Advice You - Business

I’m introverted, pensive and love to make my living writing copy for businesses. So it may come as a surprise to you to learn that flashy, talkative, outgoing PR people are some of my favorite folks. The simple reason is that they make my work look great. It

According to USFDA, a combination product is one composed of any combination of a drug and device; biological product and device; drug and biological product

never ceases to amaze me how a good PR professional can deliver phenomenal value for their pay. And value in my field means getting stories published that showcase our clients’ products/services in a highly credible way.

As an example, I collaborated with a

; or drug, device, and biological product and fixed dose combination would include two or more combinations of drug.

Examples of combination products may in

o-getter PR woman at a high-tech company. She worked with a publication to secure a product review placement. Having written a case study featuring the same end user, I was tapped to write the review for them.

Through her efforts, the piece was published in

lude drug-coated devices, drugs packaged with delivery devices in medical kits, and drugs and devices packaged separately but intended to be used together.

a trade magazine that tailored to her company’s target-market customers. Had her firm purchased the equivalent column inches in ad space, it would have cost much, much more. And it would have lacked the credibility an end-user testimonial garners. Instead, he

here is enormous increase in the number of combination products entering the market in the recent years. Combination products have proven advantages but fixe

company received a 1,000 percent return on the funds invested to create and place the piece.

In my years as a copywriter working with PR folks, I’ve found three very important qualities your PR professional needs to deliver superstar results for you. Perfor

d dose combinations are still in the process of convincing regulatory authority on their advantages over the single ingredient formulations.

Combination pro

mance that is consistent, garners quality press coverage—and lots of it.

Tip #1: Choose a professional with the gift of gab. Because successful PR is not for the shy or timid, it’s critical that the person you work with be outgoing, secure and conversational

ucts have become life saving products for the pharmaceutical companies who doesn’t have many innovative molecules in their product pipeline and have been inc

The top performers I’ve noticed have a warm personality and a dash of flair. They balance creativity and showmanship with the fundamentals of PR success. These qualities are invaluable as your vocal advocate picks up the phone to pitch your firm’s story. The

easingly used in the product life cycle management. Even the companies having product patents are trying to extend their product life cycle through the combi

y’re also essential to create and maintain relationships with relevant journalists—a crucial element for success.

Tip #2: There’s no substitute for experience. I’ve noticed that the PR professionals that perform above average and who have built a cracker-jac

nation products and maximize the revenues. But the companies involved in this practice are overlooking that they are burdening the patients both economically

reputation for themselves, often have 10+ years of hard work behind them. It’s possible for someone with fewer years to amass that experience but they’ll really have to be go getters. After a decade, a professional will have mastered the fundamentals of thei

and physically. They need to rightly judge the benefits of the combination products and they have to even look at the risks involved when combining the produ

r field and be able to think strategically and execute tactically. Also, if they’re still at it after a decade, they are likely to be doing what they love. And that passion will shine when they talk to others about your company.

Tip #3: Industry expertise is

ts. Some of the combination products were well accepted by physicians while others suffered. Companies involved in development of combination products are fi

not optional. Superstar PR people deliver super-hero results in their areas of expertise. So if you’re a high-tech company selling telecom products, you won’t want to hire someone from the music industry—no matter how hip and cool their presentation may be. T

ding difficulty in defining their combination products and facing various challenges from selecting a combination to marketing it.

Following aspects would a

hat’s because each industry has its own challenges, issues, hot-buttons, buzz words and mindsets. Moreover, the record-industry PR person will simply lack the relationships and trust that a high-tech industry person will have already established with journali

dd to the challenges in developing combination products:

Which markets to tap where the combination products can do fairly well?
Which combination prod

ts in your target market.

So now that you have a framework for the type of person you’re looking for, how do you go about finding such a person?

Tip #4: Use associations & networking to uncover the PR diamonds. To find the best talent, a great place to star

cts are meaningful and rational?
Which therapeutic categories to select?
Which Combinations can address unmet needs of the patients?
Do combin

t is with the Public Relations Society of America (www.PRSA.org). Find the local chapter nearest to you and dial up the PRSA Chapter President. Ask them: Who are the top three to five PR professionals at [insert your need here—e.g. product launches, press rel

tions increase the patient compliance?
What would be the developing cost?
How to tackle the risks encountered during combination product developmen

ases etc.] in the [insert your industry here]. If your company has national or global reach, and you have the budget for it, you will want to find the tip-top professionals in your industry. Try the New York, Los Angeles and Chicago chapters of the PRSA.

Ano

t?

As combination products don't fit into the traditional categories of drugs, medical devices, or biological products, the USFDA is in the process of devel

ther outstanding resource to find PR people who deliver is to ask business associates for referrals. Contact vendors and partners in your industry and ask which agencies/people they use. Does a competitor do a particularly great job of getting good ink in you

ping new procedures for reviewing their safety, efficacy and quality.

Professional from academic institutions, pharmaceutical industries, health care indust

view? Do some research to find out who they are using. The same applies for other companies who are getting the types of coverage you want to achieve for your own firm.

Tip #5: Screen & Meet several prospects face to face and solicit a written proposal. Aft

y and representatives from various regulatory agencies are working out to design the regulatory requirements for manufacture and sale of combination products

er calling your list of three to five prospects, and screening them for the gift of gab, their years of experience and industry expertise along with other qualities you’ve selected, invite the ones that meet your standards to lunch or your office. Test their

.

As there is an increasing trend of the combination products companies manufacturing such products should be able to tackle the problems involved in the de

nowledge. Ask them about trends in your industry. What PR strategies would they suggest you use to accomplish the goals you’ve shared with them?

Then have them submit a written proposal. The proposal should define the scope of work you discussed, what your g

elopment. They need to be wiser in analyzing the market trends and the regulatory requirements.

Companies that provide selfless information through particip

oals are and how they can help you achieve them. You may be tempted to judge the proposals on price, but I encourage you to consider value. People who deliver star results consistently will cost more.

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tion in industry events and feedback to regulatory authorities would be able to face the challenges and will be successful in developing combination products

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Why is it so many people just wait for their organisation to provide some training or development activity? Of those, many turn up to workshops resenting the need to attend - or fearing what might happen. Surely, it is better to take some responsibility to open our minds to growing ourselves to improve our ability in many areas of life?

Ah, paying attention and following directions. They sound like such simple phrases, however for some strange reason the corporate world has a hard time understanding them. Because of this, if you embrace the lessons these phrases embody, you will increase your value to your company ten-fold.

Getting the job you want requires more than a powerful resume and a dynamite cover letter. You have to be able to sell yourself in person, as well as on paper. Get some tips on how to ace any job interview.

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