Your day-to-day contact with physicians can lead you to ask many questions. And who better to answer these questions than
the physicians themselves? Pharmaceutical Representative has invited Drs. Michael B. Kessler and Peter Shaw to respond to reps' most frequently asked questions about their interactions
with physicians. This time, they will answer the most common questions they hear when facilitating workshops for pharmaceutical
and biotech representatives.
The million-dollar question
What do doctors want in a representative?
The answers to this question would fill a full-day workshop. But we can tell you that doctors are very responsive to representatives
who understand their needs and clinical problems and who offer solutions. Unfortunately, they don't have time to answer your
questions regarding their needs and problems. This is especially true of primary care physicians. So pre-call planning is
extremely important. If you know your doctors' practice mix, their affiliations and formularies, and what products they use,
you have most of the necessary information about their problems and needs. Making the connection
What can I do to make a doctor want to hear what I have to say?
The better you understand the mind-set of your doctors, the more you will be able to gain what we call "mental access" to
them. The main issue here is that most sales calls and messages are product-oriented (naturally). However, your doctors are
not product-oriented; they are problem-oriented. This is where the disconnect can happen. If you begin your call by identifying
a problem your doctor may have that your product can solve, you'll have a better chance to gain mental access and the doctor
will want to hear what you have to say!
Clinical information
Why are some doctors not interested in my studies?
The most important reason is the way this clinical information is presented. Many representatives, in their defense, have
never been taught to present this information in the way doctors need (the way they would present it to one another). As a
result, reps present clinical information the same way they present information from a sales aid. Remember, the clinical literature
is an educational tool, not a selling tool. Doctors (and their patients) rely on the literature to practice the best, most
up-to-date medicine possible.
You call that a commitment?
Why will a doctor not write for my product after committing to use it during my close?
You may not have given the doctor enough information to write the product. We are amazed at how many sales professionals don't
give adequate dosing/titration information or, just as important, information on which type of patient is best suited for
the product.
