Illegal Connection

This story is about the old proverb ‘Unity is strength’; in context of the life of medical representatives. No matter how high they think about themselves, medical representatives are seldom noticed by the mainstream society. People only notice them when they appear to be the hindrance when a patient is waiting for his turn outside a doctor’s chamber. But this incident made many people of the town to acknowledge the existence of a species called ‘Medical Representative’.

This incident happened in Dhanbad; during the mid 1990s. Two medical representatives from two different companies were living in an outhouse as tenant. Their landlord had not taken the proper connection of electricity. He was using hooks to siphon off electricity illegally from the power-line.

Once the state government issued a notice; about its plans to take action against all those who were using illegal means to get electricity supply. After that, there was a raid on their outhouse on a fateful night. Both the guys pleaded with the police team about their innocence. They requested the police to book the landlord but it was of no avail. The police arrested them and immediately put them in the lockup.

Next day, the news spread like a wildfire among the medical representatives. Most of the medical representatives began to gather near the area where most of the government offices were located. Some leaders of the medical representatives’ union were leading the crowd. Almost everyone was dressed in the business attire. The well ironed dresses with shining leather shoes and neckties were somewhat an oddity in the premises of government offices because government employees in most of the small towns are shoddily dressed. Many government employees could be seen in leather slippers; wearing loosely fitting shirts which may not have been tucked inside their trousers. Many of them were even sporting three days’ old stubble on their faces. They appeared to be so overawed by the presence of neatly dressed guys that they allowed all of us to meet our colleagues in the lockup.

Those poor chaps were highly depressed because they had been arrested for no fault of theirs. They pleaded with us to quickly do something to ensure their early release. After that, we came on the main road and all of us sat on the boundary wall of the office premises. One of us ordered a tea-vendor to serve tea to every medical representative present there. Then we collected two rupees from each and paid the bill to the tea seller.

It was a sight worth seeing. About one hundred and twenty people were sitting in a row on the boundary wall. Almost all of them were in formal dresses. Almost equal number of two-wheelers was parked in a parallel row on the roadside. The road; passing through the office premises; is the main road of Dhanbad. It is one of the busiest roads in the town. Most of the people who were passing by were looking at us with deep sense of wonder. Many could also be seen stopping to kill their curiosity.

A small delegation from our team went to the nearby District Hospital to meet the CMO. Even the CMO was closely acquainted with us because he was an important customer for most of the pharmaceuticals companies. He issued a letter on his letterhead; addressed to the SHO of the police station. Based on that letter, the SHO allowed our colleagues to go to the District Hospital for a round of medical checkup.

The doctor made a certificate that those two guys needed bed rest and advised their immediate release from the lockup.

Once we were successful in getting them shifted to the District Hospital, they felt highly relieved. After that, some senior medical representatives held a couple of rounds of negotiations with the lawyers and the police. By that time, even the policemen were convinced of our clout with the medical fraternity. They were also wary of our collective strength. Thus, our pressure forced them to release our colleagues; without framing a charge. 

Hometown Connection

Most of the people have a deep connection with their hometown; at least during initial years after leaving the hometown. I belong to Darbhanga and had spent my formative years in this town. Sometimes, the deep affection with your hometown can give you enriching experience during the journey of life. Once I had been to Kolkata to attend a launch meeting. During one of the evenings, I was taking a stroll near Howrah Bridge; the famous landmark of Kolkata. My two colleagues were also with me. After taking a leisurely walk for some time, we felt an urge to have tea. While we were searching for a tea stall, I could see a rudimentary tea stall on the sidewalk. The person managing the tea stall was in his early thirties. He was fragile in appearance and was of medium height. He was wearing a lungi and banyan. A towel was tied around his head to serve as the quintessential headgear. He had a kerosene stove, a kettle, some glasses and a couple of tin containers in the name of tea stall. His tea stall was highlighting two important aspects of business. The first aspect was how to run a business on a shoe-string budget. And the second aspect was about ways to create the smallest possible carbon footprint.

