PMQuarterly.com | Winter 2015
THE SALES ISSUE What Works For Me: A New Marketer’s Perspective Group Vs. Team Metrics For Your Sales
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Winter | 2015 Volume 4, Issue 13 PMQuarterly.com IACP STAFF
Contents 4
A NOTE FROM THE PUBLISHER
6
WHAT WORKS FOR ME: A NEW MARKETER’S PERSPECTIVE
David G. Miller, R.Ph. Cynthia E. Blankenship, Esq. Dagmar Anderson
by Chelsea Perna
Scot Maitland Jennifer L. Petska, CPhT
8
Ashlyn Grant
I OBJECT AND WHY IT IS GOOD FOR THE SALES PROCESS by David Archibald
Michelle McMahan Macy Pruitt Teresa Roberts
13
COMMUNICATION COMMITTEE Richard B. Moon, Pharm.D., R.Ph., FIACP, Chair Lisa Ashworth, BS, Pharm.D., R.Ph.
by Todd Eury
15
Kim Hansen, R.Ph.
Scott Wepfer, R.Ph., FIACP
METRICS FOR YOUR SALES: CREATING A PLAN TO MONITOR YOUR SALES EFFORTS AND EVALUATE AND REWARD YOUR MARKETERS by Whitney Larkin Gale
Robert Harshbarger, III, Pharm.D. James Matthias, CPhT Linda McElhiney, Pharm.D., R.Ph., FIACP, FASHP Lauren Onsa, BA
75 YEARS – CELEBRATING THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF APOTHECARIES: AN INTERVIEW WITH JIM MARTIN, R.PH. PRESIDENT OF THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF APOTHECARIES
17
KEEPING EM’ HAPPY AND WINNING EM’ BACK
18
GROUP VS. TEAM
by Amanda Addington
by Andrew Cole
PHOTOGRAPHY Neil Brownell Scot Maitland
20
MARKET WITH THESE UPCOMING OBSERVANCES
DESIGN Dianne Stone
20
THE PHARMER’S MARKET SoapBox Soaps
Pharmacy Marketing Quarterly is published four times per year as Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter. Online subscriptions and print editions are available for purchase at PMQuarterly.com/magazine Pharmacy Marketing Quarterly makes all attempts to publish accurate information; however, this publication may contain technical inaccuracies or typographical errors. The reader assumes all risk concerning the suitability and accuracy of the information within this publication. Pharmacy Marketing Quarterly assumes no responsibility for and disclaims all liability for any such inaccuracies, errors or omissions in this publication and in other documents referred to within or affiliated with this publication.
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A NOTE FROM THE PUBLISHER I’m delighted to welcome you to 2015 and our annual Sales Issue. As marketers, we’re the primary people responsible for growing the business in our pharmacy. We sell prescribers on our pharmacy. We sell patients on our services. We sell our coworkers on why our ideas are worth considering. We’re driven to make the sale. That’s not a bad thing, since all sales is, is finding a need and offering a solution. Who can argue with that? Although marketers are the primary folks responsible for growing the business through sales, sales isn’t a department. It’s a culture. I invite every member of your pharmacy to dive into this publication. This issue is packed with some of the best articles we’ve ever published. On page 15 you’ll hear from Whitney Gale Larkin on Metrics For Your Sales. Jump back to page 8 to learn why objections are good for the sales process by David Archibald and hear from a new marketer, Chelsea Perna, on what works for her on page 6. These are just a few of the articles that are available to you in this issue. And speaking of articles that are available, you’ve probably noticed that when you flip over Pharmacy Marketing Quarterly you’ve got access to a brand new magazine Compounding Matters Quarterly. I’m delighted to have joined the staff of the International Academy of Compounding Pharmacists. And speaking of finding a need and offering a solution. . . We, along with our amazing Communications and Publications Committee, have rebranded the CustomRx Connection into this dynamic new flip publication to meet the needs of our pharmacy community. So dive in. Read the articles. Share them with your colleagues. Discuss them. And leave us feedback on our social channels like Facebook and Twitter!
Here’s to the health of your pharmacy!
4
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Save the Date!
Fort Lauderdale, Florida ~ February 25-28, 2015 Bringing the pharmacy profession together in paradise.
EducationalConference.org Scan the meeting QR code and stay in touch with the latest meeting activities, videos, speaker bios, and more. Š2014 International Academy of Compounding Pharmacists (IACP). All rights reserved.
