What this job has become...sad

Quote






sorry girls but this job changed for the worse when it became dominated by women. unprofessional dress. unprofessional behaviour. seems now to be the norm. stupid doctors love it...until they don't. I was on a confrence call the other day, all with women and the best practices conversations quickly turned to .... food. Science? Engaging openers? discerning probes? naw. best snacks. Just ask any rep with more than 20 years experience about the wave of low-cut, high skirt, food bearing females and how it significantly changed the industry. to the discredit of pharma management - they love it. rare was an office lunch in the past. now a doc can be bought for a bagel and a smile.
 












Anonymous said:
sorry girls but this job changed for the worse when it became dominated by women. unprofessional dress. unprofessional behaviour. seems now to be the norm. stupid doctors love it...until they don't. I was on a conference call the other day, all with women and the best practices conversations quickly turned to .... food. Science? Engaging openers? discerning probes? naw. best snacks. Just ask any rep with more than 20 years experience about the wave of low-cut, high skirt, food bearing females and how it significantly changed the industry. to the discredit of pharma management - they love it. rare was an office lunch in the past. now a doc can be bought for a bagel and a smile.
Click to expand...

So true. Some docs love the legs and low cut dresses plus cleavage. But then I have to hear the staff getting mad because that female rep "kept" the doc in "scientific discussion" so long that patients were getting restless. Did the female reps appear about the same time when bringing food trays/ice cream/candies in when making a call become prevalent?
 






Anonymous said:
So true. Some docs love the legs and low cut dresses plus cleavage. But then I have to hear the staff getting mad because that female rep "kept" the doc in "scientific discussion" so long that patients were getting restless. Did the female reps appear about the same time when bringing food trays/ice cream/candies in when making a call become prevalent?
Click to expand...

Don't forget the balloon bouquets!
 












Anonymous said:
In the early '90's the circus came to town and the clowns have never left.
Click to expand...

In the 80's we had female Merck reps and they were professional. In the 90's we began to have those that carry bags of candies and a cooler of cakes, deli trays, bottles of wine more than reprints and samples. Our profession began the downhill slide when a rep would be standing there in front of the counter, holding a cheese tray while waiting to be let in to see the physician. When professional attire began high-heel shoes and everyone dragging fashionable bags on wheels around. Then the end is near when even male reps started to haul around bags on wheels.
 






This was all done in the name of "access", but it's funny how the real professional rep, who really knows what they're doing and has spent time on products,disease and patient profiles never lost access. It seems that the majority of reps went the "shortcut" route. Easier to buy a deli tray than spend the time learning the office and (shudder) diseases. Food did get these people access but once they get back they still have nothing to say - I've seen it time and time again, first hand. To be fair Merck has tried to maintain an image of "excellence" through it's training which is (or was) quite rigorious and demanding and through. In my experience it is management who drops the ball by not expecting the same scientific excellence from itself as the training department does. Dm's are much more interested in "anaylsis" which becomes "paralysis of anaylsis". They seem to feel that if we just "parse" and re-parse" all these customers and reps we can somehow squeeze out some more scripts. Most managers way over think this whole thing, get in the way of a "call continium" and don't seem to know what the customers and reps are talking about once a real product discussion begins. The problem is only half fixable. First those reps that had "special" access and "backdoor" conduits are gone. Merck, in it's short sightnedness got rid of them. Most were highly paid Executives and Senior Executives for a reason. They knew what they were doing and didn't need a candy bag to do it. Gone never to return and thier rapport, relationships, expertise forever gone with them. It is possible to rebuild the salesforce but only if it totally rids itself of the management now in place beginning with the incompetent DM's. Quit giving them the "cliff notes" version of product knowledge and begin to test, quiz and practicium the hell out of them. If they don't measure up. PIP THEM, not the rep. Get rid of piss poor managers. A good manager should be a resource on all things for his district. Few now are. Many cannot even point the rep in the right direction. Merck must begin aggressivley re-building it's salesforce and weed out it's bad managers, which are legion. Or stay on it's current path to mediocre obscurity.
 






