From story telling to strategic account management through revised value proposition in the blood glucose monitoring market. The case of Abbott Diabetes Care Benelux.

Abstract

The paper deals about the reviewing of the dominant sales and marketing model of a medtech company active in the Blood Glucose Monitoring in Benelux, answering the research question about the readiness and ability of the current sales force to be successful in the perspective of the launch of a new disruptive technology in the Bloog Glucose Market. As part of the Lifesciences industry , including pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medtech companies, the Blood Glucose industry is facing high environment changes forcing it to revise and reengineer its sales and marketing model to face new healthcare realities. The Abbott Diabetes Care case illustrates the limits of the share of voice model as country environments are undergoing radical changes that diminish sales force effectiveness of traditional representative oriented selling, characterized by a breakdown between share of voice and sales results. Through an exhaustive literature review describing and explaining the urgent need for change, the Abbott Diabetes Care Business Case illustrates how the company has reviewed its current model (Share of voice model) to a Strategic Key Account Management approach that enables the company to better understand the stakeholder’s network in order to define a unique Value Proposition aligned on all customer’s needs and expectations. As result, the Key Account Management project has enabled the company to redefine new segmentation criteria and focus sales efforts on key strategic centers and customers. The new Key Account mindset has enabled the sales force team to collect data and insights that enables them to design new segmentation criteria based on their value proposition instead of client’s size and sales potential. By better identifying their key clients , including allies and partners inside every hospital center, the sales force has defined activities and tactics that enable them to take a robust strategic competitive advantage.