Business School Case Study

[anonymous]

Pfizer’s most recent field force realignment and optimization will more than likely be a case study one day on what NOT to do. They have completely destroyed the field force morale and created territories that can’t fill a weeks worth of calls. Nice job guys. Completely unnecessary and it will be quite a while before morale returns (wonder if they’re planning one of the employee surveys this year; that should be interesting)

 

[anonymous]

Pfizer’s most recent field force realignment and optimization will more than likely be a case study one day on what NOT to do. They have completely destroyed the field force morale and created territories that can’t fill a weeks worth of calls. Nice job guys. Completely unnecessary and it will be quite a while before morale returns (wonder if they’re planning one of the employee surveys this year; that should be interesting)

Management in its entirety
just rewrote the manual on how to properly start a “Dumpster Fire”….. well done (no pun intended) PFE.

 

[anonymous]

All by design. Territories are temporary. Each semester more customers will move to virtual call centers.

 

[anonymous]

I can tell you the call center is a joke. I know one of the reps and there has been no direction to the point that they didn’t even go over setting up direct deposit or benefits. Just mailed them a computer and iPad with no instructions and said fig it out. At least we get a sheet with steps when we get a replacement. All the training is videos and PowerPoints on virtual selling skills. These people have never sold anything before and they are giving them a couple of hours to become “proficient”.
They are also working from home because of Covid restrictions. Wtf?

As it stands right now… I don’t think you have anything to worry about. The napalm has been made. All they need is a match to start this dumpster fire.

 

[anonymous]

Pfizer’s most recent field force realignment and optimization will more than likely be a case study one day on what NOT to do. They have completely destroyed the field force morale and created territories that can’t fill a weeks worth of calls. Nice job guys. Completely unnecessary and it will be quite a while before morale returns (wonder if they’re planning one of the employee surveys this year; that should be interesting)

I think the story is still yet to written. It’s either a disaster or a stroke of genius.

if you’re an ‘old school rep’, it’s understandable that you feel traumatized. I’m shocked though how digitally inept a large number of us are. We have 30 something’s on our team that say they’re not good with computers. WTF! Its one thing to hear that from a rep on the edge of retirement, it’s another from someone that young.

On the flip side, the young folks hired into the Call Centers are ‘Digital Natives’. A skill we are lacking. They have skills our aging reps don’t have and vice versa. Hopefully, we learn from one another and all get better versus having some generational war within the workforce.

That reminds me of those Progressive “Becoming Your Parents” commercials. We may need a Dr Rick to help us get through this.

 

[anonymous]

Valid points about digital transformation and acquiring new skill sets. Concern is still the territories that have been created aren't viable for even a week's call cycle, in many cases. This is a real frustration for those wanting to work and do the right thing.

 

[anonymous]

Are these territories metro areas. Down in the South we have more geography then we can call on. My territory nearly doubled.

 

[anonymous]

Yes mostly urban areas with large medical groups. e.g. 25 doctors in a bldg you cant access

 

[anonymous]

Pfizer’s most recent field force realignment and optimization will more than likely be a case study one day on what NOT to do. They have completely destroyed the field force morale and created territories that can’t fill a weeks worth of calls. Nice job guys. Completely unnecessary and it will be quite a while before morale returns (wonder if they’re planning one of the employee surveys this year; that should be interesting)

i think we have to come to grips that the old "pharma sales rep"
business model is going away. For every one of us that leverages strong office and prescriber relationships to get scripts, from what I see and hear, there is an army of reps that know more about hanging out all day in Dunkin Donuts and Panera and Starbucks than they do making calls. I always cringed when I heard them bragging about this or that "side gig" or coaching their 7th graders school teams. (you know---the teams that practice every day at 3:30 during the week)

 

[anonymous]

i think we have to come to grips that the old "pharma sales rep"
business model is going away. For every one of us that leverages strong office and prescriber relationships to get scripts, from what I see and hear, there is an army of reps that know more about hanging out all day in Dunkin Donuts and Panera and Starbucks than they do making calls. I always cringed when I heard them bragging about this or that "side gig" or coaching their 7th graders school teams. (you know---the teams that practice every day at 3:30 during the week)

Agreed

 

[anonymous]

The best business case study is how "leadership" stifled tafamidis sales in the US by promoting the marketing lead glory hound who eventually got walked out of the building and is now a sr VP at a chief competitor, saw his minion take over who is a disaster, and lets the most important medical director get away and runs off the NSD who built the engine of a sales force which today is completely demoralized. Thats a case study in arrogance, stupidity and ignorance. And I am stuck in the middle of it smh. What a Sh%# Show.