My manager is excellent. He is useful and helpful. He has never once embarrassed me infront of my customers. The problem is at the hospital level, it is just not acceptable to have two people make calls in critical care or OR areas. I do not mind it if it is in a break room but just having a manager in the room limits the openess of my customers. Most doctors see a manager with a rep and they cannot wait to get the heck out of there. Without my manager, I have sat and had hour and two hour long conversations with key doctors and both of us have learned something. That sort of thing will NEVER happen with a ride along. Not in my territory, not ever. (Some accounts access is so limited, I would never even think of bringing someone with me. It would be the end of my access and maybe all reps - it does not take much anymore for an account to close their doors.)

PP - nice post!
 






Both previous posters are so right. Managers used to be our problem solvers. They filter out the craps from above. They defend the reps. They help you to develop a career and possibly promotions when they see potentials in you or you have expressed it. A tenured rep can talk products and discuss major life issues, say, a nurse is dealing with at the home front. I remember my younger colleague confused and unable to participate when a nurse talked about her kid's addiction problem. That come with relationship, age, and experience. That sell a product indirectly.
 






Anonymous said:
Both previous posters are so right. Managers used to be our problem solvers. They filter out the craps from above. They defend the reps. They help you to develop a career and possibly promotions when they see potentials in you or you have expressed it. A tenured rep can talk products and discuss major life issues, say, a nurse is dealing with at the home front. I remember my younger colleague confused and unable to participate when a nurse talked about her kid's addiction problem. That come with relationship, age, and experience. That sell a product indirectly.
Click to expand...

That same nurse may be pegged for the next round of cuts. Taking her place might be the
new star potential, the younger colleague with the degree in history and good at memorizing the competency pages. This is talent and the real value for customers.
 












... Merck must begin aggressivley re-building it's salesforce and weed out it's bad managers, which are legion. Or stay on it's current path to mediocre obscurity.[/QUOTE]

"Rebuilding"? Are you kidding? They're rebuilding alright...with CSO's. Company drug reps will soon be history. You'll learn that when you interview for your own job...with someone else. Sounds convoluted, but isn't.
 






Anonymous said:
Seek some help friend. The rep was not a nurse.
Click to expand...

I meant after the deli tray, legs and cleavage you have to know your products and diseases. Then you have to be able to talk or share life experience when a nurse decided to talk about her kid's addiction problem. That's when you see those Kens and Barbies froze up and unable to go deeper. Merck hired them for their looks. They dressed well. They acted well. But they are too young and thus, do not have much in the life experience to draw from for a heavy duty discussion.
 






Anonymous said:
... Merck must begin aggressivley re-building it's salesforce and weed out it's bad managers, which are legion. Or stay on it's current path to mediocre obscurity.
Click to expand...

"Rebuilding"? Are you kidding? They're rebuilding alright...with CSO's. Company drug reps will soon be history. You'll learn that when you interview for your own job...with someone else. Sounds convoluted, but isn't.[/QUOTE]

Bingo! And half the pay.
 






Anonymous said:
I meant after the deli tray, legs and cleavage you have to know your products and diseases. Then you have to be able to talk or share life experience when a nurse decided to talk about her kid's addiction problem. That's when you see those Kens and Barbies froze up and unable to go deeper. Merck hired them for their looks. They dressed well. They acted well. But they are too young and thus, do not have much in the life experience to draw from for a heavy duty discussion.
Click to expand...

Thanks for helping me understand. Guess I'm the one who better get some help!
 












Anonymous said:
I've worked at several companies, Merck reps are no different than other reps- worthless.
Click to expand...

In the year 2011, all pharma reps are worthless because that is the direction the industry is going. Even the good ones are micromanaged and directed to sell in a worthless way. Managers are living in a dreamy state, pretending to be coaching and useful.
 


















Top Bottom
Back
Quote