Sales Performance International
Unique Sales Performance Optimization Solutions

With the rapidly evolving heathcare market, building an effective pharmaceutical sales force is challenging. It has become increasingly difficult to identify sales competencies that align with the needs of key buyers in healthcare and the business and drive business outcomes. There is a growing need to predict and measure the ROI of talent development efforts for key sales prowess and skills that will maximize product launch results. “We help our clients address these sales challenges by leveraging our data-driven approach for sales talent assessment and selection,” says Brad Ansley, Director of Global Life Sciences Practice at Sales Performance International (SPI). “We use advanced analytics to identify role specific, strategic sales competencies that are proven to drive our clients’ specific business results.” Once the skills and abilities are identified, SPI’s platform helps clients focus on the highest payback capabilities through individual development plans. SPI is a global sales performance improvement company, helping the world’s leading firms steer predictable revenue and profitability by optimizing sales performance.

According to Ansley, the days of managing sales talent based on assumptions or generally accepted best practices are over. Today, sales leaders manage their talent—developing their existing team and making critical sales hire decisions—by leveraging big data and sales talent analytics. “By using the appropriate sales analytics, managers can apply a proven 3-step approach to get the facts to statistically pinpoint what needs to be improved in the sales team, quantifiably measure the business impact/ROI of that development, and improve the quality of new hires,” adds Ansley.SPI, through their Sales Performance Optimization platform and predictive analytics, recognizes the business skills that produce substantial growth and results. “Once we understand the knowledge, skills, abilities and behaviors that are critical to business result and the proficiency level of each sales professional, we utilize our technology platform to create development plans tailored to individuals,” explains Ansley.SPI, through their Sales Performance Optimization platform and predictive analytics, recognizes the business skills that produce substantial growth and results.

We utilize advanced analytics and our technology platform to create development plans tailored to individuals

“Once we understand the knowledge, skills, abilities and behaviors that are critical to business result and the proficiency level of each sales professional, we utilize our technology platform to create development plans tailored to individuals,” explains Ansley.

The changes in government healthcare policies are having a profound impact on how stakeholders make buying decisions for pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and diagnostics equipment. As a result, competencies that were successful in the past may not be aligned with the new expectations of Healthcare buyers. According to Ansley, “Our Healthcare Sales Alignment Program leverages advanced analytics to identifying key sales capabilities that align with today’s healthcare decision makers.” SPI creates and implements role specific development plans based on individual assessment results to drive development in key areas. For example solution-centric sales approach, key account management, and clinical selling skills.

An example illustrating the company’s expertise is that of a global organization with strategic business goals of increasing top-line revenue, pipeline quality, and sales productivity. SPI assessed 4,000 sales professionals in seven languages and found the strategic sales competencies that augmented market share. SPI help the customer target development on the identified areas. Upon reassessing the team after nine months, the result was a business impact of nearly $372 million in revenue. “We differentiate ourselves by using data and advanced analytics to help customers focus on the sales capabilities that drive business growth in the areas that are most important to our clients,” says Ansley.

SPI is aggressively investing in refinement of sales talent optimization, including the incorporation of additional data and analytics related to real-time management feedback, expanded sales metrics throughout the selling cycle, and enhanced dashboards to provide insights into talent, learning, and performance relationships. “We will continue to leverage and grow our capabilities using an intelligent, data-driven platform to accelerate and sustain sales performance improvement and solve problems for our clients,” concludes Ansley.