescribe my loot. If FB had been available then, it would have taken me half the number of visits before I'd had found and sent him a FB friend invitation with a virtual sizzling hot latte with the click of the mouse on a Starbucks application. Heck, I could've saved the effort in filling out the claims form too!

FB is changing not just social norms but also professional relationships. It makes you visible and involved. It turned what was once a tension filled customer-rep relationship into something a little closer to friendship, making it easier to break the ice at the next sales call. But it is also a double edged sword. Reveal too much of your personal details (the likes of petty name calling, gossip mongering, changing your relationship status from married to single to its complicated once too often, thinking expletives are cool, posting distasteful stuff from youtube) are just going to work against you and your carefully crafted professional image.

Thing is, very few people are able to separate their personal and professional lives properly. Almost everyone i know in senior management have a way of preening their professional image to project the right tone for negotiating or attaining any form of corporate objectives.

And FB doesn't distinguish between that. C'mon, FB doesnt even care if your 'friends' are your 'call-in-the-middle-if-the-nite' buddy or 'stab-u-in-the-back-whenever-i-can' ex-colleague! And by relating, socializing and communicating with all the people in your list in the same way, you are certainly breaking down whatever professional impression that you have been building up.

FB is a force to be reckoned with and has provided us with a great new tool of communication, but we must be able to identify its limitations and decide how to make it work to our advantage.

That's enough for now, gotta check out who just sent me that super-poke!

Reps

A country manager of a big pharma once asked me, what are the core qualities that i'd look for in a rep. not that i had any hiring authority for this is one function that remains firmly in the SM's court. I've spent long periods observing and musing over drug reps in Singapore, pondered and discussed this subject over and over, no doubt im not alone in this ruminative pursuit.

If i were to go into the multiple embodiment of a typical drug rep, it might still require an eternity. therefore, i would limit this posting to one broad aspect of professionalism, which is almost impossible to put a definition to. Professionalism can be extended to basic grooming to the daily grind of interacting with customers to the more complex task of inward management, ie. evaluating and conducting oneself within a corporate environment.

We have all heard the story of how one infamous rep managed to rubbed an entire hospital up the wrong way which led to the ban of all drug reps thereafter, the sweet young rep who was spotted with a certain HOD with his pants down in his room by his registrar, or that seemingly proper rep who cost her immediate superior his job with their working dalliances. all these examples are the extreme of utterly unacceptable behaviours. but it is not as easy to identify true professionalism even if it stares you in the face.

i've met many drug reps from all over the world, with reps from australia and the usa setting the deepest impression upon me. the immense pride and meaning they derive from their job drives and motivates them to perform in their jobs without grousing about other team's incentives and craving for the next available slot up the ladder. i'd withnessed the exceptional handling of a potential compliance issue with a top KOL by an australian rep who not only managed to deliver his selling messages but also gained the respect of the doctor by addressing the issue directly and systematically. there is little room for diplomacy in such situations and often, integrity is suffice.

in the states, most reps require a 4 year college degree (a cheerleading stint is also helpful- really!) and an MBA from a reputable business school (we are talking decent GMAT scores here) is not uncommon. what sets them apart is their drive for personal exellence. they challenge themselves through what the job offers them rather than the establishment.

as an illustration, i'd met a drug rep from los angeles recently, with an MBA no less, who, over a period of 4 hours, managed to challenge every notion of branding essentials that i had ever conceived and discussed disease management and therapy (to a higher level that i'd ever achieve) as well as explaining how politics have impacted the state of economy and diabolical schemes of property financiers in the states. oh, did i also mention that he does extreme sports like cliff diving, deep skin diving, canyon explorations, etc? i mean, just how cool is that?

just out of curiosity, after a decade of repping, is he not eligible for a management role? (afterall, my cv pales significantly in comparison) oh, he was offered and declined cos he absolutely LOVES the sense of freedom and mobility as a rep and enjoys meeting and cultivating relationships with his doctors who, after a decade, have become more than customers, they are pals, and how he is truly reaping the intangible rewards just now. - how politically correct (yeah rite...it also helps that reps in US are probably paid more than our senior managers here...)

i don't mean to say that there aren't any good reps in singapore just cos' we dont have any mountains or valleys this part of the world. its just that a wider global perspective and outlook beyond the shallow everyday life is essential to an optimal performance of the job function. it is important for a rep to derive a sense of importance and find value in his work.

i had spent the majority of my pharma career as a rep and have always regarded myself as exceptional. i do not kowtow to my KOLs, do not allow them to treat me as a chauffeur unless i offered it myself, i do not allow them to bust my allocated entertainment budget and demands for ad hoc sponsorship just because they have a temper. and because of this sense of principles, i have come away friends with many of my customers and vendors, with my dignity and self-respect intact.

its cycle meet again!!

