Content :

Training for Medical Sales Representatives - Actions

 

• Training for newly hired medical sales representatives
• Individual knowledge assessment
• Improving continuous training

Training for newly hired medical sales representatives

Training newcomers to the Group about the world of science and the products that are central to their professional activity

Such training has three goals:

• to enable new medical sales representatives to acquire knowledge about our products;
• to adapt medical sales representatives' knowledge to their product portfolio, whether this involves a new product, or change in their workload;
• to teach medical sales representatives about new developments concerning the products they promote. 

In order to meet these goals, training materials are adapted to the participants' needs; specific training is offered about "classic" products, as well as products presented by over-the-counter teams and generic products. Sanofi-aventis combines training in the presence of the sales representatives with training based on printed documents and remote learning. Lastly, Regulatory Affairs validates their oral presentations and sales pitch.  

Individual knowledge assessment

Assessment of individual know-how about basic product information

This evaluation consists of a questionnaire, made available one to two months after the end of training, to be completed on line at any point during a three-week period of time. The questionnaire includes randomly selected questions about important basic product information covered during each product training session. Participants must answer at least 70% of questions correctly. If their score is below 70%, the questionnaire is made available again two weeks after the first evaluation, to be completed at any time during a two-week period of time. If the minimum score is not obtained the second time, measures are taken to provide personal support.
 

Improving continuous training

Enabling all members of the sales force to remain up to date on essential medical, scientific and product information

3 goals:

• Enable each representative to gain the necessary level of knowledge, determined via basic product information that serves as a basis for evaluation.
• Ensure that promotional activity complies fully with all applicable rules.
• Maintain high quality standards.

Various types of training are offered to reach these goals:

• Printed documents, already widely used, will continue to be distributed.
• Continuous training may be offered via remote training methods, for example through virtual classes using Net-Animation. Presentations by leaders and/or experts can be used to provide up-to-date information on a given disease or other aspects of their area of specialization.
• Training in the presence of the trainer will be continued.
• New means of information, such as podcasts, will also be offered.