ViiV Culture=Backstabbing

I’m making $130k and drive a free Ford Edge while making fake calls along with my two pod mates selling the hell out of Juluca.

This is the best gig on earth. I fill out spreadsheets, wink at my ViiV RSD who came from respiratory (like me and most of us).

Butt kissing and spreadsheets for good money is all we need to do for at least a few more years. It’s the best deal on earth.

Find another job that pays so much to do so little as a ViiV TAM. Juluca or D3 sales do not matter. HIV is going to roll strong for at least 4 years which is all that I need. Facts

 

Problem for many become----the "gig" is great--feels good, easy, decent $, "I will stay for a few more years..........then.......a "few more" turns into 10 more since the thought of really working hard 10-12 hour days SELLING becomes frightening. I am talking signed contracts or no money (or a minimal draw against commish) most drug reps get waaaaaaay too "comfy" and then the next thing they know they are 50 and humiliated packing the trunk and delivering food. They get stuck and it is too late to get into medical sales. They won't take a drug rep who stayed in pharma longer than 2-3 yrs. "They" (med companies) are smarter than you may think.........They know why you stayed. In other words, they want very hungry aggressive salespeople who want to really sell and produce. If you aren't aware of this call headhunters and ask..........

 

I think know the position you mentioned as an MSL, but they had a different title way back when. They where PharmD's, but were more of a support type person who could discuss products pre-launch & talk off-label. I may be too much of a deep thinker in my retirement, but I am envisioning REPLACING (not expecting a great positive response here of course but just a discussion!) entire sales forces. eg---------they could have 2 office days/week to just set appts. with docs. They send their biz card & the docs sees their degree and is impressed enough to give them a TRUE sit down appt. One per state and reside in the most populous city. eg-one in St. Louis and NO other reps in MO. Maybe 2 in NYC and NO other reps in the entire state. It would be a dramatic change, but think "big picture" about management seeing all the sales force salaries and company cars gone. It would be IMO more cost effective by FAR, and much more productive. No yelling at the back of the head of the doc from a sample closet............OH, one last thing. (I just like having this discussion---if YOU were running Sales Ops) I would eliminate samples totally. Think of the cost savings in that alone!!! Docs for the most part don't care about samples. (a small handful do, but not most) The discussion with a PharmD, sitting down for 15-30 minutes would drive sales much more IMO. Damn, I should get back into consulting, and do it alone! ie- call on VP's of sales and present my theory!

 

Medical is prohibited by law from being evaluated by sales. Data shows that reps are still the most valuable players in driving sales.

Sales is here to stay.

 

The MSL as a rep idea has already been tried and failed. Failed massively! Back in the late 80s and early 90s, Mark and BMS both had pilot programs. The removed reps entirely in specific geographic regions. The stat of Arizona being one of them. They had Pharm Ds call on offices, make appointments, etc. Docs could not stand them! Sales plummeted! If GSK or any other pharma company implements this again they are doomed! Sales reps are a necessary evil. As I've said before, they are the best method to impact physician prescribing...period! Not an email campaign from marketing and not MSLs calling on offices. Say what you want, but I speak the truth. The question always remains, how many reps do you need? Even better, how many managers do you need?

 

Last night I had a bad dream that I had forgotten to do expense reporting and veeva for two weeks and my manager was threatening me about getting them done! Then I woke up and started chuckling because I quit viiv over a year ago! A bad company, a bad manager, and an impissible mission can leave a rep with ptsd i guess. So glad i had the sense to quit that shit hole. Glad I can laugh about it now.

 

Explain why anyone should quit at ViiV making $130k, company car, and no sales accountability? I know this gravy train won’t last forever, but if all I have to do is fake a few calls, fill out a bunch of trackers, make up a few success stories, and “sell” Juluca, how good is that? I know for a fact that I am not working any harder or less hard than my pod or district mates. Again only a fool would walk away from this cush gig.

 

Completely agree. Just be seen as “better” than your podmates when this next 2DR dog launches. In 3 to 6 months, layoffs will follow.

 

Poster above brags about driving a Ford Edge?! I had to Google it to see what it looks like since I have not heard of them. I hope the poster is female, since that "thing" is a car for ladies only. I admit I drove a Ford Escape with GSK, but they are MUCH larger vehicles. I could not nor would not be seen in that tiny Mini Cooper of a thing. How absurd.

 

A ford edge is larger than an Escape

 

No, it is not.

 

My error. Yes, the Edge is a more expensive and larger SUV than the Escape. If GSK provides the Edge on the list of of cars avail., that is a pretty nice co. car.

 

and that folks is a direct indicator of the limit of what GSK can command in the market place, low level product reps that are enamoured with entry level Ford SUV’s. I pity you.

 

I’m seeing signs that viiv pods are ready to throw pod mates under the bus as the layoffs get closer and closer. Reps trying to book all available lunches so it looks like they are the most productive pod mate. I am documenting every little detail of my manager and the pod mate I really dislike. It’s becoming like having too many rats in a small cage and they start to eat each other alive. Just hope I can get a layoff package and find another pharma job.

 

All true. The clock is ticking.....

 

LOL. Thanks chicken little. I'l take that into account at the next couple of launch meetings.

 

Hope these next “launches” do better than Juluca.....Ha

 

I quite viiv just a little while ago and recently went to a sales meeting at my new company and it was so refreshing! Most everyone was upbeat and professional, the manager was respectful, supportive and did not refer to us as “family” and never tried to hug me - describing coworkers as family and trying to hug your subordinates is sooooo unprofessional. We wore suits to the meetings and nobody showed up in jeans thinking that is acceptable business casual. People looked and acted the part of professionals, unlike viiv in every way. And I stepped up to better products, higher pay, a nicer car, and manager works with reps once per quarter at most! There is a better work life outside of viiv people!

 

You sound uptight!

 

If that reads as uptight to you, and you are at viiv, then you are at the right company for you and you’d have a tough time getting hired at the myriad superior organizations. Sit tight and wait to be laid off or just be a lingering dingleberry on the anus the pharma industry.