Digg It - Business

The sales rep began her call to me with, “I'm ____ with _____. I'm wondering if you received the fax I sent to you yesterday?”

“I dunno. I get lots of faxes.”

“It was about mailing

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

lists.”

“If I didn't request it, and it didn't look interesting, I probably threw it away.”

“Oh, well let me fax you another one.”

“No, just tell me what it is.”

“(flustered) We

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

Examples of combination products may in

ll, we sell very responsive mailing lists that would work well for you.”

“Oh, really? How do you know?”

“These are very responsive lists?”

“What are they?”

She went on to describ

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

e several different lists, none of which would be worth the investment for me. And I told her so.

“Oh, but they're responsive,” she argued.

“Look, how can you say they'd work for m

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

e when you haven't asked me what I mail, who I target, and what type of return I need?”

“We know these lists are responsive. They're lists of businesses that have just undergone som

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

Combination pro

e type of major change.”

“That's not what I'm looking for.”

“Well, the lists work well for printers, people selling exhibit space . . .”

I ended the call. Couldn't take it anymore

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

.

Analysis Where do I begin? This woman was the poster child for bad calls. Let's examine why.

Unsolicited, Untargeted Faxed Material. First, sending seven pages of unsolicited

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

tuff via fax, all of which was irrelevant, was a mistake. People get annoyed with “junk faxing” because not only are they not interested in the message, but they have to pay for the

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

paper! She could have called in advance, spoke with my assistant, Tricia, found out what we do and who we mail to, and then, perhaps have tailored one page of info targeting my speci

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

fic interests.

The Opening. Beginning with a reactive question about whether someone received anything you sent invites disaster. Even if you do send something in advance, don't m

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

ake that the basis for your call. Do ensure that it piques enough curiosity so they'll remember something about it during your opening.

For example, “I'm Pat Davis with ABC Lists. M

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

Following aspects would a

y purpose for calling is that we specialize in helping mailers get profitable results by providing responsive lists for their offers. I understand you target inside sales departments

dd to the challenges in developing combination products:

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

and specifically look for proven sales training product and service buyers, is that right? If I caught you at a good time, I'd like to ask a few questions to see what lists we might

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

be able to recommend that would work well for you.”

Presenting Without Questioning. As is usually the case, presenting without knowing anything about the listener means you're si

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

ply pitching what you want to talk about. It's like junk mail mass-spewed to “Occupants,” contrasted with handwritten notes to a dear friend.

Even though I dropped hints in a futile

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

effort to get this caller to question me, she didn't get it. For example, when I told her that the lists she mentioned wouldn't work for me; she didn't ask what would work for me.

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

Professional from academic institutions, pharmaceutical industries, health care indust

When I specifically said, “That's not what I'm looking for,” she didn't respond with, “What are you looking for?” This one question could have given her virtually everything she woul

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

d need in order to get a clear understanding of the types of lists I desire.

Arguing. As I always say, salespeople create more objections than were there previously by talking too

.

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

much. That's what she did. And then she tried to actually justify the value of her lists, which was laughable, since she knew nothing about me! Further, her efforts made me confront

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

Companies that provide selfless information through particip

ational-not the state of mind you want a prospect in.

The best thing I can say about this call is that it gave me great material for a list brokerage client I conducted training for

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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