WWFM
WHAT WORKS FOR ME: A NEW MARKETER’S PERSPECTIVE by Chelsea Perna
Getting started in this industry has been far from easy but it’s been a great ride so far! With no pharmacy background, I was very overwhelmed with the responsibilities of a marketer. As I have gotten started, the responsibilities for this role have fallen into place with time and a lot of trial and error. I believe getting started can be one of the most difficult times in this position, and I am still in the process. On my first day, I dressed in nice dress pants and a pretty blue blouse. I had my oversized work bag full of notebooks, folders, a laptop, and a lot of other stuff. I sat down and thought, “Alright, I’m ready!” “Tell me what to do and I’ll do it!” Over those first few weeks, anything I was told to do, I did, and I filled up a lot of those notebooks, yet I was still spinning my wheels. A lot of us know what we should or need to do, but the hard question is, how do we do it? I knew I needed to visit with physicians. What I didn’t know what was involved in that visit. Is there a right or wrong way? Do I just go and visit each office, introduce myself, write some notes, and then leave? Gaining the confidence to walk into a doctor’s office may be hard to overcome, but just walking in and introducing yourself is not enough. There is more to an office visit, and it is essential to realize this quickly. Learning to be a marketer takes time, guidance, and a lot of motivation. Initially, I did a lot of reading from pharmacy and marketing magazines and I came across a quote I’ll never forget: “Fail to plan, plan to fail.” As I slowly moved forward, I created a database. Any database is fine as long as you can plan your upcoming time, input information from each visit, and create an action plan for the future. With my CRM, I am able to store all contact information for the offices and notes. It allows me to schedule my ‘to do’s’, check them off after they I complete them and input any additional notes. It is also my go to before I prepare for the next office visit. Planning is extremely important and is our best chance for success.
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Winter 2015 | PMQuarterly.com
Well-taken notes and planning can greatly assist you in maintaining a strong relationship with each office. Though these relationships and the way you market can differ from office to office, it is still very important to have an overall plan to stick by. Every Monday I set aside a block of time to evaluate the current week, the previous week, and a week ahead. I also create my ‘to do’ list and make sure I complete it by Friday. I also use this time to plan out my routes for the week which helps me keep track of what offices I have visited. I also add important office-specific requests to my ‘to do’ list. It is important to do this immediately after I make a visit, so I do not forget. One of the questions I initially had was how many offices I should visit in a day. I have learned that there is not a specific answer, it is all relative. Relative to the day, office, and locations you are visiting. It is more important to focus on the quality of each office visit rather than how many you can squeeze into each day. Having two great visits and being able to talk to a physician, is better than ten visits without seeing any physician. It is also important to take into account the time demand of each office. If I visit ten offices a day and five of them ask me to do something specific for them, I need to make sure I am able to follow up with each of those offices within 48 hours. This time-sensitive work can make it difficult to visit several offices every day. Following up is crucial! Even if you felt that an office was not interested, it is worth a follow-up. Not every office or physician will be receptive the first time around. So you must continue to visit and keep in contact with them. You will see a turn around. It is important for me to be myself and focusing on helping the physician and her team understand that my pharmacy and I are available to help them and their patients. It will take time. And there will be some offices you never gain a relationship with. But making time to visit offices is the only way to find the physicians out there who want and need the help of your pharmacy. I have had several offices where I felt I have hit a wall and could not build
CompoundConf_.25pgAD_3.625x4.75_ad_r3x_Layout 1 11/18/14 5:52 PM Page 1
any relationship. Go with your gut and make a decision to let it go or keep on visiting and providing information. You may be surprised when six months later, they finally reach out. You never know when a prescriber has a patient that would benefit from the services your pharmacy offers. Following up and staying persistent is always worth it. Lastly, networking is so important. It is so important to ask the people around you for advice and referrals. Compounding marketers, pharmaceutical representatives, and all types of businessmen and women have useful experiences. They can answer and even referrals to help you along the way. Regardless of someone’s industry, we are all looking to achieve the same goal of being successful and making positive impacts in others’ lives. Networking allows you to seek out those people with similar goals. It can be one of the greatest tools and resources you acquire. Marketing for compounded medication is challenging and tough, but the rewards are well worth it. Plan, follow up, stay motivated and network and you will be successful. Chelsea Perna handles the marketing at SaveWay Compounding Pharmacy in Newark, Delaware. Chelsea received a Bachelor of Science in Human Development and Family Studies from the University of Arizona. She was also a student-athlete at Arizona where she competed in NCAA Division I Gymnastics.
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D AT E !
