2017

What are you expecting Merck to look like 1 year from today?

 

Will be a great year for our company!!

 

Half of you fucks will be gone by mid year

 

Merck will be replaced as a member of the DOW 30.

 

Will be a phenomenal year for our company! Good Selling!!

 

Sure.

 

So how many divisions were eliminated this year? Most of you don't even know and are hiding your heads in the sand. Wake up, you could be next. Wait, you will be next.

 

Yep. By the end of 2018 Merck will strictly be oncology and hepatitis.

 

Fake News!

 

Okay. Then please plead your case for justifying the existence of a Merck Primary Care sales force two years from now. (Hint: No promotable products)

 

once products go generics, reps no longer needed.

 

This is the concern.

 

Don't know but I can predict the happenings one week from now:

CTL's will return their fat asses from Xmas hibernation and start a shit storm. Teleconferences, field rides, useless reports, sko in person meetings,etc. ALL TO JUSTIFY the ctl's existence. Bunch of bulletins came out over break, sounds like a ctl teleconference to me, hehe.

 

Ctl here, I have been running reports all week during the company shutdown. I cannot wait to choose a rep to work with the first day back, I will call them late the night before. Better have your A game ready! The poster above is right, I will send countless emails and requests this weekend so check your computer's. I expect all my reps to be reviewing messaging and detailing in the mirror on New Years Eve. Better get your Zostavax messaging down as well or I will ride with you twice a week. Ah, the ctl life, so good.

 

Even though this obviously fiction, it is exactly the reason I chose to extricate myself from the charade known as pharmaceutical sales...I could no longer take a life of pointless busy work to fill my days, no matter how good the pay was...

The industry will make you crazy unless you are in management...then it just makes you rich...

 

Ha, ha.....so true. Get ready for the "welcome back" messages. "Now that you are all refreshed, let's all hit the ground running to ensure an even more successful 2017". So predictable.

 

Former CTL that left. As a CTL, I saw the charade and couldn't do it anymore. Everything you say is true about the uselessness of reps, managers, directors ... on up the chain. That being said, a majority of CTLs like myself had/have 30% of their reps who have higher salaries. Yes there is a higher bonus for CTLs but salary is the cash cow. I won't say the reps don't deserve it but a PC rep with a salary of $130k or even $150k is unreseanable, don't you think?

 

If hcps and patients knew how much reps made, they would have a fit. I deliberately dress down in order to keep a low profile when visiting offices. Add that to what patients are paying out-of-pocket for prescriptions. It's a tough topic sitting around the holiday dinner table when the seniors start sharing their drug store horror stories. At least I can deliver valuable samples to offices for patients, and get paid over 10K a month for doing it. Suck on that Amazon driver.

 

All good points and that is why Merck axed s3 sales roles and accompanying bonus. Additionally Mother Merck has capped rep salaries and ended stock options. Add in more $$ for fleet, medical,cell phone and more. Next step, fiddle with the pension, yes we are well funded BUT mother can change certain terms.
High salaries? Many former managers, hq peeps, HSA' s, analysts, etc are now deli slinging due to annual cuts. Solution? As others have said, offer a good hand raising deal and the LIFER reps will leave in droves.

 

Nothing new here that is not/has not been done with other pharmaceutical companies. Get accustomed to it; the industry as you know it is over.