Reps

A country manager of a big pharma once asked me, what are the core qualities that i'd look for in a rep. not that i had any hiring authority for this is one function that remains firmly in the SM's court. I've spent long periods observing and musing over drug reps in Singapore, pondered and discussed this subject over and over, no doubt im not alone in this ruminative pursuit.

If i were to go into the multiple embodiment of a typical drug rep, it might still require an eternity. therefore, i would limit this posting to one broad aspect of professionalism, which is almost impossible to put a definition to. Professionalism can be extended to basic grooming to the daily grind of interacting with customers to the more complex task of inward management, ie. evaluating and conducting oneself within a corporate environment.

We have all heard the story of how one infamous rep managed to rubbed an entire hospital up the wrong way which led to the ban of all drug reps thereafter, the sweet young rep who was spotted with a certain HOD with his pants down in his room by his registrar, or that seemingly proper rep who cost her immediate superior his job with their working dalliances. all these examples are the extreme of utterly unacceptable behaviours. but it is not as easy to identify true professionalism even if it stares you in the face.

i've met many drug reps from all over the world, with reps from australia and the usa setting the deepest impression upon me. the immense pride and meaning they derive from their job drives and motivates them to perform in their jobs without grousing about other team's incentives and craving for the next available slot up the ladder. i'd withnessed the exceptional handling of a potential compliance issue with a top KOL by an australian rep who not only managed to deliver his selling messages but also gained the respect of the doctor by addressing the issue directly and systematically. there is little room for diplomacy in such situations and often, integrity is suffice.

in the states, most reps require a 4 year college degree (a cheerleading stint is also helpful- really!) and an MBA from a reputable business school (we are talking decent GMAT scores here) is not uncommon. what sets them apart is their drive for personal exellence. they challenge themselves through what the job offers them rather than the establishment.

as an illustration, i'd met a drug rep from los angeles recently, with an MBA no less, who, over a period of 4 hours, managed to challenge every notion of branding essentials that i had ever conceived and discussed disease management and therapy (to a higher level that i'd ever achieve) as well as explaining how politics have impacted the state of economy and diabolical schemes of property financiers in the states. oh, did i also mention that he does extreme sports like cliff diving, deep skin diving, canyon explorations, etc? i mean, just how cool is that?

just out of curiosity, after a decade of repping, is he not eligible for a management role? (afterall, my cv pales significantly in comparison) oh, he was offered and declined cos he absolutely LOVES the sense of freedom and mobility as a rep and enjoys meeting and cultivating relationships with his doctors who, after a decade, have become more than customers, they are pals, and how he is truly reaping the intangible rewards just now. - how politically correct (yeah rite...it also helps that reps in US are probably paid more than our senior managers here...)

i don't mean to say that there aren't any good reps in singapore just cos' we dont have any mountains or valleys this part of the world. its just that a wider global perspective and outlook beyond the shallow everyday life is essential to an optimal performance of the job function. it is important for a rep to derive a sense of importance and find value in his work.

i had spent the majority of my pharma career as a rep and have always regarded myself as exceptional. i do not kowtow to my KOLs, do not allow them to treat me as a chauffeur unless i offered it myself, i do not allow them to bust my allocated entertainment budget and demands for ad hoc sponsorship just because they have a temper. and because of this sense of principles, i have come away friends with many of my customers and vendors, with my dignity and self-respect intact.

Tongue-in-cheek: 10 commandments for drug reps

1. Do NOT leave the office later than 10.30

2. Do NOT wait until closing day for your sales manager to chase you for the month-end projection

3. Do NOT covet the incentives of your colleagues from other teams

4. DO NOT disregard the SAPI code (sleep, eat, breath, s**t compliance)

5. Love your competitors

6. Honour your product managers even if you think they are crap

7. Do not give your sales managers a weak projection even if you have loaded your clinics with 3years worth of stocks

8. Make sure your car is visible in the hospital's carpark even if you are physically not

9. Do NOT give lame excuses on why you have not reported on yesterday's calls

10. Do NOT yawn/fall asleep/roll your eyes/ask intelligent questions/talk to your neighbour/deface the cycle materials when the bosses are presenting at the cycle meeting.

Sex, drugs and rock and roll

Yesterday over lunch, my friend who also happens to be a sales manager in a pharma firm was grousing to me about 'reps these days'.

she'd observed in a recent party, hosted by a high-profile GP during which he'd invited many pharma reps to his clinic, that almost all of them had brought alcoholic drinks (SAPI-are you listening?) and later went on to shamelessly solicit for business during the continous rounds of drinking. When the GP asked them to drink up, they'd audaciously agreed on condition that sales of a minimum of 100boxes of whatever they are touting will precede.

this sales manager also noted that most of these reps belong to big, established companies and consisted mostly of young, attractive female reps who are not hesistant in flanking the sides of the GP to get his attention amidst the din of the revelry (and debauchery some might add)

so what exactly is it that had incurred her disapproval i queried.

it's the absolute inappropriateness of everything. from the alchohol, to the open solicitation for sales, to the tight white tops the girls were wearing, she adds. since when did we ever had to resort to such overt sexuality to peddle our drugs in the past!? she heaves.

