2006 Sales Force Effectiveness Survey for PSS

Be sure to take the survey that is in sales insite (3/31). It is a great way of express your opinions about the company. If everybody is honest and completes this....maybe ( I said maybe ) the company will listen and make some changes that are necessary to reverse that negative stigma this company has and will always have unless the reps speak up and management listens. You must be brutally honest. Some of the items I mentioned were:

*Car program is least attractive in industry
*Administrative levels are at an all time high without official office days
*Primary care feel and mentality in all divisions
*get rid of DSMs that are only creating turnover to buy time for themselves enabling them to fly under the radar. Must be held accountable for turnover ...maybe have 360 feedbacks regularly for all levels (DSM, RSD, NSD)
*Career ladder is also one of the worst in the industry.
*below average pay !!!
*FSIP needs better explanantion and needs to build creditability for accuracy (conspiracy theory of manipulating the numbers is very much a concern here at AZ...especially in the last month of the trimester)
*RX Reporting issues are real and inexcusable
*Cirlcle of Excllence needs to get rid of the "luck" part of it making it a truly "earned" award.

Do I need to continue...Hey Tony Z. maybe you can make a difference ? Don't take this the wrong way, but I doubt it. Everyone needs to voice their opinions . Whether they are the same as above or totally differnet. AZ can be the best to work for but it won't be if this type of survey is ignored on both sides.

You are so wrong! Why dont you take a look at some of the other companies? Many of them pay at least 10 % less....DID NOT give a COLA adjustiment to their Rep's in the 4 major Metro areas. They have a less than attractive bonus plan, did not send out "thank you" extra money checks to their employees just because. If its so bad here..get the heck out. Also I know NO other comapny that PAYS ITS REPS AS HIGH as AZ...so get over it. I know 2 PSS now with less than 3 years that are making about 60k a year(base) , and made 28k bonus and are not at level 2...so please stop. And yes they were adjusted with the COLA.. YOu should be happy you HAVE A JOB! Whine Whine Whine..compalin complain. Bury your head and your post...you should be so ashamed of yourself!

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You are so wrong! Why dont you take a look at some of the other companies? Many of them pay at least 10 % less....DID NOT give a COLA adjustiment to their Rep's in the 4 major Metro areas. They have a less than attractive bonus plan, did not send out "thank you" extra money checks to their employees just because. If its so bad here..get the heck out. Also I know NO other comapny that PAYS ITS REPS AS HIGH as AZ...so get over it. I know 2 PSS now with less than 3 years that are making about 60k a year(base) , and made 28k bonus and are not at level 2...so please stop. And yes they were adjusted with the COLA.. YOu should be happy you HAVE A JOB! Whine Whine Whine..compalin complain. Bury your head and your post...you should be so ashamed of yourself!

[/ QUOTE ] Before you accuse someone of being wrong you should stop ask yourself is there any merit to the OP's statement. And there is. Pay- I am not sure what companies you are referring to 10% less or what level of exp rep you referring to but Novartis, GSK and Merck all pay more for exp reps.(over 4yrs, not the 3yrs or less rep that you refer to). The "thank you" money you are referring to is the 8 million that was originally supposed to be 10 million if certain goals were to be acheived. We all should thank the oncology division for this because if it wasn't for them and their 3 breakthrough goals being hit we all would not have recievd a thing. So don't pat yourself on the back and call it thank you money. The company made an "extra " 100 Million and realized they better give the sales force some of it since they are the reason for it. As far as COLA adjustments, why do you think that they did this...because they are realizing that they are considerably low in paying their reps. They still have a long way to go. I won't even go into any other points because your inexperience and naiiveness is well represented in your comment. Anyone who has experiences with more then two companies and over 10 years of pharma can tell you that the issues that are expressed by the OP are very real and can be changed. Besides, wouldn't you be happier if the commments were true and the company would change it for the better. You would be on the receiving end of enhancments to what you consider to the be the best company already. When it comes down to it I think you are the one who should shut and be happy that you have a job because you do not have the confidence in yourself to know that you are marketable and don't need to "accept" everything a publically traded company tells you. So...Pavlov. go drink your kool-aid and get off this thread. Your self righteousness is making me nauseous.

