The client for this interim mandate in the area of Sales & Distribution was a global market leader in the pharmaceutical and medical technology sector. The highly specialized company had launched an innovative and high-priced finished medicinal product.
However, sales in the first nine months after the launch were far below original expectations. Due to the great importance of the German market for the company's overall international success, the product launch could not be allowed to fail under any circumstances.
The interim manager was hired due to his expertise in relaunches and his knowledge of the pharmaceutical market. His task was to analyze the situation very quickly and thoroughly, identify solutions and initiate steps to put the product on the road to success. The successful relaunch was the goal of the interim project.
Multiple reasons for the lack of sales success identified
In the first step, the interim manager held open discussions with sales and users to work out the real reasons for the lack of success. This revealed that there were many "bottle necks" that were preventing better market penetration.
- One major challenge was that the disease was perceived by the medical community as a morphological change that was acceptable in the majority of cases. Therefore, doctors opted for alternative approaches depending on the stage: watch and wait or surgery, which was routine for many practitioners.
- Another challenge was diagnosis: although the necessary equipment was mostly available in practices, doctors often lacked experience in interpreting the results.
- In addition, the unique and demanding logistics of the drug posed major challenges for both general practitioners and clinics.
- Last but not least, there was a lack of confidence among specialists regarding possible long-term side effects.
Training programs and specialist communication with opinion leaders initiated
In order to improve the perception of the new drug among specialists, the interim manager initiated training programs for the diagnosis of the disease. In cooperation with a leading manufacturer of diagnostic equipment, special training programs were offered for doctors. This made it possible to improve diagnostic expertise in a very targeted manner in a short space of time.
In order to communicate the practical application and strengthen confidence in the drug, the interim manager won over opinion leaders from the medical profession. At congresses and specially created symposia, the renowned physicians explained the scientific background and reported on their personal experiences of using the new drug in practice.
Logistical processes optimized | customer information improved
In order to make it easier for pharmacies, doctors and clinics to order and store the logistically challenging drug, the interim manager worked with the internal teams to optimize the logistical processes. This included, for example, direct customer support. He also had easy-to-understand information materials developed. Sales employees were trained in order to optimize the close cooperation between pharmacies and doctors required by customers.
Marketing, sales and medical science successfully realigned
In the course of the analysis, the findings and the new strategic approaches, it was also necessary to realign the planning for marketing, sales and medical science and work it out in great detail. Among other things, the interim manager revised the classification of customers and defined new criteria to enable a targeted approach and thus a faster and more successful market entry. Clear messages and measures were assigned to each target group. In addition, the interim manager used newly initiated market research to put the sales and marketing planning on a new, realistic footing, which later proved to be accurate in the practical test.
After eight months of the interim mandate, the relaunch was a success. Goals, strategies and measures were now in harmony. The Marketing & Sales team, which was understandably disappointed at the beginning, was highly motivated and successfully implemented the new requirements.
