Personal Development Planning Tip #10

Following on from our last post:

The final step in developing your plan is determining what you will do to accomplish your goals. Each goal should follow the SMART format (Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Relevant, Timebound) and should offer you an opportunity to demonstrate your learnings. For example, if you are working on your time management skills you may take a course or read a book. That’s a great starting point, but the next step is to outline 2-3 habits you will implement and track how you do against those. Maybe you have trouble meeting deadlines. What did you learn in class or through the book that will be implemented to overcome this issue? Implement the learning (perhaps calendar reminders) and track how you are progressing against your goal (setting reminders and meeting deadlines). Ask your manager for feedback.

Perhaps you would like to deepen your understanding of competitor products. What materials will you digest to meet this goal? Leading journal clubs for your colleagues will help deepen your understanding of the material and result in discussion that will benefit everyone. Do you have a colleague with a similar goal? If so, meet on a routine schedule to discuss materials you’ve read. Has one of your colleagues worked with a competitor’s product? Can discuss your learnings and gain their perspective? Outline a SMART goal and hold yourself accountable to accomplish what you’ve set out to do.

Perhaps you will be networking to learn more about the cross-functional teams you encounter. What goal will you set for the number of networking sessions you will schedule in a month? Set a goal of writing Thank you notes 100% of the time and within 3 days of your meeting. Measure your progress against this SMART goal.

More in our next post…

Personal Development Planning Tip #9

The last posts in this series have focused on evaluating your strengths and areas for development based on your current role and what you want to do in the future. Once this critical groundwork has been laid, it is time to focus these ideas and write your personal development plan.

Start by aligning with your manager on your learnings to gain their perspective and begin narrowing down the list to two to three areas you want to focus on. Looking back over the approach outlined in Tip 1 in this series, when you evaluated yourself against the competencies required for your role, what skill did you uncover that could use some polishing? I believe one goal should be focused on optimizing yourself in your current role, even if you have been in your role for many years. This could include stretching your skills in a way you have not been required to do in previous years. Remember the company needs you to deliver in a certain role and you can always add to your level of competency. If you are new to your role, your PDP may focus solely on the competencies of your current role to ensure you are delivering value and having impact.

The next goal should be focused on optimizing yourself. This could be based on what you are currently doing or what you want to do in the future. This could be a skill such as active listening, negotiating, or communicating but could also be deepening your understanding of the science you speak to or how you present that science to various audiences. Perhaps deepening your understanding of strategy will be a learning opportunity (and valuable in all roles).

The last goal maybe focused on what you want to do next. Is there a way to support your current team by developing a skill that will aid in your learning or demonstrate your readiness for the next role? Your manager will likely have some ideas and opportunities to which you could align. Perhaps this entails deepening your connections to those in the role you hope to secure or even the manager of that team. Is there an opportunity to contribute while increasing exposure to their work?

More in our next post…

Personal Development Planning Tip #8

Following on from our last post:

Put time on your calendar to network every week, even if it is just 30 minutes. Be prepared with questions related to their role and your interests. Why did you set up time with them specifically? What about their function sparked your interest? How do they collaborate across the organization? What are their biggest challenges / accomplishments? What are the functional and individual goals? How do they spend their time day-to-day? Share your interests and what you desire in a role.

Send a note of thanks following the meeting, including a specific take-away from the meeting. This is a critical part of networking that is often overlooked. People have given you their time and that should be acknowledged. Set yourself apart by remembering this final detail.

Tip: Never dismiss a contact based on their academic training, positions, or how they look to you. Turn on your best human relations skills so that you can find the wisdom they have. As an MSL, the first person you may meet is at the reception desk at the HCPs office. That is the person that can make room for us on the schedule, get us through on the phone, and can likely get faster results than a cold email! There is no such thing as an insignificant job or person. Every person is a book, just turn the next page to discover more about them… And about you.

Each of these meetings will provide value and offer a great opportunity to connect with people across your organization. A picture will start to develop about roles that may fit your interests. Even if a role or functional area turns out not to align with your goals, you will have made important connections in the company.

Personal Development Planning Tip #7

In our last post, we focused on how to leverage your personal development plan (PDP) when you’ve already identified what role you are targeting. If you are unclear about what you want to do next, no worries! You can tailor one of the goals in your PDP to help you determine what direction you may or may not want to go.

