In my 40's and fed up with sales

Discussion in 'The Darkened Sample Closet' started by Anonymous, Mar 20, 2013 at 9:59 PM.

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  1. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Im in my early 40s been in sales since I got out of college and really cant stand it any more. 10-15 years ago it just wasn't this bad. I don't remember Micromanagement, reports, the pay is no longer that great, asshole managers, asshole coworkers and asshole customers. Help!!! I know there are good sales positions out there but how do you get them? Yes you hear all the time about med device and supply etc but how the hell do you get in and are these jobs really that great or are they changing as well? Just down lately
    any suggestions I feel like Im too young to be feeling this bad since I've got another 20 or more years to go
     

  2. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    I feel your pain 25-35 was OK and I moved up the food chain, but when I reached my 40's it was over. Embarrassed by the job and the management. It 's like were dancing while the ship is sinking. I prepared; paid off all debts, down sized my house bought a small car and saved like mad. I eventually went to work for the Federal Government. The income is less, but the benefits are better. Plus, when I am off - I am off. No more silly test, useless conference calls and boring meetings. Time for something new. Note, it took me a long, long time to find a job too.

    We are viewed as what we became. Caterers and delivery drivers in suit with no definable skills. Chatting up an office and getting a signature is not a skill. It is not even sales. I believe sales is a young persons game unless you really love bugging people for a living. The hard sell was never me and certainly was not going to be me in another 5 years. I am happy and will move up as time goes along. Plus the retirement is good. Had I done this a long time ago I would be making as much as I did in pharma. In reality pharma is average pay in the big realm of things.

    Do not get me wrong. I loved the first 5-8 years, but DM riding in the passenger and getting in the way was the biggest waste of revenue imaginable. Not once in last 6 years did I (or our team) gain one thing from their management. They are there to puppet corporate speak and attempt to protect the company's interests.

    Getting up in the morning became more than I could handle. I dreaded Monday morning like the plague. The whole DM and RD and worse - VP were more than I could stomach. The worst part was the constant fear of being laid-off. Getting the axe would be unavoidable in due time.

    If you really want out, there are options. Some better than others.

    Good luck and keep grinding.
     
  3. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    I am an idiot. I just got in and it was the worst decision I have ever made. This job is awful at least within my company. You get treated horribly by everyone; your customers, your coworkers, your boss, management. I'm so sapped by the end of the day that looking for a new job is both the first and last thing I want to do.
     
  4. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Great posting...so true...I was in pharma for 25 years, and the job actually gave me PTSD...I was a basket case and had to get out...I can't think of a more bizarre and worthless industry...

    I found once I left that I was unemployable...just decided to retire and downsize everything as you did...life is much better now outside of toxic pharra. They just do things in such a stupid way, and the managers make out like bandits, while everybody else gets screwed and walks on eggshells...

    not a great way to go through life...I also hope to eventually get a government job, because they can't legally discriminate on age like pharma gets away with...

    Sales is a kids game...No doubt.
     
  5. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    I too am in my 40's and was in the pharma profession for 14 years with 3 different "big pharma" companies. It was great and a lot of fun up until about 2006-2007, then the job satisfaction for me in the industry went downhill. I hated going to work everyday.

    I will take responsibility for a lot of my own misery because after the thrill of the money and company car wore off, I realized my head just was never in the game - it wasn't my original life career plan. The incessant micromanaging, every 3 week ride-a-longs, pointless POAs, and constant layoff cycles wore on me constantly. I witnessed the industry chew up and spit out a lot of great friends and I was sick of it.

    I was very blessed and was able to make a change. I was finally able to get out of the pharma game last year and started PA school. I am almost one year through my program and I am very excited to startmy clinical rotations. It has been very challenging and I study all of the time but I love it & I feel like a kid again. I realize that there is no perfect job, and the medical profession is sometiems at best a daily effort in futility, but that is ok. I finally feel like I am back on track.

    The reason I wanted to reply is that I want everyone out there in cafepharma-land to know that it is never too late to make a change. You just have to get your family to rally behind you and have the courage to take the leap. Yes I am broke right now but my kids and spouse are behind me and know that this is the best for the long run.

    Good luck and God bless.
     
  6. Drug Dumper

    Drug Dumper Well-Known Member

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    Wanna bet? No company can legally discriminate, but the US government is just as bad as the rest of them.
     
  7. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Me 2! I was pushed out after a company bought my company. Kept me around for a minute then got rid of me 2 months later. I am happier. So much happier. But I stopped enjoying pharma in 2007. It. was. horrible. Nasty coworkers. Nasty games. Nasty manager. Nasty customers. As I saw the late 20/early 30s rise in rank I saw a shift. I came in during a cultured/tenured age in the mid 90's. Industry vets of 30-20 years groomed me and taught me how to be tactful, work smart, work hard and be respectful and demand respect. As I saw younger reps who did not go through anything but 2 weeks training enter, they were argumentative, back biting, tattle tailing-but telling lies, whining and equated job passion to cussing, stomping their feet, crying and screaming. I was called in too many meetings questioning my passion because I did not engage in that activity. What I perceived as professionalism was interpreted as lack of passion. It was like the babies were set free from kindergarten and allowed to run the building. I was training my managers how to sell and handle objections and competitive issues!

