DIAGNOSING CURRENT SALES TRAINING PRACTICES IN

PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY
Sales as a matter of course show the changing world of commercial enterprise and
communications. In todays dynamic and vibrant business environment organizations are
dedicating to the sales management activities to sustain competitiveness. Because of consistent
pressure of market dynamics and selling orientations firms hold on training interventions to
improve the skill level of the sales-force (Cron, Marshall, Singh, Spiro and Harish, 2005)).
Successfulness of a relationship strategy often depends on the sensibility and behaviors. Thus
salespeople's behavioral conducts have significant effects on client satisfaction. (Wang, 2012).
For that reason, sales profession is regarded as one of the most challenging and contentious
(Chitwood, 2007).
The favorable results from sales-force grounded more on the ability to adapt, acquire, and
apply learned ability (Salas, Wilson, Priest and Guthrie, 2006)). Literature indicates that holding
and gratifying the development requirements of sales team and attracting the sales talents are
pivotal for sustainability (Garrido, Perez and Anton, 2005). Moreover sales professionals face
several challenges such as limited sales opportunities, multi-channel environment,
knowledgeable customers, ethical selling and discriminating buyers (Little, 2008; Midgley,
1997). This calls for advanced expertness to pertain in everyday field activities (Noe, 2008). For
productive performance, on-field or classroom guidance regarded as workable and practical
intervention (Katzell and Guzzo, 1983) and stay as highest business priority (Lambert, 2010). In
turbulent environment sales personnel needs interpersonal conducts, sales contacts and technical
competencies (McKinsey Global Survey, 2010). But Salsa and Stagl (2009) reports that limited
salespeople have knowledge of modern behaviors and technology abilities. Literatures have
finite evidence of systematic procedures (IBM, 2008). The overall understanding is much
restricted and anecdotal (Garrido et al., 2005). Thu Stewart (2006) states sales get the least
attention from researchers.
Little research exists on the effectiveness of pharmaceutical sales training in India. The aim of
this inquiry is to investigate the same. Till date, Indian focused studies are scarce. So this report
tries to overcome this gap. The eclectic issues are identified and kept as focal point of
investigation. These are as follows:
Selling practices and frequency of orientations.
Delivery methods, contents, and trainers.
Supervisor/ management support.
Skills imperative in in the pharmaceutical sales industry.
Motivation and satisfaction level.
Barriers to effectiveness (role of creativity, innovativeness, and technology).
First sales promotion need, growth, and earlier perspectives in the context of training
as disciplines are discussed. Running along the section research design and method we start
through the pros and cons of the qualitative in-depth interview, sample size justification, data
aggregation, and results. The article then debates on issues or subjects that came off from the
qualitative exploratory study and these are elaborated in light of existing literature.