National Sales Manager
Major Purpose of the Job:
- Single Point of Contact for any Sales related query/data for the rest of the Cross functions.
- NSM is the Final Authority and Topmost Position/Head of the Sales Team.
- The interdepartmental Coordination and Cooperation between sales and other departments/Support functions largely depends on the Competence of NSM
- NSM is the Driving force of Direction for developing Promotional strategy by the Marketing Team, Developing HR Policies by the Team HR, Planning Training and developing content by the Training Team, and Developing Various SOPs by the Admin Department meant for Fieldwork Force.
- NSM Plays a Key and Important role in the Execution of strategies, the Development of the Team, and Ensuring Norms and SOPs are adhered to. Business Develops as per Plan, KOLs are developed and Tracked, and Work hygiene as per Organizational Goals is taken care of.
What are the Most Important Role & Responsibilities of the National Sales Manager in Pharma?
1. Achieving Sales/ Budget/Targets
- Being Head of Sales Team the Major Responsibility remains the achievement of Sales Target. All Functions/Supports, etc are directed in One Directions i.e Business Objective
- Achievement of Target Needs to have the following Essential Components
- Focus on Bottom-line along with Topline
- Product Mix
- Performance from Individual Zones/Regions/Areas/Territory
- Growth Territory wise/Area Wise/State-wise, and Most Importantly Product-wise
- Productivity, Market share.
- Sales Hygiene
- Expiry Control
- Goods Returns.
- Timely Payment Realization
- Inventory Management.
- Non-Moving/Slow-Moving Inventories and Action Plan
- Sales Plan/Forecasting
- Achieving Weekly and Monthly sales Plans,
- Managing Inventory ( Shouldn’t be too High or Too low)
- Indenting Products to Production Teams based on Realistic Forecast
- Operative Bonus and Liquidation Plans of Non-Moving/Slow-Moving Products
- Performance Review On a Periodic Basis
- Conducting Enabling Review
- Review of Performance and Preparing Action Plan for Meeting YPM and Productivity/Product-Mix Objectives with Leaders of Individual Team
- Review Work Hygiene Impacting Performance and Taking Corrective Actions or Disciplinary Actions as and When Necessary.
- Sales Hygein review
- Action Plan – Feedback Mechanism – Evaluation Parameters
- Helping Designing Bonus/Retailing Strategies and Trade Leverage Plans.
2. Training and Development of Team.
- Identifying the Developmental Needs of Team Leaders/Managers and the Ground force
- Coordination with the Training/HR Department
- Joint Fieldwork with Leaders with Objective to Understand Success & Failure in Performance and Using Learnings & Competence to develop Low Performing Teams
- Focus on OJT
- Fieldwork Objectives Should be
- Supervising and Evaluation of Execution levels of Strategies and SOPs.
- Value Addition to Poor/Low-Performing Territories.
- OJT to Team Leaders.
- Tracking Development of Team Members and Identifying Opportunities and Threats to Business
- Problems Resolving
- Developing Team Members to Analyze, Identify and resolve Issues
3. Team Building / Leadership & Direction
No Objectives or Targets can be achieved without a Competent Team who is able to Execute, A Leader Able to Lead, and A Mentor Guiding in Right Direction
- The role of NSM is very critical and Important in the Development of a Team Competent enough to Achieve Business Objectives
“It is well said a team of Donkeys Lead by Lion can win the Battle v/s a Team of Lions Lead by Donkey”
- Clarity & Clear Demarcation of Role & Responsibility.
- Developing the Capability of Team Members to Execute Their Role and Achieve Objectives.
- Developing Bonding and Cohesion between Team Members.
- Creating a Respectful, Dependence, and Trust Atmosphere.
- Developing Soft Skills, Product Knowledge, and Marketing Skills for his Team.
- Involving Team to Participate in Various Important Discussions & Decisions – Value Them – Make them Part – Develop Ownership.
- Developing and Ensuring a well-thought SOP in place for the Selection, Induction, Training, and On Job Coaching of Teams.
- Supporting HOD and HR for the deployment of Field staff, Controlling Attrition through effective cascading of inter-departmental Activities.
- Regular Joint Fieldwork with Field Force to
- Strengthening Bond
- Developing Organization’s Image.
- Develop Capabilities.
- Develop Cohesion
- Develop Understanding
- Helping them to Achieve
- Identifying and Preparing for Level Next.
- Objective Fieldwork with Team Leaders to Develop them to be able to Perform their Job Effectively By
- OJT to Team Leaders, Mentoring, Challenging, and Executions
- Tracking Development of Team Members and Identifying Opportunities and Threats to Business
- Problems Resolving/Enabling Team leader to resolve Issues
- Support Organization and Developing Competent Team Members with Internal Promotions.
- Remain Concerned for Their Development, Career Progression, and Earnings and Help them to Plan, Execute & Achieve.
4. Effective Implementation
- Ensuring Execution of Promotional strategies and A mechanism to check back and Collect/Interpret feedback and Take necessary corrective actions.
- 100 % Compliance with Work Hygiene Parameters like Call Average of Doctors/Chemists, Coverage of Customers, Missed calls, KOL coverage, and ROI – Timely Collection Validation and Evaluation of Data and Intervention for Corrections
- Evaluation and Validation of Execution of Sales Promotion Strategies, Detailing, and Sales Presentations capabilities of Team Members.
- Effective RCPA and Usage to Develop Local Strategies for Brand Positioning by Team Leaders Teams.
- Joint Fieldwork evaluation and Controlling/Directing Outcomes of Each day spent by Leaders, with the respective team members.
- Cross Checking and Validating Implementation of SOPs and Strategies by Skip working in the Field (Skipping Line Manager)
- Provide objective customer feedback on Marketing programs to HOD and PMT by gathering information from the field and through self-observation during fieldwork
5. Customer Management / KOL Management
The 80-20 Rule also called the Pareto Principle, stands correct in Pharmaceutical or any other Business
- KOLs are the Most Important Pillars for any Organization in Sales and Marketing since they not only contribute a major Portion of Business but also are brand ambassadors for our Brands in the Market. A good KOL prescribing Your brand develops the Image and Equity of your Brand and organization, Besides business
- Develop an Effective KOL strategy to Retain and Develop more numbers of KOL for the Organization. Work at Different Levels of Line Management to Have KOL at Multiple Levels
- Effective Customer Coverage/Visit strategy so as to Ensure Better results from each Field call Made by field force
- Tracking and Monitoring Customer Coverage, Conversions, Market Penetration, and Performance. Discuss with Your Team Leaders as this remains the Most Important Measurable Parameter to evaluate Performance and Competence
- Improve ROI from KOLs by ensuring periodical visits by self and team
6. Product Management / Development
The Ultimate Objective of Any sales Team is to achieve sales Objectives, and Sales come through Products, Hence Managing Products is of Utmost Importance to be successful in sales.
The Key Parameters of Sales w.r.t products are –
- Developing Priority Brands of Organization
- Major Brands should contribute Major Portion as a small loss from these cannot be recovered easily from many small Brands
- Successful Launch of New Products
- Developing a Product mix that can help you achieve Top-Line Growth as well as Bottom-line Contribution.
- Development of 2nd line brands into large contributors with economies of scale and high Market Share
- Keeping Track of the Market Share of Individual Products and Markets/States.
- Be the ambassador for the company and set high levels of standards and professionalism
Remember NSM is not Just Post, Having the Name National, The NSM needs to Think Nationally
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