AZ management does these surveys to give the appearance of being open to change. Remember, it's the PERCEPTION of reality that they really care about.

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You are so wrong! Why dont you take a look at some of the other companies? Many of them pay at least 10 % less....DID NOT give a COLA adjustiment to their Rep's in the 4 major Metro areas. They have a less than attractive bonus plan, did not send out "thank you" extra money checks to their employees just because. If its so bad here..get the heck out. Also I know NO other comapny that PAYS ITS REPS AS HIGH as AZ...so get over it. I know 2 PSS now with less than 3 years that are making about 60k a year(base) , and made 28k bonus and are not at level 2...so please stop. And yes they were adjusted with the COLA.. YOu should be happy you HAVE A JOB! Whine Whine Whine..compalin complain. Bury your head and your post...you should be so ashamed of yourself!

[/ QUOTE ] If your soooo happy and believe there is nothing that this comapny needs to improve on- then those are your comments that you fill in on your survey. I think the point of the comments above were to get everyone to fill the survey out. Not for you to get all defensive like someone just kicked your dog. If you really feel you don't need an office day or would like to be 100% sure about your FSIP. Then you can be the only one in this company with those feelings. I have been with this company for 8 years and know that there is alot of room to grow. Some of which were mentioned in the OP's message. The first thing about negotiating is that you ask for everything in order to get a little. Don't be dumb and say everything is fine.

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AZ management does these surveys to give the appearance of being open to change. Remember, it's the PERCEPTION of reality that they really care about.

[/ QUOTE ] Very True !

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You are so wrong! Why dont you take a look at some of the other companies? Many of them pay at least 10 % less....DID NOT give a COLA adjustiment to their Rep's in the 4 major Metro areas. They have a less than attractive bonus plan, did not send out "thank you" extra money checks to their employees just because. If its so bad here..get the heck out. Also I know NO other comapny that PAYS ITS REPS AS HIGH as AZ...so get over it. I know 2 PSS now with less than 3 years that are making about 60k a year(base) , and made 28k bonus and are not at level 2...so please stop. And yes they were adjusted with the COLA.. YOu should be happy you HAVE A JOB! Whine Whine Whine..compalin complain. Bury your head and your post...you should be so ashamed of yourself!

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Not all reps in 4 metro areas got the COLA because the DSMs and RSDs got to choose whomever they decided to and MANY got screwed.

And, there are some reps that are level 3 that are being FUCKED with pay and making similar amounts to the level 2 reps you mentioned.

I won't even go into any other points because your inexperience and naiiveness is well represented in your comment.

The reason we don't need a survey is that we already know what you morons will say. How did we end up with so many ignorant asswipes with degrees in Art History anyway? The correct word is naivety, not naiveness. This is not just grammar checking on CP. This is pointing out why doctors will not see you a third or fourth time. They thought you were an idiot on your first call and you confirmed it on the second. Go sell life insurance you dunce.

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I won't even go into any other points because your inexperience and naiiveness is well represented in your comment.

The reason we don't need a survey is that we already know what you morons will say. How did we end up with so many ignorant asswipes with degrees in Art History anyway? The correct word is naivety, not naiveness. This is not just grammar checking on CP. This is pointing out why doctors will not see you a third or fourth time. They thought you were an idiot on your first call and you confirmed it on the second. Go sell life insurance you dunce.

