Advice You - Business

It is not enough to know whether people are for or against you and your ideas and proposals. The people you want to influence can be divided into nine categories

Those who:

• Covertly disagree

• Openly disagree

• Comply – reluctantl

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

y

• Remain undecided

• Have insufficient information

• Are not able to see a need

• Need to think it over

• Consider it the wrong time

• Have to refer the decision to others

You will need a different strategy depending on what stage the

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

Examples of combination products may in

person to be influenced is at. Be realistic about your chances – it is unlikely that others will move from open disagreement to active support. The best you may achieve is to move them to neutral. But that’s victory!

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

‘Well, Ok, if that’s what you want.’

Thinks to self: ‘What a load of nonsense – I’m not doing that.’

These people are actively working against you. Gently transform their energy into a willingness to talk openly about their concerns. Once
here is enormous increase in the number of combination products entering the market in the recent years. Combination products have proven advantages but fixe
ou have done this, you can then:

• Work to build rapport and a positive relationship

• Stress areas of agreement before moving onto areas of disagreement

• Use humour and positive anecdotes

• Meet regularly to develop a working relationshi
d dose combinations are still in the process of convincing regulatory authority on their advantages over the single ingredient formulations.

Combination pro

• Respect their position, promote your own

Open Disagreement

‘Hmm – it might be possible, but I doubt it…’

People who disagree need time to come around to your way of thinking.

• Support your statements with proof and evidence

•
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
Use statistics and numbers accurately and appropriately; avoid trickery

• Be clear about areas of agreement and disagreement

• Ask little and get it, rather than a lot and be turned down

• Demonstrate ways in which you understand their view
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
oint

• Show that you seek a win-win outcome

Reluctant Compliance

‘Well, if that’s what you want, that’s what we’ll have to do.’

Link your point of view to the compliant person’s feelings, values and concerns to move him or her towar
nation products and maximize the revenues. But the companies involved in this practice are overlooking that they are burdening the patients both economically
s actively supporting your ideas.

• Stress connections between your proposal or position and the person’s interests

• Avoid complex arguments

• Focus on simple and vivid points and benefits

• Be prepared to repeat these in many different f
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
rms

• Stress mutual benefits

• Point out mutual losses, if your ideas aren’t accepted

Undecided

‘I’m just not sure it will work.’

Work to tip the scales in your favour.

• Focus on your side of the issue

• Re-state mutual benefits
ts. Some of the combination products were well accepted by physicians while others suffered. Companies involved in development of combination products are fi

• Minimise/solve problem issues

• Support your case with expert evidence

• Cite cases when similar proposals or ideas have been successful

• Break your proposal down into small, more acceptable action items

• Follow up (in writing?) to av
ding difficulty in defining their combination products and facing various challenges from selecting a combination to marketing it.

Following aspects would a
oid the person slipping back into indecision

No Information/Insufficient Information

‘I need more background information before I can make a decision.’

Find out what information is missing or needed.

• Back it with proof and evidenc
dd to the challenges in developing combination products:

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

• Avoid swamping the other person with too much info

• Invite questions and requests for clarification

• Get the person to agree that the information is sufficient and acceptable

• Make your information lively and attractive

Not Able
cts are meaningful and rational?
Which therapeutic categories to select?
Which Combinations can address unmet needs of the patients?
Do combin
o See A Need

‘I just don’t think we have a need for that right now.’

Acknowledge need is the bedrock of acceptance.

• Conduct more detailed fact-finding

• Get agreement along the way that needs exist

• Ask what may happen if these nee
tions increase the patient compliance?
What would be the developing cost?
How to tackle the risks encountered during combination product developmen
s remain unfulfilled

• Illustrate how similar needs have been met for others

• Create a summary of the specific benefits of your suggestion

Need To Think It Over

‘Hmm – I must give this some thought. Can you come back next month?’

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
ome people do need time to think things through. Establish aspects of the idea they need to think about: ‘What exactly is that you want to think over … (Don’t pause here) … is it x, or y, or z?’.

• Reiterate the main benefits of your proposal
ping new procedures for reviewing their safety, efficacy and quality.

Professional from academic institutions, pharmaceutical industries, health care indust
s

• Clarify any misunderstandings

• Solve any remaining problems or issues

• Make positive use of any delay

• Provide a written summary of your ideas and the benefits

Wrong Time

‘It’s a bad time for us to be making decisions like
y and representatives from various regulatory agencies are working out to design the regulatory requirements for manufacture and sale of combination products
his.’

Assuming this is a genuine and not a delaying tactic, you can use the waiting time to your mutual advantage.

• Ask when would be an appropriate time

• Use the time delay to road test your ideas, organise a dry run, double check your p
.

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
ans

And Finally: Referring The Decision To Others

‘I’ll need to have a word with my partner and come back to you.’

You should already have established that the person you are attempting to influence has the authority to say yes.

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

Companies that provide selfless information through particip
hich case, ask ‘Are you happy with what I am suggesting?’ If the person is happy, suggest that you both take the issue to the higher authority and work as a team to get final agreement.

Copyright © 2006 Jonathan Farrington. All rights reserve

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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Advice You - Categories Of Buyer Resistence

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