Do you still use hypothetical rather than fact-based interview questions?

Then let me briefly share with you why fact-based job interview questions are state-of-the art and when hypothetical questions might make sense?

Objective Evaluation of Real Examples: Fact-based interview questions focus on relevant past candidates’ examples rather than relying on speculative answers which candidates can make up. Thus, 3 points are crucial:

1. What was the concrete objective of a project? (i.e. %-change vs py)
2. What has the candidate done? (he himself)
3. Which KPI results were achieved? (in comparison to the objective)

Predictive Validity: Past behavior is a very strong predictor of the future. When you ask fact-based questions about past successes, you get valuable insights into how candidates are likely to perform in similar situations in the future.

Structured Interviews: When you conduct multiple interviews by different interviewers, you secure comparability via a structured interview process with similar fact-based interview questions. You thus, reduce a potential bias in the hiring decision as all interviews consistent.

Two Examples when Hypothetical Interview Questions are Justified:

1. Case Study Questions which are typical for the interviewed role, i.e. an annual employee appraisal, a change of priorities/timings, or an unplanned event. Thus, a case study provides insights on the candidates’ creative & innovative thinking and the ability to tackle issues that are relevant for the role.
2. Future Orientation questions on the first 100 days on the job. This allows you to gauge candidates’ vision, goals, and aspirations within the context of the role and the organization.

In conclusion, fact-based questions that focus on candidates past experiences and achievements are key for a successful job interview while hypothetical questions such as in a case study or a plan for the first 100 days are a good addition.

AKlein-Consult: Great Roles in FMCG 🛒, LifeScience 🧪and Asia 🌏.

Many Life Science Marketeers come with a background in Chemistry, Biology, Biochemistry, Pharmaceuticals or in Medical Studies. They often start in Sales and get ‘promoted’ to a Marketing role. However, in their science studies, they did not obtain a Professional Marketing education.

Let me thus, clarify what Marketing IS and is NOT and share what Life Science Marketeers can learn from FMCG Marketeers:

• Professional Marketing is neither a service function to Sales nor is it just advertising or communication.

• It is a structured way of doing business that is based on Market Research to obtain a superior understanding of attitudes and behaviors of key stakeholders such as Physicians, Patients, Health Insurances, Regulatory Affairs Authorities, etc. To understand this pattern is mandatory because attitudes drive behavior.

• Importantly, within FMCG attitudes and behaviors regarding unmet needs or own and competitive products/services are identified BEFORE a product/service is launched. This verifies the business potential of changed attitudes and behaviors with a new product/service concept.

FMCG Marketing principles are crucial to Life Science Marketing because the development of products/services requires significantly higher investments and longer lead times in comparison to FMCG.  Thus, it is vital to identify and verify the business potential BEFORE the product/service development starts.

With a new product/service on hand, clear and convincing distribution & communication strategies need to be developed towards B2B and Direct2Patient target groups, followed by a comprehensive and efficient media plan, utilizing multiple communication channels.

Just approach me via ak@aklein-consult.com in case you need Marketing consultancy for your Life Science business…

Having worked in Marketing roles for P&G and The Coca-Cola Company, I have observed significant differences in Consumer & Shopper Marketing strategies and plans for Laundry/Personal Care Products vs. Beverages.

Great Laundry or Personal Care Consumer & Shopper Marketing can stimulate trial and purchase and convince shoppers to buy larger quantities/multi-packs. However, larger purchase quantities will NOT increase usage. This is because you won’t wash your hair multiple times/day or do more laundry washes just because a larger amount of product is at home. The only advantage is that you won’t buy a competitive Brand as long as you’re fully stocked.

In Food & Beverages, however, it’s all about identifying and driving purchase and consumption occasions in the Home and Out-of-Home Markets.

• Within the Home Market, large purchased amounts do increase consumption behind purchase and consumption occasions such as Xmas, Easter, Halloween, or BBQ.

• Within the Out-of-Home Market, there are many different purchase = immediate consumption occasion, i.e. thirst quenching, socializing or travel occasions with specific opportunities for real-time communication.