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Here's my two cents: Using poor grammar such as "naiiveness" at this level in life is pretty bad and lends to little credibility in a person, let alone as a PSS. Having said that, we aren't brain surgeons here either - as though many of DSM's and peers would like us to think we are. One of most fundamental, basic sales skills is called "connecting with your customers". Doctors possess some of the biggest ego's of any profession other than maybe professional athletes and Hollywood stars. Yet, AZ doesn't seem to want us to capitalize on this aspect of the sales cycle. Do you honestly think Doctors respect PSS's intellectual ability compared to theirs? The road they travel to get where they are makes us look like a joke. We need to respect that. I'm not saying that we need to disprespect ourselves, but we need to understand our place. We need to be well versed in our disease state and our drug class. More importantly, though, we need to be able to know how to be likeable and to read our cutomers. We need to be able to know how to give them what they want. Some of customers need clinical data. Most don't. AZ doesn't get that. I've been doing this for 8 years now and I have been in the top 10% of Regions wherever I've been. If you haven't figured out by now that Brand Teams and the Home Office is in a 1 year delay from what's going in the real world - and you continue to listen to their strategies, more than likely you will be mediocre and you will not be in the Top 10%. Reps in the Top 10% know something unique and effective that most don't know - that's why they're there and you're not. Surely the droans in marketing and the home office are always the last to find out. That's why they're there, because they truly didn't like it in the field - because they're not the types to connect with people. Their people driven by gaining power and status - that's why they wanted a promotion in the first place and that's why they worked a feverish pace in the field for a few years - something they could never maintain over an extended period of time. Most of these types were not well liked by their peers, mainly because they were only concerned about themselves. This does not make for a good sales rep - somebody, who's main job focus is to focus on what is best for somebody else - the customer. Their excellent bullshitter's and can fake being nice for short period's of time to get what they want. Sound familiar? I've just described 95% of AZ's management. People who don't know how to get the most of their sales reps because they don't for the life of them know how to connect with others in the slightest way. They were promoted for all the wrong reasons. Is amazing how bad management is at this place. Either that, or they are incredibly spineless. Everyone I know is searching to leave this company and that's sad. It kills morale. AZ has only itself to blame. They go to incredible pains to hire "the best" people and they treat them like 3rd graders tracking every move they make and micro-managing them down to where they fill up their gas tank. So, in the end - does it really matter if somebody screws-up a word such as "naiiveness" when they correctly should have said naivety in the end when they work for a company like AZ?

Are you clueless? The same cars are what everyone else uses. My advice is that if you don't like or don't want the car, then refuse it. The career ladder is essentially the same design and concept as the others. I could go and on but your endless fact-less rants and whines bore me. You know so little but think you know it all.

The post two above was actually pretty well reasoned. We spend an inordinate amount of time on "clinical expertise" when all you ever need is a few fundamentals. CNS is rolling out a Masters Program to a bunch of reps that already rely on their MIS-like prowess when most of them can't tell a story for shit. People buy from people they like - end of story. Cut the nonsense on all the clinical shit and teach people how to open a conversation. Masters My Ass.

Well Im sure, but you will note I did not say they were at Level 2..they are at Level ONE! Yes this is what they make...pretty sad I would say. While others like yourself I am sure are struggling, probably have family,kid(s) etc. I think its ashame. But like the old saying goes...????

It think its stinks....and they dont even know their clinicals...can we all say...DUHHHHHHHH"..pay me more for no results and no effort on my part..pathetic!

Why me.......I'm not happy....you can't spell....poor me.....I'm nice, write my product...the pathetic sounds of cafe pharma. The women who calls others "the DUNCE" is the typical Pharma rep in every company. What a bunch of hens. Go back to raising your family. At least your whinning won't be heard in the work force.

Amen and Amen.

Although the word naivety is acceptable, (naiveness is not), the literate form of the word is naivete'.

Thank you, you bunch of community college drop-outs!

Now-Now Girls I graduated community collegge.

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You are so wrong! Why dont you take a look at some of the other companies? Many of them pay at least 10 % less....DID NOT give a COLA adjustiment to their Rep's in the 4 major Metro areas. They have a less than attractive bonus plan, did not send out "thank you" extra money checks to their employees just because. If its so bad here..get the heck out. Also I know NO other comapny that PAYS ITS REPS AS HIGH as AZ...so get over it. I know 2 PSS now with less than 3 years that are making about 60k a year(base) , and made 28k bonus and are not at level 2...so please stop. And yes they were adjusted with the COLA.. YOu should be happy you HAVE A JOB! Whine Whine Whine..compalin complain. Bury your head and your post...you should be so ashamed of yourself!

