We generally use words like leader and manager without having any clear idea about that. These people are responsible for managing the team and get the job done effectively on time but we found that everyone having their own style of managing team. In every organization there are various team leaders and its common that only few of them are exceptional, enthusiastic and give priority to the people development rather than giving priority to the numbers.
This is especially true when it comes to field sales managers in Indian Pharma. Indian Pharma industry is one of the industry where attrition rate is above 30 % and the reason behind this is lack of good front line sales managers. The front line sales managers are the bridge between mid-level managers and sales force, pressed with dual targets individual and team target.
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Indian Pharma industry is one of the complex industry having 10,500 registered manufacturing units and 3000 companies that market nearly a 100,000 branded generics.
The top 10 Pharma companies employ between 3000 to 6000 reps in field sales. Hence, the top 10 Pharma companies having more than 50000 field force who meet doctors every day. If we add the field force of medical devices, diagnostics, disposables and surgical companies the approximate number would cross one million people. That is close to one field sales person per doctor.
Here are some of the common challenges faced by field force:
1. Many companies with similar products and to counter the competition many companies have more than one division to sell the similar products under different brand names. The result: one company 10 divisions, each of which does not know what other is doing!
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