Focus Magazine - Fall 2011 - 26

FEATURESTORY
relationship management. On the ip side, your training programs should also address the consequences of ine ective so skills. For example, if a representative is unable to resolve a con ict, what are the repercussions? What does the representative stand to lose? ese negative examples can be powerful topics of discussions. 2. Embrace simulations. tangible to representatives by providing relevant examples of so skills in “action.” In-person simulations are certainly helpful, but so are well-designed eLearning modules. For example, con ict resolution is one area in which real-world examples can be valuable. In the eld, representatives may face con ict with fellow team members, o ce sta and prescribers. A distance-learning course might walk representatives through scenarios in which they learn to ask another person what they want, why they want it and where they are willing to compromise.

Does Your Soft-Skills Training Need a Reboot?
Is it time to reevaluate how your company trains soft skills? Consider these questions: • Are soft skills a priority at your organization? Many companies focus on building product knowledge and basic sales skills — but that’s not enough in the current climate. • How do you train soft skills at your company? A blended approach combining in-person training and eLearning may be most effective. • How do you assess soft skills? Videotaping role plays may not be a favorite among salespeople, but it is effective. • Are your reps being compensated for the wrong soft-skills behaviors? Compensation drives behavior. Are there ways you can structure payouts to reward representatives for building long-term relationships? • What obstacles exist in the field? Find out what issues could be making representatives less effective in terms of soft skills. This might include unclear messaging, poor sales aids or unnecessary duties that slow them down. • Are managers reinforcing the importance of using soft skills? Work with field leadership to ensure that they are coaching for better soft-skills performance and not sending mixed messages. Find ways to ease the gridlock between training and sales managers.

It’s not always easy to teach interpersonal skills, but it can be done. One way is with simulations, which help representatives practice important scenarios they may encounter in the eld. 4. Learn from your best. Videotaping role plays can be helpful to check for undesired non-verbal comAsk your high-performing repremunication. is includes nervous sentatives how they use so skills to mannerisms such as swaying back and improve relationships while maintainforth, as well as lack ing the highest stanof eye contact and The goal is to dards of ethics and negative facial exdevelop well-rounded compliance. en pressions. nd a way to transrepresentatives who It’s true that using late that to the rest of appropriate and wel- can exercise good judgment the eld. e goal is coming body lanand decision-making to develop wellguage is not a skill rounded representathat can be taught easily, since there are tives who can exercise good judgment no set guidelines that will work for and decision-making in a challenging everyone. But you can train representaenvironment. tives to project an image of self-con e commercial learning team at dence and to look and sound natural AstraZeneca developed a new training using an assured, conversational and curriculum, based in part on what the welcoming style. company’s best representatives have AstraZeneca has developed a said makes them successful. Using a unique simulation center that allows combination of live, instructor-led and representative trainees to practice difvirtual training, the company is transferent scenarios they might encounter forming its curriculum around a new in an o ce or hospital environment. By competency model, or what taping the representative during simuAstraZeneca calls its “role excellence lations, trainers can show representapro le.” tives their strengths and those areas By following these four stratethat could be improved. gies, your learning and development team can ensure that 3. Include real-world examples in your representatives are virtual training. truly well-rounded and So skills can be abstract, and it’s can best meet the needs the trainer’s job to make them more of their customers. I

Michelle O’Connor leads product development and delivery strategies for CMR Institute. Brian Smith is executive director of commercial learning at AstraZeneca. David Ilconich is senior director of sales learning at AstraZeneca. Email authors at moconnor@cmrinstitute.org.

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Focus Magazine - Fall 2011

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