Field Manager’s Guide 12/25/09

Chapter 10
Field Coaching

One of the most important activities of a Field Manager is coaching. Too often
this area is sadly neglected because managers are not properly trained in the
basics of field coaching or perhaps because they spend too little time in the
field. We need not emphasize how your success lies in your the time and
effort you spend training and developing your team in the field
ability to train and develop your sales team and the only way to do this is to be
in the field with your team.

We’ll begin by taking a look at some step-by-step tips on how to conduct

successful coaching. Later we will discuss how to prepare a coaching budget
so you can allocate your coaching time more effectively.

Before the Call

Begin your coaching with a pre-call briefing. Review the status of the target
client with the representative. Look over the physician information card. It
should list past commitments and prescribing preferences. During the briefing,
you should also cover the following points:
• Discuss the sales strategy. Decide what products should be promoted on
this call. Also list the objectives for each call, the questions to be asked and
commitments to be closed.
• Decide on your roles. Make it clear to the your representative what you are
going to do and what you are not going to do during the call. Be sure your
Rep representative knows that the sales call is his or her responsibility.

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During Your Joint Call

During your joint sales call with a new representative you want to remain as
inconspicuous as possible. Fade out after the introduction. Don’t add or
contribute your ideas to the presentation or discussion. Keep in mind the
following points:
• Focus all of your attention on the representative. Don’t divert the
physician’s attention by knowing glances. Encourage the physician’s
interest in the representative by keeping your attention on the presentation.
• Keep out of the physician’s line of sight. If possible, stand in his or her blind
spot. Let the representative have total center stage.
• Be absolutely still. Remember, you’re an extra here and everything you do
is a distraction to the representative’s presentation.
• Resist the temptation to rescue your representative You accomplish
absolutely nothing by grabbing the bag. Prerequisite to any coaching
situation is the right of your representative to fail, so be sure to resist the
urge to step in and help out.
• If asked a question, keep your answer short and brief and be sure to hand
over the conversation back to your medical representative. Some examples
of hand-over techniques: “In fact just this morning, Peter pointed out to me
that a clinical study was recently published in the British Medical Journal
demonstrating this effect… Peter?”

After the Call

Let the representative analyze the call. Ask your representative how it went,
what was good or bad, and what might have been done differently? Listen
carefully to his or her answers and try not to give the impression that you are

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testing every reply. You should also:

• Ask specific questions. Instead of making the new representative defensive
by pointing out every error, use questioning to make your point. (“What did
you think about the physician’s objections?“ Let the representative come up
with different ways he or she could have handled the call. To help the
representative analyze specific parts of the call, we have designed a Post
Call Analysis Worksheet presented as Exhibit 14.a
• Reinforce the things that were well done. Compliment the your
representative on skills that he or she is improving.
• This helps build the behavior you want. Watch for improvement, but don’t
expect perfection on the first call.
• Suggest a better way. Many times the best technique is simply to tell the
representative how you would have handled a particular part of the call.
Your method may not be the only way to handle a situation, but your
experience is valuable and should be used when appropriate.
• Limit the number of points to be covered. Imagine trying to discuss every
problem with the first sales call. The Your representative could be
devastated! If you focus on only one or two ideas, the your representative
will I learn more and feel better and maintain his or her enthusiasm for
making doctor calls.
• Get feedback. You’ll never know if the your representative understands or
agrees with you unless you get a response. Not much learning takes place
with only one-way communication.
• Build on strengths. Too often, field coaching is only used as a tool to point
out errors and areas of weaknesses.correct. However, building on an
unusual strength or a latent skill can be motivating and rewarding for both

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of you.

Your success in coaching depends on how well you give feedback

We as adults learn new skills by receiving feedback on our performance.
Without such feedback, we are unable to make corrections and improvements
to our performance. Therefore, a most important role for a Field Manager in
any training situation is ensuring that representatives receive the feedback
they find most useful for improving their performance.

With certain tasks such as throwing a dart at a dart-board or cutting paper

along a marked line, it is relatively easy to receive feedback on performance.
In such instances, feedback is immediately available on the quality and
consequences of the performance. The learner is then able to make the
necessary adjustments to improve his or her performance.

However, many of the skills that our sales representatives use do not offer the
same simple feedback options. In such cases, a Field Manager must use his
or her skills to provide the trainee with feedback that will be as clear as a dart
hitting a board. To be effective with feedback, a Field Manager must also use
analysis to observe the performance and interpret it in a meaningful way. The
feedback to the trainee is then based on the observation and analysis of the
performance. The feedback—however detailed—will fail if the analysis has
been neglected or is of poor quality.

