Centurion medical?

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Centurion literally fired an entire department (sales service) only to, lol, get this... rehire them and apologize!!!

Centurion is a textbook example of why companies fail when passed along to second generations. I worked at the HQ, so believe me I know. The company always accepted high turnover in sales as the model, but its really an outdated business model.

CLAB infection preventions are the selling point, but that's procedural not a patented product despite the BS... Unless they are the only company compatennent in ETO gas and packaging...
 




Anonymous said:
Centurion literally fired an entire department (sales service) only to, lol, get this... rehire them and apologize!!!

Centurion is a textbook example of why companies fail when passed along to second generations. I worked at the HQ, so believe me I know. The company always accepted high turnover in sales as the model, but its really an outdated business model.

CLAB infection preventions are the selling point, but that's procedural not a patented product despite the BS... Unless they are the only company compatennent in ETO gas and packaging...
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Is that part of the Challenger model?
 




I've read the old posts and felt they were exaggerated. This year I have lost business and now I lost a huge deal/opportunity due to contract. Laceration tray if you want to know. I worked on this for over a year. Materials manager asked me to work for another company. He's denying my other quotes now too. ? Centurion is supposedly not welcome anymore. No contract. Why didn't he tell me this before? So frustrated, going nowhere fast. This year blows!
 




You obviously failed to show the real value of your lac tray to the hospital using the challenger message. If you have goals to make money and advance in your career you should listen to your materials manager and go elsewhere. Are you not aware of what most medical device companies pay? Also most of your peers are trying to leave right now in case you don't know that.
 




Centurion medical

I got a bunch of calls and texts from other reps about an email that went out this afternoon from the home office regarding a meeting where the entire sales force is being tested on out knowledge. I finally got a chance to read the email for myself. I've been here a number of years and thought I've seen it all. I guess not.

This waste of time is being compared to the GMAT exam. This is not graduate school, and if it was you would take a course on the subject the matter. Here's a secret management...it's a good thing that you sent the questions out ahead of time, otherwise the results would be disastrous. You didn't train reps when I was hired, you had reps come to the home office and didn't train them 5 years ago, and still don't train new hires. Management is more concerned about making sure Challenger is mentioned in every conversation, than actually giving their sales force the tools and skills to succeed in the field. A couple of weeks ago I spoke to a rep who has been with the company for just over 3 years about a potential competitive threat. I told the rep to reinforce our message with the Flippo and Timsit studies. He said, "In 3 years not my mentor, my manager, or guy that did my training has ever mentioned those studies to me." How bad is that?
 




You know what's good here? Marketing pieces. I think this department excels at providing us all the pieces needed for our customers. Everything else is questionable. How many of you are done with 2014 and looking for 2015? Or just done here period?
 




Anonymous said:
You know what's good here? Marketing pieces. I think this department excels at providing us all the pieces needed for our customers. Everything else is questionable. How many of you are done with 2014 and looking for 2015? Or just done here period?
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From the way a lot of the more tenured reps, some of them mentors, a lot of people are just done. Good call on the marketing pieces. I'd rather have that than competive pricing or being on contract.
 
















If they were to ever come out with "Dumb & Dumber 3," forget Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels, just cast management at this place.

Seriously, the don't have a clue about what it takes to run a business. One would think that keeping good sales reps would be important...not to these guys. Quality products...not really. Fairly compensate your reps...not a chance. Effectively communicate with your sales force...no again. Listen to your customers needs and equip your reps to meet those needs...management will say they do, but it's another no. Your customers want products that are on their GPO contract...that's a good one, but it will never happen.

I'm glad that I left when I did, because my career was going no where, except in the wrong direction. This company has opportunity of upward mobility, and you have no chance of making real $$$. One thing that is puzzling is to me is that you have let go of several quality sales reps, but you will keep upper management and your RD's that do nothing to drive business for the company. I mentioned this to a former colleague recently and she told me that the job description for an executive VP reads: most have the ability to talk endlessly about yourself, proficient knowledge in how to forward articles written by others, and possess the ability to send pointless emails on a daily basis. I've got to admit that I really do miss having to stop what I'm doing to try to GROW my business, so that I can read yet another email that goes on and on absolutely nothing.

