2 days/month mgr ride alongs

[anonymous]

You will do what you did at other companies you used to work for? Yeah sure. You will do exactly what your boss tells you to do. Buddy this is AZ home of the metric requirements. You have a metric too. You better do what is told or you will be force ranked at the bottom and be out of this job. When are you going to get it? I'm hoping the post I'm commenting about was some attempt at humor or satire.

New DM to AZ. I was surprised on the amount of days required in the field for DM's and the number of reps per district. As a manager in other companies I had anywhere from 8-15 reps on my team. AZ could cut the DM's in half and give them 10-12 representatives each. It is unrealistic and not valuable. The last organization I worked for allowed the manager autonomy to when to work in the field and when as long as it was fair. Reps loved it, we worked lunches and appointments and really collaborated to grow the business. I will work the way I used to with my team and show AZ that you can have a high performance team without 12-15 days in the field a month. As a former rep, DM's did not provide value in the calls with experienced rep. Remember reps the managers have to have 110-120 days in the field.

 

[anonymous]

It's excessive and embarrassing.

Move on.
AZ is a terrible company. All big P's are terrible.

Find a company that does 1-2/quarter or less. They are out there, if you want it bad enough.

Ask up front, in the interview process. Let them know that you are self-motivated, and don't like to be babysat…and with that being stated up front, ask them how many field rides are conducted during the year.

also, it is not going to get better with a big P either. they are only going to get worse, with their micromanagement, stealing of bonus money, and socialist type sales model.

Good luck.

 

[anonymous]

Quit bitching about having a DM in the car every month! When are you idiots going to realize just how good we have it here?? WHEN? My God, I fake every damn call on most Fridays, and fake 50% or more, every day! Be thankful that AZ looks the other way and allows us such freedom!

I couldn't agree more with your post! I mean when you really, really think about it, we all do have it made at AZ! I can think of a million things to bitch about, but when I roll in my driveway about 2 pm everyday, I realize how lucky we have it. Just go with the flow people. Look around you, how many companies have had layoffs since our last one in 01/12? Tons have, and some multiple times! Enjoy your employment at AZ, take advantage of the company at every turn, and be thankful you work here!

 

[anonymous]

Managers in the field 110-120 days a year, equating to M-Th with Fridays at home on the phone all day is the life of a DSM.

On Fridays, they compete to share the most impactful thing that happened in the past week, since the last call. This is their opportunity to showcase some random rep and jockey for overall regionally acceptance of the chosen few. The only way that can happen is if they are actually in the field and see shit. Now the catch 22, reps don't like to call their managers and feed them stories from the field for this weekly trough fest. Communication is key...call your manager or send a compliant email to give them material for the Friday conversations.

 

[anonymous]

Managers in the field 110-120 days a year, equating to M-Th with Fridays at home on the phone all day is the life of a DSM.

On Fridays, they compete to share the most impactful thing that happened in the past week, since the last call. This is their opportunity to showcase some random rep and jockey for overall regionally acceptance of the chosen few. The only way that can happen is if they are actually in the field and see shit. Now the catch 22, reps don't like to call their managers and feed them stories from the field for this weekly trough fest. Communication is key...call your manager or send a compliant email to give them material for the Friday conversations.

Many companies are making drastic reductions in their sales forces and changing this antiquated sales model to represent the changes in the industry. Lack of access, merging of group practices and hospitals, and stricter drug formularies, but good ole AZ just keeps slugging along throwing more shit on the pile until the stink becomes unbearable.

 

[anonymous]

8 direct reports with a significantly decreased geography size is a double negative. Docs wonder why they are around so often and a few key offices in the district closed off manager contact. Cut back on the frequency before we lose even more access, please!

AMEN!

 

[anonymous]

Managers in the field 110-120 days a year, equating to M-Th with Fridays at home on the phone all day is the life of a DSM.

On Fridays, they compete to share the most impactful thing that happened in the past week, since the last call. This is their opportunity to showcase some random rep and jockey for overall regionally acceptance of the chosen few. The only way that can happen is if they are actually in the field and see shit. Now the catch 22, reps don't like to call their managers and feed them stories from the field for this weekly trough fest. Communication is key...call your manager or send a compliant email to give them material for the Friday conversations.

Yeah, but with only 8 reps in the district for the rotation, I'm still going to be working two days per month in the field with my manager. It's ridiculous.