[INSERT TRAINER—>TRAINEE—>PERFORMANCE DIAGRAM]

Trainer
Trainee

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Performance
Feedback Skills
Analysis Skills
Giving feedback is an interpersonal skill
One difficulty with giving feedback is that it introduces another human element
to the learning system. In this respect, feedback skills are a form of
interpersonal-skills transaction between the Field Manager and representative.
Should this relationship be anything but positive, the representative is likely to
create defensive barriers, thus cutting off the benefits of receiving feedback
and the opportunity to practice and improve.

Having received the feedback, the representative may wish to use this on his
or her next performance. In such a situation, the Field Manager still has an
important role to play. He must design and structure suitable learning
opportunities that provide a supportive climate in which the trainee can try out
the modified performance. A carefully designed role-play is a useful technique,
either as an end in itself or as an intermediate step before a real-life
performance, e.g., the next sales call.

Guidelines for Giving Feedback

The challenge in giving feedback is to do it in such a way that is helpful.
Feedback should be designed to reinforce positive behaviors and to overcome
or remodel negative behaviors. Here are some guidelines for giving feedback:

Examine Your Motives for Giving Feedback

Are you genuinely trying to be helpful? Is there any element of revenge, point-
scoring, flattery, manipulation, face-saving, or one-upmanship?

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Feedback Should Be Prompt

Feedback should be given immediately following the behavior in question or as
soon afterwards as is feasible. Feedback should not be postponed until it is too
late to be effective.

Feedback Should Be Timed Appropriately

Although promptness is important, feedback should also be timed for when the
representative trainee is receptive. Feedback will not be well received when a
representative is particularly emotional, occupied with some other task, or
preparing for a critical event, e.g., a sales presentation to a senior hospital
consultant.

Focus Feedback on Behavior Rather Than Personality

It is important that we focus on what a person does rather than comment on
what we imagine he or she is. To focus on behavior, use adverbs (which relate
to action) rather than adjectives (which relate to qualities) when referring to a
person. Thus, we might say a person “talked considerably at this meeting”
rather than that this person “is a loudmouth.” When we talk in terms of
“personality traits” we imply inherited constant qualities that are difficult if not
impossible to change.

Relate Feedback to a Specific Behavior

Focusing on behavior implies that it is something related to a specific situation
that might be changed—it is less threatening to hear comments about our
behavior than our “traits.” Thus, “when you interrupted me just now, I felt really
angry,” not “you are always interrupting.”

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Ask the Representative for His or Her Impressions

Ask the trainee how he or she felt about the interview. This provides an
opportunity to highlight his or her faults and shows you how sensitive he or she
is to criticism. You will still be required to give your feedback by reviewing the
representative’s self-criticism, identifying the more important items, and
identifying the good points to provide motivation.

Give Feedback in Small Doses

Be selective by choosing one or two important points on which to concentrate.
Try to identify the most significant weakness that has the biggest impact on the
success of the representative’s sales calls. For example, a lack of doctor
involvement and an unsuccessful closing technique might result from a poor
questioning technique.

Always end your feedback on a positive note by giving praise for those skills
that were effective. Feedback is not helpful when it is:
• Too Critical—Criticism is necessary, but if it is excessive or too negative
the trainee will be demotivated and performance will suffer.
• Too Subjective—Try to make feedback objective. The more subjective it
is, the more it will seem like personal criticism.
• Incomprehensible—The trainee must fully understand the behavior being
discussed and your reaction to it.
• Prescriptive—If you always provide the answers, the trainee will be less
likely to cope with problems in the future. Rather than saying “What you
should have done is...” you should ask “If you were to do that again, what

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would you do differently?”

• Excessive—Don’t hammer the trainee into the ground. When you have
reached the limit of negative feedback, switch to a debriefing, e.g., “Right,
now what are we going to do about it?”

Your Role as a Coach

Your performance as a coach will be more effective if you review positive skill
usage, suggest skills needing improvement, and suggest new techniques
when providing feedback.
• Review Positive Skill Usage—Begin your comments with positive skill
usage so your feedback will seem less threatening. Representatives will
understand that you’re there to help, not to criticize. Encourage
representatives who are using a skill effectively to keep on using it with
specific comments, such as “You did a good job of questioning. If you
follow that, you’ll do well,” or “Your eye contact was very effective in
keeping his attention. Keep it up.”
• Suggest Skills Needing Improvement—Keep in mind how difficult it may
be to receive feedback about skills that need improvement. Some
representatives may find it difficult to admit a shortcoming to themselves,
let alone to another person—especially their manager. Help your
representatives become aware of skills they are not using effectively with
specific comments such as “Your summary included only features. To show
how the product will help patients, you need to match features with
benefits,” or “To avoid causing confusion, it’s important to ask only one
question at a time. You confused the customer by asking two questions at
once.”

