Several Fantastic Guidelines On How To Influence Without Appearing Authoritative
Posted in Marketing and Advertising on 09/07/2010 06:31 am by adminIf you want to set up productive, lengthy and reliable relationships in business, you have to be able to exert influence without appearing to be trying to position yourself as an authoritarian. Not surprisingly, key account management training should help to show you how you can exert influence in any relationship, but should definitely focus on the amount of time and effort that you need to put into preparing, before you set out to engage with the prospect. The field of pharmaceutical sales can be more like a minefield, as the sales representative tries to bring a particular product to the attention of the end-user. Powerful forces can be at play and often a diverse set of emotions come to bear on any decision, so that the sales representative has to be armed with a lot of preparatory work before he or she can expect to attain success.
Due to poor marketing and sales techniques in the past, a bad approach or incessant pandering, practitioners, pharmacists and other health care professionals have learned to look the other way. The average professional comes across many different pharmaceutical reps during any given week and may not anticipate these meetings very well. This makes the pharmaceutical sales rep’s job a lot more difficult, as influence must be exerted without any posturing or undue articulation.
Consultants who provide pharma training to sales representatives must focus on building confidence and must ensure that the rep understands the importance of preparation. You have to have a very clear picture of the endgame and know what you want to get out of it. This will vary from client to client, but the rep must master the ability to differentiate, even if he or she is always trying to sell an identical product. The professional may have many different ways of saying “no,” but the rep has to be prepared and be ready to assert the position without appearing to be dominant.
It takes a lot to build a foundation of influence, through a process of preparation and subtle action. It might well be necessary to engage with others, often gatekeepers, who work within the target organisation. Be proactive here and make sure that you are empathetic and understand the challenges facing the prospect. You have to take into account numerous factors, all around the periphery of the situation, some of which may not have a direct bearing on the ultimate goal, but may be necessary to help you achieve your outcome. By doing all this groundwork, you are establishing a key position of trust, an essential attribute taught during key account management training.
If you have a good idea what your prospects will say to you when you meet with them, you can have your position prepared in advance and can field their questions and any possible objections. Put a clear and palatable solution to them, one that is likely to meet their ultimate needs, as well as satisfying your objective in closing the sale. If you have built plenty of flexibility into your position, you can afford to give way if needed, so that you create a joint feeling of collaboration between you both, as you cement the perfect relationship of the future.
Alan Gillies is the Director of L2L Consulting, an elite pharmaceutical consultancy firm which specialises in Strategy Development and Implementation Excellence for prestigious multi-national organisations.

