CNPR Pharmaceutical Sales Techniques & Strategies 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the primary purpose of a pre-call plan in pharmaceutical sales?
- To document previous sales for the manager
- To set a clear objective and strategy for maximizing each physician interaction (Correct answer)
- To comply with FDA promotional guidelines
- To determine the physician's formulary preferences
Correct answer: To set a clear objective and strategy for maximizing each physician interaction
A pre-call plan ensures the rep enters each visit with specific goals, relevant data, and a tailored message to make the visit productive.
Question 2: A rep discovers that a physician's patients frequently use a competing product. The best approach is to:
- Criticize the competitor drug's side effect profile directly
- Ask open-ended questions to understand the physician's prescribing rationale (Correct answer)
- Request a peer-to-peer meeting with a KOL immediately
- Offer a higher volume of samples to switch behavior
Correct answer: Ask open-ended questions to understand the physician's prescribing rationale
Open-ended questions uncover the physician's reasoning and create an opportunity to address gaps with your product's differentiators.
Question 3: Under the PhRMA Code on Interactions with Healthcare Professionals, which gift to a physician is permitted?
- A gift card to a local restaurant
- Branded pens worth less than $100
- Educational materials of modest value directly relevant to patient care (Correct answer)
- Tickets to a sporting event
Correct answer: Educational materials of modest value directly relevant to patient care
The PhRMA Code permits educational items of modest value that benefit patients, but prohibits gifts of entertainment or cash value.
Question 4: Which sales call structure element comes immediately after the opening in a standard detail call?
- Objection handling
- Closing for commitment
- Probing questions to identify needs (Correct answer)
- Distributing product samples
Correct answer: Probing questions to identify needs
After opening the call, effective reps ask probing questions to identify the physician's specific patient needs before presenting solutions.
Question 5: What does 'pull-through' refer to in pharmaceutical managed care sales?
- Activities that encourage physicians to prescribe a formulary-listed drug to eligible patients (Correct answer)
- Pulling samples through a distribution channel
- Removing a competitor from the formulary
- A technique for bypassing pharmacy benefit managers
Correct answer: Activities that encourage physicians to prescribe a formulary-listed drug to eligible patients
Pull-through consists of sales activities that convert formulary wins into actual prescriptions by educating physicians on coverage advantages.
Question 6: A rep presents clinical data showing a 30% relative risk reduction. A skeptical physician asks about absolute risk reduction. This question indicates:
- The physician is uninterested in the data
- The physician has strong clinical research literacy and wants complete context (Correct answer)
- The rep violated FDA promotion rules
- The drug has an unacceptable side effect profile
Correct answer: The physician has strong clinical research literacy and wants complete context
Asking about absolute risk reduction shows the physician understands that relative figures can be misleading without baseline context.
Question 7: Which of the following best describes the concept of 'selling to the segment of one'?
- Delivering an identical pitch to every physician for consistency
- Tailoring messaging to each physician's individual patient mix, values, and preferences (Correct answer)
- Focusing all efforts on a single high-volume prescriber
- Using only one approved detail piece per territory
Correct answer: Tailoring messaging to each physician's individual patient mix, values, and preferences
Personalizing the sales message to each physician's unique practice profile and concerns is the essence of individualized selling.
CNPR Pharmaceutical Sales Techniques & Strategies 3
What is the primary purpose of a pre-call plan in pharmaceutical sales?