PITA, stands for Population x Incidence x Times x Amount and thus, defines the magnitude of the business opportunity.

• Population is the overall size of the Target Group (i.e. teens 12-19 yrs.)

• Incidence is the % of actual shoppers/consumers with key volume drivers such as:

• Times a Brand is purchased, i.e. 1x/month, 1x/day or multiple times/day. This correlates with the number and type of communicated purchase and consumption occasions.

• Amont, i.e. the product sizes; 0.3L, 0.5L, 1.0L or 1.5L, depending on the occasions, i.e. 0.3L/0.5L for on-the-go consumption or 1.0L/1.5L for household/family consumption.

Thus, PITA is key to the success of each Food & Beverage Brand!

Just contact me via ak@aklein-consult.com when you need assistance to launch PITA in your Food or Beverage company.

Do you know who is buying and/or using your products and when they enter your product category?

Albert Klein from AKlein-Consult can show you how to gain crucial category starters and when to approach this important target group. This is because Albert Klein comes with broad experience in gaining category starters from his Management time with Procter & Gamble and Coca-Cola.

Just approach me if you’re interested in my broad know-how on how to gain category starters: ak@aklein-consult.com

AKlein-Consult: Marketing Know-how from P&G and Coca-Cola

Do you have doubts regarding the quality of your physician sales material, also because your reps are not really using the folders?

Albert Klein from AKlein-Consult can solve this issue for you. I will develop a communication strategy that is based on real physician insights. This is the foundation for a professional ad agency briefing and ensures that folders are developed and verified in ‚communication labs‘ with real physicians and real sales reps.

Just approach me if you’re interested in my broad physician sales folder development know-how: ak@aklein-consult.com

Are your subordinates not really clear regarding the objectives and the priorization of projects? Then, implementing an OGSM-System will be of great help. OGSM stands for Objectives, Goals, Strategies and Measures. OGSM is used by many leading corporations and ensures that the different company departments and levels are really focusing on joint Objectives, Goals, Strategies and Measures.

Albert Klein from AKlein-Consult comes with proven successful knowledge in the implementation and deployment of OGSM from his Management roles with Procter & Gamble in Europe.

Just approach me if you’re interested in my OGSM know-how: ak@aklein-consult.com

AKlein-Consult: Marketing Know-how from P&G and Coca-Cola

Marketing people in Pharmaceutical companies often come with a natural science or medical background. Their standard initial assignment is a sales reps job where they visit physicians. This is often followed by a promotion to a Product Manager role.

However, not all Pharmaceutical companies can provide a sound Marketing training for Junior Product Managers with a natural science or medical background. Important topics are for example Research Briefs towards market research agencies, how to draw conclusions out of market research data, Creative Briefs towards ad agencies, how to manage ad agencies, how to write business summaries and business plans and other topics.

Albert Klein from AKlein-Consult provides support in all these topics. He comes with broad Marketing experience from both FMCG and Pharmaceutical corporations. Thus, he is able to develop taylor-made trainings for your Pharmaceutical Marketing employees: From practical workshops up to 1on1 on-the-job coaching in very concrete projects.

Just approach me if you are interested in my combined FMCG and Pharmaceutical Marketing know-how: ak@aklein-consult.com

AKlein-Consult: Marketing Know-how from P&G and Coca-Cola

Many FMCG and Pharmaceutical companies put huge efforts in the selection or re-assessing of ad agencies.

Pitches are often used as the standard tool, in many cases with Briefings towards a number of competing ad agencies. As a result, the entire process is both time and cost intensive.

However, there is another way to professionally select an ad agency. Albert Klein from AKlein-Consult comes with a unique experience as Ad Agency Account Executive and from selecting and efficiently leading ad agencies for P&G and Coca-Cola.

Just approach me if you’re interested in my ad agency selection know-how: ak@aklein-consult.com

AKlein-Consult: Marketing Know-how from P&G and Coca-Cola