Sales Rep Reductions

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Anonymous

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Ask your DSM about the CSA's again andsee how they spin this quote from Simon Lowth regarding our 2nd Qtr earnings.

"We are evolving the size and deployment of our field force to match the evolving product portfolio with a general move towards reductions into more mature, developed markets while investing in emerging markets. Where we reduce our sales force, we're building up our headcount in new channels like service teams and call centers. Along with digital, with these new channels, we're maintaining, and in some cases, increasing market share for our brands at a lower cost than the traditional sales-rep-only model."
 




Anyone that thinks AZ can be like 10th on the list of big pharma for profits (term used loosely) and continue to have more sales people running around the U.S. than the number one company is dreaming. We have over 4000 representatives and really only need about 2200. I have no idea why this company is still hiring in certain divisions. Could be they want a bunch of fresh faces. Could also be they don't give a shit right now and are going to run us all into the ground and just run us off. If they are like BMS, you have a job one week and the next week you're told to sit by the phone and that's the end of it. If I had to guess;
1. CVAS becomes lead on all cardiovascular products since B is so special right now to AZ. Only one CVAS per territory will remain - perhaps even one that is Hospital since they do not really need all three reps and the Crestor team with Ocean. CVAS could co-promote BMS's new AF drug and the diabetes products
2. CNS larger territories and pic up the inflammatory product line.
3. Crestor reps are gone for sure
4. Diabetes/CV/resp reps? Merge with BMS? Put with CVAS? Move to just diabetes and resp? Hold?
5. Other specialities will probably remain as is for patent life and difficult disease state

Many companies such as Merck have one rep now in a large territory with seven or eight products and four to five disease states. The rest is going to contract.
 




Would a doctor really stand there for the amount of time it takes one rep pitch 7 to 8 drugs?

How effective would the rep be after the first one or two details?

I feel sure someone has studied this model and determined it would not work unless you really didn't care as a company about the last 6 drugs.
 








Anonymous said:
Would a doctor really stand there for the amount of time it takes one rep pitch 7 to 8 drugs?

How effective would the rep be after the first one or two details?

I feel sure someone has studied this model and determined it would not work unless you really didn't care as a company about the last 6 drugs.
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Idiot. No. You use targeting data and prescriber specialty to decide which product or two to discuss. Let's face it, most stand-up calls are for samples and are for one product. Lunches, you can do two products but pretty soon I think those too will be a thing of the past. Maybe contract people can carry several samples but I do not think that has been tried yet. What surprises me is the number of products that AZ has listed on their product consumer website. It is a shame to see all of these companies crumble and die. Funny how that happened right about the time they all started to pay millions for worthless CEOs who had zero research and development experience.
 




It's hard to get a lunch at most offices here because they are all booked so far in advance. You can still do breakfasts or afternoon snacks for access. Of course, this is the south where the docs will still invite you to sit in their office and actually talk with you if you have built the relationship. They don't do this with the sample droppers.
 








Anonymous said:
It's hard to get a lunch at most offices here because they are all booked so far in advance. You can still do breakfasts or afternoon snacks for access. Of course, this is the south where the docs will still invite you to sit in their office and actually talk with you if you have built the relationship. They don't do this with the sample droppers.
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I am in an area where corporate healthcare rules will mega systems dictating down to the physician level. There are no samples most places, or lunches and no appointments. In fact, reps are not even allowed in the building, not even to drop stuff off. Seems almost stupid to even have a rep. I have tried to get out of pharma repeatedly but with no luck. If I see one guy a day for even five minutes, that's a very good day. Twice a week I end up getting someone to sit down with me for about 15 min to 1/2 hour. I know of nowhere around here where anyone will do an afternoon snack or breakfast especially an IC. No fellows here either.
 




Anonymous said:
AZ could go to 1000 reps, easily, supplemented by Publicis reps. It's really amazing that haven't cut it BELOW 1000 by now!
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So, an average of 20 reps per state right? Let's say you double that for a state like Texas to 40 reps.

Then put 5 reps to cover all the docs in Dallas.

5 reps to cover Ft. Worth.

5 reps to cover Houston.

5 reps to cover San Antonio.

5 reps to cover Austin.

5 reps to cover El Paso.

5 reps to cover Laredo.

5 reps to cover Lubbock.

Forget about the rest of the State.

Good luck with that plan.
 








Anonymous said:
You are an idiot and az loves your breed. Just quit and watch your luck change. You will be out of pharma. Hovering on this board will be a thing of the past and your quality of life will improve dramatically. Tried repeatedly??? WTF
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Take my word for it. . . multiple degrees and 15 years in pharma while being over 55 and NO employer will EVER look at you except for finanical planning, real estate or insurance. I would bet it has more to do with age discrimination than with my pharma background since I have about 10 friends in the same boat all from different backgrounds. Several have been out of work for more than two years. This country is only for the young. Obviously, you are some forty-year old mega-talented male who has not realized you too will one day grow old and suffer the same fate if you were not blessed with good fortune and saved every penny you earned.
 




