Pharmaceutical Executive-03-02-2006

WHEN I WAS GROWING UP, my favorite book was Aesop's Fables. I especially loved the way every story had a moral at the end to tie everything together: Try before you trust; the hero is brave in deeds as well as words; birds of a feather flock together; might makes right; don't be the boy who cried wolf. Those one-line messages packed a punch then, and still stick with me.

THE OLD FORMULA IS TRIED AND TRUE: GET YOUR reps informed and excited at a launch meeting, and you'll have a positive impact on the success of the drug. But too many pharma meeting planners forget that sharp PowerPoint slides and fancy dinners no longer impress sophisticated sales reps. Reps want more than a fresh presentation. They seek a new experience. They want to be wowed.

NO ONE REALLY KNOWS WHAT A DOCTOR IS thinking most of the time, and those of us who are patients can be happy about that. We are comforted when physicians keep their counsel until they complete an examination.

IN OUR APRIL 2006 ISSUE, we will explore the results of a reader study—a" pulse check" as we think of it—on the topics of promotional programs, meeting spend, and compliance, cosponsored by Maritz Travel and Pharmaceutical Executive. The study asked industry leaders about their perceptions of their companies' physician meetings in terms of audience, format, and budget, as well as their views on compliance regulations.

When planning meetings, pharma companies need to work beyond what they think is satisfactory.

One legal expert noted that the industry may be divided into two sectors: companies that have CIAs and those that will.

Knowing what falls into fixed and variable expenses will make it easier to note what falls into high priority.