Main Subject - Business

Today Sales Managers usually have two roles. First, they have to manage and administer the sales team. Second, they are also expected to demonstrate Leadership of the sales team. These are two differe

According to USFDA, a combination product is one composed of any combination of a drug and device; biological product and device; drug and biological product

nt roles.

Most Sales Managers are trained in the management and administration skills, but few are taught Leadership. They are simply expected to Lead – a very poor and risky strategy.

I want to discu

; or drug, device, and biological product and fixed dose combination would include two or more combinations of drug.

Examples of combination products may in

ss General Leadership development first.

Leadership – Setting Visions/Goals and then empowering and motivating others to accomplish those Visions/Goals.

Some people demonstrate Leadership skills natur

lude drug-coated devices, drugs packaged with delivery devices in medical kits, and drugs and devices packaged separately but intended to be used together.

ally. We saw them as we were growing up. They were the student council leaders, athletic team captains, club presidents, etc.

Most managers will need training in Leadership and that takes a commitment

here is enormous increase in the number of combination products entering the market in the recent years. Combination products have proven advantages but fixe

from the corporation because it will take time and dedication. But the rewards can be phenomenal. The company will have to:

•Commit to the development of people.

•Commit to developmental programs -

d dose combinations are still in the process of convincing regulatory authority on their advantages over the single ingredient formulations.

Combination pro

the key word for training is developmental.

•Commitment to the long haul, unfortunately, nothing good ever seems to happen quickly. So the corporation must keep driving people development regardless of

ucts have become life saving products for the pharmaceutical companies who doesn’t have many innovative molecules in their product pipeline and have been inc

other initiatives, programs, and events.

From our experience, it takes a minimum of 6– 12 months and you shouldn’t rush it. This is not an event.

There are 3 stages of development.

•Bring the “Leade

easingly used in the product life cycle management. Even the companies having product patents are trying to extend their product life cycle through the combi

rship vision” into the culture – make it part of the organization and start to get “buy in” from all the future participants. Create anticipation.

•Conduct the development programs company wide – bring

nation products and maximize the revenues. But the companies involved in this practice are overlooking that they are burdening the patients both economically

in all the departments. This will create Leaders throughout the organization as well as enhance the overall working environment.

•Re-enforce training, support it, and use it. Make the training part o

and physically. They need to rightly judge the benefits of the combination products and they have to even look at the risks involved when combining the produ

f regular personnel assessments, reviews, etc. You get what you inspect.

Leadership is not just the CEO or president; it must be in all levels of a corporation.

Imagine how your company’s bottom line

ts. Some of the combination products were well accepted by physicians while others suffered. Companies involved in development of combination products are fi

would be affected if all your managers could fulfill a Leadership role when needed and therefore improved performance by just 3% - 8% or more?

Now, Sales Team Leadership can do that and much more.

The

ding difficulty in defining their combination products and facing various challenges from selecting a combination to marketing it.

Following aspects would a

Sales Team Leader needs to do two things – develop the teams’ skills and then lead them to success.

•First, the Leader must know the skills and knowledge base that each team member needs to do their job

dd to the challenges in developing combination products:

Which markets to tap where the combination products can do fairly well?
Which combination prod

.

•Second, the Leader must rate each team member’s competency in each skill and knowledge base.

•Third, train and enhance skills and knowledge where needed.

Why is this necessary?

We can’t simply all

cts are meaningful and rational?
Which therapeutic categories to select?
Which Combinations can address unmet needs of the patients?
Do combin

ow people to develop on their own. If you want your people to perform the skills and use the knowledge base competently you must teach them the skills and knowledge base you want them to use. If you le

tions increase the patient compliance?
What would be the developing cost?
How to tackle the risks encountered during combination product developmen

ave it up to them, they will learn something. Hoping it is what you want is really risky.

No one has a “skill vacuum.” If they aren’t taught, they will create it themselves. Just like children, if yo

t?

As combination products don't fit into the traditional categories of drugs, medical devices, or biological products, the USFDA is in the process of devel

u don’t teach them your values, they will create their own. If the need is there, it will be met, somehow.

Now the Leadership role grows. Once the goals for the sales team are set every Leader does th

ping new procedures for reviewing their safety, efficacy and quality.

Professional from academic institutions, pharmaceutical industries, health care indust

e following in some form.

1.Create a Vision for each of the tasks

2.Create the Team to develop and achieve the GPS - that is,the Goal, Plan, and Steps to accomplish the Vision

3.Empower the Team

4.P

y and representatives from various regulatory agencies are working out to design the regulatory requirements for manufacture and sale of combination products

roduce Short Term successes to keep the GPS alive

5.Stick with it for the Long Haul

# 5 may be the most important step. How many of you have been in companies who get all excited about a new program,

.

As there is an increasing trend of the combination products companies manufacturing such products should be able to tackle the problems involved in the de

push it hard for a few weeks, and then get all excited about another program? The first program never has success because it was not given time to develop.

In conclusion, Leadership offers many benefit

elopment. They need to be wiser in analyzing the market trends and the regulatory requirements.

Companies that provide selfless information through particip

s and most organizations will need to specifically develop this skill for its managers. However,it takes Leadership to bring it in. The rewards will be well worth the effort.

© Copyright 2006 WJ Truax

tion in industry events and feedback to regulatory authorities would be able to face the challenges and will be successful in developing combination products

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