Let loose, the ship is lost and the last few lifeboats are reserved for assholes. No time better than the present, so chime in on (any) RSD's here
My RSD came from GSK in the last expansion along with a bunch of us from respiratory. He is just trying to hang on just like all of us who jumped aboard after many years with the company. As long as I do the spreadsheets and keep up with the metrics, he is no better or worse than what I have had. What is sad is how so many here make it seem like selling HIV is somehow special or different than selling any other chronic disease. Same same.
HIV WAS DIFFERENT until the primary care types started to overwhelmingly enter the equation with their senseless, tired metrics and pods. HIV has ALWAYS been profitable but every “upstart primary care wannabe so I’ll do everything for anything” reps along with their primary care managers have destroyed selling in the HIV and other specialty areas. HIV regimens unlike primary care meds are $25K+ per year and not $2,000 per year which causes sticker shock to go along with 40 reps calling on a given office in the primary care setting. That is the mentality primary care brings to a specialty space to turn the space into a miserable existence because all they know is reach & frequency among other useless metrics in addition to an outdated sales model. That’s probably why oncology only wants those with oncology experience to keep away the mindless primary care mentality types. This is not a sales gig no matter how GSK spins it. It is and has been a manufacturers rep position for the past 15-20 years at least.
HIV is NOT a specialty field at ViiV. I work here and just because the medications are expensive, the business model is straight up primary care. 3 rep pods battling internally for access, 3 week routing, reach/frequency, metrics, and catering meals to nurses is about as far as anyone in the industry other than you and ViiV leadership believe.
Symantecs my friend. Look at other specialty companies ie Celegene, Gillead, BMS oncology, Amgen etc. They are all set up just as we are. Hate to break it to you, HIV is a specialty sales force. So many GSK managers have flocked over here and that has created a bit of a culture issue. That is definitely becoming a problem.
