SCBMA2_ Week 2 2025

Eduvos Overview

• Eduvos: Your Education. Your Future.

• Program: Biopharmaceutical Sales & Marketing (SCBMA2)

Disclaimer

• The content on myLMS may slightly deviate from lecturer-led sessions.

• Students must consult and prepare using material on myLMS, prescribed textbooks, and designated learning resources for assessments.

Flipped Classroom Approach

• Pre-Session Preparation:

  • Lecturers may recommend concepts to revise for upcoming learning opportunities.

  • Engage with myLMS content at home for self-study preparation for lecturer-led sessions.

• During the Session:

  • Active learning environment - engage with peers and lecturers, ask questions, debate topics, and practice content learned at home.

  • Exposure to higher-order thinking activities.

Sales Representatives Discussion

• ReCap: Discuss the type of sales representative presented.

• Example Scenario:

  • Salesperson's challenge to switch prescribing from a competitor's antiretroviral drug to their own product based on research:

    • Evidence from studies by The Lancet indicating less bone damage from their drug.

Lecture Overview

• Topics Covered:

  • Rewarding aspects in selling

  • Importance of personal skills in successful selling

  • Developing a marketing plan

  • Product positioning

  • Conducting market analysis

Personal Selling Philosophy

• Three Key Prescriptions:

  1. Adopt the marketing concept.

  2. Value personal selling.

  3. Become a problem solver/partner.

• Benefits:

  • Tailored communication to meet specific customer needs.

  • Clarification of customer problems and adapting sales strategies accordingly.

  • Development of emotional connections to increase conversion rates.

  • Building long-term customer relationships to enhance future sales.

Types of Healthcare Representatives

• Medical Representatives: Engage with healthcare professionals (medical fraternity).

• Pharmaceutical Representatives: Sell pharmaceutical products (e.g., capsules, tablets, injectables).

Inside vs. Outside Sales Positions

• Inside Sales: Conduct sales activities from employer's location using telephones/emails. Includes customer service reps and telemarketing.

• Outside Sales: Travel for meetings with customers and prospects.

  • Categories:

    • Inbound Inside Sales: Respond to customer-initiated calls.

    • Outbound Inside Sales: Actively reach out to potential clients.

  • Role of sales assistants for support tasks.

Recap Discussion

• Reflect on sales representative's characteristics based on provided cartoons.

• Common theme: Increasing aggressiveness in sales tactics over the years.

Discussion Board Activity

• Activity 1: Find a vacancy advert for a medical or pharmaceutical sales representative. Analyze requirements and share the link in the discussion forum.

Personal Selling Importance

• Significant contribution from personal selling skills to various roles:

  1. Managerial personnel (executives, managers).

  2. Professionals (e.g. consultants, scientists).

  3. Entrepreneurs.

  4. Marketing and customer service representatives.

Qualities of Successful Sales Representatives

• Identify essential skills and qualities for effective personal selling.

Discussion Board Activity 2

• Activity 2: Research disadvantages of personal selling in healthcare, propose solutions, and post in the discussion forum.

Marketing Plan Elements

• Components include:

  • Projected sales, budgets, management profit,

  • Assumption and contingency plans.

Marketing Plan Structure

• Components:

  • Objectives and issues related to profit and market share.

  • Threat and opportunity identification affecting product.

  • Executive summary providing an overview for management review.

Product Positioning and Repositioning

• Positioning: Creating a distinctive product image in consumers' minds.

• Repositioning: Movements of product perception among customers for attractiveness.

Activity: Positioning Examples

• Provide an example of a product that has undergone effective positioning and repositioning.

Micro vs. Macro Environment

• Macro Environment:

  • Economic conditions (inflation, GDP).

  • Overall business cycle.

• Micro Environment:

  • Sales company culture, profit margins, marketing procedures.

Group Activity on Macro Environment

• Discuss a given macro-environment factor in groups and share insights.

Market Characteristics

• Key attributes:

  • Market must be sizable and growing.

  • Should not be oversaturated with competitors.

  • Products must stand out and be accessible.

  • Must align with the firm’s mission and objectives.

Identifying Role Players

• Recognize role players in the target market focused on attractive characteristics.

Classroom Structure Recap

• Flipped Classroom: Prepare thoroughly for week 3 sessions using all resources and activities from week 2, focusing on effective learning.