Focus Supplement 2 - Summer 2017 - 35

FEATURESTORY

Having the end goal in
mind, and what great looks
like, will help you build toward
that with greater success.
vs. their salaried selling role? How
much is too much or how little is not
using the role properly?
Or... is it a new headcount role
where it can become a full time
dedicated field trainer? Is it a shared
role across districts and, if so, what is
the proper time allocation for
supporting multiple districts? Do you
have agreement with your VP of sales
along with the regional sales directors
on the vision and plan for the role of
field sales trainer? Do you have one
per district and how are they selected
and approved? What about products
... are they sales force and portfolio
specific or product specific? Whose
budget is the compensation for the
FST role coming from?
ese are all fundamental
questions to ask yourself as you begin
the design phase.
I would also suggest you think
about what success looks like two
years in once built and executed.
Having the end goal in mind, and
what great looks like, will help you
build toward that with greater success.
But wait ... there is an integral
ingredient that needs to be included.
Without it, your chance of success is
very limited. at special ingredient is
local field management buy-in. I don't
mean senior sales management, as
generally they are involved up front in
the design of the program before you
start developing all of the details. I am
talking about the local district
manager who oversees the rep who is
also your field skills trainer. You want
them training for you and they want
them selling for them.
Already there is a divide happening
without mutual alignment for the role.

e first-line managers are the ones
that can cause great disruption and a
lack of consistency to how the
program is implemented and
managed if not planned and executed
eﬀectively. e district manager must
buy into the vision, purpose, roles &
responsibilities to ensure it is clear
what they are being asked to support
and help guide and implement. is is
where I have seen many field trainer
programs come up short and
ultimately fail.
I have implemented three field
skills trainer programs with three
diﬀerent pharma and med device
companies. Without this key
ingredient that needs to be well
thought out, and rolled out with great
clarity and buy in, you are heading
toward extra work and ultimately a
result less than optimal. I suggest that
with each of the questions listed

FOCUS | Field Sales Training 2017 | www.L-TEN.org

previously, that there is great detail
and clarity around them.
ere are many others to include,
but due to the length of this article, I
can't provide them all. Ensure the
first-line manager understands each of
the components and the need to be
nationally consistent.
Checking in with the district
managers routinely and ensuring
implementation is being done
correctly is critical. If it is not being
implemented to your vision, what is
the proper course correction and who
does that? When a new district
manager is appointed, ensure they too
are trained on the vision and program.
Without this loop, newer managers
can slowly erode the consistency you
have worked so hard to gain. Perhaps
it fits into the first phase of new
manager training, but wherever you
place it, implementation done

35
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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Focus Supplement 2 - Summer 2017
