One Unspoken Rule Of Pharmaceutical Sales Job That Every Rep Need To Know

As a pharmaceutical sales rep, no matter if you're new or veteran, there's such a thing called 'unspoken rules.' These are things that are not listed in your JD (job description), but you need to know them to work comfortably.

That's one reason why big companies have an executive coaching program at an entry level sales job.

Mentors often indirectly pass some tips to their protege on what rules which are not spoken but essential for sales reps to know.

For example, a mentor can tell their trainees which name they can mention in front of who and which name they can't. It's not listed anywhere when a new guy/girl sign up for the job, but still, it makes a whole lot of difference if he/she knew.

This morning, at the usual 'gerai' (stall) where I take my breakfast almost daily, I joined two other Pharma Sales Rep from different companies for a piece of 'roti canai' (pancake?) and a glass of coffee.

One of the guys (both of them are guys) was actually my ex-colleague from Roche. 

It was good to talk to them after lost contact for some time.

"Still selling the same product?" I asked Roche guy (the other guy is from GSK), just to warm things up. 

"Yes." Came back the reply. 

And we start talking about new drugs development, new management changes, and upcoming events.

The topics sound regular and 'routine' until Roche fellow mention something about the itinerary. He complained that itinerary between all Sales Reps, even they're based in one place, were hard to synchronize. 

I shared that I agree with him wholeheartedly on that. 

And he also mentions that the call report system used to be hard to update, those days. 

"Those days when they used A4 size papers and you got to fill in all columns and rows," added the GSK guy.

Yup! I remember those days...

But what interests me MOST wasn't the paper. 

It's the COMMENT.

"Some Sales Reps put in 'KIV' as comments or 'promote product A to a doctor,' but at one time I remember, our Sales Director sat the rep and the manager in a meeting room and went through the reporting piece by piece," Roche man said.

"Must be tough ey?" I quipped.

"You betcha. The Sales Director said,'Of all your visits to the doctor promoting product A, the doctor just keeps quiet and say nothing? I don't think so...'," he further explains.

"The same case with my ex-colleague from Kota Bharu when we report to the same Boss last time," GSK guy interjecting. 

"Can you imagine, in his itinerary, he was supposed to be in the town area. But he changed out of a sudden to town outskirt. When Boss asked he said, I can hardly get a parking space in the town area.'," said GSK guy, smiling. 

"When we were alone I told him,'Never again give Boss such reason. You just looking for trouble with that answer.'," add GSK guy, closing his story.

And without further ado, I share with them some words of wisdom, "From a person who manage Sales Reps before, let me tell you this: when your Boss asks for explanation, reason or whatever, make sure you tell them what they want to hear. Not what's real. And I'm not joking. They accept that readily and better."

I'm serious. 

Tell them what they want to hear.

They'll live with that better than knowing what's real.

This is an example of unspoken rules of Pharmaceutical Sales Job. 

You may think otherwise. 

And I'm just being reasonable. 

I don't expect you to consider doing something superficial but work exceptionally well.

I don't ;-)