New pharmaceutical sales representatives usually look forward to training with a mix of anticipation and anxiety – it's exciting to begin a new journey. It's fun to meet new people. And it probably means that you're done with home study manuals and online tests. At the same time, it's natural to worry about not performing well at training.

The new world Handling objections through e-learning Apr 1, 2008 By: David Werboff

In my experience, your product doesn't work as well as your competitor for my patient population."

Never forget A look at three trainers' legacies Apr 1, 2008 By: Kimberly A. Farrell

Training has notoriously been a "pass through" rotation in the pharmaceutical industry, and one that provides the opportunity for the trainer to learn many new competencies in facilitation skills, basics of instructional design, platform-presentation skills and learning the ins-and-outs of the corporate culture they are working in.

Bridge building 101 The value of a central theme Apr 1, 2008 By: Dorothy Leeds

As I am always thinking of ways to make things easier for my workshop participants and the reps I work with, I realized that a central theme is a wonderful way to stand out from the growing competition as you make your daily presentations.

So you're going to have a passenger. Now what?

Language arts Translating sales goals into learning objectives Apr 1, 2007 By: K.C. Warner

Learning objectives spell out the skills required to achieve sales goals. They are the foundation of the training program you design.

Tool time Selecting the right medium for the job Apr 1, 2007 By: Michelle Nolin Flewell

Training options have expanded to include a dizzying array of technology and multimedia options. To name just a few, we have podcasts, Webcasts, e-learning, video, print, audio CDs, blogs, live training, synchronous workshops and asynchronous workshops. With all of these choices, how do you know which medium will produce the best results?

Meeting of the mind The seven stages of standout facilitation Apr 1, 2007 By: Kimberly A. Farrell

Excellence in facilitation means providing a common link to each piece of knowledge.

Finding your way Mapping the maze of managed care Apr 1, 2007 By: Nick Dabruzzo

In late 2005, as the Medicare Modernization Act (MMA) and Medicare Part D loomed large, pharmaceutical training departments made significant investments in preparing sales representatives. On average, sales representatives spent six hours reading backgrounders, participating in online training and attending in-person training about the MMA and Medicare Part D.