Company Changes (layoffs)

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anonymous

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The layoff thread has been taken over by Covid19, so I thought we could start a new thread. I am not a doomsday person so that is not my intent. I wanted to take a look at the fact that the whole world is changing before us and we will be out a lot longer than they originally hoped. All businesses may be making decisions on what to do going forward. I have heard no rumors, but am interested in any information about what they will do with the sales force.
 








I tend to agree with you, but there are many directions that could go. You could dump sales all together and decide to approach customers another way. You could cut deep in respiratory because you were going to do that before long anyway. You could cut everybody back and redefine what the job is. I know everything is speculation, but if people actually have an ear to the ground it would be interesting to know.
 








anonymous said:
I tend to agree with you, but there are many directions that could go. You could dump sales all together and decide to approach customers another way. You could cut deep in respiratory because you were going to do that before long anyway. You could cut everybody back and redefine what the job is. I know everything is speculation, but if people actually have an ear to the ground it would be interesting to know.
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The ground says “this is why we have Ashfield”
 




Well remember that other companies are in this as well...I think BI will wait and see what the competition does first...do they reduce their salesforce and integrate virtual engagements and platforms to make up for less people? Could be. But at this point, it’s all just speculation...haven’t heard heard anything either.
 




anonymous said:
Well remember that other companies are in this as well...I think BI will wait and see what the competition does first...do they reduce their salesforce and integrate virtual engagements and platforms to make up for less people? Could be. But at this point, it’s all just speculation...haven’t heard heard anything either.
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Do any of you morons actually believe that any HCP is going to engage in a virtual interaction with a Pharma rep during a pandemic??? Seriously?
 




anonymous said:
The layoff thread has been taken over by Covid19, so I thought we could start a new thread. I am not a doomsday person so that is not my intent. I wanted to take a look at the fact that the whole world is changing before us and we will be out a lot longer than they originally hoped. All businesses may be making decisions on what to do going forward. I have heard no rumors, but am interested in any information about what they will do with the sales force.
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There is no doubt management is huddling with consultants,finance,etc. This whole situation is largely going to be a function of time. For now it makes sense to keep the sales force enact and ready to go. Total guess would be give it til the end of April and see where we are. Hopefully things resolve and the field sales force is thrown back out.
Option 2: It is May 1st, the country is shut down, pharma revenue is down dramatically. At this point they could possibly furlough the sales force for a defined amount of time. Sales force is told they have guaranteed job at some point in future but will not be paid in meantime (unemployment insurance would be available).
Laying off the sales force in the near future (3-4 months) would make no financial sense. The cost of packages, re-hiring, re-training,etc etc. would be formidable.
Option 3: Things get back to normal but country is in severe recession and pharma is taking hit. Perhaps at that point you think about trimming sales force. Just MHO, god bless everybody, stay safe.
PS The digital route is NEVER going to work, pharma first trialed this in the late 90's. If it hasn't worked in 20 years its not going to work now.
 




anonymous said:
There is no doubt management is huddling with consultants,finance,etc. This whole situation is largely going to be a function of time. For now it makes sense to keep the sales force enact and ready to go. Total guess would be give it til the end of April and see where we are. Hopefully things resolve and the field sales force is thrown back out.
Option 2: It is May 1st, the country is shut down, pharma revenue is down dramatically. At this point they could possibly furlough the sales force for a defined amount of time. Sales force is told they have guaranteed job at some point in future but will not be paid in meantime (unemployment insurance would be available).
Laying off the sales force in the near future (3-4 months) would make no financial sense. The cost of packages, re-hiring, re-training,etc etc. would be formidable.
Option 3: Things get back to normal but country is in severe recession and pharma is taking hit. Perhaps at that point you think about trimming sales force. Just MHO, god bless everybody, stay safe.
PS The digital route is NEVER going to work, pharma first trialed this in the late 90's. If it hasn't worked in 20 years its not going to work now.
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This isn’t 1990. Telemedicine is the Future happening today. There’s commercials about major systems advertising telemedicine and CEO’s promoting it. I strongly disagree.
 




anonymous said:
This isn’t 1990. Telemedicine is the Future happening today. There’s commercials about major systems advertising telemedicine and CEO’s promoting it. I strongly disagree.
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"Telemedicine" refers to drs. talking to patients via digital means. "Telemarketing" would be a pharma rep talking to Dr. via digital. Telemedicine may have some future (had my first experience during the crisis and honestly does not replace human interaction nearly as well). The only reason Drs. talk to us is because it is considered impolite to ignore someone who is standing right in front of you in the flesh. If a Dr. is sitting at his computer and a pop up appears asking if they want to talk to rep it is far too easy to ignore. As was stated previously millions have been spent trying to replace reps with this technology. If it had any hope of working we would all be sitting in a cubicle all day.
Talk to your remote rep. Mine left her job and told me she literally NEVER spoke to a Dr. in a year. The rep who covered the mid-west occasionally got to talk to a Dr.
 




