We're going to take a slight detour from the subject of sales training and its structure that could accelerate your training success. We're going to look at something that requires different sets of selling skills, and very little about selling we've learned so far can really assist you with this.
And it's about using the internet to sell pharmaceuticals:
Internet sales pharmaceuticals will replace its non-Internet sales counterpart – could this be real?
If it is real, it could not have happened overnight. Many things need to happen beforehand. I know that it’s a relief to some of us but don’t rest on your laurel yet.
The change could happen in a blink of an eye (just like what happened to our Malaysian Government ruling parties).
When I first started this blog, one of my strategies to monetize it was through promoting other peoples products or better known as affiliate marketing and since I’m in Pharma Industry, the thought of promoting healthcare related products: medicine, gadget or services are appropriate.
That include sales of pharmaceuticals through the internet by individual companies mainly Online Pharmacy Stores.
What could possibly drive Internet pharmaceutical sales?
Here’s what I think:- Relatively lower marketing budget
Developing a product is only the beginning. To make a profit, the company needs to put the product into the customers’ hands for a price, and if the price (selling price) is more than the production cost, it’s profit.
The process of putting the product into the customers’ hands is marketing. So, keeping this cost low and optimized the right product price ensures a steady flow of profit and it can be achieved relatively easily through selling on the Internet.
Try recruiting a Pharmaceutical sales rep, and you know what I mean.
Delivery cost is a part of the overall marketing budget, and we already know that it’s profitable to keep this as low as possible. With sales through the Internet, a well-chosen courier service goes a long way to deliver low-cost, high-profit transaction.
There’s no such thing as a virtual human touch, but I mentioned this to make a point, and that point is: Internet sales allow optimum customization for customers. Seth Godin, a prodigal marketing writer, refers a lot to One To One marketing concept for his Permission Marketing.
A lot of companies had picked up the concept ever since and if you want to feel what it’s like, just visit Amazon.com today and revisit them a few hours or days after. If you browse from the same computer, somehow, they remember you. Creepy!
But that’s what virtual human touch is all about. Now, if you were to look around you, the Internet has taken a front row to many of traditional business of today, at least for marketing purposes.
Picture this:
Your company is selling Biochemical Analyzer and one day, a representative for a big Consumer product company calls you and asks you about a specific machine.
To your surprise, that machine is not available locally! When you ask the rep on how she came to know about the device, she replies that she got it from your company website.
But it’s not your local company website.
What are you to do then in this situation?
The process of putting the product into the customers’ hands is marketing. So, keeping this cost low and optimized the right product price ensures a steady flow of profit and it can be achieved relatively easily through selling on the Internet.
Try recruiting a Pharmaceutical sales rep, and you know what I mean.
- Lower delivery cost
Delivery cost is a part of the overall marketing budget, and we already know that it’s profitable to keep this as low as possible. With sales through the Internet, a well-chosen courier service goes a long way to deliver low-cost, high-profit transaction.
- Virtual human touch
There’s no such thing as a virtual human touch, but I mentioned this to make a point, and that point is: Internet sales allow optimum customization for customers. Seth Godin, a prodigal marketing writer, refers a lot to One To One marketing concept for his Permission Marketing.
A lot of companies had picked up the concept ever since and if you want to feel what it’s like, just visit Amazon.com today and revisit them a few hours or days after. If you browse from the same computer, somehow, they remember you. Creepy!
But that’s what virtual human touch is all about. Now, if you were to look around you, the Internet has taken a front row to many of traditional business of today, at least for marketing purposes.
Picture this:
Your company is selling Biochemical Analyzer and one day, a representative for a big Consumer product company calls you and asks you about a specific machine.To your surprise, that machine is not available locally! When you ask the rep on how she came to know about the device, she replies that she got it from your company website.
But it’s not your local company website.
What are you to do then in this situation?
If it were me, I just told the truth and came up with some suggestion, and that’s what I actually did even though I feel a bit ‘bad’ for not able to profit from this.
That could be the biggest deal of a lifetime.
And this goes out to prove the power of selling through the internet even for big-ticket item Pharmaceutical products (the Analyzer is in half-a-million price range).
With the ever-increasing marketing expenses, competitive delivery services and an urgent need for customization and support – locally and globally – it won’t be long before a significant turn in the way of selling pharmaceutical products takes place.
Don’t be surprised if the next time around, I brand myself as the next Internet Sales Pharmaceutical Consultant. I’m learning the rope for Diagnostic pharmaceutical now. It’s apparent that I’m up to something. Just leave your comment if you like to be a part of this.
That could be the biggest deal of a lifetime.
And this goes out to prove the power of selling through the internet even for big-ticket item Pharmaceutical products (the Analyzer is in half-a-million price range).
With the ever-increasing marketing expenses, competitive delivery services and an urgent need for customization and support – locally and globally – it won’t be long before a significant turn in the way of selling pharmaceutical products takes place.
Don’t be surprised if the next time around, I brand myself as the next Internet Sales Pharmaceutical Consultant. I’m learning the rope for Diagnostic pharmaceutical now. It’s apparent that I’m up to something. Just leave your comment if you like to be a part of this.
nice article kantan....
ReplyDeleteaku nak linkkan site kau ke blog aku kay
www.evolusimedic.blogspot.com
After 12 years, baru rasa nak balas komen ni ;)
DeleteWell, you know what they say. "Better late than never."
Wishing all the best for our frontliners, fighting Covid_19 , which include you my buddy Rizhan. Stay strong. Stay safe. #Kitajagakita