Focus Magazine - Fall 2016 - 50

VIRTUALHOW Over half the responding companies (eight of 15) use diﬀering criteria to select sales trainers responsible for training on more complex products and healthcare marketplaces. ese companies state that trainers with more complex products and healthcare marketplaces should have a track record of success in their disease state and marketplace to train on those subject areas. at track record includes the highest depth of knowledge on products and environment, a higher level of organizational skills and greater technical acumen. Over half the responding companies also state that their expectations are diﬀerent for the trainers of higher complexity products and healthcare marketplaces. For instance, there is an increased expectation that these trainers will bring high-level business skills into their training role, such as consultative selling skills, technical competence and the understanding of how the healthcare landscape is evolving. Although level of experience and marketplace success in a more complex healthcare environment are factored into the selection of sales trainers into these roles, the majority of companies do not compensate, incentivize or level these positions diﬀerently than for sales trainers who support less complex products and marketplaces. To date, these companies are not considering a change to the compensation or leveling structure of their sales trainers according to level of complexity of products and marketplace. (Figures 1, 2 and 3) A reason for this occurrence may be that the sales trainer role is traditionally viewed as a short-term, rotational position within the organization rather than a destination position where one seeks a long-term career. Oentimes it is considered a "gateway position" to gain experience 50 FIGURE 4 IS COMPENSATION AND INCENTIVE DIFFERENTIATION BEING CONSIDERED? FIGURE 5 LEVELING OF BRAND TRAINERS BASED ON COMPLEXITY OF ENVIRONMENT that will lead to a more permanent field-based or marketing role. Because of this, the sales trainers may see the compensation and incentives less as a monetary issue and more as an opportunity to gain professional development experience. Of those companies that do diﬀerentiate among the complexity of the products and marketplace a trainer supports, Managed Markets/Market Access, AccountBased/KAM, Specialty, and Oncology are the most common functions that provide greater compensation for their trainers. (Figure 4) Four companies oﬀer 5 percent to 20 percent greater salary bases for these trainer roles, while two companies also oﬀer greater bonuses. (Figure 5) To create a case for a change in compensation or leveling structure of their sales trainers according to level of complexity of products and marketplace, training departments should seek to create a retention strategy involving incremental salary/bonus increases, job title promotions and in-role development. Salary bands can allow for movement within role if aligned appropriately to a set of department competencies. Accordingly, job title promotions FOCUS | FALL 2016 | www.L-TEN.org http://www.L-TEN.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Focus Magazine - Fall 2016