Diagnosis
Sales aids are often difficult to utilize.
Prescription
Using them properly can create a memorable call.
Making it work
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For years sales representatives have been forgoing the use of their brand's sales aids. And for years this has frustrated
marketing managers. With so much research and money invested in the creation of these pieces, we wanted to find out why reps
weren't incorporating aids into their messages. After all, there is plenty of evidence suggesting that we retain more information
when visual aids are used. When words and pictures are combined, we are forced to use our brains more fully, thereby processing
the content more deeply, which increases our understanding of the information. Essentially, the harder our brains work, the
more we remember.
Theoretically, it's a great idea to complement a verbal message with a visual aid. But we found that the reality is often
very different. We heard the following statements from sales representatives:
- "I'm embarrassed to use the glossy detail pieces that marketing sends me."
- "They contain way too much information. I only use the back page."
- "Marketing could spend the money better on something else."
We decided to take a look at both sides of the issue to find out what sales reps and marketing managers have to say about
sales aids, and how they could be put to better use.
Rep viewpoint
Almost unanimously, the reps we spoke to said they receive new sales pieces about three times per year, and that the receipt
of these pieces is usually followed by sales meetings during which they are given time to analyze and practice using the new
aids. Some reps stated that they were given scripts in order to familiarize themselves with the new marketing materials.
As we plunged deeper into the topic, we began to focus on the question of whether or not sales aids were actually being used.
We found that they were being used roughly half of the time. One rep told us that the biggest reason for not using a sales
aid was that "the doctor sees the promo piece as Madison Avenue glitz." The rep added, "When they see pieces like these, doctors
tend not to have faith in the information." Another rep told us that while glossy sales aids tend to have low credibility,
"doctors will look at them if there are data or charts from a clinical paper." In light of the fact that doctors typically
don't respond well to sales aids, it wasn't surprising to find that reps infrequently used their sales aids.
When we asked reps for their thoughts on what makes good sales aids, we typically heard comments such as:
- "They have to be concise so I can make my point quickly."
- "Sales aids should be relevant to the patients who will benefit from my drug."
- "They have to get attention or they're worthless."
Marketing viewpoint
When we asked marketing managers about why they develop sales aids, they told us the following:
- "We do it to encourage consistency."
- "The pieces we develop are intended to tie the presentation to a specific patient."
- "Sales aids are a good way to open a call."
- "The sales aids support our product strategies."
Generally, marketing managers agreed that sales aids are created to maintain direction for specific product messages and to
support the strategies developed for yearly marketing plans.
