Position Analysis

History shows us that product managers and marketing managers commonly suffer from "Ivory Tower" Syndrome. This debilitating disease can be fatal to even the most promising career.

It's all too easy to safely work inside the company, believing your product safe and sound--while all about you the competitors are stealing market share.

Capabilities:
Onsite, at the point of service, at tradeshows or by telephone: The Drake Group compares and contrasts products with endusers, specifiers and purchasing personnel.

Here's an abbreviated sample of a Positional Analysis Interview.

POSITIONAL ANALYSIS: AN INTERVIEW

Sam Jones, MD

Screen

1. For how long have you personally been using spinal cord stimulation systems to treat pain? "7 YEARS"

2. About how many patients did you treat in the last year with this technology?
"I DO ABOUT 10 A YEAR."

System Selection and Electrodes/Lead

3. Which of the spinal cord stimulation devices do you use most often for your patients (first choice, unaided)? Do you use that system exclusively? What other system do you use when you do not use the (first choice) system? [Confirms that they are using competitive product predominantly.]

"I USE Product A. THEIR DUAL xxx SYSTEM."

4. Have you always used this system or did you use other systems and switch to the system you are using today? What made you switch?

"I’VE ALWAYS USED COMPANY A’S PRODUCTS. ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO ISTARTED USING THE 2 X 8 SYSTEM, MOSTLY BECAUSE OF THE DUAL LEADS."

5. [If appropriate] You indicated that the system you use most often is a 2x8 system. Is that feature important to you? Why? [If they do not use a 2x8, refer to the system they use most often and ask about the most important feature or reason for using that system.]

"YES, THE LEAD AND ELECTRODE ARRANGEMENT IS THE PRINICPAL REASON FOR CHOSING THIS PRODUCT."

6. Are there other features about the system you use most often which are more important than the number of electrodes per lead? What are these features? [unaided]

"NO, THE LEADS AND ELECTRODES ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT THING ABOUT THE PRODUCT. IF YOU’RE ASKING DOES THE COMPUTER-ASSIST PART OF THE SYSTEM BRING IMPORTANT FEATURES, NO—IT’S A PAIN IN THE BUTT. IT LOOKS GREAT, AND, OF COURSE, THE COMPANY WANTS YOU TO THINK ITS HELPFUL—BUT IT HASN’T PROVEN ITSELF TO ME. IT TAKE A NURSE A LONG TIME TO FIDDLE WITH IT—TOO MUCH TIME, I THINK."

7. Does the system you use most often allow you to stimulate across the cord between leads? Is this an important reason you selected the system you currently use? Does the term transverse stimulation mean the same thing?

"YEAH, I GUESS SO. BUT, I’M NOT REALLY LOOKING FOR THAT. I’M LOOKING FOR PROTECTION AGAINST MOVEMENT OF THE ELECTRODES. THAT’S WHY I CHOOSE THE 2 X 8 SYSTEM—ALTHOUGH, YOU KNOW, IT MAY BE OVERKILL. BUT, STILL IT WORKS FOR ME."

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