GSK changes the way its US sales reps are assessed
pharmafile | July 6, 2011 | News story | Sales and Marketing | GSK, pharma sales force
GlaxoSmithKline has revealed a new way of assessing its US sales representatives’ performance in a bid to make the manufacturer’s activities more transparent.
In January the company eschewed individual sales targets for reps who work directly with doctors, and the new system is “in alignment with the company’s values of transparency, respect for people, integrity and focus on the patient”.
GSK reps will still receive a mixture of salary and bonus but the latter will be awarded on the base of three things: selling competency, customer evaluations, and the overall performance of their business unit.
In a tone which critics might take to be slightly defensive, GSK has emphasised the educational value of its sales teams’ work.
“Our sales professionals play a critical role in providing doctors with appropriate, updated information on the safety and benefits of our medicines,” said Deirdre Connelly, GSK’s president, North America Pharmaceuticals. “This information helps doctors make informed treatment decisions for their patients.”
In a nod perhaps to concerns over the historical conduct of pharma reps from various companies, she adds the new incentive programme means health professionals “can be confident that our sales professionals are focused on improving patient health”.
GSK announced plans a year ago to overhaul the way it rewards its employees in the field, and says the new package is an attempt to “obtain robust, ongoing, unbiased assessments of the effectiveness of its sales professionals in meeting customer needs”.
“This effort is part of a wider evolution to align the company’s sales and marketing programs with societal and customer expectations,” the company said in a statement.
“Along with changing many aspects of how we conduct our business, we have also invested heavily in training and compliance programs to ensure that we are operating at or above the pharmaceutical industry code of ethics,” Connelly concluded.
Adam Hill
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