We recently had a chance to ask Ali a few questions about pharmaceutical sales force effectiveness and the focus of his upcoming presentation to conference delegates in Barcelona.

eyeforpharma: What issues will you be discussing in the session "How to Make Friends & Influence GPs?"

For the pharmaceutical industry, the online channel represents an effective and efficient medium for delivering high-quality customer service to both physicians and consumers. Online customer service allows pharmaceutical companies to enhance access to and relationship equity with physicians, and to increase brand awareness and product adoption with consumers.
However, pharmaceutical companies today tend to be product-focused and silo-oriented. The vast majority are behind the technology curve and the adoption of customer-centric models compared to other industries. The legacy of brand-centric organizational structures prevents the emergence of single, ...
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Feature:
Perspectives Special - Beyond 2005: The Future of Pharmaceutical Marketing and Sales

Cap Gemini Ernst and Young's point of view on the 6 key drivers of change, identified from a year-long global research project involving more than 120 senior executives, managers, and advisors from the life sciences industry. Evaluate the impact of these driving forces, consequences of change, and the challenges our industry faces as we move into the new marketplace Beyond 2005.
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NEW from eyeforpharma: 
FREE in-depth interactive workshops for Pharmaceutical companies attending eyeforpharma's conference in Barcelona 31st March - 1st April.

If you are from a pharmaceutical company you get to choose between the following three workshops...

1) Vision & Reality Pharmaceutical Survey 2003 Workshop (CGE&Y and INSEAD)

2) Mobile and wireless technologies - Workshop (CGE&Y and Siebel)

3) Tailoring your business to ensure 'Perfect Targeting' (IMS HEALTH)

See below for details and register now at www.eyeforpharma.com/sales or www.eyeforpharma.com/mobile

Vision & Reality Pharmaceutical Survey 2003 Workshop (CGE&Y and INSEAD)
Take part in a workshop to hear preliminary findings from the 2003 pharmaceutical marketing and sales survey "Selling through Service: Prescriptions for the Smart & Lean Pharma Company"
Shorter product cycles, changing customers and a tougher economic and regulatory environment: forces that are profoundly impacting pharmaceutical industry growth and the way companies do business. So what do pharmaceutical customers want? How can pharmaceutical companies respond? And which new marketing & sales models should they adopt to interact effectively with all their customers and win in the future marketplace?

Cap Gemini Ernst & Young and leading business school INSEAD are collaborating again on the "Vision and Reality" report. It is the third in the joint series - its predecessors detailed topics on ebusiness as well as pharmaceutical CRM. This year, the report is exploring innovative practices and providing prescriptions for success, as it assesses the changing relationships between pharmaceutical companies and their customers. During March 2003, the Vision and Reality team discussed the topic with senior executives from leading pharmaceutical companies in Europe and the US. The study results will be published in June. This workshop provides you with an opportunity to contribute your views to the report-in-progress by: *Previewing preliminary results from patient and physician primary research *Discussing their implications for pharmaceutical companies *Voicing your views about what pharmaceutical companies should do * Discuss ideas for new marketing and sales models

Mobile and wireless technologies - Workshop (CGE&Y and Siebel)
Unleashing the true potential of your sales force

In an increasingly complex customer environment successful sales forces will need to have relevant and up to date customer, market and product information at their fingertips. They will need to maximise time spent on activities which add value to their customers in order to win in the intensely competitive race for physician access. This workshop will review current pharma sales force challenges and explore how mobile and wireless technologies can enable a transformation in sales force effectiveness.

Matt Wallach, General Manager of Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology, at Siebel Life Sciences, and Clive Mallard from Cap Gemini Ernst & Young's global Life Sciences practice will lead discussions around how mobility can drive sales. They will bring the topic to life with practical demonstrations of a variety of mobile applications and tools, and review practical approaches to making mobile happen in your business

Tailoring your business to ensure 'Perfect Targeting' (IMS HEALTH)

How effective is your current targeting strategy? How efficient is your salesforce?

IMS Health's workshop will cover the following key areas: How you can assess your salesforce targeting strategy. What criteria should be used to identify a prescriber or an influencer's target value and how they should be prioritised to reflect your portfolio objectives? The workshop will demonstrate how various data sources can be integrated to develop a more effective targeting strategy. IMS's experience in developing strategies across Europe has demonstrably shown the effectiveness of its targeting approach. The workshop will distil the practicalities of how you can effectively monitor targeting implementation and results.
Led by: Nina Felton, Vice President of Sales Optimization, Consulting Services, IMSHealth