DEAR PAUL AND TOPHER, FROM DSS

[Anonymous]

It was nice to hear the ESS rep tell us all how great they are.

 

[Anonymous]

It was nice to hear the ESS rep tell us all how great they are.

Did BJ take any blame for that one? Nope.

 

[Anonymous]

Anyone named Topher just sounds like they are on the spectrum.

 

[Anonymous]

TOPHER said the right things about feedback on the sales force. However, they aren't going to change based on a handful of reps giving feedback. I was disappointed in BJ saying this model was based on rep input. He's better than that. Not sure who you got input from, but you have been misled by your selected reps. The majority of the reps knew this divided sales force had all the qualities of going bad quickly.

Now it's May 2015 and our Diabetes Sales Force is divided into 3 separate companies. Oral, Injectable, and ESS. All of us walking on different paths not collaborating and helping each other succeed.

TOPHER, you have plenty of reps, but you are not utilizing the resources correctly. What differitiated us from other diabetes companies last year was having the total bag. This means you have a solution for every physician you call on. Everything this year is being forced down the physicians throat. They feel it, the reps feel it, and the numbers reinforce it.

I hope you weren't just blowing gas and are seriously considering changing things Q3 to bring back a sense of "team" to increase productivity, sales and provide real solutions to our physicians and patients.

Thank you for reading.
Your DSS Team

 

[Anonymous]

TOPHER said the right things about feedback on the sales force. However, they aren't going to change based on a handful of reps giving feedback. I was disappointed in BJ saying this model was based on rep input. He's better than that. Not sure who you got input from, but you have been misled by your selected reps. The majority of the reps knew this divided sales force had all the qualities of going bad quickly.

Now it's May 2015 and our Diabetes Sales Force is divided into 3 separate companies. Oral, Injectable, and ESS. All of us walking on different paths not collaborating and helping each other succeed.

TOPHER, you have plenty of reps, but you are not utilizing the resources correctly. What differitiated us from other diabetes companies last year was having the total bag. This means you have a solution for every physician you call on. Everything this year is being forced down the physicians throat. They feel it, the reps feel it, and the numbers reinforce it.

I hope you weren't just blowing gas and are seriously considering changing things Q3 to bring back a sense of "team" to increase productivity, sales and provide real solutions to our physicians and patients.

Thank you for reading.
Your DSS Team

I think a lot of reps agree with your comments. My guess, if we have another "average" quarter, it might accelerate positive change

 

[Anonymous]

TOPHER said the right things about feedback on the sales force. However, they aren't going to change based on a handful of reps giving feedback. I was disappointed in BJ saying this model was based on rep input. He's better than that. Not sure who you got input from, but you have been misled by your selected reps. The majority of the reps knew this divided sales force had all the qualities of going bad quickly.

Now it's May 2015 and our Diabetes Sales Force is divided into 3 separate companies. Oral, Injectable, and ESS. All of us walking on different paths not collaborating and helping each other succeed.

TOPHER, you have plenty of reps, but you are not utilizing the resources correctly. What differitiated us from other diabetes companies last year was having the total bag. This means you have a solution for every physician you call on. Everything this year is being forced down the physicians throat. They feel it, the reps feel it, and the numbers reinforce it.

I hope you weren't just blowing gas and are seriously considering changing things Q3 to bring back a sense of "team" to increase productivity, sales and provide real solutions to our physicians and patients.

Thank you for reading.
Your DSS Team

Who needs ASK calls when there is this thread? This is truth.

 

[Anonymous]

It wasn't an ASK call. It was primarily a TELL call, with a few people at the end who wasted time saying how wonderful it was to have these calls, thank yous, and the ESS reps who wasted our time detailing their wonderful attributes.

 

[Anonymous]

It wasn't an ASK call. It was primarily a TELL call, with a few people at the end who wasted time saying how wonderful it was to have these calls, thank yous, and the ESS reps who wasted our time detailing their wonderful attributes.

hahahaha

 

[Anonymous]

And after all the cost cutting discussion, the brazen DM who spoke up about the top 2 things (stop speaker programs), what is the first email we get??? OK, after the severe downsizing of SSEN email. Guess what.....we're bringing back speaker programs in Q3, so start planning. Wheee. Anyone else think the Topher Tell conference calls were a joke now?

 

[Anonymous]

Dear Paul & Topher,
One word to describe AZ, gross mismanagement. The expectations are derived from doing the same things over & over expecting different results, which is the definition of insanity!
We have been minimized to mere soldiers taking marching orders from our respective dictators, managers. Modus operandus is do as I say, not as I do! Gordon Gecko may have said, "greed is good", is it?