Brand Planning's almost over and.... its cycle meet again!!

Cycle meetings, some companies call it POA, others commercial meet, no matter how fancy the terms, its essentially the same thing. The huge difference is on the budget allocation. Some companies prefer a hotel-do while others settle for the in-house arrangement.

Unlike the kick-off meetings in January, the mid-year meetings are usually less stressful for the regular PMs, the bulk of the plans have already been dished out in the beginning of the year anyway. This would simply be a recap of YTD performances and (highly) possible mid-year budget hikes!

Still reeling from massive changes in the brand plan from the senior team, PMs now have to spend late nights harriedly preparing the slidedecks (pretty much cut and paste versions of the past POAs), liaising (ie chasing the pants off) with vendors and suppliers to ensure that the mockups of new collaterals are at least presented at the meeting, obtaining quotes for pens and other gimmicks, ordering reprints, getting SMs to commit to sponsorship numbers for the rest of the year and getting grumpier by the day cos the boss expects 'this' POA to be different, to be jazzed up, to excite, incite and never say 'buay sai'.

It does seem rather unfair, that the SMs only have to prepare 2-3 slides outlining sales performance and directions while the PMs does a whole lot more (and i heard the former gets a bigger paycheck!) and doesn't get his/her popularity ratings any higher with the sales team.

As a matter of fact, most reps dread the cycle meet. the dull repetition of the cycle plans and unoriginal showings of most tactics combined with the extremely unpleasant prospect of being picked to do a grand detailing in front of the entire company put most reps off.

But it is an important meeting. it allows the team to re-align themselves to the brand's objectives, understand market changes and obtain new directions. Management does not need to constantly try to generate a pseudo sense of excitement amongst the team. Simply ensuring that the plans are credible, deliverable and conjuring a successful consequence that is attainable will be sufficient to motivate and drive a sensible sales team.

Tongue-in-cheek: 10 commandments for drug reps

1. Do NOT leave the office later than 10.30

2. Do NOT wait until closing day for your sales manager to chase you for the month-end projection

3. Do NOT covet the incentives of your colleagues from other teams

4. DO NOT disregard the SAPI code (sleep, eat, breath, s**t compliance)

5. Love your competitors

6. Honour your product managers even if you think they are crap

7. Do not give your sales managers a weak projection even if you have loaded your clinics with 3years worth of stocks

8. Make sure your car is visible in the hospital's carpark even if you are physically not

9. Do NOT give lame excuses on why you have not reported on yesterday's calls

10. Do NOT yawn/fall asleep/roll your eyes/ask intelligent questions/talk to your neighbour/deface the cycle materials when the bosses are presenting at the cycle meeting.

Sex, drugs and rock and roll

Yesterday over lunch, my friend who also happens to be a sales manager in a pharma firm was grousing to me about 'reps these days'.

she'd observed in a recent party, hosted by a high-profile GP during which he'd invited many pharma reps to his clinic, that almost all of them had brought alcoholic drinks (SAPI-are you listening?) and later went on to shamelessly solicit for business during the continous rounds of drinking. When the GP asked them to drink up, they'd audaciously agreed on condition that sales of a minimum of 100boxes of whatever they are touting will precede.

this sales manager also noted that most of these reps belong to big, established companies and consisted mostly of young, attractive female reps who are not hesistant in flanking the sides of the GP to get his attention amidst the din of the revelry (and debauchery some might add)

so what exactly is it that had incurred her disapproval i queried.

it's the absolute inappropriateness of everything. from the alchohol, to the open solicitation for sales, to the tight white tops the girls were wearing, she adds. since when did we ever had to resort to such overt sexuality to peddle our drugs in the past!? she heaves.

maybe times have changed? perhaps we have become, gasp- old? as for using sex appeal to sell... i do feel that a teeny dose of sex appeal in a subtle manner may enhance the selling process if it is able to get a customer to become more receptive towards a rep. let's face it, the world is full of sexual overtones and sales people in particular, are acutely aware of this, some industries, like banking, have taken full advantage of it to great success, and if one can harness and package it in a sophisticated manner to achieve their end objectives, why not?

however, i do agree that in pharma, an ethical (or percieved) disposition is important. this is because we are dealing with products that is meant to extend and enhance human lives. to embark on a less respectable way of selling would be trivialising this greater purpose.

with millions, billions of dollars poured into providing sales support with clinical trials, adequate marketing and improved processes, it is unnecessary, seemingly wrong even, to consider a need to resort to less savoury methods.

