CTL= Coaching to Lose

Why is it that no matter how hard reps prepare for field visits, prep their customers, ask dozens of probing questions to the irritation and disgust of customers, regurgitate the legally saturated marketing messages verbatim to customers and get customers to commit to change behaviors or initiate some protocol, CTL's still find a way to criticize everything reps do on their calls? Really?

Whether you are in tablets or vaccines I have heard nothing but horror stories of how reps make sure they go through and implement the meticulous checklist of ridiculous expectations and demands that management wants, but the CTL's still find a list of faults to berate reps with during field visits. I am talking about S1's to lead execs who appear mystified as to how they can ever get their CTL's to ever say "great job, you handled that call well or you had a good day.". Almost never do any reps hear that. How on Earth do CTL's and even DCO's expect better sales if they are constantly berating their reps over every little thing or demanding reps to "challenge the customers", to the point of pissing them off. How is that a winning strategy?

I get that CTL's have to justify their jobs by coaching reps but constantly telling your reps "I saw you do this but you should have done that" and almost never acknowledging the positives is not going to help Merck succeed. CTL's, you are burning out your reps and you are burning bridges with the customers with your "push your customers out of their comfort zone" nonsense. You are coaching to lose.

CTL's if you keep this up, you will continue to lose your reps morale/loyalty, lose access for your reps and lose sales for the company. If you decide to keep this attack up, you may find on future field visits that customers may start a no see policy for managers and only allow reps to to interact with customers by themselves. (Coincidence or passive agressive pushback from reps relationships with customers? Hmm.) You have been warned! Stop coaching to lose or else you will lose the capability to coach your reps if customers don't allow managers in their offices? Then how can you justify your job to your DCO? Do you get the point? So back off!!!

 

Coaching to improve is something we all knew in the past. Haven't experienced one real coaching session in 5 or more years.......

These days its 180% different. Now its coaching to push you out. Some managers transform a coaching session into a fault finding session. If its not your haircut, its your clothing style or some other meaningless bull to nit pick. If you're not plowing down customers you're dirt and will swept out the door.

There seems to be more ctls who are poorly matched for management jobs. Some lack ability or willingness to treat others with the most basic level of fairness and respect. Others have one objective; their own power and glory. Others...just don't give a s**t about doing what is expected of them for on behalf of the reps...

Next time you need to be coached ask for constructive feedback. Chances are the ctl will be dumbfounded and either unable or unwilling to show you those "winning ways" you just don't seem to have.

 

Agree with this post completely…CTLs "coaching" is Merck's way of skirting employment laws and pushing out older, more vulnerable reps…these are the ones usually making higher salaries, and utilizing more health care dollars…

Coaching?? Puhleeeze…it is blatant harassing…

Merck is a joke…FU MERCK!

 

Not just here.

 

Saying "not just here" = still NO justification.

Karma....what goes around, comes around....

 

Just turn it on them. Ask them to model the behavior they want to see so you can see the results. Turn the tables. Make them take a few calls. I did it, she looked like a fool, and got us thrown out of two offices. And I haven't seen her again in four months.

 

I love it. Every time I receive negative feedback, I ask the person criticizing me to physically show me how to do the right thing. Most either say they are too busy or end up doing things foolishly. Either way, I eventually get left alone.

 

Attempt that insubordination with me and you would be in HR the very next day and out of the company in 60 days.

 

Same theme ALL MAJOR pharm companies and justification for district manager position.

 

It's an obsolete job in a dying profession. Their job is almost entirely automated. They don't reall hire or fire anymore. Expense report is automated. They are clueless about geography business dynamics and have poor product knowledge. I had multi million dollar institutional accounts. Never did a manager ask to go in one with me. I spent tens of thousands of dollars on speaker programs. Never did a manager ever attend. They have been relegated to coaching. Most are ill suited, ill trained and inept at it. To most managers " coaching" becomes a euphemism for " bullying." You would think that the people in these positions would take it upon themselves to actually demonstrating some value by assuming some key account responsibility or taking the lead on advanced training or take on a special project or something. But they are lazy and stupid. Most just show up late to dot the i's on some forms they printed out that morning, ask " where's lunch"?, critizize activities they themselves know little about and were lousy at when they were in it, go home early, schedule a teleconference and use their " office day" to mow their lawn. The " position" such as it is, should be elminated. At best it's useless, at worst demoralizing and counter productive. Some engage in the worst nepotism, favoritism and probably labor illegality. Eliminate managers.

 

Again, you myopic reps cant seem to focus on the big picture and that is, THIS INDUSTRY IS DEAD! with Merck and the other pharma companies still relying on an antiquated and outdated selling model playbook. What was once a meaningful job has devolved into the circus act we experience today. Your CTL know this, Region Director, VPs, they all know this, heck, the guy delivering your samples knows this for gods sake. So instead of facing this reality, CTLs choose to do what many people do best when faced with an unpleasant situation, they put their heads in the sand and move forward like nothing is wrong. The one constant in all this is that everybody wants to feel their job is important, even when it has become a joke. So in order to perpetuate this illusion and maintain their self-importance, your CTL will continue to blindly "coach" you on checkers when the game has shifted to chess

 

Quit or shut up LOSER.

 

Criticism is invalid unless the correct method can be illustrated and demonstrated to be successful.

This IS the purpose of coaching.

If the CTLs are the true masters of perfection they claim they should be able to illustrate and show the way for all reps to achieve the passing mark..

 

great post with many truths…bravo!!! The only thing I disagree with is that the industry is dead…people will always buy snake oil and potions if they feel it might help them stay healthy or alleviate some ailment…the pharma industry has more money than God…they are not going anywhere…

The industry is dead as far as being a sales rep and having it be a good job or career, but the pharma industry will never go away…bigger than ever now...

 

I would then tell HR about how you have been stealing product.

 

Stealing "product"? What's that, Dippity Do?

(Faking "manager" is not your strong suit.)

 

Typical response of a manager who is not managing anything but his salary! Try a little coaching Joker. Yea that means showing your people how to fulfill the expectations you have for them. If you won't or can't do it step down from your job....and don't down rate anyone else until they get a chance to see it and model the "perfection."

 

Bravo ? Giving yourself props again loser ?

 

Don't cast stones at another until you have walked in their shoes.

 

I had three managers during my tenure at Merck. Two were executive level multiple award winners with many years experience. They both also happened to be pharmacists.
The third had been promoted directly out of the field ( expediting diversity, I suppose) from another, unrelated therapeutic division.
Guess which one was the worst " coach" and gave the worst evaluations?