As I and my colleagues were unable to enjoy the kick from highly sophisticated version of tea being sold in the five star hotel, we decided to enjoy the typical roadside tea. I asked the vendor to make special tea. I requested him to add ginger for extra flavor. I also asked him to boil the tea for a little bit longer to infuse strong essence of tea leaves.

The guy was too happy to cater to our demands. While we were sipping the freshly brewed tea; we were also talking to him. His tone of speaking gave away his roots. I could guess that the tea seller belonged to my hometown or to some village near my hometown.

I asked, “Bhaiya, you appear to belong to Bihar.”

The tea seller replied, “Yes sir, I come from Bihar.”

Emboldened by his answer, I further asked, “Which town from Bihar?”

He replied, “Sir, I belong to Darbhanga.”

I could not conceal my glee and said, “That is great. What a coincidence? I also belong to Darbhanga. It is a great pleasure for me to have tea from a tea seller from Bihar that too in Kolkata.”

After that, I must have talked to the tea seller for at least half an hour. To add more personal touch to our conversation, we shifted to the regional language which is being spoken in Darbhanga. We were talking in Maithili and I enjoyed it thoroughly.

After we finished the tea and I finished the talking, I asked the tea seller, “It was nice talking to you. You make really tasty tea. How much should I pay for the tea?”

The reply of the tea seller was surprising for me. He said, “Sir, you have come from Darbhanga. I feel fortunate to serve tea to a person from my hometown. It does not look nice to charge a bill from my own people. Consider this as a compliment from my side.”

The tone of his voice and the expression on his face was so powerful that I could not refuse to accept his complimentary gift. I could not muster the courage to pay for the tea. I just gave him a hug and said goodbye to him. 

बुढ़ऊ की नसीहत

रात के बारह बज चुके थे। घर के सब लोग या तो सो रहे थे या सोने की तैयारी कर रहे थे। डब्बन, पिंटू, लड्डू और पप्पू की आँखों से नींद गायब थी। वे तो बस सबके सोने का इंतजार कर रहे थे। जैसे ही घर में सन्नाटा सा लगने लगा तो चारों ने एक दूसरे के मोबाइल फोन पर मिस कॉल दिया और फिर ऊपर छत पर जमा हो गये। डब्बन के हाथ में एक भारी झोला था जिसमें बीयर की ठंडी बोतलें रखी हुई थीं। पिंटू के हाथ में एक छोटा सा थैला था जिसमें नमकीन के पैकेट थे। लड्डू ने एक हाथ में चटाई पकड़ी थी और दूसरे हाथ में बर्फ से भरी थैली। सबने चटाई बिछाई और फिर नमकीन के पैकेट और बीयर की बोतलों को करीने से रख दिया। पप्पू ने अपनी जेब में से सिगरेट का पैकेट भी निकाल लिया। उसके बाद चारों ने अपनी पार्टी शुरु कर दी।

डब्बन ने बीयर का पहला घूँट लेते हुए कहा, “आह! ये तो जबरदस्त ठंडा है। सचमुच मजा आ गया।“

पिंटू ने नमकीन मुँह में डालते हुए कहा, “बहुत देर तक इंतजार करना पड़ा। आज तो लग रहा था कि कोई सोने के मूड में ही नहीं था। घर की छत पर बैठकर पीने में जो सुकून मिलता है वह और कहीं नहीं।“

लड्डू ने कहा, “हाँ, पिछली बार याद नहीं है क्या हुआ था? हम उस दुकान के पीछे वाले कूड़े के ढ़ेर पर खड़े होकर पी रहे थे कि दो पुलिस वाले आ गये थे। पाँच सौ रुपए लेने का बाद भी डंडा मार ही दिया था उसने। ऊपर से मुहल्ले में जो थू थू हुई वो अलग।“

पप्पू ने कहा, “अब हम इतने रईस तो हैं नहीं कि जाकर किसी बार में अपने शौक पूरे करें। दोगुने से भी ज्यादा पैसे ऐंठते हैं ये बार वाले। घर में पियो तो लफंगे करार कर दिये जाओ। हमारी तो कोई जिंदगी ही नहीं।“