August 15, 2015 Hilton Columbus at Easton – Columbus, Ohio The Compound Conference is the only conference annually partnering with a state pharmacy association, bringing together the leaders in the pharmacy compounding profession.
iacprx.org/TheCompoundConference ©2015 The Compound Conference. All rights reserved
106.14.158 IACP Compound Conference – .25 Page 4/c (3.625 x 4.75”) – IJPC • bertsDesign 713.825.5002
FOCUS ON PHARMACIES
Frier Levitt LLC is a healthcare boutique law firm. We provide comprehensive legal services to healthcare providers, including Compounding and Specialty Pharmacies, Outsourcing Facilities, chemical manufacturers, PSAOs, GPOs, physicians, large physician group practices, ACOs, laboratories, surgery and imaging centers and other healthcare related businesses. We advise clients on the recently passed Drug Quality and Security Act (H.R. 3204). Frier Levitt’s Pharmacy Law Group is led by firm co-founder, Jonathan E. Levitt, who is certified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey as a Civil Trial Attorney and recognized as a “SuperLawyer.” The Pharmacy Law Group is comprised of 18 attorneys with deep legal and business experience in all aspects of pharmacy law and operations. We speak your language and understand how State and Federal laws and regulations impact your bottom line. Our attorneys frequently lecture nationally on healthcare topics.
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7
I OBJECT AND WHY IT IS GOOD FOR THE SALES PROCESS by David Archibald
As marketers we want to provide the best solutions to our clients and customers. In a perfect world when we make a recommendation and ask for the business the prospect eagerly says “yes!” Sales, however, does not take place in a perfect world. As a result, we have to overcome the resistance to change the resistance our prospect is exhibiting. To overcome these objections, we, as professionals, have to methodically approach this resistance to move our prospect towards a decision. To begin the process of overcoming objections we first have to be in a position to advise the customer and have them listen to us. To accomplish this we have to build value, credibility and trust. The good news is, if we are at a point in the sales cycle that objections are coming up the customer or prospect has already given us these at a certain level and they are considering the solutions being suggested. This opportunity for continued communication is a positive, they are thinking about saying yes and just want to feel good about their decision. This allows us to apply some logic and strategy in the process to help the customer see what we are offering. First, we have to let our customer know we heard them. Without reinforcing the objection or arguing with the customer let them know you heard their concern in moving forward. For example if you hear, “That solution won’t provide results.” It is important to express understanding of what they are saying, such as, “I understand you want to see a positive outcome from this course of action.” This allows the customer to know you heard them and restates what they said in terms of the need that they have. We also have to make sure there are no other objections by, yes, asking more questions. Such as, “If I were able to show you the effectiveness of
this product, is there anything else that would keep you from moving forward?” This gets everything on the table so they can each be dealt with and answered. Second, we have to understand the objection completely. There may be a variety of factors playing into this; such as, uncertainly, misunderstanding, fear of loss, or just a simple resistance to change. The best way to get a clear picture on how to approach the issue is by asking questions. Good open ended questions will help you gain further understanding of the resistance if the first step. Without this information there is no way to formulate a strategy on how to proceed. Who, What , Why, When , Where and How can unlock a great deal of information. Directness is the best approach. Questions such as:
“Why are you hesitant to move forward with this solution?” “What are your concerns with taking this course of action?” When can you see this solution as the best approach for your (practice, business, clients, patients)
“How would this solution help you?” “When would this be useful for you?” These types of question help to understand the mindset of the prospect and where the hesitation is coming from (another good question to ask). Once we get an understanding of where the prospects hesitation lies we can form an approach to clarify the benefits of our solution. Continued on Page 11
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Winter 2015 | PMQuarterly.com
Success is now in session. PCCA offers the most ACPE-accredited continuing education in the industry. Check out our 2015 highlights, or get the full schedule at pccarx.com/education. HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY HRT Symposium – February 19-21, Las Vegas, Nev. HRT Symposium – July 9-11, Nashville, Tenn. HRT Symposium – October 1-3, Miami, Fla. INNOVATIONS IN COMPOUNDING Wound, Scar, ENT and Pain Symposium – March 5-7, San Diego, Calif. Wound, Scar, ENT and Pain Symposium – March 26-28, Baltimore, Md. Pain, Palliative Care and Pediatrics Symposium – September 17-19, Sugar Land, Texas MARKETING Marketing and Sales Symposium – April 30 - May 2, Las Vegas, Nev. NUTRITION Wellness and Nutrition Symposium – June 11-13, Sugar Land, Texas QUALITY Quality/Eagle Analytical Services Symposium – September 11-12, Houston, Texas
2015 INTERNATIONAL SEMINAR November 4-7 Houston, Texas
800.331.2498 l pccarx.com
E D U C A T I N G
A D V O C A T I N G
N E T W O R K I N G
J U N E 6 - 9 , 2 0 15 ~ WAS H I N GT O N , D C
R E N A I SSA N C E WAS H I N GT O N , D C To register for CCH, visit
iacprx.org/cch
Š2014 International Academy of Compounding Pharmacists (IACP). All rights reserved.