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• Suggest New Techniques—Use your own experience creatively to help

the representative become more effective. The representative will
appreciate knowing what works for you. Another way of doing this is to
make the next call a joint call in which you demonstrate effective
techniques.

In summary, as coaches we should always keep in mind the following “do’s”

and “don’ts”:
• Do’s
—Do focus feedback on the present.
—Do focus feedback on behaviors you observed.
—Do focus feedback on the most important areas.
—Do focus feedback on specifics.
• Don'ts
—Don’t focus on past performance.
—Don’t judge the person.
—Don’t overload with feedback.
—Don’t generalize.

Allocating Coaching Time to Your Sales Team

The are two basic rules that you need to remember in allocating coaching time
is:
1. “Do the greatest good for the greatest number of representative.”
2. Spend more coaching time with those who have the greatest need“
The following simple tips are helpful in preparing your coaching time budget on
a yearly basis. Follow them on a step-by-step basis, then adapt the sample

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forms at the end of this chapter to your own needs.

Plan the Days Available for Coaching

This can easily be done after deducting vacations and holidays from the total
available work days, which are then multiplied by a factor of 50%. The
assumption here is that you would need the other 50% of your rime for other
administrative duties and paperwork.

Sample Coaching Budget

Number of days in year, less weekends 261
Holidays 10
Vacation 10
Nonworking days -20
Working days 241
Percent of days to be spent on administrative duties
(50%) 50% X 241 = 120 -120
Days available for dual calls 121

Classify Your Sales Representatives by Coaching Needs

Some representatives require more of your time and attention than others. Be
careful with your “low-priority for coaching” representatives. They are usually
your best producers and could feel left out. Remember every great salesman
is insecure and they are easily prone to the “Neglect of the Gifted Syndrome.”
What this means is that you may find yourself paying much less attention to
your better representative. Remember that even your most productive workers
also need the attention of their managers.

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Sample Classification of Sales Reps by Coaching Needs

Name Classification Name
Classification
Kerr Sabado C Nieffen Mata
C
Francis Lim B Jaime Rodriguez B
Ellen Abcede B Tom Jones A
Jean Rafael B Rene Porrillo B
Celine Uy A

Priority Code:
A = High-priority coaching, needs most attention.
B = Average need for coaching.
C = Low-priority coaching, needs least attention.

Allocate the Total Number of Coaching Days per Representative

Your allocation of coaching days will, of course, be based on your priority
classification of ho coaching each Rep needs.

Quarterly Coaching Calendar

Name Priority First Month Second Month Third
Month
Sabado (C) 2 0 0
Lim (B) 2 0
2
Abcede (B) 0 2 2

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Rafael (B) 2 0 2
Uy (A) 2 2
2
Mata (C) 0 2 0
Rodriguez (B) 0 2 2
Jones (A) 2 2 2
Porillo (B) 2 2 0
Total Days Coaching 12 12 12

Draft Your Quarterly Coaching Calendar

There are many advantages to preparing and following the coaching budget
on a year-round basis. There are instances when a Field Manager will hold a
special coaching session because of certain danger signals. These danger
signs could include a low number of physician calls, too many repeat calls, too
few product presentations, too much sample usage, a great number of missed
calls, too few clinical trials, loss of accounts, very few new accounts, and of
course, failure to make your budget.

However, as a rule, you’ll find that budgeting your coaching time will offer
important benefits to you and your representatives. As the Field Manager, you
will have a good idea of how your coaching time is being spent, and your
representatives will have the benefit of your attention when they need it the
most. Overall, you will be doing the greatest good for the greatest number of
representatives, and in the long run everyone will benefit

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10 Reasons Field Managers Don't Give the Praise They Should

High- achieving managers may have difficulty recognizing subordinate

accomplishments that do not approach their own personal standards.

 Some managers who expect the best see no need to reward it.

 People who have been raised in impersonal environments may have difficulty
 expressing warm, personal praise.

 The manager may not spend enough time with subordinates to see their significant
 accomplishments.

 The organizational tradition or climate may not encourage the giving of praise.

 Some representatives are "only" doing their job, and never excel enough
 in the eyes of managers to warrant praise.

 Some managers believe the stick is more motivating than the carrot.

 The most common excuse for praising too little is "I'm busy."

 Another fear: "They might use it to pressure me for a salary increase or

promotion."

 "If I tell them they're doing so well, this might lower their performance standards."

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The Accompanied Call

A Coaching Checklist
The following checklist was prepared as a practical guide to help District
Managers, to maximize productivity and training efficiency when doing joint calls
or Field Work Contacts.

