Research and Markets: The High Performing Pharmaceutical District Sales Manager: Current Trends & Future Directions Out Now

DUBLIN, Ireland--(Business Wire)--
Research and Markets
(http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/1c18fc/the_high_performin) has
announced the addition of the "The High Performing Pharmaceutical District Sales
Manager: Current Trends & Future Directions" report to their offering.

The District Sales Manager is the acknowledged cornerstone of pharmaceutical
sales force effectiveness and high performance. Although the traditional DM role
is well understood, the position is being re-evaluated today in light of
industry pressures that are causing dramatic sales force change. Many believe
that the DM job will become more strategic and less tactical in the near future.
Sales leaders are trying to determine what new activities DMs can be expected to
take on and what skills and training they will need to succeed during and after
the transition occurs.

This research identifies the most important current and future roles of the DM
in driving superior productivity and continued growth for their companies. The
study also identifies key trends impacting the DM function, examines the extent
of change in current sales force models, investigates DM readiness for change
and provides best practices companies are using to help DMs retain their
effectiveness in the new marketplace. Both field surveys and interviews were
used to complete this study. In all, 46 sales leaders at 23 different companies
across the globe contributed data. In-depth interviews were conducted with field
leaders from six of the participating companies.

This research is focused on several major topic areas:

(1) Impact of Sales Force Transformation Trends on Pharmaceutical District Sales
Managers, (2) Evolution of the District Sales Manager Role, (3) Key Skills &
Competencies for District Managers, and (4) District Manager Training Needs.

Specific areas of coverage include:

* Key pharma trends impacting the position of DM
* Most valued current and future DM and sales rep activities
* Volume of DM work that is strategic versus tactical
* Vital current and future DM skills
* DM readiness for new roles
* New responsibilities for regional managers
* Benchmarks for extent of sales model change
* Diversity management challenges
* Best practices for helping district managers meet challenges of the changing
market

Key Findings:

Among the findings that emerged from this research were the following:

The DM Role Is Expected to Become a More Strategic Position -- Time & Resources
Are Shifting from Tactical to Strategic Activities: Sales leaders expect DMs to
spend nearly twice as much time dedicated to strategic activities in the next
three years. They estimate that traditional tactical DM activities will decline
10-30 percent in terms of their importance, and more strategic activities are
expected to rise 30 percent to more than 90 percent in relative importance
during the same time period.

Regional Managers Are a Source of Untapped Productivity -- Regional Managers Are
the First Source of Change: This research uncovered wide interest in changing
the role of the Regional Manager (RM) as well as the DM and the sales rep.
Several sales leaders noted that RM preparation for change is often neglected as
organizations focus on DMs - but the RM drives the change among DMs.

THE HIGH PERFORMING PHARMACEUTICAL DISTRICT SALES MANAGER: CURRENT TRENDS &
FUTURE DIRECTIONS

* Sales Force Size Is Trending Downward . . . For Now
* Customer Access Continues to Decline
* Companies Have Begun Overhauling Their Sales Models
* Sales Force Trends Are Likely to Impact DM Role
* Focus on Customer Relationships Is Increasing
* Barriers to Rapid Change Anticipated

Sales Force Transformation: Current Trends & Future Direction

* Sales Force Size Is Trending Downward . . . For Now
* Customer Access Continues to Decline
* Companies Have Begun Overhauling Their Sales Models
* Sales Force Trends Are Likely to Impact DM Role
* Focus on Customer Relationships Is Increasing
* Barriers to Rapid Change Anticipated

Evolution of the District Sales Manager Role

* Current and Future Value of Traditional Activities
* Strategic DM Role Gaining Momentum
* Blended Role Is Forecast for Future DMs
* Empowerment of DMs May Be the Next Frontier
* Regional Managers Are a Source of Untapped Productivity

Key DM Skills & Competencies

* Current and Future Value of DM Skill Sets
* Managing Workforce Diversity Is an Emerging Skill Area

Critical Role of Learning, Training & Development

* Implementation of Training
* Voices from the Field: Training Requirements

Best Practices for Continued District Manager Effectiveness

Participant Demographics

Companies Mentioned:

* Abbott Laboratories
* Boehringer Ingelheim
* Eli Lilly and Company
* Endo Pharmaceuticals
* GlaxoSmithKline
* Janssen Cilag Pharmaceutical
* Merck
* MGI Pharma
* Novartis
* Novo Nordisk
* Pfizer
* PLIVA Pharmaceutical
* Procter & Gamble Pharma
* Roche
* Sanofi-Aventis
* Solvay Pharmaceuticals
* Wyeth Pharmaceuticals

For more information visit
http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/1c18fc/the_high_performin

Research and Markets
Laura Wood
Senior Manager
press@researchandmarkets.com
Fax from USA: 646-607-1907
Fax from rest of the world: +353-1-481-1716

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