अभी उनपर बीयर ने रंग जमाना शुरु भी नहीं किया था कि तभी जीने पर से किसी के छत पर आने की आवाज आने लगी। आनन फानन में वे सब कुछ छुपाने की जगह ही ढ़ूँढ़ रहे थे कि देखा कि उनके सत्तर वर्षीय दादाजी छत पर उदित हो गये। दादाजी तो गुस्से से काँप रहे थे। वे बोले, “अबे नालायकों, शर्म नहीं आती। शरीफों के घर में क्या कर रहे हो? तुम्हारी वजस से पूरे मुहल्ले में नाक कट जाएगी।“

अब तो चारों रंगे हाथ पकड़े गये थे। बहाने बनाने का कोई फायदा नहीं था। पप्पू ने कहा, “दादाजी, कुछ नहीं बस यूँ ही थोड़ा मन बहला रहे थे। अब गर्मी भी तो बहुत पड़ रही है।“

लड्डू ने कहा, “बीयर कोई हार्ड ड्रिंक थोड़े ही है। इतना तो चलता है।“

दादाजी ने कहा, “मैं अभी तुम्हारे बापों को जगाता हूँ। जब डंडे पड़ेंगे तो सारी गर्मी निकल जाएगी। जानता नहीं कि शराब की लत कितनी खराब होती है?“

डब्बन ने कहा, “लेकिन मैने सुना है कि अपनी जवानी में तो आप भी महुआ वाली शराब ले लिया करते थे। दादी ने बताया था एक बार।“

दादाजी ने कहा, “हाँ जवानी में गलती कर दी थी। लेकिन जैसे ही अपनी भूल का पता चला, फिर सब छोड़ दिया। अब वह गलती मैं तुम्हें हरगिज नहीं करने दूँगा।“

पिंटू ने कहा, “दादाजी, कम से कम जवानी में तो हमें गलतियाँ करने का मौका दीजिये। हम भी जब आपकी तरह बूढ़े हो जाएँगे तो छोड़ देंगे।“

तभी दादाजी ने कहा, “अरे बाप रे, तुमलोग तो सिगरेट भी पी रहे हो। शर्म नहीं आती।“

लड्डू ने कहा, “और आप जो हुक्का पीते हैं तो कुछ नहीं।“

दादाजी ने कहा, “अपने दादा से बहस लड़ाता है। शर्म नहीं आती?“

डब्बन ने कहा, “दादाजी, अब आप ही कोई रास्ता बताएँ। घर में पी नहीं सकते क्योंकि आपकी नाक कटती है। बार में पी नहीं सकते क्योंकि महँगी मिलती है। चौराहे पर पी नहीं सकते क्योंकि मुहल्ले की नाक कटती है। हमारी उमर के लड़के पी नहीं सकते और आपकी उमर के लोगों को पीना नहीं चाहिए। तो फिर ये दुकान वाले बेचते किसके लिये हैं? आप तो बिल्कुल नीतीश कुमार की तरह बरताव कर रहे हैं।”

फिर दादाजी ने कुछ नहीं कहा और चुपचाप वापस नीचे चले गये। 

Too Much Sales!

Achieving sales target for a particular product cannot be enough. The sales which may be enough for an over-budget performance for one guy may not be even sufficient to save the job of another guy. Sales budget is a relative thing which depends on many factors; like the company, product, territory, past performance, etc. But I can vouch about one thing. Sales budget of big companies is usually on a higher side compared to the sales budget of small companies. Sometimes, the sales budget of a medical representative (of a big company) can be way beyond the sales budget of a first line manager of a small company. Nevertheless, people celebrate in their own way whenever they meet or surpass their targets. Celebration is good for further motivation of the concerned person but it should not annoy any other person. This story is related to such incident in which a celebration for one can become an irritation for another.

I was posted at Faizabad where two other PSOs and a DM were also based along with me. Once I was sitting at a wholesaler along with my senior PSO. The senior guy was a Bengali with rudimentary knowledge of Hindi. Moreover, he was somewhat reserved in nature and seldom talked to unknown person. While we were sitting there, a young medical representative from some small company came there. He paid his due respect to our Dada and said with a sense of jubilation, “Dada! Do you know how much protein powder I have sold this month?