In closing, I read an article the other day on Forbes.com, that hits the nail on the head. The article is titled: The Seven Habits of Spectacularly Unsuccessful Executives. Here are the 7 habits, tell me if the sound like anyone you know...
Habit # 1: They see themselves and their companies as dominating their environment
Habit #2: They identify so completely with the company that there is no clear boundary between their personal interests and their corporation’s interests
Habit #3: They think they have all the answers
Habit #4: They ruthlessly eliminate anyone who isn’t completely behind them
Habit #5: They are consummate spokespersons, obsessed with the company image
Habit #6: They underestimate obstacles
Habit #7: They stubbornly rely on what worked for them in the past
 








To call them scam artists is really unfair. That would imply that management, senior management and regional directors, would have an ounce of intelligence and knew what the hell they were doing. Clearly by the business decisions they make, the unjust terminations, and the fact that they are ok letting quality reps walk out the door week after week, proves they are not competent enough to be scam artists. Arrogant and lazy would be more like it. The ship is sinking fast, grab a life jacket and hop in a life boat as soon as you can.
 








I am so glad I am done with 2014. I don't think there will be much of a difference for 2015. We get a new product to sell. It will probably go like Edwards. Not much potential but something they use to fire people. The training here is so lame. It's weird to me that some products will move well and easier to get through purchasing. Yet even though you are billing good dollar volume with many products, the decision is made to give you a hard time because the new product does not gain traction. I have learned my lesson by watching what they do to people who are honest and tell the truth. Better to keep your mouth shut about reality, and just tell the right people how great it is here and how we have great products. It's pretty comical. Looking forward to making my change for 2015. I'm sure I'm not the only one. Good luck everybody, we're going to need it.
 




I have read most of the comments here and unfortunately the negativity is well justified. Nearly all of what you are told during the hiring process is a lie. The training is practically n9n existent and what you are taught is not how anyone in the company actually sells. The compensation is far below industry standard, what they do is pay a very small group of people and use them as examples of success like selling mary Kay products. The products are basic commodities which are very difficult to move, especially considering the horribly low commissio Payments. Challenger selling is being taught, but even the successful people know that it's bs, and is basically being used to make up reasons to fire people. regional managers and upper management are horrible people and managers with a couple of exceptions. Most of them have never worked anywhere else and it's a very cult like environment where non believers are quickly dispensed with. The veteran reps are gradually being phased out so that they no longer have to pay anyone . Basically a bottom feeder organization run by shifty Characters. I don't even recommend as an entry level sales job because the company is either unknown to others in the industry or seen as a joke.
 




To poster #76, it sounds like you hit the nail on the head and have accurately described how the majority of the sales force feels. I haven't spoken to one rep that is actually looking forward to the national sales meeting this week. This place is really a joke. If you are looking to get into medical sales, do yourself a favor and stay away from this place. New reps will not make any money and you will be expected to do things like miss holidays and important moments with your family in order to read sales articles or come up with reframes for Challenger. If you think you will get paid fairly for your work, guess again. Ask the recruiter or your interviewer about why people are leaving left and right from this place. The one thing where your post is wrong is about Challenger being taught, it is being force fed to the sales force. Every conversation is Challenger this or Challenger that, not how can we actually put ourselves in a position to get products into the accounts that we are calling on. Good luck trying to be successful when you have practically no GPO contracts and higher pricing than all of your competitors. Just be careful not to bring this up to anyone or you will be making yourself a target.
 




Anonymous said:
This thread has been pretty much spot on with the comments. I wish that it was just a couple of angry reps, but unfortunately it isn't. New hires aren't staying much longer than 9 months, many have left after just a few weeks because of the culture and they say that they were basically lied to during the recruiting/hiring process. Most tenured reps are unhappy. The money they were told they would make has never happened. They are told to sell things like denture cups, belonging bags, and other commodity products that are over priced and off contract. The company has bought into the Challenger program and that is where the focus of everything is. I was speaking with a rep that just came back from the rewards trip and he said that this is the only company where a rep can't bring a spouse/significant other, even if they pay for it.
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?
 








I've been here for a few years and what I've read on this site does not reflect my experiences. Every company has it's issues, some more than others. To say that life at Centurion is always fun or that the life of a sales rep is easy, would be grossly inaccurate. However, I feel that this is a great time to work for Centurion. Like it was said at the National Sales Meeting, it is a get rich slow company; but with time, effort, hard work, and sacrifice you can definitely earn a very nice income.

The problem with this site is that only negative comments are shared here. I have found that it is culture where new ideas are shared, hard work is rewarded, and we have cutting edge products that make a difference. Management has an open door policy, as evidenced by some of the announcements at the sales meeting - strategic partnerships with distributors, taking significant others on the rewards trip, and innovative new products are on the way.

If you are willing to put in the time to grow your business, and invest in your own future then this is the place for you.
 




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