We all enjoy some of our job responsibilities more than others. Perhaps you’re ready to spend less time on the road and more time at home but still want to stay close to the science? Or perhaps you enjoy working with pipeline molecules more than commercially available products? Maybe working on clinical trials is more your speed? Take time to reflect on the aspects of your role (or pervious roles) that you truly enjoy or areas in which you would like to grow your expertise.

Do you know what opportunities within your company that align with your likes/dislikes? If not, this is an opportune time to ramp up your networking skills and learn about the possibilities.  Who have you met in the company that does something interesting that you believe aligns with your interests? Set up a 30-minute coffee (or virtual coffee) to learn more about the details of their role. You may find it is not what you thought it would be, or you may learn it’s just what you want to do… Regardless, you will learn something. I guarantee they will help you make other connections with colleagues that would be happy to discuss their role with you. Connect via LinkedIn. Let the networking begin!

More in our next post…

Personal Development Planning Tip #6

Following on from our previous post:

We all live in our own reality. We really did look in the mirror today and said, “Yes!” Then out on the street we do wonder if some of these folks had a mirror! Consider of course your manager’s feedback, but also as we’ve recommended in the past don’t overlook your neighbor’s wisdom, how are things done where they work, how do they respond?

Maybe the next role requires you to be involved with strategy development. Talk with your manager to see how you can get involved in the development of the MSL strategy for the upcoming year. Your perspective as a current MSL will provide value in the process and allow you to better understand the departments process for building strategy including aligning with the company’s goals, cross-functional team alignment, prioritization, and budgeting. I suspect your manager would appreciate your support!

Imagine yourself in an interview, outlining how you developed your PDP in alignment with the required competencies for the role, and sharing examples of how you executed your plan. You’ll certainly impress the hiring manager with your thoughtful and informed approach.

It’s important to acknowledge that many people thrive in their current role and are not interested in changing career paths. That is OK (great, actually, as your manager can count on you and your experience as an anchor for the team) and will allow you to focus your development in other areas, including stretching yourself in your current role. Head back to the previous tip and identify those areas!

Personal Development Planning Tip #5

In our last posts on this topic, we discussed the competencies needed for your role as an MSL and the steps to assess yourself against these skills and behaviors. This post will focus on how to leverage your personal development plan (PDP) to help you prepare for your next step in your career journey, once you’ve identified what role you are targeting. If you don’t know what you want to do next, no worries! We’ll cover that in our next posts.

Your PDP is a great way to gain skills necessary for that next role while providing broader value in your current role. Is that really possible? Absolutely!

The first step is to know what competencies are required for that next role. Do you have a competency model for that role? Great, that’s going to give you a specific path forward. If not, no worries, look at the job description for the role and develop a list of competencies you think are needed. Talk with people in the role (and/or their managers) to adjust and expand this list, as well as to validate what you believe to be the necessary skills and behaviors for success. Prioritize the list so you can focus on your development. This is an ideal time to use your networking skills to learn more about the role and gain feedback about areas in which you could develop.

Assess yourself against each skill and behavior on the list of competencies for this role. Certainly, some of your current skills will transfer nicely to this next role but there will be others to which you need to gain exposure. Going down the list of competencies, are you at the learning stage, the developing stage, or have you mastered the skill? Have your manager make the same assessment. How do these compare?

It is likely that you will identify areas that you need to gain experience that could provide value to your manager. Let’s say you are interested in a Field Director role where you will have responsibilities to hire and manage people. Maybe you haven’t been involved with interviewing candidates before, so you want to gain experience since this is one competency of a manager. Collaborate with your manager (or other managers) to see if you can get involved with the interview process. This would allow you to gain insights into the hiring process, the company’s interviewing tools (such as behavioral interview questions), help develop the cross-functional list of interviewers, etc. You’re gaining insights and skills while assisting the manager to fill a role.