[/ QUOTE ] If your soooo happy and believe there is nothing that this comapny needs to improve on- then those are your comments that you fill in on your survey. I think the point of the comments above were to get everyone to fill the survey out. Not for you to get all defensive like someone just kicked your dog. If you really feel you don't need an office day or would like to be 100% sure about your FSIP. Then you can be the only one in this company with those feelings. I have been with this company for 8 years and know that there is alot of room to grow. Some of which were mentioned in the OP's message. The first thing about negotiating is that you ask for everything in order to get a little. Don't be dumb and say everything is fine.

[/ QUOTE ] Right on the money (or lack of) I don't know any company that can't benefit from some feedback from their reps. the only thing is will it get put to use????????? I know many reps like the first comment above and it's typicl reps (mostly women) who just sit back and smile and say everything is just great. Wake up....push for change.

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I won't even go into any other points because your inexperience and naiiveness is well represented in your comment.

The reason we don't need a survey is that we already know what you morons will say. How did we end up with so many ignorant asswipes with degrees in Art History anyway? The correct word is naivety, not naiveness. This is not just grammar checking on CP. This is pointing out why doctors will not see you a third or fourth time. They thought you were an idiot on your first call and you confirmed it on the second. Go sell life insurance you dunce.

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Here's my two cents: Using poor grammar such as "naiiveness" at this level in life is pretty bad and lends to little credibility in a person, let alone as a PSS. Having said that, we aren't brain surgeons here either - as though many of DSM's and peers would like us to think we are. One of most fundamental, basic sales skills is called "connecting with your customers". Doctors possess some of the biggest ego's of any profession other than maybe professional athletes and Hollywood stars. Yet, AZ doesn't seem to want us to capitalize on this aspect of the sales cycle. Do you honestly think Doctors respect PSS's intellectual ability compared to theirs? The road they travel to get where they are makes us look like a joke. We need to respect that. I'm not saying that we need to disprespect ourselves, but we need to understand our place. We need to be well versed in our disease state and our drug class. More importantly, though, we need to be able to know how to be likeable and to read our cutomers. We need to be able to know how to give them what they want. Some of customers need clinical data. Most don't. AZ doesn't get that. I've been doing this for 8 years now and I have been in the top 10% of Regions wherever I've been. If you haven't figured out by now that Brand Teams and the Home Office is in a 1 year delay from what's going in the real world - and you continue to listen to their strategies, more than likely you will be mediocre and you will not be in the Top 10%. Reps in the Top 10% know something unique and effective that most don't know - that's why they're there and you're not. Surely the droans in marketing and the home office are always the last to find out. That's why they're there, because they truly didn't like it in the field - because they're not the types to connect with people. Their people driven by gaining power and status - that's why they wanted a promotion in the first place and that's why they worked a feverish pace in the field for a few years - something they could never maintain over an extended period of time. Most of these types were not well liked by their peers, mainly because they were only concerned about themselves. This does not make for a good sales rep - somebody, who's main job focus is to focus on what is best for somebody else - the customer. Their excellent bullshitter's and can fake being nice for short period's of time to get what they want. Sound familiar? I've just described 95% of AZ's management. People who don't know how to get the most of their sales reps because they don't for the life of them know how to connect with others in the slightest way. They were promoted for all the wrong reasons. Is amazing how bad management is at this place. Either that, or they are incredibly spineless. Everyone I know is searching to leave this company and that's sad. It kills morale. AZ has only itself to blame. They go to incredible pains to hire "the best" people and they treat them like 3rd graders tracking every move they make and micro-managing them down to where they fill up their gas tank. So, in the end - does it really matter if somebody screws-up a word such as "naiiveness" when they correctly should have said naivety in the end when they work for a company like AZ?

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You make some excellent points, particularly about the disconnect that the marketing team has. How about making this a useful thread and share what it takes to be in the top 10%. I get the impression that you put a lot of value on the ability to connect with the customer. Is this something intuitive or can it be taught? What else puts a person in the top 10%? In advance, I thank you for your insight.

