U.S. Sales Communications Excellence

Resources, Structure and Processes to Optimize Pharmaceutical Sales Communications

Publication Date	April 2008
Publisher	Best Practices
Product Type	Report
Pages	56
ISBN Number	not applicable
Product Code	BPC00030

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Summary

Key Topics

Communication volumes
Communication headcounts and investment
Communication skill-sets
Communication systems and training

Key Metrics

Number of recipients per communications FTE
Number of field recipients per communications FTE
Communication volumes
Type and volume of communication vehicles
Communications size in FTEs
Cost per salesperson served
FTE data for VP's, Directors, Managers, Analysts, and Coordinators
Salary data for VP's, Directors, Managers, Analysts, and Coordinators
Importance of experiences
Importance of skill sets
Importance of various educational backgrounds
Intranet responsibility levels
Training methodologies

Sample Key Findings

The typical pharmaceutical organization spends $80-150 per salesperson in salaries for communication employees. The potential time savings (and resulting increased sales time) that an effective communications group can have will ultimately far outweigh this cost.
Most companies are still not where they want to be in terms of tracking and measuring communications. While roughly 53 percent of the Total Benchmark Class indicated that they do not track communications, and 74 percent stated that they do not measure communications, nearly all participants indicated a desire to do both.
Experience, whether it be pharma or communications oriented, is also very important for communications employees. The best experience comes from working in a communications group and seeing what works and what doesn't. There seems to be a general consensus that while a specific experience is not necessary for any particular communications employee, there must be someone on the team or outside of it that can be consulted.

Methodology

This research was conducted on behalf of one of Best Practices, LLC's clients in the pharmaceutical industry and was based on survey results from 10 participants from 17 companies.

Industries Profiled

Pharmaceutical, Health Care, Manufacturing

Companies Profiled

Centocor, Adams Respiratory Therapeutics, Inc., Ascend Therapeutics, Cubist Pharmaceuticals, Covidien, Eli Lilly and Company, Endo Pharmaceuticals, GlaxoSmithKline, LifeScan, Merck, Novartis, Ortho-McNeil, Sanofi-Aventis, Shire, Solvay Pharmaceuticals, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Vistakon

Content

Research Overview
- Research Objective and Methodology
- Definitions
- Data Interpretation
Research Background
- Benchmark Class
- Benchmark Segmentation
- Participant Titles
- Scope Response
- Communications Audience Size
- Communications Employees each Support Several Hundred People
- Centralized Communications Groups are the most Prevalent
- Supporting Multiple Brands Introduces Complexity
- Communications Group Usually Support Multiple Operating Companies
Key Insights
- Knowledge of and working with the Customer Remains the No
- Focus and Challenge for Communications
- New Delivery Methods Aid and Enhance Existing Tools
- Tracking and Measuring Communications Remains a Challenge
- for Most Communications Groups
- Traditional Skill-Sets Continue to Drive Employee Selection
Communication Volumes
- Business/Sales Analytics and Brand Communications have the
- Largest Volumes for the TBC
- Companies in the LPS Report Higher Overall Communications Volume
- Regardless of Size, Communications Groups Send out Similar
- Numbers of Communications Vehicles
Communication Headcounts and Investment
- Communications Groups are Small across the Board
- Communications Groups are often Comprised of a
- Small Number of People at each Level
- Typical Salaries for each Communications Level
- Organizations Typically Spend $80-150 in Sales Communications
- Salary per Salesperson Served
Communications Skill-Sets
- Prior Sales and Communications Experience Rate Most
- Effective for the TBC
- Large Pharma Companies have Similar Priorities to the TBC
- Customer Focus and Good Judgment are Top Priorities for the TBC
- LPS Companies Place a Higher Emphasis on Writing Skills
- and Increased Importance of Management Skills
- A Bachelors Degree is required by the TBC
- Larger Companies Share the Same Requirements
Communication Systems and Training
- Tracking and Measuring Communications Effectively is Still an Area
- of Growth for Many Organizations
- Content Creation and Management are the most Common Intranet Tasks
- No Training Methods Stand out as Particularly Popular
- Appendix
- FTE Levels - Vice Presidents
- Investment Levels - Vice Presidents
- FTE Levels - Directors
- Investment Levels - Directors
- FTE Levels - Managers/Operations Supervisors
- Investment Levels - Managers/Operations Supervisors
- FTE Levels - Specialists/Analysts
- Investment Levels - Specialists/Analysts
- FTE Levels - Coordinators/Admins
- Investment Levels - Coordinators/Admins
- Email, Voicemail, and Intranet are the Primary Modes of Communication
- Larger Companies have Similar Communications Numbers
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