PPP_GraphicToolkit_.25pg_Ad_r_Layout 1 7/24/14 12:15 PM Page 1 Continued from Page 8
Objections fall into one of four categories.
1. INDIFFERENCE–the customer feels there is no need to change. 2. SKEPTICISM–The customer does not see that your product offers a solution 3. MISUNDERSTANDING–The customer did not grasp the solution that was being offered 4. DRAWBACK–The customer sees a disadvantage to the solution offered. The approach to handling all of these is similar. Once an understanding of the objection is expressed. Without restating the objection ask a question related to what was identified as the hesitation to move forward or say yes. This allows the customer to know that they were heard and understood. Once this happens we can move forward with a strategy depending on what type of resistance is being experienced. How this is done will differ on the type of objection being dealt with. If the customer is: Indifferent–we need to re-explore the needs initially identified that prompted the solution we offered. This entails more questions about their current situation and needs. Once these have been brought out we can offer the proposed solution for the need. Skeptical–providing evidence that our suggestion meets the needs identified. Evidence such as testimonials, studies, examples from current customers, facts regarding the solution, exhibits from reviews or articles on the product can help overcome this barrier.
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Misunderstanding–Confirm the need the solution was offered for and provide the solutions with evidence. Drawback–Focus on the bigger picture and the previous benefits that had been discussed. This reestablishes the value of considering the option being presented. Once this is done, it is time for a trail close to see if the main concern has been addressed and overcome. Asking if this addressed the issue of effectiveness or cost. This tells if we have covered the concerns and helps us move the process along. If all objections have been answered we should be able to move forward in the process to securing new business. There are many objections that we encounter on a regular basis. Develop a strategy and response for these and practice them. This way, being ready and knowing a response make the situation a lot less stressful and lets our customer know our level of professionalism, building trust and credibility. Overall, objections are good news. It means the prospect is considering the option presented and just needs more information to make their decision. This provides the sales professional the opportunity to further develop the relationship, create trust and show value.
David Archibald is a Trainer at Dale Carnegie of Oklahoma and Owner of the Archibald Consulting Group. For over three years, David served as the Director of Sales and Marketing for Flourish Integrative Pharmacy in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
What’s Your 2015 Marketing Strategy? Not Sure? We can help! We offer a comprehensive program that includes all facets of your marketing: in-store, print/radio, detailing, consultation and online. Join our program and we will: • Develop a plan unique to your goals and services • Implement Ideas - giving you time to spend with patients • Offer guidance and work directly with your local vendors • Proactively reach out to you - we don’t wait for you to call us Make 2015 Successful!
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AN INTERVIEW WITH JIM MARTIN, R.PH. PRESIDENT by Todd Eury
This past December, I had the opportunity to interview Jim Martin, R.Ph. and current President of the American College of Apothecaries. If you’re not familiar with the ACA, it is a fraternal pharmacy organization founded 75 years ago. According to Mr. Martin, the “ACA is a group of independent pharmacies who are like-minded, who are very successful business people. We mentor others and promote entrepreneurism and pharmacy really.” The following is an edited transcript of our interview. Listen to the full interview from the Pharmacy Podcast at http://PMQuarterly.com/aca-interview. Todd Eury: So what is different from the ACA from some of the other pharmacy organizations that are out there? How are you guys specific to something under the business of pharmacy? Jim Martin: Well, there many pharmacy organizations out there. We are the only organization that represents strictly independent pharmacies, who are successful and who are doing things supposedly in the right way, and are very professional. The other organizations represent a larger variety of pharmacists, some of which are independents. All of our members are as I said, strong entrepreneurs in pharmacies and business owners. TE: So tell me what happens as a member? What type of benefits are you getting as a member of the American College of Apothecaries? JM: Well, there are a number of benefits, and you see most of them on the new website. But I think of the most important thing, to most of us members, is the ability to interact and network with other successful business owners. We learn from each other, and we share with each other. There’s no question that you get a return on investment from just attending a meeting and interacting with these successful business people. Getting ideas and incorporating those that you think might work in your own business. That’s by far the best, the greatest, benefit from an organization like this. TE: Yes, I know the business of pharmacy has truly changed so much so. And if you’re in the business of pharmacy and you’re running a pharmacy, you know this
