Only last evening I was in discussion with Vinayak Kamath, the CEO and the Executive Director of V & V Pharmaceuticals. V & V Pharmaceuticals is a research-based Indian MNC with four new molecular entities to its credit. Vinayak Kamath was the marketing head and I was the Group Brand Manager when I was at V & V Pharmaceuticals

“As a former employee of V & V Pharmaceuticals, what is your analysis of V & V Pharmaceuticals falling down from the 4th rank in shop audit to the 11th rank, in just about a year and a half? And Vivek I don’t want to listen to the Covid-19 story. Covid-19 has had an equi-impact on all the pharma companies in India and even in the other world markets,” asked Vinayak Kamath authoritatively.

“Do you have the same kind of salesforce happiness today, as during my tenure with V & V Pharmaceuticals? Does the sales force run that extra mile today for high-end performance? Or are they just bound by targets and numbers? Do they look at the big picture of becoming the market leaders? Are they still pursuing the hackneyed traditional 1974-mindset,” I asked?  

Vinayak looked at me askance, and I continued my tirade. “Not just V & V Pharmaceuticals; this is the truth with many companies in India. Is the sales force happy? No! And the biggest sufferer is the Indian pharma market.”

“You have a point Vivek, but what is the solution?”

“The leaders of V & V Pharmaceuticals should first develop a H2H Mindset. This H2H Mindset can certainly bring about superior performance without a single paisa increase in your marketing budget. Rest assured Vinayak Sir, the marketing costs will come down when every C-suite leader is doused and soaked in the H2H Mindset.”

Vinayak Kamath looked stupefied. “Can a H2H Mindset really have this kind of powerful impact?”

“Vinayak Sir, may I suggest that you and Sanjay Patwari your Chairman should first develop the H2H Mindset? Then let it permeate to all the C-Suite leaders of V & V Pharmaceuticals. There will be a sea-change in the culture, the atmosphere, and the environment at work. It’s the leadership and the culture of V & V Pharmaceuticals that will determine whether or not the sales force is happy. And a happy sales force means superior performance.”

Vinayak nodded with a big smile of approval of what I said. “Happiness is contagious. “The virus of happiness will travel from sales one person to the next salesperson through their connections. And so will the performance of V & V Pharmaceuticals. It’s a transfer of the emotional state.”

I smiled. “In this pandemic, but now endemic times, you too are thinking only of viruses, but good viruses? Let the good H2H Mindset virus go deep into every brain neuron of your C-suite leaders. Send them to the field for at least three weeks every month. Let them connect with as many people as possible, the salesforce will enjoy their work, and will look at the bigger picture with energy and enthusiasm. New insights generated will help you craft better strategies. And the implementation will be robust”

“Thank you, Vivek for enlightening me on the Mindset. Certainly, I wish I can have a session with Prof. Philip Kotler, Prof. Waldemar Pfoertsch, and Prof. Uwe Sponholz soon”

‘Yes that will happen soon,” I said as we shook hands and left.

Disclaimer: The name of the company and the characters are fictitious.

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