I have an idea!

Let's create more reports, more "security" apps, more "targeting," and more tracking of daily activity, because nothing encourages a group of sales reps like tracking, reporting, and a general aura of distrust.

Who in the world keeps this Deaver joker around? I've never met a "leader" with any fewer leadership skills.

Here's a BETTER idea: give us some actual specials outside of what we can whip up on our own in the discount calculator, and then give us a reasonable amount of time to close them. Provide some actual, REAL product training (online modules are a JOKE). Give us the tools we need in the field to demonstrate our products (not half-ass, incomplete, beat up surgical kits, old motors we don't even sell anymore, and for heavens sake give us some actual guided kits and ancillary products for demo purposes).

As my daughter would say, "I'm over this ish"

 

Deaver and Radman are cool studs wanna be just like them.

 

I hate to do this to you, but welcome to reality.

How can they afford to provide you with the tools necessary to succeed with 1.7% growth in a market that's projected to grow high single digits? How can they afford to recruit quality reps with 5+ years of sales experience in B2B and/or medical with 1.7% growth? Rather, they will hire those with 1-2 years of sales experience, and are willing to track the crap out of you to ensure they are squeezing every dollar of compensation invested vs trusting you as they would with tenured reps. With 1.7% growth, territories that once occupied 3 reps are now handled by one (because of dumb upper management decisions, that's another story).

Definitely not least because their are more examples to be made, but let's get real. Do you expect ZB corp to invest into a division that they are dying to unload, especially one producing 1.7%??? Any growth produced by this division is invested into other divisions that produce greater revenue. Think about it, when was the last time the R&D division of dental have come out with anything, I mean anything innovative that would put fear in the hearts of Straumman, Nobel, dare I say Neodent?

 

Honestly if you just updated your pipeline which is what any good rep should do it would take you 5 minutes to do your forecast
I dare you to find another job that micro manages less than zb dental.
At this point in time you should know your territory like the back of your hand. If you don’t you should question your own work ethic

 

Dearest Joe,

Please stop talking. By the time we get to anything worth while, we'll all be asleep.

 

Thanks Raddmann, but, as usual, no one asked you.

 

Dearest Joe,

Why did you fire me?

 

Because you're a punk

 

Sorry. Wrong again. Just a tsr tired of hearing negatively and complaining. If you don’t like it find employment elsewhere. I hear Danaher is hiring

 

Okay, thanks Raddmann.

 

Sorry. No loser. Get your resume updated. I bet your numbers aren’t so good this year? Like I said. Straumann has high turnover so I’m sure they are hiring.

 

This is Radman your hurting my feelings! Where's Antonio my soothing pony! What a kiss ass loser

 

Okay, thanks for the heads up, Raddmann

 

All employers have a level of micro-managing. ZB takes it to the extreme. As for the pipeline, I can enter a bunch a verbiage onto a spreadsheet or salesforce, and it won't mean a thing. Why? Because we really have nothing innovative to offer. We are selling the same product portfolio from 2009!!!

Here's a spreadsheet/survey management won't produce: What do reps really want from ZB corporate, organize top 10 to your territorial preference: (I'd love to hear what fellow reps would ranking/priority are.)

1) R&D that innovates/New products.
2) Demo kits that are whole, that work, and are not from a rep 5 years ago.
3) Actual education dollars to use w/practices as well as local societies w/o so much hassle. Yes, ROI is important, and we can discuss POA to ensure ROI. But, its easier to go through a root canal w/rusty burs.
4) Less reporting, more hands-on training sessions.
5) Better car allowance compensation.
6) Empowerment. Give us the ability to wheel and deal with less restrictions (ie, calculator).
7) More corporate sponsored ed programs corresponding with new product releases w/o reps tripping over each other on who's territory should the event be held. It's simple, major metro areas, then do a 75 mile radius from metro area, and do another for the suburb doc's that can't travel into a city due to business/personal restrictions.
8) Believe it or not, more ride-along with competent RM's that can actually wave a wand when having them confront a difficult client. The "I'll get back to you" does not fly.
9) A comp package that is not recessive. Unfair that my base goes down, when I made my number and grown market share. Newsflash, I plan on growing my territory to make more money. To lower my base, then to twist the comp package to make growth that much more unrealistic that will equate to a flat or less income than the prior year?!? Followed by me having to pay more for insurance package!!!
10) Become independent from the Zimmer/Biomet corporate umbrella.

 

I have an idea. Go out and hit your number. If anyone can everyone can.

Yours truly,
Not Joe Radman

 

I’m exceeding my number, and the culture still sucks.

Also, FU Joe

 

I have an idea, let's take the money you took from us, use it as bribe money to have doctors by stuff from us. Sort of like quantitative easing. Because, it's coming down to us having to bribe doctors to hit our number. How else would you propose to do it? Sell a new and improved implant that does not have the stigma of bad performance from the past (oh, wait, we don't have that). Sell a restorative option such as Zr abutments utilizing our digital platform (oh, wait, we don't offer Zr abutments, and seriously, what digital option). Offer education programs that our surgeons actually want? (you know, those guys that purchase implants from us.)

Nah, I'm just going to resort to bribery. Because really Brett and Joe, other than sticking the ol' shillelagh up someone's ass (man or woman), it's only money, not my dignity.

 

Micro-management is and always has been a direct path to failure. Good reps wont come to a company that micro manages unless they are desperate, and then they leave as soon as they can find a better place to work. Average reps will just spend their time doing just enough to stay employed. Bad reps will spend their time filling up spreadsheets with fake information knowing it will take years for them to get fired. All three paths lead to failure for the company.

The Raddmann plan is a proven plan. Proven to produce a poor culture and poor sales results. A great leader provides these tools to the reps who are looking for a new way to manage their territory. They don’t make them mandatory. By making all these new reports mandatory Raddmann has forced all the successful reps to stop doing the things that are making them successful.

Truth is, Raddmann wants so bad to take Deavers job. It is all he cares about. That type of leadership makes people want to avoid you, not follow you. Back in the day the company wanted to innovate because they had a good relationship with its KOL’s and took pride in their work. The reps worked hard and crushed their number because they were paid well and made a lot more money based on sales. Now they cant make money no matter how much they sell. This comp plan pays me the same if I bust my ass, or if I stay home and work out. Guess which one I choose.

 

What smart ass Joe and dumb ass Deaver need to do is ask themselves if they would have ever come to work at a company that micromanaged is reps like they do, and pays them as poorly as they do. Of course not.

You are not going to reach impressive growth numbers selling a product in such a competitive market with cheap and inexperienced labor. You are literally getting what you pay for, and then bitching about it. Instead of hiring unqualified sales reps and spending all your time and money training and improving them, go back to hiring qualified and experienced sales talent, and spend that money paying them handsomely. Think of the money you would save in recruiter fees alone.

How could any company think it is a good idea to fire sales reps and managers when they have 41 open territories that they cant fill? The labor market isn’t weak. The comp plan is weak, the leadership is weak, the products are weak, the culture is weak, and the future of a rep with Zimmer Biomet on their resume is weak.