More in our next post…

Personal Development Planning Tip #4

Following on from our previous post:

As you assess yourself against each skill and behavior on the list of competencies for your role, are you at the learning stage, the developing stage, or have you mastered it? Be honest with yourself and consider the feedback you’ve reviewed in preparation for this exercise. Have your manager independently make the same assessment of your skills and behaviors. How do these assessments compare? Use this comparison for an honest discussion with your manager about areas for growth and areas at which you excel, particularly if there is misalignment. This exercise is valuable if you are new to your role or if you are a seasoned MSL.

Tip: Capability Profiles (CP) is a competency model you can use to assess for others as well as a help for you to determine why we really are hired. A resume tells what we have done, a capabilities profile says what we can do, which is why you are really being hired anyway. Every interviewer has one thought on their mind, “Can you help me solve my problem?” Your resume is your history, your CP foretells your value. (If you’d like a copy of a CP outline let us know.)

Congratulations, you have just identified areas for development in your current role! In upcoming posts, we will talk more about what to do with this information and how to weave this into your personal development plan.

Personal Development Planning Tip #3

In the movie Casablanca, Rick looks at Ilsa and says, “Who are you really, and what were you before? What did you do and what did you think, huh?” Every useful development plan begins with who you are. And make sure that you know who you are instead of defining yourself by someone else’s standards.

In our last posts on this topic, we discussed different ways to approach the construction of your personal development plan (PDP) as you consider where you are and where you want to be in your career.  This post will focus on how you are performing in your current role.

Based on the feedback you’ve reviewed (a few of the places to look were outlined in the previous posts), what have you learned about how you are executing the responsibilities of your current job? Have you determined areas at which you are excelling and other areas that could be optimized? This is a great start!

Competency models are valuable tools that drill down on the many skills associated with a specific role and help you evaluate your ability to do those skills and behaviors in a successful and efficient way. If you don’t have these at your company, review your job description, or work with your manager to drill down on the various skills expected of you in your current position, considering several aspects of each responsibility. This list of competencies will be long and detailed covering the many aspects of the role from communication to presentations to scientific knowledge based. For example, scientific knowledge skills may include knowledge of product, disease, competitors, and your ability to communicate this information to different audiences such as KOLs, peers, nursing staff, and sales. List each of these as a separate competency (since they are!) and you will see the list of competencies for your role grow. If you already have a competency model, you’ve got the keys to success already outlined for you.

More in our next post…

Personal Development Planning Tip #2

Your personal development plan (PDP) is your roadmap for growth, but it’s also a reflection of your aspirations. Here are more things to consider:

Perhaps you are unclear what you want to do next, but you know what you enjoy doing and what you don’t. What roles are out there that fit your interests? Investigating this further through networking can be a lot of fun and make the path forward clearer.

Tip: Don’t do this too quickly. Broaden your search parameters. Call your friends with different specialties, even speak to your neighbors outside of pharma to see how they develop themselves. Look for what appears to be unique take on things. One of my neighbors when stressed says she does the opposite, thinks the opposite, looks for the opposite or different. She may or may not do anything, but she says it relieves her ‘either-or’ way of thinking under stress.

There are many tools available that will help you reflect on how you’d like to focus your development plan. It should start with a review of your recent performance evaluations, field ride-along feedback, your PDP from last year, and other sources of feedback you’ve received. Perhaps you completed a personality or behavioral self-assessment tools such as Inner Genius, DISC, Insights, or Myers-Briggs which has provided areas for development aligned with your personality style. While we may want to deny the accuracy of these tools, if we take an honest look at the results, there are a few things that may be valuable to address. Does your company offer the opportunity for 360° feedback? Perhaps you have competency models that outline the expectations of your role. As you review these tools, be honest with yourself about your strengths and areas for improvement. An honest, open discussion with your manager and/or a trusted colleague or mentor will provide additional insights that are valuable as you begin this process.

Tip: Don’t just ask for ‘feedback’…ask for what you really want. “During my last presentation what is one thing you really liked and one thing that I can do better next time?” Direct their thinking or you will get a Jack Nicholson dump!

Over the next few posts, we will dive deeper into these topics and give you many points to consider as you build your PDP around two or three goals for your personal development. Having a growth mindset as you embark on this journey will enhance your ability to become the artist you want to be and optimize your impact as an MSL.