    I've moved on as well. New career(s) and peace of mind. I had to be pushed out; however, I wanted out for the last 3 years of my tenure...so it was time. It was a good career once. But, career it is no more for those left to keep the embers burning. I have no advice, just support to say there is life beyond the golden handcuffs. And, there is freedom too. And most of all, there is piece of mind. Pharma has decimated too many of my former colleagues. Depression has overtaken their lives and they are frozen in time without the ability to move forward. I drew unemployment and recovered mentally-but it was a fight. The industry will leave you with some type of 'case'. The very fact that you sign compliance rules that you will not ask for an ROI while you are held accountable to numbers says it all. You can be fired on any given day. So minus the toxic coworkers, bosses and expectations this alone will make you batty eventually. How do you justify your job when they can fire you for doing it? Go marinate on that one.
     
  8. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    That's the crazy aspect of the job. We have to pretend we are not after ROI. But you must hit goals and market share. What? You can't have it both ways. It's either a sales job or it isn't. And with all the compliance crap, technically we are all in violaton of something, and therefore, termination. What a business model.
     
  9. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    I know what all of you are talking about. I was so fed up with territory sales, quotas, CRM and shitty managers. I was able to move into product management and I am SO happy basically being my own boss with a great company that lets me do what I think needs to be done to increase sales. I'm travelling with reps and working on marketing and training.

    I'm finally enjoying going to work and the best time is the weekends when I don't have to worry about who I'm going to see on Monday.
     
    niccolo nietzsche likes this.
  10. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    so frustrated. so unmotivated. so much don't care anymore. I've always been the producer. Always made the quota. Always delivered. Then some stupid young manager will come up with some great plan to grow some ridiculously far away part of the territory that has no way to pay for the meds to begin with. So I drive. And drive. And drive for signatures to show I was there. My time isn't valuable. And he no longer appreciates the top awards I help win (I pull plenty of my share) for the district. Mgr looks good with "coaching" award. I could just GAG. Little pussy didn't "coach" us to win anything. Yep, I did it, and the mgr will still find some stupid way to put me down and elevate his favorite reps that he used to co-promote with back in the day. He loves meetings because they validate his belief of his own value. GAG. Give honest feedback, they say. But they really don't want to hear honest feedback. It's really only good if you're willing to regurgitate all the shit they fed you to begin with, and tell them how great it all is. GAG. Better go now. Thanks for the vent (even though that's just the beginning). Better get my rest since I've gotta go get a signature early Monday morning, whether they needed anything or not. double GAG It wasn't supposed to be about signatures, but surprise surprise----it still is. ffing liars
     
  11. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Hey guys, all these replies are just exactly what I am feeling. In my early 50's. Nearly twice the age of my counterparts! I was in industrial sales most of my career. Heard pharma was the pinnacle. So jumped over in 2000. First day on the job I realized this was a huge mistake.

    I've been able to do exceedingly well but I can hardly drag myself through the day. I'm only sticking it out due to my salary being to high and hoping for a buyout. The iPad watching my every movement. Micromanaging dsm, POA meetings ever 3 months...such a waste of time. Offices treating you with so much disrespect. I would be embarrassed if my kids head the way their dad is treated. I'll just ride this horse as long as I can and try to keep my sanity.
     
  12. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    A big moment of realization for me happened when I was waiting to get into one of my offices waitng behind another rep who was in his late 50's. He was talking to the 19-20 something receptionist/MA in the window. The way she treated him was so unbelievably disrespectful I was mortified for the guy. He looked so delfated when he walked away from the window as if to say "WTF just happened?" I knew at that moment I couldn't be a rep anymore. I would not ever let that happen to me. I told every rep I saw about that little witch in that office. Glad to be done with that routine.
     
  13. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    This is all so true. I'd like to comment on the nasty counterpart aspect.

    Oh boy did I see an awful backstabber at work. They would constantly complain and always had one person in mind they would target. I watched them hurt people and knew to stay away. I'm sorry I didn't call them out on their own shortcomings which involved breaking every rule there was yet accuse everyone around them of things they did. This person went home early,faked programs and calls never knew any of the clinical data,couldn't take a product test to save their life, and always undermined the DM yet kissed his butt when he was present. This was the kind of low level loser that felt the need to follow people around and accuse them of things they did themselves yet worse. This job asks so much of you it''s impossible to do it without some small misrepresentation somewhere which is why good people at any moment can be gone. Newsflash!! their isn't a rep in the field who hasn't had to lie about a few calls to make some unrealistic metric that if they didn't meet they would lose their job anyway. Anyone who says different is lying.Yet when you have an ugly(and I do mean ugly inside and out), fat, big mouth ready to go after everyone around them it just makes it all so comically ridiculous.

