Are Managers Really Needed?

No competitive company in any industry is going to allow once a year field rides and a "call me if you need me" employee-manager relationship. Some of the crap on this site is laughable.

 

It is evident that you have never worked in another industry. Only big pharma feels it is necessary to pay someone to sit in a reps car for 2-3 days a month, follow them into accounts like a puppy, and add no measurable value. A true manager will have a relationship with a rep that affords them the ability to evaluate the sales, and work with the employee to maximize effort. Sorry you require that highly over paid babysitter

 

Totally agree. My last position was a non Pharma business to business sales. In the 6 years I worked there, my Manager never rode with me. They would attend the occasional trade show with me to help work the event. When. I came to Pharma, I thought they were joking when they first mentioned "ride withs". It laughable it's actually a job.

 

MANAGERS SUCK. TOTALLY WORTHLESS. If they only knew how their teams talked about them. Total waste of space.

 

40,000 rep jobs have left the industry in the last 4 years.

 

Same with me - just two ridealongs in 7 years in non pharma (I requested them both), different industry. In another different industry in two years only one ride along (requested) in closing a $million deal, wanted to make sure all details were covered.

My friend in industrial packaging hasn't had a ride along in over 20 years, he says, "why would I?, Ive been doing this a long time and I know and my management hired me to know what to do. If I need something I have a cell phone and a computer to contact and that's enough." BTW he made more than double what I did last year.


When I came to pharma and my mgr wanted to ride along the first time I thought he wanted to see how it was going, after that I thought I was in trouble. Even went as far as to say I didn't need him to go with me, I understood what to do and had the numbers and calls to prove it.....that caused a stir.

Now when the mgr rides most docs don't act the same or try to help me. It usually causes more issues than it helps.

I think mgr ride alongs are outdated for today, except in the case of new reps to the industry.