Rep Contracts

What is happening is a shift of power that has been ongoing for many years. In the past the local rep did have relationships with their surgeon customers. They socialized with them, paid for their trips to corporate meetings, and could keep the business even as prices kept going up and up. Now the environment is completely changed. The docs are, for the most part, employees of the hospital. They will no longer support their "friend" rep when the hospital says the costs are too high. The docs will use whatever product is on contract, regardless of how much they like their rep. New rules have made it illegal to pay for and pretend you have a surgeon relationship. The result? Companies have had to take a lower profit margin, surgeons are living with a reduction in salary, contracts rule and hospital administrators are now the decision makers. And, the local rep and distributor is now paying the price. Relationships are no longer key to success, they no longer have total control over the business, commissions keep going down, companies are merging and there are fewer sales positions available...and certainly reps no longer have the ability to "take the business with them" should they jump to another company. Its the sign of the times! With the recent merger of two large companies like Zimmer and Biomet, the shift of power is now firmly in the hands of everyone BUT the rep.

 

The senior Zimmer reps got schooled in business negotiations by the Biomet management team and executive leadership. It's clear to everyone now why Biomet has taken over the management of this company. Zimmer reps are cry babies with no relationships who have no idea how to survive in the new world! Biomet will turn this company around in no time.

 

There have been reps in my territory who have left and taken business with them in 2015- Zimmer. Still not completely unheard of. But I will admit most of the senior reps in my territory quit and left the industry- says a lot. The junior reps still quit too, but left to other companies like SYK or Depuy. But now we have clueless biomet "senior" reps all in a tizzy covering cases- shoulda seen the ZMR hip revision other day. Biomet rep was sweating bullets. Funny though, the Zimmer rep before couldn't even get it done while he was here so not much difference.

I am completely taken back about how bad the and low mgt is willing to go for reps. No college education, no sales experience. All they care about now is will you sign the dotted line, accept this low ass salary, and "cover cases" but really open boxes.

Man it's hard to turn back after putting in so much effort to learn all this stuff. Trauma, hips, knees, Shoulders etc. Now I gotta learn all the Biomet stuff, after getting my territory cut up and docs removed, to start all over again with new SPD, new hallways, new driving routes, and new product. With not so much as a kiss and promise I'll be needed in a few months.

We lost so many reps the past few months, upwards of 10 just in the territory. Now we have massive coverage areas, and are not getting a higher stake of the pie!! Where is all this money going??? We're killing ourselves out here! You see this corporate! I hope you read these posts. We are losing business to Stryker and Depuy literally daily. Former Zimmer consultants don't even think of Zimmer anymore. All the big shots have moved on. Sell your stock this place sucks!

 

Very true. If you stay with this company you are delusional. The light at the end of the tunnel is another train

 

The Midwest group out of KC have started drinking the Biomet koolaid and are finally falling in line. The local Biomet leader has them signing on the dotted line. He will develop a winner in spite of the backstabbing that's going on. Biomet wins another one!

 

Haha what joke. Can't believe that one. They Biomet guy who took over wasn't even from there and he can't stand those conceited Zimmer idiots. That is truly funny. We were excluded by choice and have been pretty much left alone.

 

it is sad to see the older reps who used to run the show and walk around with a little swagger just wilt and and become these pathetic guys who are reduced to pleading and begging for any little crumb that the Biomet leadership will give. Once mighty and proud, now weak and pathetic.

 

The high brow Zimmer reps always thought they were more ethical and thought they were better than us poor white trash Biomet folks. Reality is that we've always been better then them.

 

truth is most of you will sign it no matter how terrible you perceive it to be. Reps these days want safety and less work, if you were a true entrepreneur with balls you wouldn't be a ZB rep. They know you don't have any options or are too scared to pull the trigger if you do. Most reps these days will work harder for less money for "GM's" or business managers they don't respect and complain the whole time. It's sad but most are lemmings with no balls and/or sales skills and your management knows it.

 

Ha Ha. The senior Zimmer reps are laughing all the way to the bank

 

Senior Zimmer laughing all the way to the bank and the Biomet leaders are cracking up that you idiots actually believe it! The Biomet group has just shown you how to make them look good. Keep laughing and keep making the AVP's and managers look good.

 

Thats the key to business negotiations...make the other guy believe that they won and actually they did exactly what you wanted them to do. Biomet leadership is playing this perfectly.

 

Haha again. It's the Biomet leaders at the top paying us directly dumbass. The AVPs and managers are a non factor

 

What, exactly, does an AVP do?

 

This whole idea of Zimmer and Biomet being separate is silly. We are one and we should have confidence in our local management teams. We should trust and have faith that they are truly the best person for the position and just move on. This career is a relationship business and we need good relationships with our strong leadership team. If you really can't get behind your manager and support their efforts then you need to move on!

 

Very well said. Get on board and behind your leadership and get to work. Depuy, Stryker and the rest aren't any better. Commissions will come down, prices are coming down, and territories are getting cut everywhere.

 

Biomet leaders are brilliant with these rep agreements! All the Zimmer reps say they won't sign for several reasons...blah blah blah. The Biomet management simply tells them what they want to hear then drag it out until the reps are sleep deprived and worn out. After that they don't deliver what they said but the Zimmer side gives up and gives in. Business 101 boys!

 

That's exactly what happened in our area. All of the good guys left and the loyal ones who stayed and waited didn't get what was promised and signed anyway. That's why Biomet is in most of the leadership positions. This has been an enlightening experience for sure. The good guys lose to the bad guys who lie. Sad

 

After spending time at the NSM with reps from all over the country it is sad that everyone has been wasting their time with the "negotiations". Promises, keep dragging it out, promises, keep dragging it out, then deliver nothing. Just trying to wear everyone out till we all give up!

 

The idea that separate deals are being offered and cut is laughable. We will all have the same deal in the end. The movement you see is just to get us to sign then the noose tightens and they can start the process.