 

[anonymous]

Valid points about digital transformation and acquiring new skill sets. Concern is still the territories that have been created aren't viable for even a week's call cycle, in many cases. This is a real frustration for those wanting to work and do the right thing.

Territories sound like institutional accounts. As a hospital rep, I can’t. Call on every resident, fellow and attending to persuade them to write. I look for levers of influence - antibiogram, formulary, pathways, thought leaders - if adopted on any of these, they persuade the rest. Maybe you need to find the circles of influence in your geographies and focus attention there.

 

[anonymous]

Territories sound like institutional accounts. As a hospital rep, I can’t. Call on every resident, fellow and attending to persuade them to write. I look for levers of influence - antibiogram, formulary, pathways, thought leaders - if adopted on any of these, they persuade the rest. Maybe you need to find the circles of influence in your geographies and focus attention there.

You are definitely an old school rep, frrom back when we cared about excellence. I can also tell that you haven't talked to our current hospital field force from major academic accounts.

 

[anonymous]

I think the story is still yet to written. It’s either a disaster or a stroke of genius.

if you’re an ‘old school rep’, it’s understandable that you feel traumatized. I’m shocked though how digitally inept a large number of us are. We have 30 something’s on our team that say they’re not good with computers. WTF! Its one thing to hear that from a rep on the edge of retirement, it’s another from someone that young.

On the flip side, the young folks hired into the Call Centers are ‘Digital Natives’. A skill we are lacking. They have skills our aging reps don’t have and vice versa. Hopefully, we learn from one another and all get better versus having some generational war within the workforce.

That reminds me of those Progressive “Becoming Your Parents” commercials. We may need a Dr Rick to help us get through this.

Correct young SkyWalker, but you need 30% plus of our customers to retire to match the young Jedi's computer skills.
Most "uneducated" physicians don't know they are required to engage via Zoom,VEEVA etc. They aren't as enlightened as Pfizer, they still need to actually seen patients vs zooming with a rep for samples.

Get a side gig. Prepare for your next role. Invest in Roth or other. Don't wait; and don't think "they" have your best interests at heart.

 

[anonymous]

Its the New Coke.... Says Max Headroom! Business model back to classic coke.... How do you miss earnings in this enviroment? Leadership?

 

[anonymous]

Its the New Coke.... Says Max Headroom! Business model back to classic coke.... How do you miss earnings in this enviroment? Leadership?

You can miss earnings for a number of reasons. The main reason will probably be because your products are shit. Better get to work!

 

[anonymous]

You miss earning because of greed and poor leadership more worried about what woke culture and the oligarch class thinks about them than patients and employees.

Let’s be real here. If it weren’t for sheer luck and great timing, Pfizer would be in trouble. This new revenue is all derived from govt contracts with the US and govts around the world.

We have enough money to create our own financial institution. What are we doing with it? Sending monitors, cheap headsets and speakers to every rep in the country we will never use.

And all the goodwill we have? Take it and leverage it by advocating for the abolishment of the donut hole once and for all and allow patients access to our copay cards etc.

 

[anonymous]

You miss earning because of greed and poor leadership more worried about what woke culture and the oligarch class thinks about them than patients and employees.

Let’s be real here. If it weren’t for sheer luck and great timing, Pfizer would be in trouble. This new revenue is all derived from govt contracts with the US and govts around the world.

We have enough money to create our own financial institution. What are we doing with it? Sending monitors, cheap headsets and speakers to every rep in the country we will never use.

And all the goodwill we have? Take it and leverage it by advocating for the abolishment of the donut hole once and for all and allow patients access to our copay cards etc.

 

[anonymous]

Pfizer has never been able to overcome the loss of Lipitor. Current products are mediocre at best. Numerous acquisitions and reorganizations over the years have been unsuccessful. COVID has provided a temporary reprieve but it not last forever. With it's huge influx of cash, Pfizer needs to make judicious acquisitions in order to attain a viable pipeline.

 

[anonymous]

i think we have to come to grips that the old "pharma sales rep"
business model is going away. For every one of us that leverages strong office and prescriber relationships to get scripts, from what I see and hear, there is an army of reps that know more about hanging out all day in Dunkin Donuts and Panera and Starbucks than they do making calls. I always cringed when I heard them bragging about this or that "side gig" or coaching their 7th graders school teams. (you know---the teams that practice every day at 3:30 during the week)

25 yr + person here. Those are very accurate comments. Many reps are working 10-2 with a few lunches a week during that time period. It's easy to succeed working these hours if you have relationships. No one wants to see you before 10 and calls after 2 run the rick of delaying staff from getting out in time. Why anger people. Longevity wins in this game considering the working hours, salary and benefits.