Better coaching leads to increased patient share

The challenge

The global move to an increased virtual client engagement environment and an influx of competitors had made the sales environment for a specialist prescription medicine client increasingly difficult. As a result of the challenges, the client’s patient share in the market had plateaued.

Our solution

Inizio Advisory’s benchmarking experts, STEM, identified that coaching of sales representatives by first-line sales managers (FLSM) was low, lagging behind the rest of the organization and industry averages. STEM’s research also revealed that the sales representatives perceived the coaching quality to be below average, with only 20% of field-coaching reports including a SMART action plan or clear next steps.

Building on STEM’s insight, Cormis (the capability development division of Inizio’s The Creative Engagement Group) worked with the client to design a customized learning program to develop the FLSM’s coaching skills. On an individual level, the program was aimed at increasing the managers’ awareness of coaching principles and changing core behaviors. At an organizational level, the goal was to demonstrate the impact coaching can have, help sales representatives navigate the post-pandemic landscape and recapture lost patient share.

The results

Following the program, STEM once again observed the managers and found tangible examples of behavior change, with increased competence and confidence. There was clear evidence of accelerated performance, with optimal coaching outcomes and high levels of buy-in to the field-coaching reports and new coaching model. STEM ranked the company’s FLSM scores as best in class.

Most importantly, the coaching, designed and delivered by Cormis, has driven improved performance in the sales representatives, leading to an increase in the client’s patient market share.

Client testimonial:

“My experience of working with Cormis has been brilliant. On the foundation of STEM’s identification that our sales leaders were starving for a good coaching program to support them in their job, Cormis took this intelligence and tailored our global materials, delivering the program face-to-face in the local language, and the learner experience has been really good.”
Global Commercial Excellence Lead, Top 10 multinational pharmaceutical company