Personal Development Planning Tip #1

It was Jack Nicholson who famously said, “You want the truth? You can’t handle the truth!” Well, when we (or our boss) give feedback, there may be some “truths” we’d prefer not to handle! But when we learn to handle all that comes our way, we are then in a better position to decide what is the ‘useful truth’… those true things about us that make us useful to others. While science may be about perfection, our ability with others is about how we can be most useful to them.

Constructing a personal development plan (PDP) is an opportunity to discuss where you are and where you want to be in your career, as well as to outline the journey to move toward your goal. It is not a one-time discussion; it is a dynamic document that should facilitate conversations throughout the year during one-on-ones with your manager. Reflecting how you execute and with the goal to optimize your impact as an artful MSL is the cornerstone to developing a thoughtful development plan.

There are a few things to reflect upon when considering your PDP:

How are you performing in your current role? If you’re new to your role, your development plan may focus on developing the competencies necessary to be effective in aspects of your new role. If you’re seasoned in your role and want to focus on optimizing your performance and impact, you may want to look for additional opportunities that support the team and broaden your skills.

Tip: Do this without obvious self-promotion but rather by supporting your manager and your team’s most important goals. An added tip: volunteer for the sub-teams that you would naturally avoid! (finance, compensation, project management, Holiday Party!) Doing so will educate you and just might provide a platform for change.

Do you have a desire to change roles and know your next steps in your career journey? This is an opportunity to write a development plan focused on how you can optimize skills in your current role that are building blocks for your next desired role. Imagine in that job interview outlining how you executed your development plan to ensure you had the skills and experience to be a top candidate for this position!

Tip: Interview those who already have the role you want. Identify the competencies they demonstrate to excel in their role.

Stay tuned for more insights into constructing an impactful PDP!

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Dealing with rejection Tip #3

In our last post on this topic, we encouraged you to retrain your brain to focus on positive feedback and positive outcomes. How’s it going? It’s not an easy switch but it’s an important one. Everyone gets feedback and faces disappointment, and the art of being an impactful MSL is to move past it and turn it into an opportunity for success.

How can you use the rejection to motivate you to try again? What have you learned by processing your emotions? What positive feedback have you received? Review that positive feedback. Review it again! Post it in a visible place. Embed those positive thoughts in your brain and get back on the horse.

Based on the steps you have taken and your learnings, what will you do differently moving forward? Review the feedback you’ve received with fresh eyes. What development opportunities have you identified?

·        If your rejection was related to a KOL meeting, approach the KOL in person at a conference meeting versus sending an email request. If email is your choice moving forward, how can you restructure the email? Can you shorten it and focus simply on getting the meeting? Consider offering times for the meeting to occur (versus open ended “when are you available?”). See our earlier posts for optimizing emails.

·        If you were turned down for a promotion, use your personal development plan to address any gaps you’ve identified or optimize areas relevant to the job you’re seeking. If you don’t have a personal development plan, this is the time to put one together. Be honest with yourself about areas for growth and avoid focusing on areas that you enjoy the most.

·        You may feel rejected by your KOL but in the mind of the KOL it may mean nothing. A second or third or fourth contact will often revive the relationship as long as you don’t hold a grudge. It may not be that way for them at all.

Rejection is inevitable but how you respond to it speaks to your professionalism and resilience. Even if your “shots on goal” are not resulting in the percentage of meetings or the promotion you hoped for, maintain a positive outlook. Reflecting on past victories for affirmation will be helpful. They say rejection builds character. Find that path forward after taking a deep breath, stepping back, and reframing the situation. You’ve got this!

Dealing with rejection Tip #2

All MSLs face rejection, and part of the art of being an impactful MSL is to move past it and turn it into an opportunity for success.

·        Consider what you can learn from this experience. Perhaps your request was not clear in the email to your KOL? Maybe you were too casual in your discussions during the interview?

·        Compare these learnings to your past successes. What did you do differently? How could your approach be adjusted? For example, look back on emails that resulted in a KOL response and compare / contrast with the email that resulted in your recent “rejection.” This historical approach can be a solid one and can help you put some perspective in line with how this relationship has gone in the past.

