Leadership programmes can transform a company’s business success says Christopher Hudd.

Finding commercial talent in the pharmaceutical sector is a constant challenge – it’s both expensive and time consuming – so once you have a good team in place, it is critical not only to keep them, but also to develop them.

New people need to be coached in the ways of the business and then put on a professional development path that will not only satisfy their career aspirations but also meet the needs of the business in the future.

Achieving a seamless transition programme that enables key staff to negotiate the gaps between junior and more senior roles is particularly challenging and requires considerable investment in terms of time and resources. For example, the move from territory manager to regional and/or national account manager is considerable, and new skills are required: account planning, the ability to develop robust commercial arguments, analysis of market research, major negotiations and large scale tenders.

In developing these commercial leadership programmes, companies should stick to some basic principles:

• See training and development as integral to the business.
• Ensure a consistent approach by establishing a ‘way of selling’
• Support employee development by creating a seamless career path
• Enable development with a mix of theory and practice

Development of the programme should start with a gap analysis: where are we now, where do we want to be, and how do we bridge the gap? The first step in building a successful leadership programme is to set standards for the commercial function; a corporate way of selling that everyone in the company buys into and understands.

Recognising potential

By establishing this framework from the start, it is possible to eliminate future ‘gaps’ in professional development.

This programme will have, as its starting point, elements of ‘basic training’ that enables new recruits – whether they be graduates or from another company – to get up to full speed with the commercial way of working and obtain training in the key commercial skills required.

The experience of major generic drugs manufacturer, TEVA offers some useful lessons (see case study below).

In developing a commercial leadership programme, a good place to start is identifying those who are keen and have the potential to progress. A programme of ‘taster sessions’ can provide them with useful insights into what to expect, and offers an opportunity to learn some of the basic skills required in the next job; vital in securing a talent pool for the future and ensuring that  the ‘best people’ feel valued.

Of course, the opportunities for them to take on new and more senior roles may take time, so managing their expectations is vital. In the meantime, maintain momentum and boost morale and a sense of excitement for the future by agreeing a development plan with candidates, ensuring they take ownership of it.

Organisations should build on taster sessions by enabling candidates to develop and practise the skills they have learned. For example, they should be given the opportunity to attend account team meetings, work on special projects, and receive additional practical training. Many will benefit from having a mentor within the organisation and being encouraged to practise new skills in their current roles.

The right mix

Bridging the gaps between field, regional and national account management roles was the challenge faced by AAH Pharmaceuticals, and it tackled this isue with a mix of intensive development programmes, secondments and executive ‘shadowing’. A key feature of the solution was a series of training interventions for identified, high- potential territory managers.

The success of the programme is demonstrated by a reduction in staff churn levels and the promotion of the best individuals into more senior commercial roles. The solution for bridging the skills gap at the more senior level was not traditional training, but a blended learning solution, combining secondment and training of high-potential individuals into new and stretching roles.

In addition, there was the opportunity to shadow a national account manager with one of the most difficult customers. One result of this process was the appointment of the first home-grown, major national account manager.

The experience at TEVA and AAH suggests these programmes can pay huge dividends when it comes to retaining and developing commercial leadership talent. Success depends on close integration with the needs of the business, a consistent approach across the whole commercial function, and a seamless development path, using an appropriate mix of theoretical and practical training.

Case study: the TEVA Academy

TEVA had a team of around 12 territory managers who practised relationship selling and courtesy calling for many years.

It then added a small team of graduates and experienced sales professionals to launch a new way of selling into pharmacy/dispensing doctors.

To motivate everyone and ensure staff retention, while radically changing working practices, the company developed The TEVA Academy”

TEVA invested in giving the whole team a base level of techniques and skills – effectively establishing a TEVA way of selling. Once this had been established, high potential individuals were selected, who received theoretical and practical training for more senior roles.

In the two years since first establishing the Academy, TEVA has retained every member of its team.

They are now highly motivated individuals and this is translating into well documented increases in terms of market share and improved customer loyalty.

Christopher Hudd is a director and co-founder of training and development company Springboard Commercial Solutions. For more information visit: www.springboardcs.com