What are the most effective ways to adapt to new products in Medical Sales?

Before you worry about the product itself, spend ample time learning about the problem it's intended to solve. Worrying about your product's ability to perform before adequate understanding of why a customer would want it to perform in the first place is a waste of time. Delve deep into the "why" behind your product, what your stakeholders are up against and what gaps currently exist for them. This will allow you to position your product successfully.

Focus on the clinical benefit. We can get lost in the higher performance, better resolution, quicker processing or whatever. Understand all the technical advantages, but focus on how it directly makes patients and or clinicians, lives better.

In my experience product knowledge is very critical. What I mean is understanding everything about the molecule and the evidence behind it, not only the product you are working on but also the products from the same class and the products having the same indication. To be able to understand the pros and cons of each molecule. You will be more confident while detailing. And another critical point is to understand customer needs.

Understand the product. Understand the customer's needs (pain points). Show the customer the value the product brings them by satisfying their needs.

When a new product is launched into the healthcare marketplace, the medical user will have many questions about the use, benefits and risks. The better you understand your new product, the better answers you will provide to the potential new user prescriber. You only get one chance to make a first impression.

Practicing your pitch is definitely important - and practicing with other high performers on your team will allow you to hone your craft. Pick people to practice with who will give you honest feedback about which parts are great, which fell flat etc. To many medical sales people disparage role play, but the only way to stay sharp is to practice the fundamentals.

Know your customer. Identify the behavioural styles of your target customers & tailor your ‘pitch’ to them. At the same time dial up or down your own style if it will clash with the customer. For example: a Controller will want data whereas a Talker will be more responsive to product stories. Both will be switched off if they receive the opposite ‘pitch’.

Practicing your pitch is definitely important - and practicing with other high performers on your team will allow you to hone your craft. Pick people to practice with who will give you honest feedback about which parts are great, which fell flat etc. To many medical sales people disparage role play, but the only way to stay sharp is to practice the fundamentals.

We have all built trusting, direct relationships with customers over our tenure in sales. You can use these as a starting point. Even if some of those are an initial "no" to what you bring to the table, this will give you honest insight into objections you must learn to address. Secondly, don't be shy to ask questions of your peers who have already been working with the technology you are selling. Your peers are a wealth of knowledge and there is no such thing as a stupid question. Third, put yourself in the shoes of the practices, doctors, and patients your product serves. Understand and present (from their perspectives) how your offering will benefit them overall and in contrast to your competition without criticizing the competition.

I believe the best way to adapt to a new product is to get out and start talking about it with your customers. This is the only way to monitor what gets traction and what doesn’t. Find the best patient types/niche(s) the product fits into and own them first. Adjust your launch strategies based off these perceptions and constantly monitor market needs and where you can further increase breadth.

Don’t rely on market research or ad boards. Pivot based on what reality is on the street. Too often with new products, go to market strategy is based on limited real world knowledge.

Wise leader I worked for once said, “The people closest to the business (reps, customers) know the business the best”. Home office leadership has to create legit feedback loop and have courage to listen and act on what is learned on front lines.

I am wondering why we’d bother with market research or ad boards if they don’t provide the value you need to succeed with a launch? I think the challenge can sometimes be the disconnect between the team who receives the feedback from the ad boards and how they spin it out to the sales team. In the end the sales team needs super great relationships with those kol’s to really understand the dynamics and the best way to launch.

New products presents new opportunities, and a new and fresh reason to go back and speak with current customers. Be open minded and curious about how a new product can add to your business and customer relationships. Providing feedback to non-customer facing teams, but in a balanced and positive way will be an important step in the cycle, maybe even invite them to join some client calls to get feedback direct from customers.

It’s easy to say accept change. It’s difficult for most of us to do. If you are someone who is challenged by the new or different then this is an opportunity for self-development. Often in these situations it’s worth decelerating. Slow down. Re-frame your thoughts from negatives to positives, it’s helpful to write these down. Then when you’ve rationalised the new, you can then accelerate once more. In the moment, if fear or anxiety strikes using a slow breathing pattern can help manage your emotions & help bring the thinking brain back online. It’s the quickest way to regulate your nervous system & your performance.

No one cares how much you know, until they know how much you care. Don’t show up, and throw up the latest marketing campaigns. Be sincere in your efforts to listen more and talk less. Being a subject matter expert on your disease state requires discipline and a humbling dose of reality. With a plethora of therapeutic options available, articulate the value proposition, based on the customer’s needs, not your desire to bonus high or get promoted. Ultimately, there are patients who may benefit from your novel product, so begin with this thought on every engagement. Now, go be a Rock Star for Patients!

Prep the market. No better way to have a slow launch than to have to create the need after approval. When the appropriate market sees a problem and you launch the answer, success follows.

Sell your product yourself first ... take time but should be limited. Practice infront of mirror the points u highlighted for product selling.

It is important to consider the "job to be done." We should be able to see where and how fits into the patient and the HCPs clinical practice. We moved beyond simple messaging years ago, today the product must seamlessly fit into a new treatment paradigm (limited friction helps adoption happen).