Jane Y. Chin

Jane Y. Chin has a doctorate in biochemistry and experience in sales and medical affairs. She coaches reps to be more scientifically confident in communicating with physicians. For more information on how Chin can help sales teams improve their effectiveness, contact her at jane@pharmrepclinic.com or through her Web site, www.pharmrepclinic.com.

Over the past three years as a columnist for Pharmaceutical Representative, I have written on many aspects of clinical selling aimed to help pharmaceutical sales reps establish meaningful dialog with their physician customers.

Reps now seem to recognize that our time is valuable and belongs to us and our patients.

Try to begin and end your day with visits to offices where you can expect positive interactions – this helps you start off on a sunny note.

It is all too tempting for field reps to put on blinders before they confront the changes that have occurred in our industry. Why would reps bother with the patterns of industry consolidation or fragmentation that industry observers have been watching recently – especially when media criticize pharmaceutical sales and marketing practices, or spin healthcare affordability.

A sense of clinical context comes not only from knowledge of the doctors' clinical practice environment but also from observing and listening carefully during each interaction.

For pharmaceutical representatives to be effective spokespeople for the industry, the industry must first address the issues that have physicians closing doors to reps.

The prevalence of off-label prescribing can make navigation within the physician community fraught with regulatory risks.

Many techniques CME professionals use to engage physicians can also be applied to rep-physician interactions.

Phase I trials may not accurately reflect the safety profile of a new treatment.