Jim, that you really have to be innovative, and you have to be able to do things for your patients that some of the big-box chain stores aren’t necessarily doing. Share with us some of the ideas that are cultivated through the ACA and really helping their members to kind of differentiate their businesses JM: Well, you’re exactly right, if you do things exactly like everybody else, including the big boxes, you’re just like them. So you have to establish niches. Some which may be specific in the area that you serve. We own three pharmacies in the Austin, Texas area, so we’re in wellness and the prevention of sickness. We spend a lot of our activities in that arena. We’re also compounding pharmacists at all three of our stores. So those are the kinds of things that you learn how to do, and how to do well, by interacting with people who are successful in those areas. A lot of what I’ve learned through the years have been from ACA members, interacting with them at some of our meetings. TE: Talk about being a trendsetter and what is truly being driven by the heart of health, compared to just a trend. In early and late in the year CVS made the decision to stop selling cigarettes, but I understand the ACA was way ahead of their time. Tell us more about that. JM: Well no question, as we indicated early on, we’re celebrating our 75th anniversary and we have a set of criteria, we call them standards actually, that a member has to meet, to be a member of ACA. They’re all professional. One of the first standards is you can’t sell cigarettes, and you can’t sell things that are negative to someone’s health. It’s pretty obvious. So that was in place 75 years ago in our organization. So we’ve been at it a long time, and that’s the kind of pharmacy businesses that we attract, the kind that are doing things right and adhere to a long list of standards in the industry. TE: You know, I’ve seen some real innovators in the marketplace. I’ve been in touch with some real innovators in the business of pharmacy for a little over ten years, and I’ve seen some really interesting health and wellness programs. Especially surrounding diabetes, surrounding bio-identical hormone replacement and care PMQuarterly.com | Winter 2015
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and handholding through that. Several of the specialty growths that are a leading right into what compounding has always been. And even pharmacogenetics, the study of how different medications are absorbed into the patient, and maybe they can’t metabolize or break down those medications. What’s happening on the future with the ACA, and even as a pharmacy owner? Is there anything that you’re doing that you think is out of the ordinary and innovative? JM: Well, all of the things you mentioned are things that we do in our own pharmacies, including the pharmacogenetics testing which is a new deal really, and very valuable to patients. But on the horizon, of course, is the specialty drug activity. And that’s drugs that are specialized for certain disease states. They’re typically always very expensive, and they always require some clinical activities that a normal prescription would not require. So many of our members are getting into specialty pharmacy. The ACA does a lot of training. Trainings and seminars, and live programs that, not only show our members how they can get in these new specialities, and these new niches, but also the best way to do it and the best way to do it right. So that’s where ACA really fits with entrepreneurs. TE: Upcoming you’re going to be doing a course on comprehensive sterile compounding at the national training laboratory. Is that just reserved for ACA Members? Or is that for anyone? 0 JM: Anyone can go, anyone can participate. Of course, we’d like for you to be members if you go. But, if there’s somebody out there that wants to be
trained in how to do things correctly, we will accept nonmembers. But I’d say most often; they’re converted into members by their choice. TE: Well, looking at what’s come about in the last couple of years and moving forward, in 2012 you unveiled a new logo, in 2013 you added a marketing and pharmacy technician membership program. So what can we look forward to in the coming new year? JM: Well, with it being the 75th Anniversary we’ve got a celebration that’s taking place. We have an expanded staff to try and meet our members needs. And I would say, expanding our programming to meet the needs of the new niches that are out there that I mentioned before, is some of the exciting things to me. Staying ahead of the game, with that, bringing our members into the fold on how to do these things and how to do them right. Those are on the horizon and going back to specialty drugs, that’s a big, big issue, in independent pharmacy. And we want our members to be a part of it and learn how to do it right. We are the innovators; we are the cream of the crop, and there are a lot of other successful pharmacies out there that we’d love to have in the membership of the ACA.
Pittsburgh native Todd Eury has dedicated the last 10+ years helping privately owned pharmacies. He started the Pharmacy Podcast Show, dedicated to Independent Pharmacy. Todd recently re-launched the Prescription Generator Inc. Learn more about Todd at http://prescriptiongenerator.com
Thinking Back... ...Looking Forward
Save the Date Become a Member!