I can barely read and I built "Speaker City" from the ground up...It's true

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You are so wrong! Why dont you take a look at some of the other companies? Many of them pay at least 10 % less....DID NOT give a COLA adjustiment to their Rep's in the 4 major Metro areas. They have a less than attractive bonus plan, did not send out "thank you" extra money checks to their employees just because. If its so bad here..get the heck out. Also I know NO other comapny that PAYS ITS REPS AS HIGH as AZ...so get over it. I know 2 PSS now with less than 3 years that are making about 60k a year(base) , and made 28k bonus and are not at level 2...so please stop. And yes they were adjusted with the COLA.. YOu should be happy you HAVE A JOB! Whine Whine Whine..compalin complain. Bury your head and your post...you should be so ashamed of yourself!

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Not all reps in 4 metro areas got the COLA because the DSMs and RSDs got to choose whomever they decided to and MANY got screwed.

And, there are some reps that are level 3 that are being FUCKED with pay and making similar amounts to the level 2 reps you mentioned.

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Why did 'nt they get pepsi

This thread is just funny. I have almost 20 years in this industry, I have been with three companies (one of which merged several times so it seemed like three companies in a span of 10 years) and I have seen many different forms of bonus, pay outs, etc. Most of you make a good point here or there; however, you have absolutely no knowledge or experience to back it up, so you end up sounding like idiots. If you don't like the SFE survey, don't do it; but if things don't change, don't you dare bitch about it. If you are going to bitch about it now, try working for companies that simply don't ask! Think about it.....this thread would take up the entire AZ site with people pissed off because no one is asking for their feedback. There were several changes last year because of the survey. As for the person who thinks everyone in the home office is there because people don't like them in the field.....? Are you crazy!? First, if you have ever interviewed for one of those spots, you would know that this is one of the questions asked.....they want to know how successful you have been. I will venture to guess that there aren't too many FSIPs at 0% that are in Wilmington. I am not saying that eveyone who goes in is a selling God, but they have to show some level of success in order to go there. Second point is that one of the reasons any pharma company "rotates" people (thus the in house position, or "rotation") is to keep fresh blood in there; people who know what is going on in the field right now. That is also why AZs rotations are a one year commitment. I know Mercks is a two year commitment. Lastly, most who go in are not there to make a career out of being the marketing gopher, or the low man on the training totem pole. They are there to gain some experience that will help them do something else - a better job in house, or so they can move out to management. Again, this is why you see them move fairly often, and this is why people make the commitment and sacrifice to move and get it over with so they can come out again. I say this because I know several excellent people who where awesome at sales but wanted something more and were able to go to the local BC or to Wilmington and better themselves by getting a different look at the business. The only people who say stupid things like you are speaking out of total ignorance. So, eight years....wow...I am totally underwhelmed by your knowledge. I'll tell all of you the same thing I tell the people in my area: If you don't like it, leave! Really. Life is too short to piss and moan. Go somewhere else and try to beat what you have. If you do, then more power to you, but most will not because you know deep down that you aren't good enough to go out and demand a salary that is better than you have right now. You couldn't get it if you tried.

I too have experience in the industry-15years- 2 companies. I agree with the above post- AZ is not perfect, but they do ask for our input. They do expect us to work full-time-I have no problem with that. Are there incompetent people in management-sure, but they are at all levels and in other companies too. My advice to all is get up everyday, have a plan and try to stay motivated in spite of the things going on around you in the company.

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I too have experience in the industry-15years- 2 companies. I agree with the above post- AZ is not perfect, but they do ask for our input. They do expect us to work full-time-I have no problem with that. Are there incompetent people in management-sure, but they are at all levels and in other companies too. My advice to all is get up everyday, have a plan and try to stay motivated in spite of the things going on around you in the company.

