OK. Hear me out on this one...If you remember your total sales call planning strategy from the previous post, you know that there is a lot that you have to juggle with. If you just started, you can get overwhelmed easily.
The most successful Pharma Sales Rep I once knew was successful because she used proper tools and got stable assistants. You can view this from two angles: she can afford the tools and assistant because she was successful, and because she used the tools and got substantial assistance, she became successful.
Either way, the tools, and assistant are indispensable.
So, what kind of tools and assistant am I talking about?
None of them are human. They are either Softwares and Forms or Checklist.
"You mean there is software for doing your call plan?"
Yes. There is software to 'plan' your call. There is software to plan your activities before, during and after your call. Not only schedule your request, but they also record it for you so that you can refer to it and make the adjustment to add efficiency.
"How much does it cost?"
The first software I used, I download the 30-days trial version into my Palm m515 PDA (personal digital assistant), and I bought the Palm with my incentive money after 3 years of working. The software was called 'Sales Wolf,' and it records your activities, time you spent on each and at the end of the day, allows you to choose only the profitable and productive activities while trimming the unproductive ones.
And after that year, right after I left, the company provide all its sales force with Palm m515. Do I have anything to do with it? I can't tell. I left the company already.
"So, I need a 'digital' assistant?"
Not necessarily. Many excellent pharmaceutical sales reps I knew used the simple form which they device according to their need and print them out. Hard copy form. It can be a simple form or a checklist in a Microsoft Excel format, but it needs to be neatly filed to ease reference. And bringing the file, for me, during fieldwork, is a hassle. That's why I opted for the digital version instead.
But many successful reps started out this way. You can upgrade when you have the capability and have the capital to do so but money spend on them is a worthwhile investment. You won't become less.
"How would this help if I'm not a techno-techie?"
I'm not implying that you'll be transformed into techno-techie or gadget-techie. You just turned into a pharmaceutical sales rep with the right tools and assistant that will make your call more productive. And all productive call begins with thorough call planning.
How do you expect to thoroughly prepare if your data or customer's record is all over the place? I used to use Index file or call card file - A4 size, blue lines, fixed space - to record customer's data while working for my previous pharma company but since better tools are available, I set a goal... personal goal to own one of them. And it turns out, my one-time investment was a hit. I never look back ever since.
"If my company provide me with the tools then...?"
Good. I know Pfizer Malaysia provide the sales force with Compaq IPaq and in-house software. Other company also are doing the same. Some use Dell Pocket PC, some use IPaq phone (with GPS to track you down ;) but regardless. The most important thing is to use the tools and optimize its' usage.
Some company tries to do a lot with their little gadget? The result? Chaos! They suffer from software efficiency problems, data management problems and lots of downtimes. The very tool that supposed to help them become more efficient are bugging them and slowing them down.
The purpose of the tools and assistant is to provide support. If they fail to deliver, then they're supposed to be improved or substitute.Moral - don't depend too much on the company-provided tools. Get your own. An added benefit you immediately get is you can leave the company with a piece of mind if you decided to do so (which many of you did). No worry about returning the gadget or paying them for any defect.
My advice is... if you want to join the few who make it to the top, you MUST make sure you have all the advantage you can muster and all the help you can get. Even from non-humans like PDAs and Softwares.
If they can increase your productivity a thousand fold, why not?
It's up to your friend.
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