maybe times have changed? perhaps we have become, gasp- old? as for using sex appeal to sell... i do feel that a teeny dose of sex appeal in a subtle manner may enhance the selling process if it is able to get a customer to become more receptive towards a rep. let's face it, the world is full of sexual overtones and sales people in particular, are acutely aware of this, some industries, like banking, have taken full advantage of it to great success, and if one can harness and package it in a sophisticated manner to achieve their end objectives, why not?

however, i do agree that in pharma, an ethical (or percieved) disposition is important. this is because we are dealing with products that is meant to extend and enhance human lives. to embark on a less respectable way of selling would be trivialising this greater purpose.

with millions, billions of dollars poured into providing sales support with clinical trials, adequate marketing and improved processes, it is unnecessary, seemingly wrong even, to consider a need to resort to less savoury methods.

Sure, market is tough, and getting increasingly so. government reimbursements are limited and contentious, lack of product innovations, NCEs are having difficulty getting from bench to bed, reduced consumer confidence in pharma, escalating costs and decreased yield. but with such challenges facing the industry, shouldn't it be bracing together to create a new identity which can propel it into a new era of consumer confidence through ethical r&d, public/patient education, social responsibilty programs, etc

As marketers, we must be careful to ensure that lever spends are being put to greater use than in excessive wining and dining. and if need be, to enforce compliant entertainment practices that is consistent with the brand equity and protective of the corporate image.

And for the less-clued in rep, do give some thoughts to the kind of image you'll like to project and retain in the customer's impression. self-respect and restraint does more good for the soul than incentives can. and if the latter is so important, perhaps you should consider a sales career outside of pharma. the meagre incentives in pharma are hardly worth tolerating the humble doctors' bad jokes, tantrums or idiosynracies

Tongue-in-cheek- It's a jungle out there

Drug reps. What will the pharma industry be without them? Indeed, with the strict regulations and restrictions imposed on the promotion of ethical products, personal selling remains the most fundamental of the promotional mix. This industry is awash with drug reps, all tasked with the very important responsibility of conveying marketing messages to the customers (mainly doctors) while marketers pray that they stay as close to the original intentions as possible.

Pharma reps are often one of the highest cost on the corporate balance sheet, and this may explain why management would want to look into maximising their output by means of SFE (see previous post) however, pharmas are still very reliant on this form of selling approach as it is perceived to be the best form of CRM (although i beg to differ- that will be a different story altogether). Well, if anything, i think drug reps do bring alot of personality and identities to the companies who employs them.

And while they are often supposed to be out ploughing the field (that's what the market is called) i think it is more reminiscent of a jungle. And here are the various types of animals that you will associate with. (although most reps would often possess a combination of traits):

The werewolf: you will only get to see this rep during a full moon (ie closing day) the rest of the time, its a complete mystery where s/he would've been. This rep would completely vanish once the budget is achieved, otherwise, it would be lurking around the clinics searching for any scraps of sales that would sustain it till next month.

The grasshopper: This rep will be handing you a business card from so-and-so company this minute and another company the next. In this industry, it is hardly surprising to see reps playing merry-go-round-and-round-and-round...

The elephant: it is not difficult to spot this rep from afar. s/he will be clambering along with huge branded (of specific product of cos!) paper bags stuff full of product gimmicks and/or candy bars/chocolates/other goodies (often with a product sticker stuck over it- tsk tsk) towards the doctors' offices. There the rep will unload all the loot gained from the PM with great delight onto the poor doctor. you would know that an elephant had just been to the physicians' office when you see piles of rubbish (likened to spam) pouring out of the doctors' pigeon holes

The peacock: Usually a new-comer to the industry. tends to strut around with minimal trade tools (detailing aids, clinical papers, samples, etc) Armed with a BSc (hons), law degree (no kiddin') or a staff nurse registration (not jokin') they consider their superior intellect to be best when dealing with just a regular bunch of doctors. their conceitedness would more often than not (except for the SRNs) guarantee a short stint in pharma

The orang-utans (plural): note that this group of reps cannot exist in isolation. you will see them congregated for a time of social gathering throughout the day. their usual hangouts are Ikea (alexandra), great world city, paragon, lucky plaza. the close proximity to various hospitals really helps!

The cow: tends to be a senior or experienced rep who knows when to work the field and how to deflect the heat from management by always being able to deliver the goods. however, this hard/ smart worker will find him/herself being milked (with little chance of career advancement) till the day it is led to the abbatoir

The dolphin: aka the sweet young thing. perhaps the most nauseating of the lot. one particular company has the reputation of employing this genre of reps presuming perhaps that doctors are really a bunch of lecherous fools. the dolphin goes around acting cute and bimbotic all the time, flirting, powdering her nose while whining to the doctor about how slowly her drug is moving, thinking that her good looks will keep the scripts going. i think NOT!

The fly: as the name suggests. this rep simply will not go away. s/he will hassle the doctor or purchaser (especially on closing day) with all the tactics under the roof (buy kueh kueh, run errands, walk the dog, do data entry, and when all else fails, beg beg beg) just to meet the target. Its pathetic, but management don't really care as long as they bring in the sales.