From the sales conversation to company leadership. Tailored development for teams and managers. Experience since 2001, multinational clients and a specialisation in pharmaceutical companies.
Our specialisation
Development Programmes for Pharmaceutical Companies
Medical representatives may know the same product information and use the same materials, yet each approaches conversations with doctors differently. Managers need to identify whether the team needs better preparation, a different approach to using scientific information or support in applying it. At ED Development, our programmes for pharmaceutical companies connect customer-facing work with people management and company objectives. We draw on our first-hand experience in pharmaceutical sales and management, alongside our work in organisational development since 2001.
We understand your sector
Development for pharmaceutical companies, grounded in practice
Our consultants’ first-hand experience of working in pharmaceutical companies helps us identify team needs in their specific context. This enables us to design development programmes that reflect field work, managers’ responsibilities and the requirements of senior management.
Development for pharmaceutical companies at ED Development involves developing sales teams, managers and ways of working that connect strategy with everyday practice.
We tailor the content to who your people communicate with, what they are responsible for and what they need to change. A conversation in a doctor’s practice takes place under different conditions from a negotiation with a network of medical practices or a hospital. Preparation, the types of questions asked and the roles of the parties involved all differ. When designing a programme, we therefore consider the product focus, scientific information, sales model and approach to team leadership. We also draw on experience from projects for companies working in medical nutrition.
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Management experience since 1993
Elena Demeková
Elena Demeková worked in sales and marketing at pharmaceutical companies. In her work with clients, she combines management and leadership experience since 1993 with consulting experience since 2001. She focuses on sales team and senior leadership development, strategic account management, systemic coaching and organisational change.
Elena Demeková’s profile -
From representative to leader
Lucia Ferancová
Lucia Ferancová gained more than ten years’ experience at a pharmaceutical company. She held roles as a representative, Key Account Manager, Sales Manager and Medical Field Force Manager. She therefore understands both the work of individual representatives with customers and what managers need to lead and develop a sales team.
Lucia Ferancová’s profile
Two connected areas
We develop sales teams and the people who lead them
Sales and management development address different needs but are closely connected in practice. We choose the focus based on where the problem arises and who needs to put the solution into everyday practice.
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Engaging healthcare professionals
Sales Call Models - design and implementation
Sales Call Models for pharmaceutical companiesDesign and implementation of a Sales Call Model for medical representatives and sales teams in pharmaceutical companies. The programme combines preparation, working with scientific information and conducting conversations with doctors or pharmacists. The brief may also be based on an existing corporate model.
People need to be able to connect product knowledge with the needs of the healthcare professional they are meeting and the agreed objective of the meeting. The programme’s scope reflects the team’s experience and the sales situations it handles.
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Managers who support development
Sales and product manager development
Sales and product manager developmentProgrammes for sales and product managers connect sales team management with product and marketing strategy. Depending on the brief, they cover setting expectations, providing feedback, assessing competencies and supporting salespeople in the field. Product managers work on translating product value into sales tools and the team’s communication.
Managers need to recognise specific behaviours during joint customer visits and then lead a constructive development conversation. The programme connects these skills with their responsibility for team performance and continued development between modules.
Real-world situations
When product knowledge needs to translate into practice
Development makes sense when a team understands the scientific information but applies it inconsistently when working with customers or leading people. The need often arises where sales, marketing and management overlap.
- Representatives use the same materials but have no shared approach to conversations with healthcare professionals.
- The corporate sales model is defined but applied inconsistently in the team’s day-to-day work.
- Scientific information is presented without a clear link to the issue the customer is addressing.
- Collaboration with hospitals or pharmacy chains needs clearer priorities and a plan.
- Managers take over conversations during joint customer visits instead of helping representatives become more independent.
- Feedback remains general and does not lead to a specific action for improvement.
- The product’s marketing strategy is applied inconsistently in the field.
- When the portfolio or organisational structure changes, expectations shift but ways of working remain the same.
Project experience
Specific client projects demonstrate our specialisation
Elena Demeková’s client projects include team development, sales model implementation and support for change in pharmaceutical companies. They demonstrate experience across different organisational levels, from representatives to senior management.
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Abbott and Alfasigma
Implementing sales conversation models within company structures and processes.
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Teva Pharmaceuticals
Sales team and management development, with projects in Key Account Management, corporate values and change management.