 

[anonymous]

Yeah, but with only 8 reps in the district for the rotation, I'm still going to be working two days per month in the field with my manager. It's ridiculous.

Well read the financial performance report on Merck. Their stock soared yesterday on a class leading profit for the quarter due to significant cost reductions from massive layoffs.
Remember, AZ is a follower not a leader so this is the kind of thing that gets their juices flowing.
Merck significantly reduces their work force and instead of losing sales they actually gain in sales revenue as well as profits. Tic Toc Tic Toc

 

[anonymous]

DM loves his Marriott points and showing me his flesh at lunch time-yuk

 

[anonymous]

Merck reps had two ride alongside a month because the managers had only 8 Reps. Reps complained, and then a year ago, half of the managers got terminated. Had hand raising, and reps went as well. If you didn't raise your hand but you had a PIP, you went as well, and the vast majority of the fill in for vacant territories contract reps went as well. This is the future for your organization.

 

[anonymous]

Merck reps had two ride alongside a month because the managers had only 8 Reps. Reps complained, and then a year ago, half of the managers got terminated. Had hand raising, and reps went as well. If you didn't raise your hand but you had a PIP, you went as well, and the vast majority of the fill in for vacant territories contract reps went as well. This is the future for your organization.

Correct and Merck's stock hit an all time high.

 

[anonymous]

8 direct reports with a significantly decreased geography size is a double negative. Docs wonder why they are around so often and a few key offices in the district closed off manager contact. Cut back on the frequency before we lose even more access, please!

 

[anonymous]

AMEN, brother or sister. Too frequent field rides is killing access in our area and I do not blame the offices. It is not just us, but all the other companies and their DM's as well.

 

[anonymous]

I don't mind the two days a month. My DM knows which reps need coaching and which reps need to be left alone. My two days total about 6 hours a month of time spent together usually over coffee and lunch strategizing or just catching up in general. It sounds like I'm lucky, I can count on one hand the number of offices my DM has gone in with me in the last year. Life is good on the AZ gravy train.

 

[anonymous]

I don't mind the two days a month. My DM knows which reps need coaching and which reps need to be left alone. My two days total about 6 hours a month of time spent together usually over coffee and lunch strategizing or just catching up in general. It sounds like I'm lucky, I can count on one hand the number of offices my DM has gone in with me in the last year. Life is good on the AZ gravy train.

That's not a two day field ride, it's by title only. That makes sense. This is about managers that ride from 8-5 two days in a row. Making 10 calls plus pharmacy calls. It's losing us access, it's a mess.

 

[anonymous]

That's not a two day field ride, it's by title only. That makes sense. This is about managers that ride from 8-5 two days in a row. Making 10 calls plus pharmacy calls. It's losing us access, it's a mess.

Exactly!

 

[anonymous]

imagine for a minute if you owned a business and people walked in there and started asking you questions. If it were me I'll tell the front desk not to let them in. Otherwise I'd go by AZ HQ and try to walk in on Soriot and start asking him Socratic questions about his decision making.

 

[anonymous]

imagine for a minute if you owned a business and people walked in there and started asking you questions. If it were me I'll tell the front desk not to let them in. Otherwise I'd go by AZ HQ and try to walk in on Soriot and start asking him Socratic questions about his decision making.

Imagine for a minute that you actually did this with your customers. I wonder what percentage of az reps really do? I'll be honest, I don't for one second pull this look at my slide show and leading question crap. The marketing clowns and lawyers aren't helping this company, and not very many reps have the intelligence to deviate from the canned message. Of course the lack of intelligence and intestinal fortitude is what brought us to this juncture.

 

[anonymous]

our fairly new manager has done 2 days in a row then backed off and now back to two in a row again. As many of the above said, it hurts access, is unrealistic and at best wastes time. It's hard enough to have good interactions and the ride alongside just f everything up. I could see if you have newer reps but less time in front of customers with managers that ask questions that are right out of training 101. Great for learning in house ineffective in real life.

 

[anonymous]

imagine for a minute if you owned a business and people walked in there and started asking you questions. If it were me I'll tell the front desk not to let them in. Otherwise I'd go by AZ HQ and try to walk in on Soriot and start asking him Socratic questions about his decision making.

Of course we don't practice what we preach and that is because we are not the kind of people we are preaching TO. Wake up.