Dada was maintaining a poker face and said in his baritone voice, “How do I know unless you tell me?”

That guy said, “I have sold five hundred tins of our protein powder this month. Isn’t it great?”

Dada had been maintaining the same stoic face and told, “Hmm! It is good. Congrats.”

That guy was probably expecting some pat on his back or at least somewhat enthusiastic response from our Dada. Failing to get the desired response, the guy left the shop in a hurry and could be seen slowly trundling down the street.

I took that as a one off incident. But the guy kept on popping his head in the market whenever he met our Dada. Every time, he used to make same statement, “Dada! This month I have sold 300 tins of our protein powder. Dada, I have booked 20 tins of protein powder from Mishra Medical Stores. Dada, I am the regional topper for selling our protein powder.”

Every time, he got the same cold response from Dada; which was further accentuated by the cold glare which Dada gave to him through high-powered thick glasses. Since I was new in that territory, so I never made a comment. I was just playing the role of a mute spectator.

One day, the guy probably crossed the threshold of Dada’s patience. We were waiting for our turn outside the clinic of a doctor. That guy also appeared in front of us and kept his detailing bag on the bench. While we were gossiping to kill time, the guy popped his head and said, “Dada! Do you know? I have sold 600 tins of protein powder.”

Dada gave the same cold response to him, “Good! Well Done!”

The guy was probably fed up of Dada’s cold response. He said, “Dada, I have been sharing with you many good news of my performance. But you have always given me a cold response. You should have at least given me a pat on the back if not a high five. You appear to be annoyed by me.”

Dada said, “Listen you greenhorn. You cannot be my chum because of the huge age gap between us. So, don’t expect that I will hug you. Whatever you are doing is fine. You are overshooting your target and getting a good name in your company. It will boost your career. But why should I bother about your performance. I am not your friend, not your local guardian and I am not even your boss. Moreover, before jumping in joy in front of me you should have confirmed about the sales figure of Protinex. You must be aware that Protinex is our brand of protein. There are many retailers who end up selling 500 tins of Protinex in a month. Do you know my budget for Protinex? It is much higher than the budget of your second line manager. It was ok when you shared your achievements for the first time. But doing it repetitively can end up annoying anybody. Hope you will understand the reason for my cold response.” 

New Recruit

A new recruit can be a bundle of nerves in any job. This is especially true for the sales because there is so much pressure to learn very quickly. I have observed that seasoned managers do not say anything to a new recruit for the initial six months. This period is considered to be a baptism with fire and there is always a risk of the medical representative leaving his job during this period. No manager would like to see the money spent on training going down the drain by premature resignation of a new recruit. So, a new recruit is always treated with kid’s gloves during this period. This story is about the deep sense of dejection I felt on my second day on the job. This story is also about how a simpleton helped me in not making the blunder of leaving my job.

On that fateful day, I must have called four or five doctors since morning. To my immature mind, all those calls appeared to be highly successful because I was able to narrate my sales pitch without much hiccup. After that I went to meet a topnotch physician in the market. There was a big crowd of patients waiting for their turns. I gave my visiting card to the compounder. Within five minutes, the compounder asked me to go inside the clinic to meet the doctor.

I went inside the doctor’s chamber, wished the doctor in the most courteous way and took a seat in front of him. Everything was going fine till now. The doctor was in his late fifties. He was wearing striped shirt and a nice tie. His bespectacled face further added to his aura. In front of him was a greenhorn who was barely twenty two years old. I took out my visual aid and began to vomit out what was taught to me in the name of sales pitch. The moment I started, the doctor interrupted and said, “You appear to be a new guy.”

His tone did not sound friendly at all. I fumbled and said, “Yyyes Sir!”

The doctor’s tone became even drier, “It appears that your managers have not taught you how to talk to a senior doctor. You should be aware that I don’t meet medical representatives during daytime. If you want to meet me then come to my clinic after eight in the evening.”

