How many reps will Merck keep?

[Anonymous]

Well every one has an opinion. This conversation is really a non-starter. I've been doing this for over 25 years, 12 with Merck and now work contract, and what you describe above could be a description of a lot of Merck reps I knew, or worse some of them didn't work at all. There seemed to be a sense of entitlement at Merck that wasn't as prevelant at other companies. I know contract reps who were top echelon reps at other companies and bring the same work ethic to contract. Merck has no monopoly on talent, but it's just like a Merck rep to think thier special and look down your nose at other reps. Try marketing your resume with "Merck" on it and then come back with your "I'm special attitude". If you really think about it, you too are on a contract at Merck and the clock is ticking. If you think your gonna get 20 plus years in pharma sales any more... Well I gotta bridge in Brooklyn...

 

[Anonymous]

Well every one has an opinion. This conversation is really a non-starter. I've been doing this for over 25 years, 12 with Merck and now work contract, and what you describe above could be a description of a lot of Merck reps I knew, or worse some of them didn't work at all. There seemed to be a sense of entitlement at Merck that wasn't as prevelant at other companies. I know contract reps who were top echelon reps at other companies and bring the same work ethic to contract. Merck has no monopoly on talent, but it's just like a Merck rep to think thier special and look down your nose at other reps. Try marketing your resume with "Merck" on it and then come back with your "I'm special attitude". If you really think about it, you too are on a contract at Merck and the clock is ticking. If you think your gonna get 20 plus years in pharma sales any more... Well I gotta bridge in Brooklyn...

"I've been doing this for over 25 years, 12 with Merck and now work contract."

....says a lot especially in regard to years in....you are probably gettiing a pension or
wow maybe two now or in place.....you may not live in high cost area....you may have a working spouse....these type of things are what really call the shots of life...

Granted, contract is a lot less stress
...but its whether you can pay your bills or not....

As for the contract reps...they need to choose and train better....their image in general tends to be very poor...

 

[Anonymous]

Well "image" is all in the eye of the beholder. Do you really think that the customer takes the time to differentiate between schering,Merck or inventive? No matter what the name tag says,the rep gets about 15 sec. and a sample sig. The difference is about 20k in salary. Merck knows all this which is why it has contract and will continue to expand its use of contract. It's the law of diminishing returns. Direct selling using reps. is a huge expense, increasing risk of liability with a low ROI. Companies are simply too invested in the bureaucracy of direct selling with all the useless layers of management to do much of anything else, unless forced to. Which the "patent cliff" will force companies to come to terms with how they market products. If you have 7 or 8 years in pharma (especially pc) and are hoping for 20 , in sales, sales management or marketing, well good luck with all that. Pharma will only continue to outsource and downsize, but hey, you could be one of the lucky few who hang around, so if you like, continue to spin the roulette wheel.

 

[Anonymous]

Answer: None.