anonymous said:
"Telemedicine" refers to drs. talking to patients via digital means. "Telemarketing" would be a pharma rep talking to Dr. via digital. Telemedicine may have some future (had my first experience during the crisis and honestly does not replace human interaction nearly as well). The only reason Drs. talk to us is because it is considered impolite to ignore someone who is standing right in front of you in the flesh. If a Dr. is sitting at his computer and a pop up appears asking if they want to talk to rep it is far too easy to ignore. As was stated previously millions have been spent trying to replace reps with this technology. If it had any hope of working we would all be sitting in a cubicle all day.
Talk to your remote rep. Mine left her job and told me she literally NEVER spoke to a Dr. in a year. The rep who covered the mid-west occasionally got to talk to a Dr.
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Ok Boomer. Things are different now. Get your popcorn ready. “Tele” whatever you wanna call it is here to stay.
 




anonymous said:
"Telemedicine" refers to drs. talking to patients via digital means. "Telemarketing" would be a pharma rep talking to Dr. via digital. Telemedicine may have some future (had my first experience during the crisis and honestly does not replace human interaction nearly as well). The only reason Drs. talk to us is because it is considered impolite to ignore someone who is standing right in front of you in the flesh. If a Dr. is sitting at his computer and a pop up appears asking if they want to talk to rep it is far too easy to ignore. As was stated previously millions have been spent trying to replace reps with this technology. If it had any hope of working we would all be sitting in a cubicle all day.
Talk to your remote rep. Mine left her job and told me she literally NEVER spoke to a Dr. in a year. The rep who covered the mid-west occasionally got to talk to a Dr.
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Access is drying up before the pandemic hit and will continue to do so after we clear this crisis. The field salesforce itself admits that access is no longer what it used to be decades ago. The new model for a pharma field sales rep will be a mix of in-person promotion and digital marketing. This will be by design so a rep can essentially have the equivalent of two or more territories with digital/virtual capabilities supporting in-person promotion. At this point, reps, as we know now, will have the ability to order samples for offices online and delivered thru the mail. The infrastructure is already there; just needs a few more tweaks to smooth out the platform.
 




anonymous said:
There is no doubt management is huddling with consultants,finance,etc. This whole situation is largely going to be a function of time. For now it makes sense to keep the sales force enact and ready to go. Total guess would be give it til the end of April and see where we are. Hopefully things resolve and the field sales force is thrown back out.
Option 2: It is May 1st, the country is shut down, pharma revenue is down dramatically. At this point they could possibly furlough the sales force for a defined amount of time. Sales force is told they have guaranteed job at some point in future but will not be paid in meantime (unemployment insurance would be available).
Laying off the sales force in the near future (3-4 months) would make no financial sense. The cost of packages, re-hiring, re-training,etc etc. would be formidable.
Option 3: Things get back to normal but country is in severe recession and pharma is taking hit. Perhaps at that point you think about trimming sales force. Just MHO, god bless everybody, stay safe.
PS The digital route is NEVER going to work, pharma first trialed this in the late 90's. If it hasn't worked in 20 years its not going to work now.
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Two weeks of rumination and it's freaky how (for the most part) I've come to the same conclusions as yours above.
 




anonymous said:
Access is drying up before the pandemic hit and will continue to do so after we clear this crisis. The field salesforce itself admits that access is no longer what it used to be decades ago. The new model for a pharma field sales rep will be a mix of in-person promotion and digital marketing. This will be by design so a rep can essentially have the equivalent of two or more territories with digital/virtual capabilities supporting in-person promotion. At this point, reps, as we know now, will have the ability to order samples for offices online and delivered thru the mail. The infrastructure is already there; just needs a few more tweaks to smooth out the platform.
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Fair enough. However, the way things stand today a rep in the field with samples and a lunch budget making live calls is going to crush a telerep.
 








The president has just said today that basically the country will be on the mend by June 1st. We know this president likes to exaggerate things. Translation: the country wont be on the mend by then. Anyone with an ounce of common sense will quickly realize this isn’t sustainable for the company. To have some semblance of normalcy towards mid to end of Q2 into Q3 just isn’t sustainable for the company...especially since global markets are also feeling the impact of the pandemic. A furlough or lay-off is looking more and more likely.
 








anonymous said:
This will end. I think our offices at that time will be pleased to see us.
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I can appreciate your optimistic tone but realize that things will not be the same for a number of reasons:
1. This outbreak is a marathon. Even if some areas of the country get over their curve, there is always the risk of reinfection and the emergence of subsequent waves of outbreaks. Public health experts are already cautioning that this could be a seasonal issue and in the short term absence of a vaccine or direct cure, offices and hcps may continue social distancing and other precautionary practices. Sure they need the samples and will want to welcome us with open arms, but I think that will also be tempered with the above concern.
2. Companies simply cannot sustain having current sales forces intact over a prolonged period of what we currently are going through. Structural/personnel changes are inevitable over the long term. Yes, paying out severance, packages, etc. to make this happen will have a huge financial impact to an already struggling bottom line, but many companies will do this in an effort to mitigate further losses. Geographies might further be consolidated and the few reps that remain will increasingly be forced to utilize having samples mailed to offices and using telemarketing to supplement in-person promotional efforts.This pandemic isn’t ending anytime soon. Experts are estimating at least 8-10 weeks (from now) at the very least.
 








Today's call...
Can someone tell Frenchie Boy to look at the camera and be a bit more empathetic...He looked like he was bothered by the whole thing (no wonder he like KM). Oh... and a big shoutout to IT...what a juke
The animal guy looked interested, understanding, composed and willing to share a good word.
It is not what you say it is how you say it...basic communication skills 101.
 




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