Sure, market is tough, and getting increasingly so. government reimbursements are limited and contentious, lack of product innovations, NCEs are having difficulty getting from bench to bed, reduced consumer confidence in pharma, escalating costs and decreased yield. but with such challenges facing the industry, shouldn't it be bracing together to create a new identity which can propel it into a new era of consumer confidence through ethical r&d, public/patient education, social responsibilty programs, etc

As marketers, we must be careful to ensure that lever spends are being put to greater use than in excessive wining and dining. and if need be, to enforce compliant entertainment practices that is consistent with the brand equity and protective of the corporate image.

And for the less-clued in rep, do give some thoughts to the kind of image you'll like to project and retain in the customer's impression. self-respect and restraint does more good for the soul than incentives can. and if the latter is so important, perhaps you should consider a sales career outside of pharma. the meagre incentives in pharma are hardly worth tolerating the humble doctors' bad jokes, tantrums or idiosynracies

Tongue-in-cheek- Doctors... make yourselves useful

Amongst the various stakeholders who exists in the pharmaceutical industry, doctors are undeniably the single most important. without doctors, there can be no pharma.

Pharma and doctors share a highly ambivalent relationship. pharma represents commercialization and profits, while doctors are synonymous with ethical and moral impartiality. but the reality always tend to lie in the grey between black and white.

Doctors rely on pharmas to provide educational grants and financial support towards research in the pursuit of clinical exellence while pharmas are dependent on doctors to prescribe and endorse their products. How these objectives are achieved by either parties are sometimes not as straightforward as it appears. One thing, however, is certain. the two are unable to exist without each other. whether anyone like it or not, it is a perfectly symbiotic relationship.

In this industry, client servicing is arguably the most critical element in ensuring positive sales output. doctors are a diverse bunch and reps are often very adept at profiling and dealing with them.

Some companies employ complex programs in the profiling of doctors, but i prefer to liken them to common household items:

The Sponge- You know this type, the one who will graciously open the door to his office to you, engage in friendly banter and flashing his wide grin throughout the sales call. Just as you are about to let your guard down, he asks if your company is taking anyone ( meaning him) to so-and-so conference in europe this year. every visit will be followed by a request (suck, suck, suck) for a regional sponsorship, lunch, golf game, printing of his clinic namecard, new stethescope, all your samples, pens, your lunch box...

Leaky tap- usually a GP during his lull period. before you have the chance to introduce yourself, he will be showing you around his empty, barren clinic, lamenting about the bad economy, inflation, high rental/overheads, poor patient load, etc. His sob stories are so excrutiatingly painful that you'll end up buying a bottle of vitamins/milk powder/wound dressing from him so that he'll let you off.

The Kettle- there is bound to be one in every product's KOL list. this demanding doctor needs plenty of attention that you have to keep watch 24/7 over him. he has such a low boiling point that he is constantly blowing steam. and when u do not react in time to switch off the antagonizing factor, you will be sure he will be making hellava lot of noise.

The Dettol- tends to be a specialist practising in a public hospital. may be a policy maker or has high influence level in the hospital. has a purist streak that causes him to drone on and on about the importance of evidence-base-medicine, shooting off references from clinical trials, clinical guidelines, etc. craves to be perceived as a academic and will often adopt a moral high ground when dealing with pharma whom he considers as a toxic contaminant to be eradicated.

The Crystal Ware- reps require special prior approval from the bosses before taking this doctor out for a simple lunch. for this high-maintenance doctor, there is NO simple lunches. most of their clinics are located at Mt Elizabeth and the favourite place du jour is iggys at regent or tatsuya at crown prince hotel. no meal is complete without a 1978 vintage bordeux or a nicely brewed sake. don't even think of getting a glimpse of this doctor if your A&P is not within the top 10.

The toothpaste (aka squeezer)- ahhh...i shan't go on. we are all pretty familiar with this one.

Tongue-in-cheek- It's a jungle out there

Drug reps. What will the pharma industry be without them? Indeed, with the strict regulations and restrictions imposed on the promotion of ethical products, personal selling remains the most fundamental of the promotional mix. This industry is awash with drug reps, all tasked with the very important responsibility of conveying marketing messages to the customers (mainly doctors) while marketers pray that they stay as close to the original intentions as possible.

Pharma reps are often one of the highest cost on the corporate balance sheet, and this may explain why management would want to look into maximising their output by means of SFE (see previous post) however, pharmas are still very reliant on this form of selling approach as it is perceived to be the best form of CRM (although i beg to differ- that will be a different story altogether). Well, if anything, i think drug reps do bring alot of personality and identities to the companies who employs them.

And while they are often supposed to be out ploughing the field (that's what the market is called) i think it is more reminiscent of a jungle. And here are the various types of animals that you will associate with. (although most reps would often possess a combination of traits):

The werewolf: you will only get to see this rep during a full moon (ie closing day) the rest of the time, its a complete mystery where s/he would've been. This rep would completely vanish once the budget is achieved, otherwise, it would be lurking around the clinics searching for any scraps of sales that would sustain it till next month.

