Focus Magazine - Spring 2013 - 5

FROM THE PRESIDENT
Carol Wells

Got Business
Acumen Training?

Today it is
critical that our
representatives
understand
the compliance
environment that
they operate in

Meet Our
New Board
Members!:
See page 43

n comparison to today’s marketplace, sales
used to be simpler. To be successful in those
once upon a time days, a rep needed basic
selling skills and thorough product knowledge.
The rest often took care of itself.
But it’s a new world now, and long gone are
the days of simply knowing your product, its
competitors and selling skills in order to be
wildly successful. The economic realities of the
world we live in has changed how we approach
our healthcare providers and what they are
looking for from us.
As discussed in an article on page 26, today it
is critical that our representatives understand the
compliance environment that they operate in, as
well as understanding how their products can be
positioned as a value. They need basic business
acumen.
In addition to clinical and selling skills, our
teams need to be interpersonally astute and
understand the economic realities of their
organization, their products and their customers
— and that understanding must fall within
appropriate regulatory guidelines. Employees
who understand their organization and those
customers more completely will bring
appropriate value to the marketplace.
Do your reps understand your company's
financials? Do they know the trends? Do they
keep an eye on profitability? Are they aware how
their products compare to their competition? If
they do, they can think through how to get more
from their resources, knowledge and skills.
Understanding “the need” is often the first step
in training, and if you get your teams on board
with the value of training, the benefits will come.
In addition, understanding how our customers make money helps us provide the appro-

priate value to their organization. By being financially literate, your sales people will be prepared to think more like a strategic contributor.
Having a more strategic outlook consistently
helps people match the needs of their customers
with the benefits of the products. That connection leads to business, loyalty and growth.
There’s another benefit of business acumen:
In today's world, customers want to do business
with people they can trust. That's usually
someone who understands the ins and outs of
their business. By understanding the business
acumen landscape, representatives are able to be
more impactful both with customers and
internal partners. Understanding the business
enables them to convincingly communicate
ideas to leaders and to be incrementally
respected within their organization. Respect
brings confidence, and confidence is a strong
factor in sales success.
Obviously it’s not all about business skills.
When you think about the training resources
that you have to offer, it's still important to focus
on clinical acumen, selling skills and
communication. But those core skills aren’t
enough. If our sales teams don't understand
how their efforts impact the success of the
organization, they clearly can't be as strategic in
their approaches to their territory.
Ultimately business acumen training helps
our reps leverage skills to strengthen the
financial positions of both their customers and
their organization. It may be time to rethink
your training department's priorities.
Let’s continue this important discussion! I’m
looking forward to seeing everyone at the SPBT
Conference, starting in Orlando on June 10.
We’ll have a lot to talk about. I

Carol Wells is president of SPBT and senior director, Commercial Training and Development for
Genentech, a member of the Roche Group. Email Carol at wells.carol@gene.com.

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Focus Magazine - Spring 2013

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