Before
 Give the representative enough notice for the visit.
 Don’t cancel the visit for trivial reasons.
 Check on the business objectives for the day.
 Try not to oblige the representative to change his or her itinerary for the day.
 Check the call objectives for each business call.
 Arrive before the first call in the morning.
 Dress for the territory being covered.
 Coach, but don’t pressure, the representative before the call.

During
 Show confidence in the representative.
 Sit or stand discretely and avoid movement that may distract the doctor during the
presentation.
 Pay attention to the sales presentation and avoid looking bored or uninterested
during the call.
 Avoid making notes during the call.
 Be prepared to help the representative if your assistance is requested.
 Avoid interruptions during the sales presentation to correct the representative (in
front of the doctor) or to reinforce or “echo” points.

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After the Call

 Ask your representative to analyze the call.
 Ask specific questions to help in analyzing the call. “Did you achieve your call
objectives?”
 Recognize positive points and avoid over-focusing on negative points.
 Avoid criticizing personal traits; concentrate on matters of fact.
 Provide honest, accurate feedback after the call.
 Focus on one or two major areas of weakness, rather than over-criticize on too
many negative points.
 Act like a coach, not like a “snoopervisor,” and remember to provide
reinforcements.
 Don’t insist on your style of selling.Avoid leaving before the work of the day is
finished.Complete the work contact evaluation of the day’s work.
 Write a follow-up letter after the visit.

10 Reasons Field Managers Don’t Give the Praise They Should

1. High-achieving managers may have difficulty recognizing subordinate
accomplishments that do not approach their own personal standards.
2. Some managers who expect the best see no need to reward it.
3. People who have been raised in impersonal environments may have difficulty
expressing warm, personal prais
4. The manager may not spend enough time with subordinates to see their
significant accomplishments.
5. The organizational tradition or climate may not encourage the giving of praise.
6. Some representatives are “only” doing their job, and never excel enough in the
eyes of managers to warrant praise
7. Some managers believe the stick is more motivating than the carrot.
8. The most common excuse for praising too little is “I’m busy.”

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9. Another fear: “They might use it to pressure me for a salary increase or

promotion.”
10. “If I tell them they’re doing so well, this might lower their performance
standards.”

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Guide Questions for Post-Call Analysis

1. Setting Objectives:
• Did I examine the doctor's call record card?
• Was I well prepared? With a real plan?
• Have I set my objectives before the MD visit?
• Which objectives did I achieve?
• Which objectives were not achieved? Why?

2. Obtaining Information regarding the MD's Practice:

• Did I obtain all the necessary information?
• What did I forget?
• How can I obtain the missed information?

3. Opening
• Did I take time to build a relationship with the customer?
• Was my opening right?
• What opening statements were well received?
• Did I bridge smoothly from social to business discussion?
• Any observation or “stupid” actions?
• What would I have done differently?

4. Probing for Doctor Needs

Did I obtain a good knowledge of the doctor's needs?
• What aspects of the doctor's needs required further probing?
• What would the customer have gained in giving me the business?
• Did I explain this point convincingly enough?

5. Presentation:
• Did I present those features which respond to doctor needs?
• Did I translate these features to benefits?
• Did I use good questions?
• Did I get good MD participation?
• Did I use my literature and samples effectively?
• Did I use product name mentions throughout the presentation?
• Did I identify; use opportunities to support? (Clinical Papers?)

6. Buying Signals":
• What “buying signals” were given to me during my presentation?
• How have I responded to these “buying signals”?

7. Handling Resistance
• What objections did I meet?
• How did I handle them?
• Did I find the real reason for this resistance?

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Field Manager’s Guide 12/25/09

• Did I use proof sources?

• How would I handle the resistance differently in the future?

8. Handling Competition:
What competition did I encounter during my presentation?
How did I handle it?
Did I use proof sources?
How would I handle competition differently in the future?

9. Supporting:
• Did I reinforce with a clinical paper my doctor's own good experience on my products?
•Did I identify or create an opportunity to mention or demonstrate a clinical paper?
•Did I follow the four steps in presenting clinical studies?
1. Create the need for the paper?
2. Establish credibility?
3. Present main points showing graphs/tables?
4. Ask for MD feedback?

10. Closing:
• Did I summarize benefits relating them to identified MD needs before asking for a
commitment?
• Did I get a commitment* to increase prescriptions by expanding indications, dosage, length of
usage or patient types? Which?
• Did I get a clear and specific commitment appropriate for the call?
• Did I establish a follow-up or an action step?
* A good commitment is SMART. Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Results- oriented and
Time- bonded.

11. Adjusting to the MD's Social Style

Style:
What was the social style/profile of the physician?
• Did you adapt my presentation to the social style of the doctor?
• What new personal data can I add to the doctor's record card?

Summary:
• What two things would I do in my next visit with this doctor?
• What will be my objective for the next call?

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