Heads up their asses!!!!

Seriously how in 2019 do we launch a heartworm product with no staff samples or puppy packs?! They are acting like every other company doesn’t just hand out samples like candy. Morons!!

 

Changes!

They are a coming!

Hold on to your hats. It's going to get bumpy!

 

There is one MAJOR change that needs to happen and maybe things will improve. Not until he’s gone though.
How many people will stick around to ride out whatever “bumpiness” is coming??
As soon as an opportunity presents itself, I’m leaving and I know other people feel the same way. I wish they cared about losing good people.

 

Who needs to go?

 

More changes coming!
Wait for it! Wait for it!
BAM!!!!!!!!

 

Honest answers if you can. 18 yrs in AH with dist and 2 manufacturers and looking at a position today. What’s so bad right now?

 

Are you asking about Ceva?
If so, do your homework.
They have no products of value along with an executive team that is unexperienced and in over their heads.
Bad business decisions and huge turnover. Ask why their turn over has been so high the last 5 years.
Ask them why they laid off over 20% of their sales force in 2018.
Ask them why the territories have been open for so long.
My suggestion is to run away from this company as fast as you can!
They can paint a pretty picture but they are in trouble as a company.

 

Ok you asked for it!

I came to Ceva not too long ago. I had heard very bad things from a friend, but that person is overly dramatic at times. I was sold an exceptionally false bill of goods during the interview process. Also, buckle up for that nonsense. It’s a long, tedious process.
Here’s what you are in for:
(These are in no particular order)

1. Training/on boarding is the worst I’ve ever experienced. They acknowledge that it’s awful and make no steps to change it.
2. WAY too much administrative BS
3. ZERO innovative products
4. Upper management sucks
5. They changed the comp plan this year, clearly to nickel and dime the reps
6. Expectation here is you are basically always working. They say they care about family and personal time. I can’t see how that is possible with the nonsense they pile on their sales reps and managers
7. No one here seems to know how to work with the FDA. Those of us that do are ignored or told we don’t know what we are talking about
8. The person currently in charge of parasiticides is a complete moron (and the one that was actually good was shoved out into the field and today was fired. Way to go!!)
9. They hired for all of these “expansion territories” in 2017 (I heard without approval from France by the way) only to realize they couldn’t make viable territories out of them and then laid of a bunch of people right before the holidays in 2018. (Oh, but the guy in charge of that irresponsible decision got promoted. Awesome.)
10. They overpromise and underdeliver at every given opportunity.
11. The territories are way too big to effectively manage (SFE will not fix that problem)
12. The health insurance blows
13. I hope you like Kansas and Missouri. Seems to be the only place we ever go for meetings.
14. Sample budgets are a joke
15. Barely any distribution support. Not that they have any reason to support us. We don’t have any decent programs.
16. It’s exceptionally difficult to get promoted or win an award due to the rules
17. There’s never any money for anything. Can we bring in a speaker for a dinner? No. Can we do this program? No. Can I attend this meeting? No.
18. With very few exceptions, no one in the home office helps or gets back to you in a timely manner
19. Inside sales reps have their own accounts that they don’t share with the territory managers. And a lot of times they are good, multi Dr accounts that should be serviced in person. I’ve had at least 5 reach ouch to me since coming here and i’m not allowed to do anything with them.
20. They refuse to admit that Vectra isn’t the product it was years ago. They refuse to lower the price or make it appealing to continue using it in any way, but don’t say you are having a hard time selling it. No one wants to hear it.
21. They seek products in the retail space. Products that we also sell to veterinarians. And then wonder why sales in the vet channel aren’t better.
22. Our relationships with corporate accounts seems to be lacking. The guy in charge of that never seems to know what is going on (and he never responds to emails or phone calls)
23. This last sales meeting they made us fly out on a Sunday and kept us there till Friday. (It could’ve been done in 3 days)
24. There is zero self awareness here
25. I don’t think the pay/benefits package is that great, comparable to other animal health companies

If you have other options, i’d look at those. I’m not in a place to leave right now but if I were I would leave. I’m always worried that i’m in danger of losing my job because of Vectra dragging my territory down. This is not a fun job. It’s overwhelming and stressful.
Higher ups in the company seem to take some kind of pride in that. “You’ll work harder here than you will at other companies.”And frankly, not worth it.

 

Previous post NAILED it. If you are not on track to hit at least $1M in sales by the end of the year you should be looking for another job - remember last October when the last round of layoffs occurred??

 

I think this analysis could apply to the majority of the animal health jobs out there today (and from all of the insanely negative posts on the human side which I get a charge out of reading, it would apply to them as well).

I’m tired of hearing how the economy is booming, big companies are reaping the benefits of Trump tax cuts, profits are up... we are in the wrong industry. Talking to the old timers, it’s exactly like the human side used to be a few decades ago - fun, profitable and fulfilling for the rep. I can’t even explain how disappointed I am in my company that is moving in the opposite direction of “sell more, make more”.

 

Wow. I left this company almost 5 years ago and it seems nothing has changed. Management still does not want to hear the truth and poor decision making across the board. Vectra was on it's way out in 2014, that was when the numbers first started tanking. I hate to think what it is like now.

 

The days of the Ceva executive team being able to convince their people that they are a healthy company with a bright future are over. Anyone who believes that is either blind or foolish. Look at what they have done over the last 5 years. They have 2nd class products and a 2nd class executive team. A lot of foolish decisions have been made at the top do to their inexperience and poor decision making.

They have a new President now who is suppose to clean the mess up. That's about to happen. It's going to get ugly! They are looking for someone to head up their companion animal team now. This cleanup is going to take a while because the problems run deep here in the US.

 

OK- Let's see, Natl Training Mgr left to be an RM and we're not back-filling that job, Dir of Mrktg was fired today and we're not back-filling that job, and two reps have left in as many weeks.

What's next?

 

If you are intelligent, capable and reasonable it seems that Ceva wants you gone. If you are an incompetent ass kisser then you’ll be celebrated. I’m shocked that France continues to keep JM around. I was hoping that with CW being outed that he would be too. Guess not.

 

Don't worry.
JM will be out. He just doesn't know it yet.

 

Wait they made JA an RM? Now that is a joke.

 

JA was set up for that job way before Mike left.

I hope no one spent a lot of time interviewing for that job.

 

Yeah I think that was the agreement when she came back here that she’d take that. I’d love to know why it’s suddenly fine to no live in your region as the manager. I thought that after BG they learned.