1, March 2023

Tips for Improving Pharma Sales Planning

Written by PeakPharma

Every year brings multiple new opportunities and challenges for pharmaceutical sales teams. With the rapid pace of change in the industry, pharmaceutical sales teams need to stay ahead of the competition by planning for the future. Let’s discuss some tips for improving pharma sales planning in 2023 and beyond.

Have a Well-Defined Customer Journey

The customer journey begins as soon as a customer is exposed to your product, brand or service. You need to have a well-defined customer journey that outlines the steps from initial contact to recommendation and even your post-recommendation actions. This includes understanding the customer’s needs and what drives them at each step, how best to establish initial contact and finally, providing clear direction to your sales teams on how to transition customers across each step in the journey.

Map out and monitor the path customers are most likely to take from initial contact to recommendation to help guide and provide feedback to your sales team.

Create Customer Personas and Target Audience Research

Customer personas are detailed representations of ideal customers that are based on market research and customer feedback. Knowing who your target market is and understanding their needs and preferences will help you create a tailored sales plan that will be more successful.

You should conduct the necessary market research to determine the demographics, recommendation habits, interests and pain points of the customers you want to target. These accurate customer personas will help your sales team better align your products and services to the customers.

Consult Sales Data and Forecast Ahead

It is important to consult past pharma sales data to understand trends and make informed decisions about your sales plan. Analyzing past sales data can also help you create reasonable forecasts for your sales plan targets.

Your sales team should use the data to create sales projections and adjust the plan as needed. It is also a good idea to create a tracking system to monitor sales performance and use KPIs to motivate your sales team.

Distribute Sales Plan to the Entire Team

A successful sales plan should be communicated to the entire team. Ensure that everyone involved in the sales process is aligned, understands the plan and their role in it.

Your pharma sales plan should include specific goals, processes, and strategies. It should also include incentives for sales reps to reach their goals with clear achievement timelines.

Adjust as Needed Post-Launch

Once your sales plan has been implemented, monitor the progress results and make adjustments as needed. It is important to identify challenges and to be agile. Solicit your sales reps for their thoughts, feedback and opinions often and make necessary changes to the plan if the results are not meeting expectations.

Implement your Pharma Sales Plan with PEAK Pharma Solutions

PEAK Pharma Solutions understands the importance of creating a successful sales plan for your pharma team. Our team of experienced professionals can help you create a plan that is tailored to your company’s goals.

Complete our form online or call us at 1-888-226-0052 and let’s discuss your pharma sales strategy!