President’s Banquet February 27, 2015 5:00-7:30PM Harbor Beach Marriott Resort & Spa Fort Lauderdale, FL
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Wiinter 2015 | PMQuarterly.com
METRICS FOR YOUR SALES:
CREATING A PLAN TO MONITOR YOUR SALES EFFORTS AND EVALUATE AND REWARD YOUR MARKETERS by Whitney Larkin Gale
Creating a marketing plan is crucial to the success of your pharmacy. What’s even more crucial is finding ways to help monitor the effectiveness for each strategy you create. Your goal is to make sure you aren’t wasting time or money on your efforts. As John Wanamaker articulated, “Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is I don’t know which half.” Tracking any form of advertising should be an integral part of the marketing process. In the early 2000s, a transition started to occur within the marketing world. There was an evolution in the way WE consumed our information which changed how advertisers tried to gain our attention. The switch from physical mailers, call campaigns, and billboards to a digital marketing strategy had begun. We can no longer buy a person’s attention, we need to earn their attention. Examples of Advertising and How We Track: Coupons–if you are going to do a coupon in a newspaper, make sure you code it so you know which newspaper it came from. Billboards–this type of advertising is hard to track so I look at this as brand awareness/top of mind advertising. Patient Intake Forms–Make sure to always ask your patients how they heard about you when they come to pick up their prescription and have someone internally track this. This will help ensure that your marketing efforts are paying off. The goal of your advertising is to increase your brand awareness in the minds of consumers across your target market area. Raising brand awareness keeps your pharmacy in the minds of consumers, which can lead to increased revenues. Always track sales before and after the launch of a new marketing campaign. The success of your sales plan rests on your sales team and they will require a lot of time and effort. These are the people that are the face and reputation of your pharmacy. Make sure you do not send them out to make calls until they know the in’s and out’s of your company.
They need to know your company’s culture, how prescriptions are processed and made in your lab, as well as basic information about the products they marketing. If they are not practicing in the pharmacy, then they are practicing on consumers. Depending on the size of your pharmacy and the size of your business, you may have more senior sales employees. Being a senior sales representative can be a demanding position. They are constantly pulled in different directions and they need to keep the sales team trained, happy and motivated while sticking to the budget and keeping the boss happy. And, they’ve got to do all this while expanding business and maintaining about a hundred other balls in the air. So, it’s important that you work with your team to monitor their activity. You need to assign someone in your pharmacy that can help monitor sales activity and results and communicate this information to the sales team and other key stakeholders. This is a vital component to maintaining a healthy sales team and motivating high achievers. If you have a salesperson that has not met their sales goals for several months, take this information to evaluate their habits. They may lack training. I promise that if you invest a little time and money into your sales team to make sure they have been given the necessary tools to do their job, you will do better at monitoring them and ensuring they have what it takes to meet and exceed their goals. Your sales plan should include how you will communicate the plan to your staff and what tools and training they will receive to implement the plan. If your sales team isn’t given the tools to execute the plan, or the plan hasn’t been clearly communicated to them, then more than likely they can’t achieve what you want them to. Your sales team needs to know. Their Target Market Is it the patient or the physician? What product do you want your sales rep to promote? Is it a patient driven service such a BHRT or Veterinarian? Is it a physician driven product?
PMQuarterly.com | Winter 2015
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What Motivates the Customer to Buy or How do You Get Physicians to Send Referrals to You. Pricing? Convenience? Do you offer free delivery? Do you have a drive-thru or curbside assistance? Quality? Are you PCAB? How Will the Sales Reps Results Will be Measured. Make sure you pull weekly reports for your sales team to see. This will help them to see if their sales efforts are paying off. How Will They be Rewarded. Sales Representatives are motivated when they are incentivized. I recommend incentivizing them based on total revenue on a monthly basis. One of the simplest and least stressful ways to grow your revenue is to provide existing services to the clients you already have. It is much easier to sell to a provider that is already familiar with you and your services. Not only do they know the quality of your products and services that you provide but you don’t have to spend additional time building rapport and gaining their trust. I do what is called a “touch point” program. I visit my top accounts at least once a month, if not more. One out of those four visits is what I consider a “thank you” call. I normally go in with a cookie tray or if it is a small office, I will take them milk shakes to show my appreciation. Make sure you always thank them for their business and find out if they have any needs or any customer service
issues, delivery issues, etc. Don’t feel like every time you go into one of your top writing offices that you have to sell them something. You want to constantly nurture your relationship with that office and continue to build trust. You don’t want to be the sales rep that they dread to see walking through the door because you are always trying to sell them something. Always write a hand written thank you card after meeting a new physician. Have a sales plan and strategies. Increase Awareness in the Marketplace and Community. Attend Trade Shows and Conventions Attend Chamber of Commerce Events and New business ribbon cuttings. Volunteer at non-profit organizations The final part of your sales plan must detail a timeline for implementation. It is best to show a week-to-week schedule. Keep it handy, revisit it and revise it on a regular basis. Together you and your team can achieve remarkable results.
Whitney Larkin Gale graduated from East Tennessee State University with a degree in Marketing Communications. She has been the Senior Sales Representative for ProCompounding Pharmacy in Johnson City, TN since 2007. Whitney has been a speaker at two PCCA Marketing Symposiums and has attended numerous compounding educational events. She is a member of IACP and serves on the IACP Foundation Rx Mixer Committee.