 

[Anonymous]

And after all the cost cutting discussion, the brazen DM who spoke up about the top 2 things (stop speaker programs), what is the first email we get??? OK, after the severe downsizing of SSEN email. Guess what.....we're bringing back speaker programs in Q3, so start planning. Wheee. Anyone else think the Topher Tell conference calls were a joke now?

The reality is that marketing doesn't give a shit if any physicians show up to a program. The purpose of these programs is to pay top prescribers as speakers in exchange for loyal prescribing. It is buying business pure and simple.

 

[Anonymous]

The reality is that marketing doesn't give a shit if any physicians show up to a program. The purpose of these programs is to pay top prescribers as speakers in exchange for loyal prescribing. It is buying business pure and simple.

If we were true "GM's", we would be allowed to decide whether a 5k speaker program or 30-40 access meals would have a better ROI for our business. It's not a difficult choice.

 

[Anonymous]

The reality is that marketing doesn't give a shit if any physicians show up to a program. The purpose of these programs is to pay top prescribers as speakers in exchange for loyal prescribing. It is buying business pure and simple.

PS. "Paying off" speakers doesn't work when they speak for multiple companies and spread across multiple agents in the class. I'll take my access meal money over programs all day.

 

[Anonymous]

PS. "Paying off" speakers doesn't work when they speak for multiple companies and spread across multiple agents in the class. I'll take my access meal money over programs all day.

oh sure, you spend a couple hundred bucks feeding a bunch of fat cow office staff and the dr. gives you a 30 second info puke and a sample sig. Then you record a call the other 5 docs who had food brought to them or never showed. So you wasted 3 fucking hours and a couple hundred dollars so you could fake a bunch of calls but the food receipt is your cover. Brilliant stuff.

 

[Anonymous]

oh sure, you spend a couple hundred bucks feeding a bunch of fat cow office staff and the dr. gives you a 30 second info puke and a sample sig. Then you record a call the other 5 docs who had food brought to them or never showed. So you wasted 3 fucking hours and a couple hundred dollars so you could fake a bunch of calls but the food receipt is your cover. Brilliant stuff.

OMG so true! You cannot put in a luncheon spend without sufficient prescribers. Otherwise, you need to explain the cost on your expense report to your DM. Who wants to put their own head in a noose? So instead, you put in more the other 5 docs as you say, but may have only seen one. It satisfies the metrics and makes your life a whole lot easier!

 

[Anonymous]

oh sure, you spend a couple hundred bucks feeding a bunch of fat cow office staff and the dr. gives you a 30 second info puke and a sample sig. Then you record a call the other 5 docs who had food brought to them or never showed. So you wasted 3 fucking hours and a couple hundred dollars so you could fake a bunch of calls but the food receipt is your cover. Brilliant stuff.

This happens every day and is most prevalent when a manager schedules a work day with the PSS. You have to have something to kill 2 or 3 hours and look productive doing it. The office lunch is the ticket to surviving these days with the DSM.

 

[Anonymous]

True. Many reps will try to reschedule a lunch for the DM ride along if given enough notice. Some reps "trade" lunches with counterparts in an effort to have enough to do that day.

 

[Anonymous]

So we separate sales forces, cut lunch money, programs, and samples. So what your saying is the model is not generating enough sales so we cut expenses. I never thought leadership could have such a negative impact on business. The sales forces does not communicate or strategize to move business forward. I don't blame the reps, it's an inefficient model that is costing our organization sales, hence the reduction in cost. I really want to understand the thought process on changing from last year.

Dazed and confused.

 

[Anonymous]

It's a shame what is happening to the organization, but it was ill fated from the beginning. Our model was never balanced, the specialty sales force should not exist and our bribe a speaker program will always backfire. This business in not sustainable and the entire organization is collapsing into itself and we still have Crestor for another year. What happens then? The DBM's are afraid to do the right thing for their reps, because they think that being a prick will somehow save their asses in the time of layoffs. News flash, we all go down together. So be nice to the people that put money in your DBM's pocket and stop being an asshole. Better yet, get out before this shit show falls apart. This company has the worst senior leadership in the industry a parade of clowns that become the President of the month club. If we can't get real leaders to run the Diabetes business unit, what do you expect the rank and file to feel good about? CHF, ketoacidosis, no transparency of what is going on with our ESS TEAM. THE WHOLE THING SUCKS!!! I trying to get out ASAP

 

[Anonymous]

Paul and Topher, don't listen to the naysayers! You guys are doing a wonderful job! You allow us to work half-days, or even less on some days! For that we are appreciative! Stay the course! We couldn't ask for a better management team!