Santa Farma, which celebrates its 77th anniversary this year, employs more than 1,000 workers as a leading actor in Turkish pharmaceutical industry. The promotion team makes around half of the employees. Actually, we boast of a highly efficient site team comprised of 480 Medical Sales Representatives, 43 Regional Managers and 6 Promotion Managers. Our network of 8 regional offices extends to the entire territory of Turkey and we are able to promote our products to medical doctors and pharmacists everywhere.
Promotion team has always had a distinctive role in Santa Farma because it represents the company to external parties. Therefore, we attach great importance to the development of our team in all processes including hiring processes, training efforts and performance on site. Team managers are also critical in those functions. Almost all Regional and Promotion Managers have started their career as Medical Sales Representatives in the company. We offer opportunities to everyone who is willing and open to development. This is one of the most important features of Santa Farma Promotion team. As a matter of fact, I am a good example. Having started my career as a Medical Sales Representative at Santa Farma in 1999, I assumed the role of Regional Manager and Promotion Manager before I was assigned as the Promotion Director five years ago.
While creating sales strategies for the products, we take into consideration several parameters such as power of our brands, seasonal consumption rates of products, intensity of competition in the market, competitive sales actions, sales analyses, price changes, sales cycles in previous periods, and stakeholder expectations. This approach allows us to set different strategies for acute and chronic portfolios. Also, we inform our business partners of different sales actions by means of pharmaceutical warehouses.
We determine the promotional strategies with due consideration for site feedback, training, market studies, market forecasts, area management, stakeholder insight and patient journey among others. Then, we design, plan and closely monitor the promotional activities through regional alignment, targeting, segmentation, data analytics and business intelligence applications.
The most critical factor for success is to “create difference” in promotion. Sometimes you try to make your product chosen from among dozens of equivalent products and indications in the same therapeutic field. This is the most important goal of everyone in the Promotion Division, including the head office and site team. A Medical Sales Representative must have high level of medical knowledge, strong social skills, make proper segmentation and planning, remain success oriented and have competitive skills in order to create difference in the area. After covering thousands of kilometres and making dozens of presentations, you will be satisfied beyond words when those efforts are translated into sales data. The business results derived from each new customer will motivate you to convince another customer. When you achieve this goal, you hardly notice the challenges. You just feel a joyful relief. Meeting new people, acting as your own boss and working freely are among other factors which make the job a real fun.