The grasshopper: This rep will be handing you a business card from so-and-so company this minute and another company the next. In this industry, it is hardly surprising to see reps playing merry-go-round-and-round-and-round...

The elephant: it is not difficult to spot this rep from afar. s/he will be clambering along with huge branded (of specific product of cos!) paper bags stuff full of product gimmicks and/or candy bars/chocolates/other goodies (often with a product sticker stuck over it- tsk tsk) towards the doctors' offices. There the rep will unload all the loot gained from the PM with great delight onto the poor doctor. you would know that an elephant had just been to the physicians' office when you see piles of rubbish (likened to spam) pouring out of the doctors' pigeon holes

The peacock: Usually a new-comer to the industry. tends to strut around with minimal trade tools (detailing aids, clinical papers, samples, etc) Armed with a BSc (hons), law degree (no kiddin') or a staff nurse registration (not jokin') they consider their superior intellect to be best when dealing with just a regular bunch of doctors. their conceitedness would more often than not (except for the SRNs) guarantee a short stint in pharma

The orang-utans (plural): note that this group of reps cannot exist in isolation. you will see them congregated for a time of social gathering throughout the day. their usual hangouts are Ikea (alexandra), great world city, paragon, lucky plaza. the close proximity to various hospitals really helps!

The cow: tends to be a senior or experienced rep who knows when to work the field and how to deflect the heat from management by always being able to deliver the goods. however, this hard/ smart worker will find him/herself being milked (with little chance of career advancement) till the day it is led to the abbatoir

The dolphin: aka the sweet young thing. perhaps the most nauseating of the lot. one particular company has the reputation of employing this genre of reps presuming perhaps that doctors are really a bunch of lecherous fools. the dolphin goes around acting cute and bimbotic all the time, flirting, powdering her nose while whining to the doctor about how slowly her drug is moving, thinking that her good looks will keep the scripts going. i think NOT!

The fly: as the name suggests. this rep simply will not go away. s/he will hassle the doctor or purchaser (especially on closing day) with all the tactics under the roof (buy kueh kueh, run errands, walk the dog, do data entry, and when all else fails, beg beg beg) just to meet the target. Its pathetic, but management don't really care as long as they bring in the sales.

The revival of SFE?

SFE.
Last week alone, i heard the mention of this almost obliterated acronym from a pharma veteren who was talking excitedly about how her company is driving towards SFE innovations,increasing bottom line profitability by improving sales productivity and another co-worker who was being headhunted for a job as a regional SFE champion. this week, in a kind of deja vu, a senior ex-colleague highlighted that SFE has become his one of his core responsibility for his role in his organization's new structure. incidentally, all three of them were speaking for descriptively smaller companies.

Few in pharma would not have heard of SFE, whose ubiquitous spread, sometime back in 2002 within the industry caused many a drug reps sleepless nights filling up tedious forms to identify their customers, separating the KOLs from the laggards, profiling and classifying them into ABCDs or HMLs customer groups, studying their purchasing patterns, sorting out their level of influcence, sussing out their brand advocacy/support, etc.

Many organizations also created a new position in the sales division within the Singapore offiice- the SFE manager. whose immediate task is to draw up a spankng new SFE blueprint after studying the sales forces' productivity and practices and explaining why the existing system is not good enough. After intense research, the SFE manager will propose, develop and introduce (often to the dismay of reps) new methods, programs, initiatives, expensive hardwares and whatever other fancy ideas (with even more ludicrious KPIs) that will intensify the sales forces' efforts and hopefully, propel the company to profits haven.

Fast forward to present day pharma, most of the original SFE managers have gone, without replacements. The amount of raw data collected have yet to be crunched nor input to any viable SFE systems. many of the half-hearted initiatives launched have not yielded any positive returns for the companies which had invested relatively vast amounts into what may well have only been an idealistic pursuit.

The problem with most local SFE initiatives were that they were primarily customer centric. tactics were planned to exploit the customers' projected potential into maximum returns. little emphasis were placed in building and developing a strong sales force that could do the above and exceed the customers' potential beyond their projected limit by forming positive CRM

SFE does have its success story in capitalistic US, where big pharmas are pouring good money to hire specialty consultants to design proprietary products and solutions to engage their customers and optimise their sales foces' effectiveness. many local set ups opted for the more economical approach of employing someone whom they consider with adequate sales experience and insights to lead SFE. there are bound to be exceptions to this case. the success of any effective sales force cannot simply be attributed to any one style or methods.

The sales force is a dynamic entity and is essentially about people, the way sales people work, their beliefs and motivations, the workplace environment and culture, their interaction with external parties- doctors, purchasers, HC authorities, etc

With many of the larger companies having had a bite of the SFE pie, i now hope that it will not leave a bitter taste to the others coming into its path.