·        Can you get feedback on what stemmed the decision? If you didn’t get a job or a promotion, reaching out for feedback speaks volumes to the interviewer about your desire to grow. Recognize that their feedback may be limited due to corporate policy, but taking that step is important. Talking it out with a friend, trusted colleague, or a coach can often surface what might really be going on.

One of the difficult things for us to remember is that rejection is often not personal.

·        When making the decision about who to hire there are many factors a manager considers, such as if they can provide the support this individual needs to be successful or if this individual has experience that will diversify the team.

·        If a KOL declines your meeting invitation or cancels your meeting, it’s more likely due to a busy schedule or unexpected patient issues than to a personal affront.

·        Talking to one of your trusted MSL colleagues or your manager about the situation and gaining their perspective will provide important food for thought. Listen carefully for the positive affirmations they provide (write them down for future reference!).

·        Consider your own assessment. What did you like, learn, or appreciate about this relationship prior to this incident? Give value and appreciate what you have done thus far. Don’t let one misstep or misperception weigh you down. Remember: there are other KOLs who just can’t wait for you to come knock on their door!

According to neuropsychologist Dr. Rick Hanson, “The mind is like Velcro for negative experiences and Teflon for positive ones.” Isn’t that the truth? Do you focus on the positives when getting feedback or the negative? We need to retrain our brains, which can only be accomplished with practice. Get started today!

Dealing with rejection Tip #1

Rejection stinks! Whether it’s a KOL declining a meeting or being bypassed for a promotion, it never feels good. It is, however, inevitable. They say it builds character (Did you just roll your eyes?). Since rejection is something we all face, learning to respond to rejection is key. When you are under pressure to meet with an important KOL, that rejection can also result in extra angst. What you do next for yourself can make a difference with what you do next for your KOL. It will begin with the basic you. Take a deep breath, step back, and reframe.

Consider your first response to rejection. Do you get angry, lash out, take it personally, or see it for what it likely is – one more obstacle to move past? Recognizing and processing your feelings is constructive so you can learn and continue on a positive path forward. Your emotions are the gas in your tank. Their job is to energize. They do not, however, belong at the steering wheel. This is where your judgment belongs. The breathing, step back, and reframing keeps the emotions where they belong… And the good thinking where it belongs!

·        Give yourself space to face your emotions and decide how to move forward. Step away from work and do something to relax.

·        Don’t act on your emotions, no matter what you do (e.g. sending a strongly worded email or picking up the phone and giving someone a piece of your mind). It goes without saying that it won’t help the situation. Always, especially under stress, use the draft folder without an address for any email you want to send. This will help you send the email you’d better send, if at all.

·        Remember that you have been successful in the past (probably as recently as earlier today) and this rejection isn’t the end of the world! Spoiler alert… Per Alexander Graham Bell, “When one door closes, another door opens.”

·        And remember that it might just not be an outright rejection, but a “feeling of rejection” by a sensitive (or overly-sensitive) part of oneself. There are many reasons that what looks like a rejection is not that at all. It could be about us, not them.

Take the time you need to process your feelings and get ready for the next steps. If you get tied up in emotion, you will linger on frustration – which isn’t productive. In the wise words of Taylor Swift, you’ll need to “shake it off” and move forward. More on that in our next post.

Connecting with your virtual audience Tip #4

In this series, we’re reviewing some simple tricks to enhance our connections with our virtual audience by removing obstacles.

Keeping a professional environment for virtual engagement when you’re on the road may take a few extra steps.

·        When using the desk in a hotel room, the background is often the bed! Not professional! Turn yourself around so a wall is behind you. Can you move the desk? If not, did you know an ironing board makes a great makeshift desk?! I once used an ottoman on top of the bed as a desk so the background was appropriate. Another option is to carry a vinyl or cloth backdrop and pushpins to guarantee your background is professional.
·        Using a virtual background is also an option used by many but keep in mind that parts of you disappear when you move. For the audience this can be a distraction and make interrupt their focus. If you do choose a virtual background, ensure it is professional.
·        If you need to have a virtual meeting with a KOL but it overlaps with the time you’re driving to another appointment or the airport, leave with time to arrive to your destination early and find a quiet place for your virtual call. Worst case scenario, sit in your car (perhaps the backseat) but whatever you do, DON’T drive and get on a video call. It’s dangerous and unprofessional and will leave the KOL questioning your judgement. It also doesn’t allow you to give the KOL or the conversation the necessary attention. Plan accordingly!
·        Ensure your headphones are charged and you have a back-up set that plugs into your computer. Being on speaker does not bode well in that environment (or most environments if I’m going to be honest!).
·        At the airport a quiet corner may be difficult to find. Is an airline club membership an option, even for the day? Is there a quiet corner away from a busy gate? Remember while travel is “part of the job” and “people should understand,” constant interruptions to a conversation are annoying even to the most patient KOL.

