New Brunswick, NJ—(April 5, 2006) A panel convened during SRI’s 4th Annual Pharmaceutical Marketing & Sales conference on April 5, 2006, in New Brunswick, NJ, sought to answer the eternal question: Are successful pharmaceutical reps made or born? The panel included Patrick Barry, Vice President, Training & Leadership Development at sanofi-aventis; Tim Shalbrack, Senior Vice President, Performance Sales Teams at PDI, Inc; Jason Stephani, Director of Sales Force Effectiveness and Analytics, Sepracor, Inc; Olivier Delannoy, Vice President of the Infertility Unit, Ferring Pharmaceuticals; and Jay Ross, Director of Training at Eyetech Pharmaceuticals.
The group agreed that identifying good candidates for hire is of the utmost importance in performance outcome. While often found through referrals, connections with good candidates can also be made via the Internet and at universities, particularly those that offer degrees in pharmaceutical sales. Qualities of a good candidate as identified by the panel include independence, discipline, intellectual ability and flexibility with changing structures.
Once found, the panel agreed that a good rep requires continued nurturing, mentoring, and training. Each described their approach to continuing education, including use of verbal assessments, phased courses, internships, leveraging backgrounds for the good of the company, and providing multiple training pathways.
This panel discussion was an excellent opportunity for attendees to learn how to improve the profile of their sales force from industry colleagues who are directly involved with the field force. PDI's involvement underscores their commitment to sharing their expertise in market dynamics and changing sales force structures for the betterment of the biopharmaceutical community.
For more information contact:
Stephen P. Cotugno
Executive Vice President-Corporate Development
PDI, Inc.
201-574-8617
About PDI
PDI, Inc. (NASDAQ: PDII) is a diversified sales and marketing services provider to the biopharmaceutical industry. PDI's comprehensive set of outsourced sales and marketing solutions is designed to increase its clients' strategic flexibility and enhance their efficiency and profitability. Headquartered in Saddle River, NJ, PDI also has offices in Pennsylvania and Illinois.
PDI's sales and marketing services include our Performance Sales Teams™, which are dedicated teams for specific clients; and Select Access™, our targeted sales solution that leverages an existing infrastructure; marketing research and consulting; and medical education and communications. The company's experience extends across multiple therapeutic categories and includes office and hospital-based initiatives.
PDI's commitment is to deliver innovative solutions, unparalleled execution and superior results for its clients. Through strategic partnership and client-driven innovation, PDI maintains some of the longest standing sales and marketing relationships in the industry. Recognized as an industry pioneer, PDI remains committed to continued innovation.
For more information, visit the Company's website at www.pdi-inc.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements regarding future events and financial performance. These statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties and are based on numerous assumptions involving judgments with respect to future economic, competitive and market conditions and future business decisions, all of which are difficult or impossible to predict accurately and many of which are beyond PDI's control.
Some of the important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements are general economic conditions, changes in our operating expenses, adverse patent rulings, FDA, legal or accounting developments, competitive pressures, failure to meet performance benchmarks in significant contracts, changes in customer and market requirements and standards, the impact of
any stock repurchase programs, and the risk factors detailed from time to time in PDI's periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including without limitation, PDI's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2004, and PDI's periodic reports on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission since January 1, 2005. The forward looking-statements in this press release are based upon
management's reasonable belief as of the date hereof. PDI undertakes no obligation to revise or update publicly any forward-looking statements for any reason.
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