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In any highly competitive marketplace, those who are
destined for success are the ones who take the approach presented by the
ancient Chinese General and Strategist Sun Tzu when he wrote over 2,500
years ago: "The great strategist first wins the victory in the temple
rehearsal of the battle, and then enters the competition. Those destined
for defeat first enter the competition and then seek victory."
So what is this "temple rehearsal of the battle,"
and how can the teachings of military strategists be applied to selling
in the healthcare marketplace? The purpose of this article is to examine
the Art of War Gaming and its application to preparing for any competitive
situation. Our focus is not on battling but on achieving your objectives
without attacking your competition.
We will examine a process used at the Air Staff and
Command College to prepare US Airforce leaders for competition. It is
our belief that through teaching the application of these practices, your
sales and marketing organization will improve its strategic focus and
achieve organizational objectives effectively and efficiently.
Strategic War Gaming
One can be assured that Colin Powell and Norman Schwarzkopf considered
every potential scenario before committing their resources to the battle
in the Persian Gulf When Schwarzkopf presented his strategy for successfully
achieving his objectives in the Gulf War, he demonstrated a keen awareness
of the current situation.
This SWOT analysis included a clear picture of the strengths and weaknesses
of the United Nations Forces, the invading troops of Iraq, and the terrain
in which the conflict was taking place. After thorough analysis, the US
military leaders uncovered the Iraqi's key weakness-the inability to "see"
due to a lack of reconnaissance. Schwarzkopf built his strategy on this
and was very successful.
However, General Schwarzkopf did not take his competition lightly. In
the "temple rehearsal" the military leaders considered every
potential competitive move and determined how they would handle these
moves should they occur. This included the "nightmare scenario."
What would be the most difficult situations that might arise and what
could be done proactively to address those situations?
The temple rehearsal of the battle includes war gaming. War games, in
the context of this article, are used to investigate the sales and marketing
process. They provide the incentive and inspiration needed to gain facts
and to structure process into competitive analysis and product strategy.
Part of the power of teaching the application of war gaming concepts
to your sales process, is that learning occurs during each phase of research,
development, presentation, and the final, or "hot wash-up" step.
Components of War Gaming
So how can we teach medical equipment, pharmaceutical and biotech sales
managers to recreate the "temple rehearsal" for their troops?
We will begin by examining the steps taken in military war gaming and
see their application for training your sales team.
What is the general scenario?
This involves developing a sales situation that is relevant and challenging
for everyone involved. It should capture a current opportunity where the
decision is imminent and the competitive challenge is strong.
As the facilitator, your initial step is to make certain that the manager
or team leader has clearly defined where the opportunity is and that the
opportunity is account- specific. The timeline for the opportunity should
be within a year. The time allotment for the war-gaming activity should
be approximately 2 weeks with a team meeting serving as the last activity.
Decide on your product focus.
Next, divide your sales team into two groups with one supporting your
product and the other representing the competitive product. Instruct each
team that their first step is to do research on the following:
- Learn as much as you can about your product.
- Use whatever research methods you have at your disposal.
- Use the same methods to gain a thorough understanding of the "other"
product.
- Research the opportunity and the account.
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It is also imperative that you instruct the manager to do his or her
own research. Our recommendation is that the research be focused on an
account or opportunity specified by the manager and the general issues
facing influencers within such accounts. For example, you should direct
the manager to do some Internet research on the account and on broad healthcare
related issues.
This information should be parceled out to both teams throughout the
two-week research phase of the event. You will want to see how they use
this information in developing their approach to achieving their objectives.
What is the objective?
Be very clear on the objective. It must be specific, measurable, and time
bound. For most situations this will mean market share, units, or dollar
volume.
Determine the potential strategies.
Once each team has completed step 1, they should discuss what they might
rely upon to win. What will they focus on to achieve their objectives?
For example, in the Gulf War, Schwarzkopf knew that his major competitive
advantage was his air force superiority. That was a key strategy for victory.
Your two teams must decide what they think gives the greatest opportunity
for victory against the competitor.
What tactics will be employed?
The next step is to consider what must be done to execute the plan or
the strategic position. These are the specific actions that are to be
taken. For example, if I am relying on the spectrum of activity of my
antibiotic in treating postsurgical infections, what will I use to support
this strategy? What sales visuals, clinical reports, speakers, in-service
programs, etc., are available?
In the highly competitive environment of pharmaceutical sales, overcoming
resistance is a critical skill.
Each team's tactical plan should also consider the "nightmare scenario."
That is, what is the worst thing that could happen to you from a competitive
standpoint? In other words, each teams competitive research must have
considered the strengths of the competition.
If, for example, the competitor has a less complicated dosing regimen,
how will you handle that issue without directly attacking the competitor?
What will you use, tactically, to address first the closing issue, and
then, refocus the customer on your product's identified strength?
The "Temple Rehearsal"
Once these planning steps are taken, convene your two teams to make their
presentations. Have the competitive team present their plan first. This
should include an examination of how they handled each step in the analysis.
Let the competitive team use slides, flip charts, handouts, overheads,
or any presentation materials they may want.
From the other team, allow only questions regarding the process and at
this point stay away from comments regarding how they would have reacted.
This is a time to listen and learn. Next, have the home team present their
approach in the same manner as was done from the competitive product team.
The Hot Wash-Ups
After a war game, military leaders apply what they have learned to the
real world. Once the competitive team has presented, everyone takes on
the role of the home team product. You will want to facilitate a discussion
regarding what changes might need to be made in the product strategy for
your product.
You will also make adjustments to the tactics employed to support the
product strategy and to address potential customer concerns or any "nightmare
scenarios" that could present themselves. The next step is execution
of the plan and application of this same process to other key opportunities.
Final Words
As a manager or trainer, your challenge is to facilitate, do your homework
to support the "intelligence" you send out during the first
two weeks of the activity, and stay out of it!
The war-gaming process has been around for centuries, but its application
to competition in sales and marketing is thin. A key to success with this
process is to make it interesting enough and interactive enough to allow
each team to suspend their own disbelief and take on the challenge as
a learning process. Your scenario must be realistic enough to ensure that
the learning that takes place is informative and not misleading.
The interaction and energy you will see among the teams is one characteristic
that makes such activities so powerful. And the application of this process
to each person's key sales opportunities will be a result well worth the
effort and time involved in the "temple rehearsal of the battle."
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