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Any rep with any talent for selling, or who has a true-to-life personal incentive to excell can't possibly remain motivated under the AZ aegis. Those that do have the afore-mentioned qualities will generally leave AZ on their own or be forced out or fired for being "different" or "arrogant". Simply stated, AZ does not have the precedures in place to complement better sales people. This is a micro-manged company that seeks out mediocre people that are easily managed and asked to do little more than place samples, shout out their product names, and perform in concert with AZ's other media outlets.
AZ has chosen quantity over quality, low pay and bonus over high wages for better people, and control over initiative. Any survey results received by management will be interpreted as they desire, and no doubt they will read out as management plans. AZ's history of being truthful to their employees and the public is already well known, so why even bother wondering where they're going with this.
If you have been with AZ for a while, and most reps have not, you are prepared for another disappointment. Nothing changes here for the better...ever!

Yes, I know...some clone will answer by saying, "Just leave". I already have, out of pure disgust, and have gone on to much better things. My sympathy to those of you that have stayed in hopes that things will change for the better. They won't!!!

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I won't even go into any other points because your inexperience and naiiveness is well represented in your comment.

The reason we don't need a survey is that we already know what you morons will say. How did we end up with so many ignorant asswipes with degrees in Art History anyway? The correct word is naivety, not naiveness. This is not just grammar checking on CP. This is pointing out why doctors will not see you a third or fourth time. They thought you were an idiot on your first call and you confirmed it on the second. Go sell life insurance you dunce.

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Here's my two cents: Using poor grammar such as "naiiveness" at this level in life is pretty bad and lends to little credibility in a person, let alone as a PSS. Having said that, we aren't brain surgeons here either - as though many of DSM's and peers would like us to think we are. One of most fundamental, basic sales skills is called "connecting with your customers". Doctors possess some of the biggest ego's of any profession other than maybe professional athletes and Hollywood stars. Yet, AZ doesn't seem to want us to capitalize on this aspect of the sales cycle. Do you honestly think Doctors respect PSS's intellectual ability compared to theirs? The road they travel to get where they are makes us look like a joke. We need to respect that. I'm not saying that we need to disprespect ourselves, but we need to understand our place. We need to be well versed in our disease state and our drug class. More importantly, though, we need to be able to know how to be likeable and to read our cutomers. We need to be able to know how to give them what they want. Some of customers need clinical data. Most don't. AZ doesn't get that. I've been doing this for 8 years now and I have been in the top 10% of Regions wherever I've been. If you haven't figured out by now that Brand Teams and the Home Office is in a 1 year delay from what's going in the real world - and you continue to listen to their strategies, more than likely you will be mediocre and you will not be in the Top 10%. Reps in the Top 10% know something unique and effective that most don't know - that's why they're there and you're not. Surely the droans in marketing and the home office are always the last to find out. That's why they're there, because they truly didn't like it in the field - because they're not the types to connect with people. Their people driven by gaining power and status - that's why they wanted a promotion in the first place and that's why they worked a feverish pace in the field for a few years - something they could never maintain over an extended period of time. Most of these types were not well liked by their peers, mainly because they were only concerned about themselves. This does not make for a good sales rep - somebody, who's main job focus is to focus on what is best for somebody else - the customer. Their excellent bullshitter's and can fake being nice for short period's of time to get what they want. Sound familiar? I've just described 95% of AZ's management. People who don't know how to get the most of their sales reps because they don't for the life of them know how to connect with others in the slightest way. They were promoted for all the wrong reasons. Is amazing how bad management is at this place. Either that, or they are incredibly spineless. Everyone I know is searching to leave this company and that's sad. It kills morale. AZ has only itself to blame. They go to incredible pains to hire "the best" people and they treat them like 3rd graders tracking every move they make and micro-managing them down to where they fill up their gas tank. So, in the end - does it really matter if somebody screws-up a word such as "naiiveness" when they correctly should have said naivety in the end when they work for a company like AZ?

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You make some excellent points, particularly about the disconnect that the marketing team has. How about making this a useful thread and share what it takes to be in the top 10%. I get the impression that you put a lot of value on the ability to connect with the customer. Is this something intuitive or can it be taught? What else puts a person in the top 10%? In advance, I thank you for your insight.

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How 'bout you resign from your position, since you have to ask somebody below you how to do your job. There, is that positive enough for you?