Online sample request will eliminate the rep job

[anonymous]

Well they’re already seeing reps in our territory so......

What territory or area are you in? Because I can tell that most of the offices are requesting us not to come in. Yet have be banning reps in the south east area. I have to agree with majority of the thread, our jobs will be eliminated once the company realize remote selling will be the new way of selling and won’t work in some areas.

 

[anonymous]

Well they’re already seeing reps in our territory so......

Wow! What area are you in?

 

[anonymous]

You are not very bright sparky!
As a matter of fact, u are part of the problem. I’m sure ur idea of a successful provider engagement is to show them ur iPad efficacy message and challenge them to prescribe.
Idiotic and precisely why we r toast.

 

[anonymous]

You are not very bright sparky!
As a matter of fact, u are part of the problem. I’m sure ur idea of a successful provider engagement is to show them ur iPad efficacy message and challenge them to prescribe.
Idiotic and precisely why we r toast.

if you can’t actually spell words out, you should be doomed. If you smell like a moron, you may be a moron.

 

[anonymous]

What territory or area are you in? Because I can tell that most of the offices are requesting us not to come in. Yet have be banning reps in the south east area. I have to agree with majority of the thread, our jobs will be eliminated once the company realize remote selling will be the new way of selling and won’t work in some areas.

Remote selling is not going to be a new way of selling. Most of the virtual lunches are being done to feed their staff. It's easy to blow someone off virtually compared to a live person. They got excited when only 80% of the e-mails were NOT opened. I guess they were expecting 90% would not be opened?

 

[anonymous]

Retired DM here. I spent many years in the field and as a DM. I've seen many changes in this industry and our company. Not many of these changes were positive. At one time sales reps with our company were educated to have DISCUSSIONS with health care providers. We were educated not only on our products but competitive products and the disease state of the product. I would say to my reps..."when the doctor is talking you have all the time in the world." It was not unusual for reps to have half hour discussions with providers. This for the rep (and me) was very fulfilling! Also we did NOT provide lunches to doctors in fact we had zero budget. Then came the time when companies provided lunches to doctors, trips for doctors, "dash and dine" for doctors...all this hurt our professional reputation. The rep was looked on as caterer. Also the companies and reps were chastised for trips and meals for doctors. Medical schools and residency programs taught docs in training NOT to trust and see reps. Over time, more and more offices closed. AZ and other companies decided that MESSAGING was the answer ... 20 second commercial. Also companies had multiple reps calling on the doc with the same message. How many times can a doctor hear a message from multiple reps and then decide these reps are worthless and not adding any value. So here we are today....you all know the score online sampling and messaging. It will replace many reps. Overall over time the doctors do not perceive value in what reps bring except samples and maybe lunch. You think a rep brings value to the doctor and the company by flashing a screen message or surfing for signatures? Hardly.

I will say as a veteran rep- That women are the problem. When men were “detail men,” we were respected. Enter women and everything went to hell. Women are the ones with the stupid ideas that we now have to do. Women are the ones that sexualized the industry. Women are the ones why we are no longer respected because they whine and cry to the doctors to write more with no science. Women in management are the worst and why we have constant coaching. Have you ever been on a Women in Leadership call at AZ? What a joke.

 

[anonymous]

I will say as a veteran rep- That women are the problem. When men were “detail men,” we were respected. Enter women and everything went to hell. Women are the ones with the stupid ideas that we now have to do. Women are the ones that sexualized the industry. Women are the ones why we are no longer respected because they whine and cry to the doctors to write more with no science. Women in management are the worst and why we have constant coaching. Have you ever been on a Women in Leadership call at AZ? What a joke.

painting with a pretty broad brush aren’t you? I’m a DSM and yes some of this is true, but some of my best reps are women. Leave the misogyny at home.

 

[anonymous]

painting with a pretty broad brush aren’t you? I’m a DSM and yes some of this is true, but some of my best reps are women. Leave the misogyny at home.

Ha, oh are you serious?

