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Yesterday I received an email from Janet Brooker who wanted some tips on how to make her cold calling more effective.

Here's exactly what she asked:

Dear Sean,

I am an Area Sales Manager for an IT hardware provider.

I am having real problems wi

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

th my cold calling. I call up to get interest and to set up an appointment to see businesses about their hardware requirements but I never know what to say in response to objections and excuses.

Could you give me some quick pointers please?

Than

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

Examples of combination products may in

s a lot

Janet Brooker

My thoughts:

Cold calling is full of ups and downs but your success will always come down to two things:

1. What you focus on during the call

and

2. Your technique

Your primary focus on the call is to set up a meeting.

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

ULL STOP!

It's not to send brochures out.

It's not to engage in the pros and cons of what you can do and it's certainly not about giving up on the first objection that you receive!

So that's what you need to go into the call with on your mind

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

- EVERY TIME!

Now, on to your technique.

We run telesales courses that cover all of this in great detail but here are some quick tips.

In an over simplistic view, here is the approach that you should be implementing on every call.

1. Get the p

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

Combination pro

rson's attention

2. Identify yourself and your company

3. Give your reason for the call

4. Make a qualifying statement/questioning statement

5 Set the appointment

Good morning Mr Jones, this is Janet Brooker from XYZ. We specialise in ABC and

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

e have worked with EYZ, BNY and 10 other organisations within your industry. The reason I'm calling you today specifically is so I can stop by and tell you about PRODUCT/SERVICE Y and how it can (BENEFITS)

With this opening make sure that the c

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

mpany you are calling are aware of the businesses that you drop into the call - this will create curiosity!

You can even go one step further

Good morning Mr Jones, this is Janet Brooker from XYZ. We specialise in ABC and we have worked with EY

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

, BNY and 10 other organisations within your industry. The reason I'm calling you today specifically is so I can stop by and tell you about PRODUCT/SERVICE Y and how it can (BENEFITS), I am in your area next week, how does Wednesday at 11am sou

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

d?

Do not be frightened to ask for the appointment right up-front.

Okay, they will most likely respond in any of the following ways

Yes, let's set up a meeting (YIPPY!)

No thanks, I'm happy with what we have (BOO, HISS)

I'm not interested (B

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

O, HISS)

I'm too busy (BOO, HISS)

Send me some further info (BOO, HISS)

Tell me about it now (BOO, HISS)

No money (BOO, HISS)

Remember what your goal is?

Yes, it's to set up an appointment!

Here are some quick tips on how to respond to each:

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

Following aspects would a

E ALREADY HAVE WHAT YOU ARE OFFERING

A lot of other companies (then name several other businesses that they may know) have said the same thing before they had a chance to see how our program/product works and could save you XYZ or another benef

dd to the challenges in developing combination products:

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

t in here. I'd like to stop by and just tell you about what we do or I'm in your area next week...

I'M NOT INTERESTED

Mr Jones, a lot of people had the same reaction you did when I first called before they had a chance to see how what we do

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

ill benefit them, I am in your area on the 15th, are you free at 11am?

I'M TOO BUSY

Usually salespeople respond with When will it be a better time to talk?

Instead...

They say - I'm too busy to talk
You say - Oh, well the only reason I wa

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

calling was to set up an appointment

SEND ME SOME LITERATURE or TELL ME NOW

Can't we just get together? It will be a lot easier and I am in your area next Wednesday and Thursday

Reacting To Negative Comments

too expensive
not right for u

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

not a good fit

Mr Jones, a lot of our customers initially had the same reaction until they actually got a chance to see the benefits. You know, we should really get together to go through the full picture

or

Mr Jones, that's what other

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

Professional from academic institutions, pharmaceutical industries, health care indust

people said who decided to work with us. We really should get together

or

Mr Jones, Some other people we work with now had the same reaction at first. That's why we should get together

You use someone's negative response as a reason to get t

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

gether!

NO MATTER WHAT THEY SAY YOU COME BACK WITH

That's why we should get together

If you are really going nowhere with the call then gather some intelligence for later when they might be in the market for your product/service.

Say something

.

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

like..

Just out of curiosity are you working with anybody right now?
when does your current contract end?
what is important to you in a provider?
etc

So, in summary:

Focus on getting the meeting.

Respond to objections 2 times

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

Companies that provide selfless information through particip

and then if it's still a no then gather some information for when they will be in the market for your services and then follow up with them when the time is right.

This is pretty much a whistle-stop tour of cold calling but I hope it helps you

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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