Anonymous said:
I am in an area where corporate healthcare rules will mega systems dictating down to the physician level. There are no samples most places, or lunches and no appointments. In fact, reps are not even allowed in the building, not even to drop stuff off. Seems almost stupid to even have a rep. I have tried to get out of pharma repeatedly but with no luck. If I see one guy a day for even five minutes, that's a very good day. Twice a week I end up getting someone to sit down with me for about 15 min to 1/2 hour. I know of nowhere around here where anyone will do an afternoon snack or breakfast especially an IC. No fellows here either.
Click to expand...

Sounds like Boston.
 




Anonymous said:
Take my word for it. . . multiple degrees and 15 years in pharma while being over 55 and NO employer will EVER look at you except for finanical planning, real estate or insurance. I would bet it has more to do with age discrimination than with my pharma background since I have about 10 friends in the same boat all from different backgrounds. Several have been out of work for more than two years. This country is only for the young. Obviously, you are some forty-year old mega-talented male who has not realized you too will one day grow old and suffer the same fate if you were not blessed with good fortune and saved every penny you earned.
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Everything you say is spot on except for age. You don't have to be 55 to come up against this. It starts at 45.

There is just way too much supply of former pharma reps and current reps who want to be former pharma reps.

If you are over 45 hang on as long as you can. Hope you can survive the downsizings which will come every 2 years for the forseeable future. Save your money. Don't buy a $500,000 home with mortgage to match. Don't lease a Mercedes, Lexus, or BMW for your spouse and try to survive a tough enviornment.
 








Anonymous said:
I plan to hang on for 3 more years and retire at 50. Zeneca has been good to me for 25 years; fat 401k and a pension.
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Well, you are certainly blessed. I have not been lucky in pharma at all. Every company I joined for the last 15 years has mergered or died. It has been a wild ride. Before that I did not make much money, maybe 30k. I have to say I was a lot happier then than I am now. Sadly, I will have to work to at least 62, maybe longer. If I can keep working (I am single) and put away 25k for the next 8 years, I'll have finally made it to a million but I doubt I will have any kind of meaningful pension. I was with my last company for nearly seven years and word is the pension might be a lump sum of 100,000. Big deal. Good for you. Are you single? LOL
 








Anonymous said:
Would a doctor really stand there for the amount of time it takes one rep pitch 7 to 8 drugs?

How effective would the rep be after the first one or two details?

I feel sure someone has studied this model and determined it would not work unless you really didn't care as a company about the last 6 drugs.
Click to expand...

You're right, a doc would never stand there for a pitch of 4 or 5 drugs, and that's not how we did it years ago! Only reps with 25 or more years experience with AZ have ever done that, and we did it successfully. Unfortunately, he vast majority of reps with that experience are gone, or just waiting until the net package. If AZ had ANY business sense, they would rehire these reps part time, like many other industries do. AZ could easily go below a 1,000 reps, contract with a CSO company for whatever it needs, and save tons of cash.

Wit the pipeline in shambles, revs/profit dropping fast, AZ had better do something and do it quick. More cuts is all it can do.
 




All managers are being forced to rank everyone of us over the next month or so. Just remember a good DSM will have at least 1 star 3 to 5 mediocre stars and 1 or 2 cave dwellers. RSD,s same deal. This allows the HR team an easy way to get rid of people. So be prepared for the next round. This one is going to really hurt.
 




Anonymous said:
All managers are being forced to rank everyone of us over the next month or so. Just remember a good DSM will have at least 1 star 3 to 5 mediocre stars and 1 or 2 cave dwellers. RSD,s same deal. This allows the HR team an easy way to get rid of people. So be prepared for the next round. This one is going to really hurt.
Click to expand...

This is done every fall.
 




Anonymous said:
Ask your DSM about the CSA's again andsee how they spin this quote from Simon Lowth regarding our 2nd Qtr earnings.

"We are evolving the size and deployment of our field force to match the evolving product portfolio with a general move towards reductions into more mature, developed markets while investing in emerging markets. Where we reduce our sales force, we're building up our headcount in new channels like service teams and call centers. Along with digital, with these new channels, we're maintaining, and in some cases, increasing market share for our brands at a lower cost than the traditional sales-rep-only model."
Click to expand...

translatation - after a new product launch what the hell do we need drug reps for - they cost a fortune, have a poor ROI, and complain like a bunch of little girls and boys it is more productive to utilize other alternatives to marketing our products - result = less drug reps needed - if you do not see this and you are a rep you need to wake up - your days are numbered. And no you are not sales people so start thinking of other career options...
 




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