The pharmaceutical market is changing.
We’re seeing a significant shift from the traditional ‘hard-sales methodologies’ in pharma and life sciences. Most organisations are transitioning to a model that focuses on exceptional customer experience instead. Engaging with clients on both a clinical and personal level is essential for any modern pharmaceutical or life sciences organisation looking to boost sales.
So, what needs to change?
Traditionally, organisations notice a skill gap, so they arrange training in an attempt to upskill commercial and medical teams.
However, in order to build a high-performance team model, the focus should not be exclusively on skills. You can upskill your customer-facing teams and leaders as much as you want, if they don’t have the right mindset, they won’t perform to their maximum potential.
Instead, the focus should be on building an entrepreneurial mindset in your people.
What is entrepreneurial mindset?
A person with an entrepreneurial mindset is better able to overcome challenges, identify and act on opportunities, be decisive and accept responsibility for outcomes. They are resilient, resourceful and solutions-oriented people who will strive to exceed goals and perform above and beyond in every area of their role.
Very few people are naturally entrepreneurial, but that doesn’t mean that they can’t develop the right mindsets and behaviours in their role within an organisation.
Given time and the right direction, people can develop an entrepreneurial, growth-centred mindset.
How to develop the desired mindset in your people
Developing the right mindsets in your people is not always easy and you may have never considered how to do this before. However, there are some key things you can do:
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Fully understand the behaviours and mindsets required for success now and into the future (something we’ve already done at Future CX!)
- Conduct an evaluation of where you currently are versus the behaviours uncovered in step 1, identifying areas of strengths and development.
- Provide your people with highly prioritised growth opportunities, time specifically dedicated to them learning how to improve their mindset in their key growth areas.
- Reassess every 6 months. This allows you to see exactly where growth has happened, and where it hasn’t. You’ll quickly identify which of your people are demonstrating entrepreneurial mindsets and behaviours.
There are several key behaviours that those with an entrepreneurial mindset exhibit every single day. Identify the individuals, see what behaviours they exhibit at work, encourage those behaviours in others or recruit to those behaviours. – this is the best way to dramatically redefine the performance in your teams now and into the future.
What behaviours have been identified that form an entrepreneurial mindset?
This could be an exhaustive list, but to keep it succinct, we have undertaken robust research and validation, narrowing it down to the 14 key behaviours you should be looking for in high-performing individuals.
These behaviours align to three key domains:
Customer Fascination: an unparalleled desire to understand and interpret insight into each customer (internal or external) and to use this to create the optimal customer experience.
Outcomes Obsession: a constant focus to deliver both short and long term win:win:win (patient/customer/business) outcomes for all parties.
Infinite Mindset: a determined and empowering belief that anything is possible, whilst constantly seeking opportunities for personal and business growth.
What’s the difference between ‘skills’ and ‘behaviours’?
Now, we’re not saying that skills aren’t important. Your customer-facing teams need to have the skills necessary to engage customers to drive their success.
However, understanding the difference between the two is essential, as without good behaviours, skills cannot be used effectively.
Skills
Skills refer to the specific abilities or expertise that an individual possesses. They are typically developed through learning, training, and practice.
They can be categorised into different types, such as technical skills, soft skills, or transferable skills. Technical skills are specific to a particular job or field. Soft skills, on the other hand, are more general skills that are valuable in various professional and personal settings, including communication, teamwork, leadership, problem-solving, and time management. Transferable skills are those that can be applied across different roles or industries, such as critical thinking, adaptability, and project management.
Skills are often measurable and can be acquired or improved over time through education, training programs, and practical experience.
Behaviours
Behaviours, also known as competencies or traits, encompass the attitudes, actions, and patterns of conduct that individuals demonstrate in various situations.
This is more related to personal characteristics, interpersonal interactions, and how individuals approach and handle different situations. They involve the way individuals think, react, and behave in response to challenges, conflicts, or opportunities.
Behaviours are often associated with personal qualities and are less easily quantifiable than skills. While skills can be learned and developed, behaviours are typically more ingrained and reflect an individual's personality and values.
Fortunately, we’ve developed an industry-leading methodology to help quantify behaviours in your people. We call it…
E3 – Entrepreneurial Edge Evaluation
E3 is a robust online evaluation system that evaluates the entrepreneurial mindset and behaviours in your commercial and medical teams.
Years of research have allowed us to create a custom system that’s designed to identify key entrepreneurial strengths across your customer-facing teams. It’ll also identify areas where improvement is essential.
You’ll receive both individual and organisational reports that quantify results, identify opportunities and present solutions to help your people to grow a more effective mindset. The data that E3 provides is the key to unlocking the potential of all of your hidden entrepreneurs.