06Jul 2024 by cesare ferrari
Medical Sales Targeting (Part 3) 

Medical Sales Targeting (Part 3) 

Sales
Previously, I discussed that I consider sales force targeting essentially identifying the most promising prospects and suggesting the right product with the right message at the right time.   I've also analyzed how to identify the most promising prospect for your product and the related message. Today, I will cover how to properly deliver the right message for effective medical sales targeting. So please read on.  Communicating with doctors  Most people consider what they are saying very important.   For this reason and for compliance with regulations, the marketing and sales departments of pharma and MedTech companies concentrate extremely on the content of their communication. Nonetheless, in every contact, there is a component of information and one of relationship.   The information mainly flows through verbal communication, but the relationship prefers the non-verbal…
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22Jun 2024 by cesare ferrari
Medical Sales Targeting (Part 2) 

Medical Sales Targeting (Part 2) 

Sales
Are you looking to improve your sales force targeting and medical sales results?  In my previous post, I covered the importance of sales force targeting, some typical errors, and the financial and non-financial impact of un-targeted sales strategy. Today I will discuss some strategies that can help you increase sales force targeting and improve your medical sales results.  What is sales force targeting?  In my opinion, targeting is identifying the most promising prospects and proposing the right product, with the right message, at the right time. This enables the customer to buy the product with a relatively small sales effort.   How to identify the most promising prospects   One of the objectives of your marketing department is to produce the ideal customer profile. Your ideal customer profile must be based on…
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07Jun 2024 by cesare ferrari
Medical Sales Targeting (Part 1)

Medical Sales Targeting (Part 1)

Sales
Reaching the right doctor with the right product, and the right message, at the right time is the essence of targeting and medical marketing in general.   If you are a medical sales rep working for a pharma or a medical device company, you might already have experienced the frustration of not convincing a prospect about your product.  Even very successful products with high use and market penetration are not for everybody in a given market. As a salesperson, you need to accept that you should not target some potential customers because the chances of selling your product are very low.   The sooner you understand that targeting is not an abstract marketing strategy, the faster your sales results will improve. In fact, implementing precise targeting tactics in your territory is the…
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16Dec 2023 by cesare ferrari
Holiday Season

Holiday Season

Downstream marketing, Sales, Upstream marketing
The holiday season is a hectic time for many people.  Between holiday shopping, holiday parties and holiday cooking, it can be difficult to find the time or energy to read during this busy time of the year.   This is the reason I normally take a pause during the holyday season.   This is my last article of 2023, and I would like to re-share a few posts on important topics for medical sales and marketing professionals.   Business plans I have a pragmatic position on business plans and business cases. I do not consider realistic plans and planning useless. However, before starting to write a long and detailed business plan any entrepreneur or intrapreneur should focus on building and testing the product and the business model.  I have analyzed in detail the…
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01Dec 2023 by cesare ferrari
6 Best Practices For Onboarding New Medical Distributors

6 Best Practices For Onboarding New Medical Distributors

Sales
In the previous post, I examined the importance of an effective onboarding program for new medical distributors. In this article, I will focus on six best practices to produce a successful onboarding plan.  Let’s see together what I think is important for onboarding medical distributors:     1. Prevent misalignment  There is an old saying, “Prevention is better than cure,” which is valid also for commercial partnerships. We can all agree that partnership is working together to achieve common objectives and it is fundamental to understanding each other in a business relationship. For this reason, at the onboarding or even better before the onboarding, the two partners (supplier and distributor) should be clear about their respective priorities and goals.   As a supplier, you should establish what is important to you and communicate…
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18Nov 2023 by cesare ferrari
How To Make The Best First Impression With Your New Medical Distributor

How To Make The Best First Impression With Your New Medical Distributor

Sales
Consider this: You worked hard to find and select a new commercial partner in an uncovered market. You and your new distributor invested time and resources to establish what both expect to be a long-term, profitable and fruitful commercial relationship.   All the prerequisites are fulfilled, the distribution agreement is signed, and the regulatory departments are working together in harmony to register the products.   Well... the worst thing you and your partner can do is consider the partnership well-founded and drive attention to something else.   As a supplier, you have the responsibility to help your distributor capitalize on “quick” wins in the first months of the relationship. This is why it’s necessary to show you how to make the best first impression with your new medical distributor and establish a successful…
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22Oct 2023 by cesare ferrari
Customer Orientation In The Medical Business

Customer Orientation In The Medical Business

Sales, Upstream marketing
I recently met an ex-colleague and we discussed for a couple of hours several decisions made by the management of a MedTech company that we both felt were not focused on the customer. We agreed that those decisions were evidence of putting the business needs over what was best for the customer.     For this reason, after this eye-opening conversation about how far small and medium-sized medical device companies are from being customer-centric, I decided to return to this topic.    If you follow this blog regularly you should already know that I’m a strong advocate of customer centricity and customer orientation. Read on to find my takes and solution to building a customer-centric medical business.  What is customer orientation?   Customer orientation is a business philosophy that puts the needs of the customer at the center of the…
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09Sep 2023 by cesare ferrari
The importance of cultural factors in international sales of medical devices (Part 2)

The importance of cultural factors in international sales of medical devices (Part 2)

Sales
In the last article, I suggested the importance of cultural sensitivity in international sales, adding that high-performer international sales managers are those who show essential characteristics of cultural skills and cultural sensitivity. (Read the full article here). Today I will cover a few key elements of a country’s culture that I consider fundamentals in international sales, so keep reading to find out more. Some elements of a country’s culture and their impact Language I found that language is probably the most important factor of a culture when selling in a market. Speaking the customer’s language is a clear advantage and helps to reduce common barriers. A key skill in international sales is the command of foreign languages and not only English Language.   “If I am selling to you, I…
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25Aug 2023 by cesare ferrari
The importance of cultural factors in international sales of medical devices (Part 1)

The importance of cultural factors in international sales of medical devices (Part 1)

Sales
Small and mid-size MedTech enterprises (SMEs) contemplating entering international markets will need to develop knowledge, competencies, and expertise in some areas such as cultural sensitivity. Already, some sales managers think that international selling is challenging, while others think it is somewhat easy. However, most who have tried it, see international sales as simply different and no more demanding than selling in the home market. International sales success depends on multiple factors. However, two elements can largely influence the progress of internationalization. These are the attitude and approach of the MedTech company and the personal qualities and skills of the international sales managers. Unfortunately, not every salesperson is suited to accomplish a complex task such as the management of several foreign markets. Hence, I think to properly execute the multifaced role…
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