What could be better – working for an industry where it’s main aim is to make people better, to provide everyone who needs it with a better quality of life. Surely, you would think, the media would treat an industry such as this with a degree of respect, even a hint of reverence. But ,as we know, nothing could be further from the truth.
In this short blog, Media First's Sharon Francis explores the changing media agenda towards the Pharmaceutical Sector.
Being a global pharmaceutical brand means that you are easy pickings for journalists. They used to love the whole David and Goliath analogy of small pressure groups being ‘bullied’ by a global corporate giant. But times they are a changing and the media has a new agenda – the industry is now being judged on a new set of parameters. Journalists know that in the current climate their audience wants to know what the pharma companies are doing in terms of transparency and trust. There is a desire from the customer for this particular sector of big business to actively demonstrate a more ethical attitude to the way they work. Therefore there is a need for the industry to demonstrate that they are re-engaging with their customers.
However, as any embattled head of sales will tell you, the business environment is extremely challenging. With R and D investment falling and a need to develop medicines for a more targeted population, the power to reconnect starts with the sales team. Knowing your subject inside and out isn’t enough these days. Sales teams need to be able to understand what their audience really wants to hear. Whether it’s a one to one meeting or to large group. Having the skills set to take control, get the right message across, whilst retaining your own individual style is the key to a successful engagement. Once people believe in you, they will trust you and then the foundations are laid for establishing a healthy relationship between customer and client.
At Media First, we have the experience of working with sales teams in the pharmaceutical industry. We design bespoke presentation skills training sessions that work with the sales team to establish what the key messages are, what is the best strategy for the individual, as well as what the most effective key components for the presentation should be. No one said it was going to be easy but when the media agenda starts to change, it's the company that responds the quickest who will reap the benefits. Changing cultures and attitudes within a multinational is never a quick process but if the change starts through the sales team then it potentially provides a platform that others both internally and externally can follow.
For more information on Media First's work with the Pharmaceutical Sector, click here.