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There is no other place that more embraces unabashed promotion than networking events such as Chamber of Commerce Mixers (sometimes called "Sundowners" or "Business After Five") or other business-oriented events. Unli

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

ke social situations, it is expected that everyone will be "talking shop", exchanging business cards and a lot of connections can be made. Most Chamber Mixers are open to the public, and they are an inexpensive way to

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

Examples of combination products may in

meet a lot of people. Remember these tips when attending any networking event:

1. You are not there to eat. You can't talk about business with your mouth full

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

, or shake hands with greasy fingers. Try to eat a snack first, so you don't arrive ready to inhale the cheese tray.

2. Have a goal for the event. Sample: I will collect cards from 5 prosp

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

cts and 10 strategic partner potentials. Don't leave before reaching or exceeding your goal.

3. Arrive early. Meet the staff of the sponsoring organization. They are very knowledgeable and

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

Combination pro

good resources to know. They can introduce you to the movers & shakers of the organization.

4. Spend no more than 5 minutes with any one person. Your time is limited. Determine quickly who

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

you want to follow up with, ask for their card, then move on. Building rapport comes later.

5. Know your 30-second promotional. Practice it. Learn different "sound bite

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

", and "bullet points", so you can be concise and exact. If it is not provocative enough to raise their curiosity and request more information, either it's not good enough, or they are not interested. You're done th

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

ere.

6. Ignore your friends, unless they are with someone you don't know. Remember the "5 Minute Rule."

7. Don't sit down. It

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

is too difficult to extricate yourself and move on to a different group. Keep moving. There is usually a lively crowd at the bar or in the food line.

8. Invest in a custom a nametag

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

/strong> that states Your Company Name in large font with your name below. (Your industry or business is what is of initial interest to others.) Custom name tags are less than $10 and will increase your networking re

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

Following aspects would a

sults 500%. Guaranteed!

9. Act as host/hostess. Approach the person standing alone and introduce them to others.

10. Ask people about their business and what type of

dd to the challenges in developing combination products:

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

customers and connections they are looking for. If you know of a contact for them, offer it. Take their card and write down the information and promise to get back to them. Then do it! They will be impressed and

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

they will want to return the favor.

11. Take plenty of business cards. But do not offer your card unless they request it!! (Foisting cards on people who don't want them is the #tions increase the patient compliance?
What would be the developing cost?
How to tackle the risks encountered during combination product developmen
1 wrong thing people do!) Keep them in your right-hand jacket pocket along with a pen, and put the cards you receive in your left. I do not take a purse. Business cards, money, lipstick, & a pen ar
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
e all I need for a 2-hour event.

12. Follow-up the next day with a phone call. With a strategic partner potential, no selling! Instead, start building a relationship. Hint: You cannot build
ping new procedures for reviewing their safety, efficacy and quality.

Professional from academic institutions, pharmaceutical industries, health care indust
a relationship with someone if your first agenda is to sell to them. Instead, suggest that you can help each other build business. Very few people do this! They will remember you.

You can build a very
y and representatives from various regulatory agencies are working out to design the regulatory requirements for manufacture and sale of combination products
good database by attending just 2 or 3 events per month. Remember, you are not there to sell. You are there to learn about others and to pre-qualify them for future business relationships. Please ta
.

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
ke advantage of the free networking resources available at http://thelinksystem.com

Copyright 2006 - Mindy J. Selinger. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Repri
elopment. They need to be wiser in analyzing the market trends and the regulatory requirements.

Companies that provide selfless information through particip
nt Rights: You may reprint this article as long as you leave all of the links active, do not edit the article in any way, give author name credit and follow all of the EzineArticles terms of service for Publishers.

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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