 

[anonymous]

painting with a pretty broad brush aren’t you? I’m a DSM and yes some of this is true, but some of my best reps are women. Leave the misogyny at home.

It’s not misogyny. In fact I love women. But not in the pharmaceutical industry. You should have seen how much better things were before all the bull crap. Women cry and have to compete with each other. Women have something to prove which makes everybody miserable. Women want to have it all but cant. Your kids will hate you for being a DSM at AZ. The field days away and stupid meetings will not be worth it in the end. You husband most likely hates it and your kids will never forget how you weren’t there for them like a normal mother.

 

[anonymous]

Wow! What area are you in?

coastal southeast

 

[anonymous]

As a current rep having already done many virtual lunch in services due to the Covid situation, I can tell you that anyone that thinks digital, virtual engagements or digital marketing is anywhere close to as effective as what is done in person is deluding themselves. Most of the time one or two people hop on the call and it just hasn't been very productive.

I'm happy the company has given us the go ahead to do these for now and support our customers and offices but they have all sorts of issues including tech problems, etc.

Digital anything will never replace the effectiveness of local relationships and personal, face to face interactions unless customers and offices all lock out reps altogether. I can't speak for what will happen nationwide but that scenario is highly unlikely to play out in my area.

 

[anonymous]

Wow! What area are you in?

Midwest, Missouri

 

[anonymous]

As a 30 year veteran in this industry with other companies I could not have said it better. The sad part is that our industry is a) run by clueless people and b) we have done it to ourselves. The times when we sold from a proof source binder and brought value are long gone. Multiple reps killed our value. Pfizer and Glaxo were the worst. Can’t blame doctors. If I were a doctor, even in private individual practice, I would NOT see drug reps today. Thank you for this great post. I wish I could have worked for you, we see eye to eye.

 

[anonymous]

X2. Former Rep here that witnesses the beginning of the demise 20 years ago.

My territory was a very competitive AND Rep friendly Bay Area market at the time. That all changed with the great COX-2 NSAID battle fought between Merck (Vioxx) and Pfizer (Celebrex). Those two Pharma giants went on a hiring rampage (Pretty girls a hiring priority) and flooded offices with a “share of voice = share of market” obnoxious messaging frequency that eventually alienated physicians and staff to all professional Reps as a whole.

A domino affect of denying Rep access started to be the new norm for office policy.

The disconnect from HQ/Marketing and what happened in the field… IS and HAS always been behind the demise of the professional Pharmaceutical Representative.

 

[anonymous]

X2. Former Rep here that witnesses the beginning of the demise 20 years ago.

My territory was a very competitive AND Rep friendly Bay Area market at the time. That all changed with the great COX-2 NSAID battle fought between Merck (Vioxx) and Pfizer (Celebrex). Those two Pharma giants went on a hiring rampage (Pretty girls and boys, qualification #1) and flooded offices with a “share of voice = share of market” obnoxious messaging frequency that eventually alienated physicians and staff to all professional Reps as a whole.

A domino affect of denying Rep access started to be the new norm for office policy.

The disconnect from HQ/Marketing and what happened in the field… IS and HAS always been behind the demise of the professional Pharmaceutical Representative.

 

[anonymous]

X2. Former Rep here that witnesses the beginning of the demise 20 years ago.

My territory was a very competitive AND Rep friendly Bay Area market at the time. That all changed with the great COX-2 NSAID battle fought between Merck (Vioxx) and Pfizer (Celebrex). Those two Pharma giants went on a hiring rampage (Pretty girls and boys, qualification #1) and flooded offices with a “share of voice = share of market” obnoxious messaging frequency that eventually alienated physicians and staff to all professional Reps as a whole.

A domino affect of denying Rep access started to be the new norm for office policy.

The disconnect from HQ/Marketing and what happened in the field… IS and HAS always been behind the demise of the professional Pharmaceutical Representative.

