Would you encourage a friend to go into pharmaceutical sales?

Why did you praise your own thread?
The ... is obvious...

 

yes. if you are firm believer that your med is better than the competitor, then you try and get the doc to write yours to patients, then the patients feel good, the rep is helping them.

 

OK. What if your med is slightly inferior to the competitors? What now? Tell the docs to write the other drug so the patients feel good etc? And don't tell me you would never work for a company with an inferior drug. Like I said, it's all numbers.

 

Wow. Aren't you lucky to be one of the rare reps who was hired by the one company whose every product release is best in class?! Too bad for all those other poor schlubs who joined up with companies who tell them their drugs are the best when your company's drugs are truthfully the top of the heap. How can those other companies lie to their reps like that? Haven't they seen the studies your company gave you? They were published in peer reviewed journals, so they must have seen them. Good thing this industry has knights in shining armor, warriors for truth that are all employed by your company, waging battle against the liars and shucksters out there who were suckered into working for those companies that never make a top notch product like YOUR company. You sure are lucky to have gotten in with that unique organization. Hold on tight...

 

if you are in sales then you need to be a firm believer in your product..hello??

 

Did you just finish one of those "How to close the sale books"? Or are you brand new?

 

No, ass. You have to have a firm understanding about where your product sits relative to its competitors. Some products really are the very best in class, some are better than others for certain patients but not for others, and some simply are not as good. If you understand that information, you can actually do a good job of positioning your product, unlike the damn cheerleaders that march out of training as if their product was made with Jesus' own tears.

 

This poster is why docs don't listen to us. Reps come in promoting garbage to them like it's the answer to all their problems.

 

I'm sorry, but what other job pays so well for people that really don't need more than a pretty smile, good hair, and average intelligence (I'm not saying that all sales reps have average intelligence...but let's face it, it isn’t quantum physics). Sales also puts you in line for higher management positions, since most CEO's came from sales. The only real problem you face is job longevity since you either have to move up (become a DM) or move out. Once you get old, you will most likely get cast aside. In the meantime you get to travel to sales training events and product launches where you get to fornicate like bunnies on the company dime and harass doctors into submission.
In comparison, R&D doesn't get nearly the money you get and no real training events where we can fornicate like bunnies (ok...horrible visual imagery). R&D also has the pressure of keeping a healthy flow of new products that you can push and has to deal with the insufferable whining on why you don't have enough to sell (like we just go to the lab, throw some chemicals together and get a wonder drug...really, its that easy). Or perhaps we should consider Operations where you have to make sure you are making, packaging, and shipping the drug correctly less the FDA shut you down or a recall occur.
I'm sorry, but I read these types of posts over and over on this site. You whine about the most pathetic crap. You should ride the gravy train for as long as it lasts because there is no other job that pays so much for so little work. You should feel blessed.

Researcher

 

Nice post. The problem with this job is one of no satisfaction. None, nada, nihil, zilch, zippo.

 

Look Researcher-
Most of us hate sales meetings and most of us do not fornicate like bunnies at them. Yes some reps do hook up. I have to believe some researchers have hooked up from time to time as well. It happens.
It seems to me you have a secret desire to be in sales. You think our job is so easy with lots of high pay and fornication. Well, why don't you give it a try. See what it's like. If not, quit your bitching about us and be the best researcher you can be. YOU should feel blessed.

 

Your tone is actually far more civil then what I would have expected given my post, which was more tongue in cheek than factual (especially the fornication part, though having been to sales meetings I do believe you are understating it). In fact I have done sales, though not pharmaceutical and one of my former girlfriends was a pharma rep, so I am very aware of the lifestyle and the frustrations. That being said, pharma sales is one of the softest sales jobs out there and I do distinguish between pharma and medical device, which is a painful job with very long hours. Pharma sales, as it is conducted today, is not particularly challenging so much as it is lucky. The phrase "pill courier" is an apt description of what happens and the pod system is an example of companies flooding the marketplace with reps for the sake of volume sales rather than quality sales. In the end, Hairy put it best by saying there is no job satisfaction, but in my mind it seems that the amount you are paid would allow you to find satisfaction outside your job. I agree with you that in a way I am blessed. I enjoy what I do immensely and have no desire to go back into sales. Everyday is solving a new mystery. Sometimes I am successful and sometimes it blows up in my face (literally). Either way, I find my job creative and more of a hobby then an occupation. For me the fact that I make less then a lot of sales reps is not so much an issue. What I don't like is the insufferable whining from some of your brethren on this site.

Sincerely,
Researcher

 

The satisfaction is the 20 hour work week and the 80k paycheck for doing basically nothing.

 

If you hate the whining, why do you come on this site? Complaining is a major part of what this site is all about. It's like going onto a sports web site and saying you basically liked it but they talked about sports too much for your liking. Duh

 

Would you encourage a friend to go into pharmaceutical sales?

NO!

 

Ding ding ding. Most people don't get this.

 

Wrong. Lots of people "get this," which is why pharma is overloaded with vacuous underachievers. After a while, some people get to the point where slacking is no longer rewarding.

 

For the people that voted "Hell no, you would have to be crazy", why?

 

Good question here. Last decade I would have said yes. These days--cannot say that anymore. Yes the money and car are awesome. But every year , the access is getting harder and harder, respect is worse, and company reorgs and layoffs are increasing. And the job can get so monotonous. How many times can you smile and rattle off the core message before you want to puke!!! Most offices are very busy and just want to sign for samples, for you not to talk, but do drop off food and pens and pads and all... So, it is at best it is a well paying job in a very shaky industry. Problem is--the longer you stay--the harder it is to free yourself from the "golden handcuffs"

 

So what sales position or other job would you advise someone going into?