Love or hate virtual meetings, they have become a normal part of our lives as MSLs. While building relationships through remote interactions may not be our favorite option, implementing these practices will remove obstacles and facilitate strong connections with our virtual audience.

Connecting with your virtual audience Tip #3

In this series we’re reviewing some simple tricks to enhance our connections with our virtual audience by removing obstacles.

Can you hear me now? Now? NOW? What? My camera’s not on? Let me try this. Nope, hmmm, I guess I’ll be off camera for the meeting.

How many meetings start like this? How do you feel when you’re the one having technical difficulties or the observer of the problem? With some effort, most technical difficulties can be managed in advance of the big call.

·      Ideally, use the same equipment even if you are on the road.

·      Use the test features in the program to ensure you can hear and are heard.

·      Are your wireless headphones charged? Do you have a backup plan if they run out of juice?

·      What is your camera showing? Mainly your face (or focused on your forehead) or is it tilted in an awkward direction (like looking up your nose)? Every time I return my laptop to my desk and reposition the camera, I double check the positioning is right before I jump into my next virtual meeting.

Remember that you only have one chance to make a first impression and that utilizing your KOL’s time wisely may change the opportunity to build a relationship.

·      Set up a meeting with a colleague to test your technology if you’ve changed your equipment or are using new software… colleagues make a better audience when technical glitches occur, may offer solutions, and provide a less stressful environment while you’re muddling through the challenges.

·      Dial into a meeting with yourself using a secondary device such as a laptop, tablet, or phone to see how you look and sound, simulating the technology you will be using during the big meeting.

Connecting with your virtual audience tip #2

In this series, we’re reviewing some simple tricks to remove obstacles for connecting with our virtual audience.

There are many memes about having a professional presence on top and a party on the bottom, and my suspicion this isn’t far from true (are you wearing pajama bottoms right now?). Maintaining the professionalism you have in person, even if you are sitting comfortably at home, is important. This includes not only your clothes but also your posture!

·        Dress to impress by wearing solid colors with minimal pattern to avoid becoming a kaleidoscope in the camera. Ensure that your camera placement or movement catches only what you want the audience to see. I find that dressing professionally – including proper pants –  helps me feel and act more professional. Sit up tall, shoulders back, with your feet on the floor to present confidence that will be evident on camera. I find standing helps in my posture and we’ve learned it is better for our health.

How are you setting the stage for a professional engagement to gain trust from your KOLs? We only have one opportunity to make a first impression so putting our best foot forward during virtual meetings will lay the groundwork for our future interactions.

·        Put your distractions aside (this means your phone too!) and give the meeting your full attention like you would do during an in-person meeting. Implementing these ideas and overlaying your active listening skills will increase your presence and foster trust with your KOLs.

Sitting in a quiet environment is obviously ideal, but perhaps not always possible. When the doorbell rings, does your dog go berserk? Perhaps you’re stuck at the airport due to a delayed flight? Recognizing you can’t always control the noise, what steps can you take to minimize it?

·         If your dog is a barker, consider putting them in a different place in the house (or outside) for an important meeting. You can never predict when you’re going to get a delivery! If you’re home with others who can’t predict when you’re on a call, hang a “on a call” sign on your door so that important KOL receives your full attention. At an airport? Can you move away from an active gate to a quiet corner? Sit in your rental car for the meeting? Get an airport lounge pass for the call?

Connecting with your virtual audience Tip #1

Love or hate virtual meetings, they have become a normal part of our lives as MSLs. You may feel that it is more difficult to build relationships with people through remote interactions, but the good news is that it doesn’t need to be! In this series, we’ll review some simple tricks to remove obstacles for connecting with our virtual audience.

