Making the most of your work contacts

Ah … the infamous work contact! As a pharmaceutical representative, and then as a district sales manager in the late '80s, I became intimately familiar with the practice of riding with your manager from both the passenger's and the driver's sides of the car.

In preparation for writing this article, I went back through some old files and memos that I'd sent to my district when work contacts were a way of life for me. I recalled writing a memo on the subject and wondered if its content would still be appropriate today.

While the demands on - and pressures facing - pharmaceutical consultants have grown over the last decade with the advent of managed care and significant field force expansions, I found that the content of my work contact memo (shown here on the right) was still relevant. I am confident that your managers will agree.

Personal best

It is also important to remember to be at your personal best when your manager or someone from the home office rides with you. Be considerate. Keep your car clean and organized – both inside and out.

A rep's trunk can speak volumes as to how a day, week and territory are managed. If you do not have a plan of action and priorities established when your boss is with you, what must things look like when you're alone?

Work contacts are essential for your professional growth and for maximizing your effectiveness in your territory. So get your clinical trials in order, set the right objectives for the right MDs and other decision makers, and understand and execute national strategy with passion and purpose.

Before you know it, you too may be sitting on the passenger side of the car for your next work contact! PR