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Bayer
Developing the use of feedback as a tool for leadership and people development.
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Pfizer
A systemic approach to developing the cardiology sales team.
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Fresenius Kabi
Senior leadership and sales team development, transformation and restructuring projects, and systemic coaching.
Further experience includes projects for Danone in Medical Nutrition and Early Life Nutrition, and for Nestlé Health Science. For an overview of our work with clients, see ED Development’s client projects.
Development takes account of scientific accuracy and communication rules
Developing pharmaceutical sales teams means taking account of both scientific content and the rules governing communication about medicines. The approach to conversations should reflect the nature of the product and the healthcare professional involved, while following the company’s own rules.
ŠÚKL states in its general requirements that advertising of medicinal products
must be consistent with the Summary of Product Characteristics, provide
objective information and not be misleading. These principles are explained
in its overview of
general requirements for advertising medicinal products.
When designing development programmes, we therefore link communication and management skills to the context in which participants will apply them. Clarity, scientific accuracy and adherence to internal rules all matter.
How we work
How a tailored development programme works
A development programme begins by identifying needs and progresses to applying new approaches at work. From the outset, we agree who will take part, what they need to do differently and how we will assess the change.
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Training needs analysis
We identify where the team needs support through interviews and, depending on the brief, joint customer visits or observation of their work. Training needs analysis helps distinguish a need for skills development from unclear expectations or a missing process.
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Tailored programme design
We tailor the content to the product focus, participants’ experience and the situations they encounter. We agree the scope, managers’ involvement and how we will evaluate the programme. We select topics based on the brief so that each part of the programme supports a shared objective.
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Putting learning into practice with coaching support
There are 3 to 5 weeks between modules to apply new approaches in real situations. Participants draw on their experiences in the field or in team leadership. Coaching helps identify obstacles and clarify the next step in their development.
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Skills assessment and evaluation
The programme concludes with practical skills assessment and certification. We assess the indicators agreed in advance, such as the quality of sales conversations, how specific feedback is or the use of the agreed sales model. What matters is what participants can apply in their own work.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
- since1993Management experience
- 25+Years of business development
- 60+Multinational clients
Didn’t find your answer?Elena Demeková, CEO and Senior Consultant
Who are your development programmes for pharmaceutical companies aimed at?
They are designed for companies that need to develop medical representatives, Key Account Managers, product specialists or their managers. The brief may come from sales leadership, HR or senior management. When designing the programme, we identify who works with healthcare professionals, who leads a team and which decisions require support at company level.
How do development programmes for pharmaceutical companies differ from general sales training?
They take account of scientific information, the different settings of doctors’ practices, pharmacies and hospitals, and the rules governing product communication. The content therefore goes beyond general sales situations. When designing the programme, we connect sales competencies with the specific role of the representative or manager and the way your company operates.
Can you work with our existing Sales Call Model?
Yes, the brief can build on your existing Sales Call Model and how it is used in practice. First, we need to understand how the team interprets it and where its application varies. Development then helps embed the model in sales conversations, managers’ work and related company processes, in line with the agreed objective.
Can we link development for representatives and their managers?
Yes, both areas can form part of a coordinated programme. Representatives work on the agreed sales competencies, while managers develop how they support them in the field and through subsequent feedback. Shared expectations help connect programme content with everyday work and the criteria used to assess the team.
Do your programmes address ethical rules for communication with healthcare professionals?
Yes, our programmes take account of your company’s scientific and ethical context. Communication about medicines must comply with applicable legal requirements and internal rules. For AIFP member companies, the AIFP Code of Ethics is also important. It covers, among other matters, promotional activities and relationships with healthcare professionals. We tailor the brief accordingly.
How do you measure changes in the way a sales team works?
We assess change against indicators agreed before the programme begins. These might include use of the sales model, the quality of meeting preparation or how specific managers’ feedback is. We look at how skills are applied at work and how this relates to the agreed objectives, so evaluation goes beyond participant satisfaction.
How can we schedule a programme when representatives and managers work in the field?
We agree the schedule around the team’s operational needs and the scope of the brief. There are 3 to 5 weeks between modules to apply new approaches at work. During programme design, we clarify managers’ roles, what participants will do between modules and how their field experiences will inform the next part of the programme.
