Drug Reps Soften Their Sales Pitches

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Anonymous

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Even though CC is not big on sales models, etc., there are still a number of managers here that pound their reps for not following the standard model. Many a story about reps that were throttled by their managers once back in the car after a call for not hard closings or pushing the doctor hard enough (see web cam role play assignments). We all see the damage it does when reps do this yet some managers still don't get it.

Here is a link for an article that was in the Wall Street Journal today. It addresses how hardball sales tactics destroy office relationships and how some major drug companies are changing to correct this problem (leading to better sales as a result):


http://online.wsj.com/article/SB100...148.html?mod=WSJ_business_LeadStoryCollection
 






I read this article this morning, and while interesting, I couldn't but help be reminded of how reps at the companies following this school of thought are miserable coupled with a depleting market share - however, I do agree with part of this model in that companies are spending huge amounts of time and resources on making their sales forces very strong individuals to compete against. I believe they will reap the benefits from this model as they continue to slim the large sales force numbers. The reps standing will be very knowledgable and worldly beyond what's in their bag.
 






Anonymous said:
I read this article this morning, and while interesting, I couldn't but help be reminded of how reps at the companies following this school of thought are miserable coupled with a depleting market share - however, I do agree with part of this model in that companies are spending huge amounts of time and resources on making their sales forces very strong individuals to compete against. I believe they will reap the benefits from this model as they continue to slim the large sales force numbers. The reps standing will be very knowledgable and worldly beyond what's in their bag.
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Yeah they'll be knowledgeable on what brand of iced tea is the doctor's favorite. Why not bring in a hairdresser and massuse for a spa lunch as well? And maybe bring the doctor's favorite movie with your projector and screen. Movie lunch! And then have some strippers come in and give everyone dessert. And NEVER mention your product. Not once. Wake the f up. We are SALESpeople, not a concierge. This article describes customer service reps. That's only part of our job. We also have to actually make a case for a doctor to write and then ask for the business. I hope I never care more about what a doctor wants for lunch than I care about the patients getting the most appropriate astma treatment. It would be great if this model catches on so it will be even easier to actually sell. Selling and closing can be hard, but it works and it's our job. So buck up or go work for a hotel.
 






Anonymous said:
Yeah they'll be knowledgeable on what brand of iced tea is the doctor's favorite. Why not bring in a hairdresser and massuse for a spa lunch as well? And maybe bring the doctor's favorite movie with your projector and screen. Movie lunch! And then have some strippers come in and give everyone dessert. And NEVER mention your product. Not once. Wake the f up. We are SALESpeople, not a concierge. This article describes customer service reps. That's only part of our job. We also have to actually make a case for a doctor to write and then ask for the business. I hope I never care more about what a doctor wants for lunch than I care about the patients getting the most appropriate astma treatment. It would be great if this model catches on so it will be even easier to actually sell. Selling and closing can be hard, but it works and it's our job. So buck up or go work for a hotel.
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I think you completely missed the point of the article. We are to educate the doctors on our products both pros and cons, then help them with any problems or questions that arise from their use. That IS a form of selling which is far more effective than asking for the next five patients. I worked in a large clinic for 7 years and can tell you that the reps that were the most effective at gaining doctors time and Rx'ing were the ones using the soft sales approach discussed in the article. The ones that will fail are those that cannot operate outside of the "sales model box". We should strive to be a resource for the disease state we sell in while positioning our products to gain sales. To show up and throw-up with a glossy detail piece every time you go in is only going to get more clinics closing their doors to you and your product.
 






the sandler sales approach...learn it...live it...couple it with this article! i did this for the 4 years at teva -2 time pinnacle...rook of year....it works....in your face type a reps are getting nowhere in this profession....its tough cuz its all fakery from our dms's to the rms....do it the corporate way when corpoarte is with you...practice the corporate way after each call as well...if you can to stay sharp...watch your back here too....management is taught to squash ALL problems and issues....stay clean or you will be on a radar.....dont trust ANYONE.....collect your paycheck etc...till you are done...easiest most meaningless gig ever...teva is just so cash heavy they can afford to keep you all around....
 












I totally agree with the first poster!!!!!I hate selling.i totally stopped years ago and I'm a good friend to all my doctors. Whatever my big doctors and staff want to eat I get them.They all love me and are always happy to see me.I haven't mentioned my drugs in years and I've won pinnacle 3 times!!!This is a great job.it's like a big sorority where I get to socialize with my girlfriends and then win pinnacle!!!!So totally glad other people here see it like me!!
 






Anonymous said:
I totally agree with the first poster!!!!!I hate selling.i totally stopped years ago and I'm a good friend to all my doctors. Whatever my big doctors and staff want to eat I get them.They all love me and are always happy to see me.I haven't mentioned my drugs in years and I've won pinnacle 3 times!!!This is a great job.it's like a big sorority where I get to socialize with my girlfriends and then win pinnacle!!!!So totally glad other people here see it like me!!
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OP here, I love selling, it is HOW I sell vs what is in the sales model that they hold us to. I sell myself as well as our products in a manner that is professional AND personal. Any salesman in other professions will tell you it is about giving your costumers the service they want and educating them in a manner that is respectful. The current pharma model is closer to a copier salesman that leaves the docotrs feeling like they had just been used. Which model do you think is more productive in the long run????
 






i used to stay baked all day by eating pot brownies and smoking onies too. i was super baked all the time. won several triips too... i used to party down big time at meetings...it was my vacation...then i got too greedy and got fired...
 