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KEEPING EM’ HAPPY AND WINNING EM’ BACK by Amanda Addington
As marketers, we all strive for new business so we can grow. In most cases, the majority of our sales and marketing efforts are spent towards developing new leads and obtaining their business. It’s very rewarding to walk in and land a new account. However, getting new business won’t matter if you don’t retain and build loyalty among your other accounts. The key is to build your business while strengthening and deepening your relationships among current accounts. Then you will truly grow your business. What happens when a good account quits writing? What about when an account dwindles down and simply goes away? What about an old account that has done business with your company for years but suddenly starts using your competitor? Are these accounts gone for good or can you salvage them? You ALWAYS have a chance to win back lost customers - but it’ll take time, attention and effort to do so. First, knowledge is power. You must know your market. Who are your largest accounts? Your oldest accounts? What accounts could be doing more? Who are your competitors? What is your competitive advantage? Keep notes and records on each account so that you know who the decision makers are, what products they use the most, and what potential growth they could have. And know them well enough so that when one stops using your company, you can act promptly to earn their business back! Next, make a list of all active accounts and make sure your top accounts are all satisfied and happy with your pharmacy. Monitor your doctor usage reports on a monthly basis, so you know where your business is coming from and which clients you need to be seeing on a regular basis. It’s a good idea to devote at least one day a week to account maintenance. Follow up with these top accounts so they know they are getting your time and attention. They will appreciate the visit and will know they are a priority to you. These reports, when regularly monitored, can tell you when your top accounts start declining. When an account stops doing
business with you, examine why. When you identify that you have lost or are losing ground with an account make contact with them immediately. Is there is a reason? Is it price? Is it service? Quality of the product? It’s your job to win that business back. You have to prove that you want their business and that it is important to you. You need to do your research to see why they went away. Talk to your people - do we know why they stopped writing? Are they aware of any issues or things that went wrong? Talk to the practitioner and their staff and do your homework to find out the reason. By listening to their concerns and acting on them, improvements can be made. Then develop a strategy to win their business back. You have to work a little harder to get them back, but you can do it. If a mistake was made or a situation wasn’t handled properly - own up to it, offer an apology and take responsibility to remedy it. Don’t be afraid to ask the practitioner, “What can we do to win back your business?” Empower them to be part of the solution and come up with a plan you all agree upon. Sometimes people forget about you. Don’t take accounts for granted. It’s easy to get caught up in meeting new accounts and getting new business. The successful marketer allows time in their schedule for planning, for maintenance and follow up, and gaining new business. We live in a competitive world. Good service and follow through often separates you from a competitor. Don’t let accounts drift away, go after them!
Amanda Addington is the Director of Marketing and Sales at Oakdell Pharmacy in San Antonio Texas. Amanda received her Master of Science in Integrated Marketing Communications from West Virginia University. Amanda is a speaker for educational programs with pharmacy marketing and innovations within the field of compounding. She is a Charter Marketing Member of the ACA as well as an IACP Member and Rx Mixer Committee Member.
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GROUP VS. TEAM by Andrew Cole
Is your pharmacy staff a group or is it a team? To determine if your staff is a group or team depends on the culture of the pharmacy and whether there is a leader or manager. To most people the words group and team are interchangeable. Understanding the differences be and how it applies to your pharmacy could mean the difference between an employee getting their job done and the pharmacy accomplishing its goals. A group is two or more freely interacting people with shared goals and a common identity. A work group is very task oriented, work independently, with little collaboration, and often work in isolation. A frequent issue with groups is that members may be afraid to ask questions. Differing opinions or disagreements may be perceived as threats. The head of a group is a manager, and each member has their task, accountability, evaluation, and rewards. The main benefit of working in a group is that highly skilled employees become efficient in completing their task. Since there is little or no collaboration, there is less start up time to begin performing the task at hand. A few obstacles of a group include office politics, personality clashes, competition, win/loss attitude, delayed decisions, and conflicts that can lead to defensive reactions. When you work as a group, there is a risk of an interruption based on performance of other members. Since working in a group is based on individual goals, there is no ownership of conflicts that arise from other member’s performance. When it comes to interacting with customers in a pharmacy, if there is no ownership of issues, and one person is thrown under the bus, it looks extremely unprofessional for the entire staff. A team is two or more individuals with complementary skill, that hold themselves mutually accountable for common purpose goals and approach. A team embraces open communication, different perspectives, and take ownership, not only of their task, but the entire project as a whole. There is often a shared leadership role. Every member is aware of what each other is working on. Conflicts are embraced as creative problem-solving and ends in a constructive resolution. Teams are focused around synergy, which leads to a collective performance. To establish a team you need to: set clear 18
