What's up in Chicago?

The Chicago thread is gone! Probably too much truth. Had to make it go away.

 

Same old Area 5 bullshit, wait, is it even in Area 5 anymore? Who the hell knows.

Chicago itself is a wasteland, good luck to any reps there.

Oh and it's the amount of voice-mails and emails you send, not your actual numbers, that determines if you're real "A5" material.

What a joke.

 

DMs are pretty poor.

 

Oh, do tell!

 

What's to tell? A region full of wasted time and money. Poor management and reps from Enterprise or copier sales. Docs take no one seriously as reps have been coached to flat lie about things like coverage, etc.

 

I am just going through the motions in this place. Hey JH, I am not trying. You will have to hire me.

 

NG is horrible. He'll end up in hot water soon enough. Surprised he has made it this long. Should never go on calls with anyone.

 

What are the regional lines now and who manages what teams since the August reset?

 

The Bears suck, that's what's

 

How appropriate. JH and his management team do too.

 

We have some of the worst leadership/management I have ever worked with in Chicago. Its really laughable how bad they are. I don't know how much longer I can stand this.

 

Not sure how you define bad; JH is one of the most successful leaders in the history of the company. Because you don't like him or her does not mean they are bad leaders.

 

"There are no bad territories, just bad reps."

Isn't that what it says on the walls at the POAs in his region? Well little boy blue, it's been over 1 and a half years. Chicago is still as bad as it was before JH. Based on his own statements on there being no bad territories just bad reps, we have to assume the same goes for an entire region.

I like JH just fine personally. But by his own standards, he ain't cutting it.

 

Unfortunately for JH is that there is not a lot of talent in Chicago. Most of the reps here are very entitled and look for ways to work less and still win. There will always be challenges in every sales job, that's the nature of the beast, but it's what we signed up for. They just need a better way to rank terrories so that low performers who can't win eventually get a baseline so low that they win by default. This is the only sales job where your best salesperson can be your worst depending on the quarter with no real significant change in their actual day to day performance. If they fix that then I am fine win everything else. Guess what, you should have to work hard everyday, try to win everyday, try to do everything that you can to affect your business everyday. That SHOULD be expected. No, I read these forums and listen to grown adults bitch and moan about how that can't win because Suzy didn't call on Dr. smith last week. Or that Actavis is the big, bad wolf because you can't get a holiday break off. Oh boo hoo, you make 6 figures a year and have one of the most respected sales jobs out there. Time to start acting like it.

 

"...not a lot of talent in Chicago." Oh, man..............

"...one of the most respected sales jobs..." DEAR GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This job is a joke from top to bottom. Ever changing sales messages, too many DM's and too many reps and success largely determined by access, MC and those mystical/mysterious baselines and goal attainment numbers. DM's in Chicago are by and large psychos who have a complete lack of empathy and self-awareness. And the ones that were good and "got it" are now gone.

As for "no talent," how long has JH been in Chicago region? Who are his DM's? How much turnover has there been? These are HIS people now, his plan and his way forward. To be fair JH is good people and has vision for success especially when compared to LS but it's years and years too late. The game has changed and Forest/Actavis hasn't. Oh, but don't worry, they soon will.

 

I agree. JH isn't a bad guy, and LS really f'd the place up. Some of the hires over the last 12-18 months though. Really? These new ones don't come close to the caleber of some who have left.

There was a lot of talent. No longer.

Oh and the part about this being a respected sales job? Sure thing buddy.

 

The Bears have no talent

 

Had Average leadership and poor decision making. Just like JH and management team.

 

JH is a good enough guy but don't let that get in the way of facts. True, he had success everywhere he had been before he came up to Chicago but those markets are and were way different than Chicago and the new region he now covers. All the places he worked in before allowed him to run a play book that valued and measured metrics like # of sales calls a day and % of calls sampled, activity, and sampling to name just a few because in those markets that and simple "promotion" of products would drive sales. Promotion and activity were able to drive sales in those markets for him because of good overall MD access, availability to leave samples, higher % of independent providers not tied to ACOs and healthcare systems, more open managed care, etc. This is the sales model he grew up in and believes drives success and he thinks is simply transferable everywhere because he has never worked in a tougher environment- until Chicago and now his new region which in addition to Chicago now includes Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa. That play book and mindset doesn't work and won't get him far and this shows in his results. This system also devalues skilled people and independent thought and as a result says you can plug in anyone and have success? He has had well over 1 1/2 years to "turn around" Chicago; make his hires both in the field and for management as well as institute and execute his playbook. Where did that get the Chicago region last year in Club? This year will only get worse for him unless he evolves. We'll see.

 

Very true. Too bad it has cost the region so much talent. Some very, very good people are gone. It will take years to come close to replacing some of the tenure and talent that has been developed and now lost.

Having sold in Indiana, Missouri and Illinois I can tell you Illinois is much more difficult due to simple access and (yes it is a fact) managed care.

JH, in my opinion, will continue to force his playbook. In the end though, the failure that results will be proof that, after all, there really are good reps in bad territories.