OP here again. After waiting in the lunchroom for 3 hours for maybe one or two doctors to come back to the lunch and not one out of the ten that work there did, I had a change of heart. You already knew I threw away the glossies but now I've decided to sell like the article says to. And not mention products. If I had ordered the right food a doctor would have come back and we could have talked about the game and had a better relationship. I'm going to take this new approach and see how it does.
 






it will work soooo much better...just remember to practice the "real" corporate way of selling for when management comes in to town...that way you will be polished and "know" what you are talking about....also contact a few offices a day before you go in with manager...ask that nurse "pal" or pa/np/doc to hear you out (detailing the corporate way) and maybe ask a bogus question about cleaning or actuation....then tell her you will hook her up with a ton of panera etc...its "cheating" but who cares....keep collecting your chex
 






Anonymous said:
OP here again. After waiting in the lunchroom for 3 hours for maybe one or two doctors to come back to the lunch and not one out of the ten that work there did, I had a change of heart. You already knew I threw away the glossies but now I've decided to sell like the article says to. And not mention products. If I had ordered the right food a doctor would have come back and we could have talked about the game and had a better relationship. I'm going to take this new approach and see how it does.
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The REAL OP here. I figured there would be some smart ass responses, after all this is cafepharma! I guess I thought that there were more reps here that had real sales experience outside of pharma like myself ( I am sure this should prompt a few dissing comments). If you had you would see that SOME pharma companies are starting to wake up and realize that real sales are about call continuum and relationships that occur with the soft sales approach. I know someone will ask why I am here if I was a sales rep for a another company with great pay. Bottom line was family, this job allows me to be home far more often and has far more latitude (if I need to pick up the kids because wife is sick, etc.). One of the main reasons that offices have closed to reps over the years is the pushy disrespectful sales model that calls for hard closes/next five patients, etc. I believe that unless the current mindset changes, we will be banned from all offices in the next few years.

OK, now you can continue with your smart ass comments...
 












Anonymous said:
The REAL OP here. I figured there would be some smart ass responses, after all this is cafepharma! I guess I thought that there were more reps here that had real sales experience outside of pharma like myself ( I am sure this should prompt a few dissing comments). If you had you would see that SOME pharma companies are starting to wake up and realize that real sales are about call continuum and relationships that occur with the soft sales approach. I know someone will ask why I am here if I was a sales rep for a another company with great pay. Bottom line was family, this job allows me to be home far more often and has far more latitude (if I need to pick up the kids because wife is sick, etc.). One of the main reasons that offices have closed to reps over the years is the pushy disrespectful sales model that calls for hard closes/next five patients, etc. I believe that unless the current mindset changes, we will be banned from all offices in the next few years.

OK, now you can continue with your smart ass comments...
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So now the REALLY REAL OP is weighing in again. I posted the article, thus I'm the one who thought it was relevant to share with all of you. The bottom line is you are brain deficient and should be throttled if you are still trying to sell your products. Studies, glossies, mentioning the product at all is the way of the past. Don't you see that's why clinic's are shutting us out? Doctors just want to sign and then talk about the game. If you avoid any reference to your product and get them their favorite iced tea and food you will be in like Flynn. I've even trained other reps in this method long before this article was written and they all won pinnacle within 2 years of practicing this method. If I wasn't going to retire soon I would not have even shared any of this. I just wanted to give something back before I left. So shoot me! Mock me or impersonate me if you want. I'm still the multiple pinnacle winner.
 






Anonymous said:
So now the REALLY REAL OP is weighing in again. I posted the article, thus I'm the one who thought it was relevant to share with all of you. The bottom line is you are brain deficient and should be throttled if you are still trying to sell your products. Studies, glossies, mentioning the product at all is the way of the past. Don't you see that's why clinic's are shutting us out? Doctors just want to sign and then talk about the game. If you avoid any reference to your product and get them their favorite iced tea and food you will be in like Flynn. I've even trained other reps in this method long before this article was written and they all won pinnacle within 2 years of practicing this method. If I wasn't going to retire soon I would not have even shared any of this. I just wanted to give something back before I left. So shoot me! Mock me or impersonate me if you want. I'm still the multiple pinnacle winner.
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BS... I was the OP and I was not trying to say throw the baby out with the bath water. For those of you that do care, read my original post and the one where I said the smart ass comments would follow (which it did), In no way am I proposing that we stop selling but HOW we sell vs the current model in pharma. I was hoping there might be a decent conversation on bringing that middle ground back to pharma. As you heard at our meetings this week, they are adding new useless business plans (and other changes) for us to develop. These will become another hammer to use against you if they so desire. While others are moving away from the big pharma model, we are heading straight into it. So much for progress.
 












I worked for Lilly for 15 years. My first training with them was all about the detailing, transition statements, and trying to "catch" the doctor with a "gotcha" moment, and asking the doctor for their next 5 patients. I never used this approach, except of course when DM was with me. Won numberous awards and trips.

The last "training" session that I attended was more about engaging the doctor in a dialogue or a conversation. Practically every rep I know sells this way. It's common sense. Don't beat the doctor up like a used car salesperson. Anyway, the DM's were all bitching about it and were complaining that we weren't selling. After the meetings were over and the DM was out in the field with me, he wanted me to sell the old way. I refused. Got into a big fight with him. He got fired. Lilly eventually let me go with a killer severance package and I started working for Teva last year. Life is good.

Good conversations...... I mean..... selling!!
 






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