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expectations, provide context, gain commitment, and build competence. A few examples of teams are football teams and a wolf pack. The benefits of a team include reduced expenses, quality of end product is improved, increase in employee involvement, reduced absenteeism, reduced conflict, enhanced creativity, and better flexibility. A strong team environment often encourages employee retention. Its not uncommon to see organizations improve results and decrease cost after they have re-organized. Understanding if you have a group or a team can facilitate the work getting faster and a higher level of quality. Time must be taken to establish both roles and goals to improve clarity. Any confusion about core elements may result to mediocre quality and poor productivity. Ask yourself do the members of your pharmacy work as a group or a team. Is everyone task oriented or our they goal driven? If someone is not there is the process still completed flawlessly? Is the conflict avoided? Do the members of the staff come to the leader with any issues or ideas? Why is teamwork important in a pharmacy? In a team, each member will have their roles, but take ownership over the entire process. The goal of a team in a pharmacy should be the customer receiving their medication without any issues or questions. This means roles can and will be shared. For example, a marketer could help with the front end customer service, assist in the compounding lab, or possibly process prescriptions. In the end, it’s all about the patient receiving their medicine and having their questions answered in a fast and friendly process. Leadership must be an established shared role to turn a group into a team. Sharing this role leads to more collaboration, communications, and ultimately more innovations. A clear vision must also be present, and the goals must be clearly laid out along with what success will look like. Accountability is not just focused on the individual but is shared between the team collectively. This is important, because it discourages social loafing. Social loafing is when one or more member(s) of the group does less work because they are under the impression that other members will pick up the slack. This may have a domino effect. Conflicts
and problem-solving are embraced as a learning experience. When a conflict does arise, ask everyone as a whole what can be done to prevent issues like that from reoccurring. Remember a conflict is a good thing, because it gives you the ability to take corrective steps to prevent it from happening in the future.
There are five stages of team development: 1. FORMING 2. STORMING 3. NORMING 4. PERFORMING 5. ADJOURNING The Forming stage is like an orientation that is all about breaking the ice. Storming often occurs when there is a conflict. Storming is also seen with members of the team try to determine where they fit in the grand scheme of things. Then it is on to the norming stage, and it is all about encouraging order, cohesion, collaboration, values, and socializing. In the norming stage is when members begin to set aside differences and begin to understand everyone’s strengths and weaknesses. Norming can be a gradual stage and overlap heavily with the storming stage as conflicts erupt. Performing is when the work is done and is all about cooperation; problem-solving, and achieving goals. The end stage is adjourning. It occurs after the
task is completed, and goals are met. Adjourning also brings closure to the group. To recap, why is it important for your staff to work as a team? First, the customer doesn’t understand the difference between a processing tech, compounding tech, the front end tech, and the marketer. The customer just wants their medication and questions answered if needed, and if they see a tech or marketer stuck in there on their task, it could lead to a poor customer service experience. Where a team atmosphere in a pharmacy is all about the customer, and each member takes ownership of making sure the customer’s expectations is met. If you think your staff is more of a group than a team, take the time to talk with each of your staff, and ask them what it would take to get each individual on board. The first step to changing things is going to be establishing better communication. It maybe a challenge to get your staff to embrace the change, but in the end it will be a better working environment for the customer and workforce.
Andrew is the Director of Business Development at the Medicine Shoppe Pharmacy. He has received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Media Marketing and Management from Southern Illinois University, and a Masters in Business Administration at Universality of Illinois. Andrew is a central Illinois native. His sales and marketing experience has come from three corporations and state government.
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MARKET WITH THESE UPCOMING OBSERVANCES Learn More at PMQuarterly.com/marketing-observances
February
March
April
• Children’s Dental Health Month
• Nutrition Month
• Autism Awareness Month
• Heart Month
• Foot Health Awareness Month
• Kids ENT Health Month
•S exually Transmitted Infection Month
February 2 Groundhog Day February 6 Go Red For Women Day February 14 Valentines Day February 16 Presidents Day
March 1 - 7 Dental Assistants Recognition Week
April 1 April Fools Day
March 8 Daylight Savings Time Begins
April 3 Passover Begins
March 11 Registered Dietitian Day
April 5 Easter
March 15 - 21 Poison Prevention Week
April 7 World Health Day
March 17 St. Patrick’s Day
April 22 Earth Day
March 30 Doctor’s Day
THE PHARMER’S MARKET SoapBox Soaps We came across SoapBox Soaps at the NACDS Total Store Expo late last year. It’s our pick for the Pharmer’s Market because it combines the best of both worlds, for every soap product you sell, they give to clean water and sanitation initiatives all over the world and within the United States. MSRP: $4.99 to $7.99 https://www.soapboxsoaps.com/ The Pharmer’s Market brings you new ideas, products and services to your pharmacy. Have a suggestion for a future Pharmer’s Market profile? Email us at Scot@IACPRx.org
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