Pharmaceutical Executive Europe IMS Sales Training Supplement - May 2008 - (Page 11) SALES TRAINING Coherence. Even if you have a bunch of good, well-trained people, they might not be working the same way. This is particularly the case with sales forces, where large numbers of people work essentially in isolation. Good training will ensure that staff are working in the way you would like them to work, in accordance with company strategy. ● Change management. Training can change the way people work… as we’ve seen in many other discussions! ● The options Training may often be undervalued but that’s not to say the pharmaceutical industry doesn’t invest in it — our latest estimates place its worldwide spend on training at $2.5 billion. Where does this money go? Most of it — around $2 billion according to our calculations — is spent on training initiatives delivered by internal trainers who are naturally intimately familiar with the company’s situation and internal imperatives. Their delivery can be very good, depending on the quality and funding of the internal training department. The remaining $500 million is spent with a number of different types of training providers: ● Independent trainers. There are many individuals offering training services — often former pharmaceutical executives, or academics (the latter, primarily in marketing and finance). Individual trainers are often the least expensive option, and many are quite good on specific topics. ● Local training companies. Successful individual trainers often end up expanding somewhat to create a training company. Many times these smaller, local concerns display a good understanding of their own markets, and may have the resources to create some more sophisticated training tools, such as case studies and exercises. ● Training brokers. Companies like AMA (American Management Association), MCE (Management Centre Europe) or in the UK, the CIM (Chartered Institute of Marketing) offer a variety of courses. For the most part, these organisations don’t actually design or deliver the courses, but rather serve as brokers or clearing houses for independent trainers or training companies. ● Educational institutions. Most business schools offer executive training courses in a number of topics — generally concentrated primarily on ‘business school’ topics rather than being industry-specific. ● International training companies. Despite the size of the worldwide training market, there are surprisingly few large international training companies. Those that exist tend to focus more on detailed skills-oriented training as opposed to broader, academic subjects. Different companies have different approaches to these possibilities. Those who truly recognise the extraordinary impact of training tend to look to the more sophisticated end of the spectrum, working with international training companies supplemented by local expertise in specific areas and markets. Some pharmaceutical companies have gone much farther, building their own extensive capabilities, including internal academies, usually structured around marketing or sales. These usually incorporate a mix of external design expertise and internal delivery. A focused, international, cutting-edge solution With Learning Solutions and Change Management (LS&CM), IMS has undertaken a broad effort to assemble the positive aspects from all of the training sources we have discussed, while avoiding the drawbacks. LS&CM’s focus is to leverage the intellectual, financial and pharmaceutical resources of IMS to provide a training and change management service that is industryspecific, completely international, takes advantage of the most advanced computer-based training technology available, and is at the forefront of academic thinking — a unique combination in the neverending effort to raise efficiency and maximise business results. About the Author Kevin Dolgin is Senior Principal in the Learning Solutions and Change Management Practice at IMS Health, driving the development of simulationbased programmes that help clients increase their sales and marketing effectiveness. He is also an Associate Professor of Marketing at the Paris Sorbonne. Kevin has extensive experience in sales and marketing consulting and training, primarily in the pharmaceutical industry, and is a regular conference speaker. Table 1 Pros and Cons. Source Internal Pros Full company knowledge, inexpensive. training companies don’t produce drugs. Independent trainers Training Brokers Local training companies Objective, relatively inexpensive. Vast variety of topics available. Cons Training is a complex activity – not the primary focus of Pharma companies just as Lack of objectivity, too. Local focus and often lacking in either field experience and/or academic know-how. Lack of coherence in curricula, more expensive than going direct to providers and no real “R&D” in topics. Unable to cover international needs, and often without the resources for more hi-tech tools. Often not industry-specific. Also, curricula can lack coherence as each professor “does his thing”, often in isolation. Limited choice of topics, often not industry-specific. More professional, good local knowledge, more objective. Educational Institutions Very professional, high credibility participants are happy to be trained at noteworthy schools. Very expensive. Good resources and educational tools, can provide international coverage. International companies training www.pharmexeceurope.com 11 http://www.pharmexeceurope.com
Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Pharmaceutical Executive Europe IMS Supplement - May 2008 Pharmaceutical Executive Europe IMS Supplement - May 2008 Contents Achieving Behavioural Change No Train, No Gain Improving Market Share Pharmaceutical Executive Europe IMS Supplement - May 2008 Pharmaceutical Executive Europe IMS Supplement - May 2008 - Pharmaceutical Executive Europe IMS Supplement - May 2008 (Page 1) Pharmaceutical Executive Europe IMS Supplement - May 2008 - Pharmaceutical Executive Europe IMS Supplement - May 2008 (Page 2) Pharmaceutical Executive Europe IMS Supplement - May 2008 - Contents (Page 3) Pharmaceutical Executive Europe IMS Supplement - May 2008 - Contents (Page 4) Pharmaceutical Executive Europe IMS Supplement - May 2008 - Achieving Behavioural Change (Page 5) Pharmaceutical Executive Europe IMS Supplement - May 2008 - Achieving Behavioural Change (Page 6) Pharmaceutical Executive Europe IMS Supplement - May 2008 - Achieving Behavioural Change (Page 7) Pharmaceutical Executive Europe IMS Supplement - May 2008 - Achieving Behavioural Change (Page 8) Pharmaceutical Executive Europe IMS Supplement - May 2008 - Achieving Behavioural Change (Page 9) Pharmaceutical Executive Europe IMS Supplement - May 2008 - No Train, No Gain (Page 10) Pharmaceutical Executive Europe IMS Supplement - May 2008 - No Train, No Gain (Page 11) Pharmaceutical Executive Europe IMS Supplement - May 2008 - Improving Market Share (Page 12)
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