    The story does end well though. The people they thought they hurt went on to wonderful happy changes in their lives they however lived with the day in day out grueling calls at a company that lost it's product success and laid off thousands. She is now shoveling garbage for the lowest level contract company, low pay and facing the inevitable loss of the contract. Still living the day in and day out humiliation and misery of Pharma. A miserable loser who got what they dished out. Thank goodness!! it's good to see bad people not prosper.A fake cold heart never prospers anyway they are so miserable inside. This person could even have the best job around and would still be a jealous,hateful,nosy,incompetent,gossip full of B.S that everyone tired of. Colleagues and Customers disliked this person and they thought they were liked. It was interesting to see how this blowhard deluded themselves into thinking they were so well liked and so important to the territory. It was always very comical to watch. So glad I don't have to look at it anymore. So glad.
     
  14. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    I am so happy I found this thread. I am in my mid 30's, and have been trying to escape this industry for years, just haven't found the right career to change to. I hate what this industry has become. We all get treated like garbage by our customers, and I'm so tired of everyone telling me how lucky I am to have this job! I have developed a serious anxiety disorder. How can we not? Constant fear of losing our jobs, walking into an office that doesn't want us there 7 times a day for 10 years, management only caring about what our investors/Wall St thinks. I'm getting out. I hadn't thought about a govt job- I'll look into that. So tired of waiting 45 mins for "Do you need a signature". No, I need a minute of your time so I can convince you to Rx my med, for you to tell me your pts won't pay for it. Insurance companies run medicine- so tired of trying to fight that. There has to be a better life out there. Please continue to post suggestions. We ARE worth something to another employer. I think about how many hats we wear everyday. Best friend to the receptionist, pt advocate to the MAs, clinical expert with physicians, catering and excel expert, all done while driving, dodging pedestrians and navigating traffic. Most of us are extremely nice, dynamic, smart people. Good luck to all!!
     
  15. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Believe it or not, I really don't even mind the calls and my customers. Most are actually nicer to me than I can be to them anymore, thanks to all the rules regarding meals and snacks. It's management, rules, reports, hipocracy, frequency, metrics, meetings. I despise what my manager has decided to become with judging us on topics he can easily manipulate---leadership and teamwork. He can't change the sales numbers to his liking, but can use his "power" to choose his favorite reps in other ways. Instead of building on strengths and positive praise, he only has negatives to say. I hope the little arrogant a**hole cannot look himself in the mirror and is psychologically haunted for the lies/wrongs every time he thinks about me. Win all the suck-up awards you want, pr*ck, you know in your heart what you've done.
     
  16. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    I had one of those. Hated women. Ancestry is from one of those barbaric countries who beheads people on live TV. You know what I'm talking about.

    Anyway, he got rid of me -- I wrote a 5 page letter I sent as an attachment in an e-mail to the company CEO, president, VP of HR, sales mgr, and the regional manager. Detailed all 1.5 years of hell he had put me through. I was still out, but within 6 months, he was too. So was the RD. They started an investigation when they got my e-mail. ALWAYS make nice to the company CEO, CFO, or COO. Those are the guys who can get your revenge for you.

    The little asshole works for a home health company that begins with a G. I hate him. He is the only person on this whole planet I truly hate.
     
  17. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    This has nothing to do with race or not liking women. Just plain old arrogance typical of ex-athlete that ends in poor common sense. Desire for power and conflict. Drive for promotion and very willing to do it by sucking up.
     
  18. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Sadly, I miss my customers more than I ever miss the backside of a donkey bosses and folks that I ever dealt with. Sure, some were pains but let's face it, if I didn't provide -- and prove -- value of doing business with my company and with me, we didn't deserve their business.

    Also sadly, and this is a fact ... many companies are looking for opportunities to boot out veteran employees (especially "highly paid" salespeople) in their mid to upper 40's. All you need is a bad year or bad review to get the dreaded PIP or push out the door. The companies all know that once someone hits their early to mid 50's with a long track record, it's tough -- and/or not cheap to "get rid" of them.

    That's the time they have to make their move. There's gotta be a "standard operating procedure" in writing somewhere in these big companies where they know how to do this ... or perhaps it's an oral history handed down from generation to generation in upper management.

    But it exists. Boy, do I know it exists.
     
  19. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Each job requires sales skills to an extent, we sell ideas, proves, reports and even bullshit to higher management and they do the same with the members of board, shareholders....etc
    Life is about selling, so never give up selling even in your 70's !!
    Always remember that assholes decision makers are everywhere so don't let them kick you out of the market for being fed up of dealing with them, simply, if they're not sold, ignore them and stop the stupid and boring follow up calls and visits as you are screwing your life with their endless excuses and promises, be sure that there are other people need what you have...
    Do it with love and things will go right.
     
  20. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    This is why I left and took a job inside a pharma company headquarters. I work inside the office and I am watched less than you or any other drug rep!

    As long as I get my work done, no one cares when I come and go. I always leave the office by 5 and if I need to, finish up my work at home. I have a coworker that leaves early every day, picks up his kids, and finishes his work from home. I can even work from home once or twice a week. It's nice in the summer cuz I can sit outside with my laptop and work.

    Quit the rep job and get an office job! You can work from home and have more freedom!!!