 

[anonymous]

As a current rep having already done many virtual lunch in services due to the Covid situation, I can tell you that anyone that thinks digital, virtual engagements or digital marketing is anywhere close to as effective as what is done in person is deluding themselves. Most of the time one or two people hop on the call and it just hasn't been very productive.

I'm happy the company has given us the go ahead to do these for now and support our customers and offices but they have all sorts of issues including tech problems, etc.

Digital anything will never replace the effectiveness of local relationships and personal, face to face interactions unless customers and offices all lock out reps altogether. I can't speak for what will happen nationwide but that scenario is highly unlikely to play out in my area.

same in our area......we will be back to business as normal in no time. Our largest specialty customer group just opened back up to reps along with a. Ton of other offices. They want to see us.

 

[anonymous]

I agree with poster above concerning the demise of the professional pharmaceutical rep. Many factors over the past 20 years I won't get into them. Just read the above posts for some great info if you are a newbie to the industry. One think I would like to comment on. At one time it took brains to be a pharma rep. You had to learn the product knowledge also the competitive product knowledge the disease state knowledge as well as the business skills to run your territory. At one time it was one rep in a territory. No partners no rent a reps just you. You had accountability for the success or failure of your sales results. Now the job is mindless. A message given to doctors day after day after day. The rep is bored out of their mind. This is why some practice the "all day lie" or "sit by a lake today." They are bored stiff and can't see themselves walking into another office with the same mindless drivel. Basically marketing has taken all the thinking out of this job. You are told what to say and not to think. Let's face it the money and benefits and the freedom of this job it is great but all of us have sold our soul to the devil. It's really sad.

 

[anonymous]

I agree with poster above concerning the demise of the professional pharmaceutical rep. Many factors over the past 20 years I won't get into them. Just read the above posts for some great info if you are a newbie to the industry. One think I would like to comment on. At one time it took brains to be a pharma rep. You had to learn the product knowledge also the competitive product knowledge the disease state knowledge as well as the business skills to run your territory. At one time it was one rep in a territory. No partners no rent a reps just you. You had accountability for the success or failure of your sales results. Now the job is mindless. A message given to doctors day after day after day. The rep is bored out of their mind. This is why some practice the "all day lie" or "sit by a lake today." They are bored stiff and can't see themselves walking into another office with the same mindless drivel. Basically marketing has taken all the thinking out of this job. You are told what to say and not to think. Let's face it the money and benefits and the freedom of this job it is great but all of us have sold our soul to the devil. It's really sad.

All of the above is true. POA's were strategic meetings for three days, putting all the obstacles out on the table and brainstorming collectively on how to circumvent. You came out of those meetings like a warrior triggered to fight. NOW it's robotic national/regional meetings pour info into our heads, the same message for everybody in the room regardless of district level challenges (the broad paintbrush theory); the very damn thing they don't want US to do with our customers (vomit talk, while excluding productive questions). It's shut up take orders; I don't want to hear your challenges and formularies shouldn't be an issue.

 

[anonymous]

I agree with poster above concerning the demise of the professional pharmaceutical rep. Many factors over the past 20 years I won't get into them. Just read the above posts for some great info if you are a newbie to the industry. One think I would like to comment on. At one time it took brains to be a pharma rep. You had to learn the product knowledge also the competitive product knowledge the disease state knowledge as well as the business skills to run your territory. At one time it was one rep in a territory. No partners no rent a reps just you. You had accountability for the success or failure of your sales results. Now the job is mindless. A message given to doctors day after day after day. The rep is bored out of their mind. This is why some practice the "all day lie" or "sit by a lake today." They are bored stiff and can't see themselves walking into another office with the same mindless drivel. Basically marketing has taken all the thinking out of this job. You are told what to say and not to think. Let's face it the money and benefits and the freedom of this job it is great but all of us have sold our soul to the devil. It's really sad.

You are spot on...After 34 years in the industry I have to say ANY change with the job or territory was always negative. In the old days we used to sell from a proof source binder, it was easy to plan your calls. Now, all reps have are the vis-aids. Who wouldn't be bored with that after 1 visit. No doctor wants to see that.