We take many things into consideration when we meet someone in person, and virtual meetings demand the same mindfulness! Are you giving virtual meetings that level of attention?

Eye contact is critical for you to build trust while also being seen as authentic and present. Have you spent a virtual meeting looking at the side of the presenter’s face or worse, up their nose due to camera placement? Do better!

·        Place your camera at eye level and look through the camera for the best engagement, just like you would when talking in person (meaning, don’t stare into the camera for 30 minutes straight!). I use a Center CamTM because it sits partway down my screen, allowing me to look at the person directly when I “pin” the other person or presenter on my screen. The bonus is that this camera placement also allows me to see their reactions and read their body language during our conversation.

Are you going to be sharing your screen and want to continue to see the audience (ideal!)? While using a second monitor is helpful, it facilitates the need to look to the side.

·        Use the option to share only the program (i.e. PowerPoint) and not your desktop. This allows you to decrease the size of the slides and position them near your camera. You can then have your audience visible on another part of your screen. You can also hide the non-video participants so the space is given to those who are on camera.

What message does your background send? Have you dialed into a meeting and spent the entire time trying to determine what all the tchotchkes are on the bookshelves behind the presenter? I have! And while doing so, I’m certain I missed salient points of the discussion.

·        Avoid a cluttered background that will distract your audience from you and your message. Choose only a few items to be visible and be deliberate with your choices to ensure each item represents your “brand.” Ensure that nothing is sticking out of your head or popping over your shoulder when you move. Consider including something personal that will facilitate a discussion. If you’re struggling with this adjustment, consider turning your desk or starting with a clean slate and adding items in over time.

Networking Doesn't Require Much Work Tip #4

Here are our final tips on networking for impactful Medical Science Liaison’s:

The skills of the effective networker apply to our KOLs as much as they do to a party, a new job, a committee assignment, or even when you and your family are new to the neighborhood.

KOLs want to know that you are confident and capable. They want to know that you won’t waste their time but do want you to give them all the time they need. And KOLs really want insights, just like you want from them, to help their patients.

Dressing well gets you in the door and makes the initial impression. Yes, it is superficial, but how do you see those who are well put together as opposed to those who just left their dorm room? This is important for virtual meetings too!

Be present and listen. Make it about them and their patients. Engage their staff with genuine interest, use their names, and make notes for next time. Be a light in their day.

Networking Doesn't Require Much Work Tip #3

In our last posts on this topic, we suggested that those you see as “Super MSLs” are not any better than you, they are quite simply employing skills and strategies that some of us overlook. They know the art of being an impactful MSL! Here are five more:

1.     Engage your Human Relations Skills…early and often. Godin calls these “real” skills because they are why you were really hired. Some call them ‘soft skills’ which I think diminishes them. I call them “transformational skills” because when used well, they do transform our place among others.

2.     Memorize names, places, events, and family members. Nothing is quite so sweet as the sound of our name and that of our children. Take advantage of this by being the one who uses names. Sometimes you will hear “I’m not good at remembering names” and the advice is, “I wonder what it is costing you to keep being “not good”?

3.     Sit with strangers, introduce yourself, inquire, and ask for advice. I usually say, “What kind of work do you do?” Followed by “Did you go to school to learn how to do that?” This is usually met with a smile and the conversation has begun!

4.     Avoid alcohol (even one) at after-hours events. Avoid your friends who are drinking too much also. Eating with the boss? Many young men take their suit coat off at meals…mistake. I rarely see a CEO do so. Dress like the CEO, act like you are the CEO, engage like a CEO, and don’t eat furiously. Don’t start eating till everyone has been served. Pass the bread bowl before you take your share. Business meals are not for eating, they are for meeting.

5.     When you are being interviewed, know the ‘silent question’ that is in the mind of the other. My clients who interview say the following:
a. Can this person solve my problem?
b. What is this person like to work with?
c. Can this person improve my team in some way?
d. Do I like this person?

You are still answering their questions of course, but you are also adding a magic word after each answer…”because” or “the reason this is important is” which shows not only your answer but more importantly your ‘take’ on the material, your ‘wisdom”…that is what will make you different, unique, and show the value the real you will bring.