I said, “But I came here by following the protocol. First I sent my visiting card through your compounder. I came inside only when you called me in. If you don’t meet medical representatives during daytime then you could have sent this message through your compounder.”

I think I was talking sense. But a fifty year old person with vast experience, good qualification and high prestige in the society may not swallow the fact that a guy in his twenties with a bachelor in science and working at the lowest rung in a private company is trying to argue with him. The doctor was furious at me and said, “Get lost from here.”

I had no other way than to leave his chamber. I was shocked and was in deep mental agony. I straightaway reached my hotel room from his clinic. Within a few minutes, I packed my bags and was ready to leave that city and the job forever.

When I went at the reception counter, the receptionist asked, “What happened? Did you find a house? Are you shifting to a rented house?”

I said, “No, I am leaving this job and going back to my hometown.”

That receptionist was an old man. He must have seen many new recruits coming to his hotel to spend their initial days after joining the job. The hotel was mainly frequented by sales guys; especially the new recruits. The old man gave me a glass of water and ordered a cup of tea for me. He asked me to sit down and said, “Calm down. Tell me what happened.”

I narrated the whole incident to him. He said, “It happens when you are new. Don’t take a hasty decision. Finding a job; that too in a good company; is not easy these days. Majority of people; who are even five years older than you, are struggling to find a job. Sticking to a job is much difficult than leaving a job but that is the way to go ahead.”

I was adamant and said, “No, I am intelligent enough to find even better jobs. But I am not going to stay in this profession. This is not my cup of tea.”

The old man tried to keep me engaged in endless discussions. After about half an hour, he said, “The train to your home town must have left the station by now. Stay here for tonight. Have a sound sleep. You can leave for your hometown tomorrow if you wish. But I am sure you will change your decision by tomorrow morning.”

I still remember that old man with a sense of gratitude. 

गिफ्ट वापसी

मेडिकल रिप्रेजेंटेटिव को अक्सर कम्पनी की तरफ से डॉक्टर को देने के लिए आकर्षक गिफ्ट मिला करते हैं। इनमे से ज्यादातर गिफ्ट साधारण आइटम होते हैं जैसे पेन, पेपर वेट, लेटर पैड, आदि। कभी कभी कुछ महँगे गिफ्ट भी दिए जाते हैं जैसे टाई, डेकोरेटिव आइटम, रूम फेशनर, आदि। कुछ गिफ्ट ऐसे भी होते हैं जो किसी डॉक्टर की क्लिनिक में बहुत उपयोगी साबित होते हैं जैसे सैनिटाइजर। पिछले पंद्रह बीस सालों में भारत में फार्मा कंपनियों की बाढ़ आ गई है। बड़ी कम्पनियाँ आमतौर पर छोटे मोटे गिफ्ट ही बाँटती हैं और अपने सेल्स टीम और प्रोडक्ट क्वालिटी के भरोसे ही सेल लाने में विश्वास रखती हैं। लेकिन कई कम्पनियाँ गिफ्ट देने या डॉक्टरों को अतिरिक्त सुविधा देने के मामले में एक दूसरे से होड़ लगाती हुई दिखती हैं। कुछ डॉक्टरों और उनके परिवार वालों को कॉन्फ्रेंस के नाम पर हवाई यात्रा और पाँच सितारा होटलों में ऐश भी करवाया जाता है। इनके अलावा और भी बहुत कुछ होता है जो लगभग हर उस आदमी को पता होता है जो इस इंडस्ट्री से जुड़े होते हैं।

लेकिन कोई भी बिजनेसमैन जब कहीं पैसा लगाता है तो वह उससे मुनाफा कमाने की उम्मीद जरूर करता है। इसलिए अब कई ऐसी कम्पनियाँ भी आ गई हैं जो डॉक्टर से बकायदा लेन देन का साफ साफ हिसाब भी करती हैं। मसलन यदि किसी डॉक्टर पर बीस हजार रुपए खर्च हुए तो उसने कितने का धंधा दिया। कई बार यदि डॉक्टर अपने वादे के मुताबिक सेल देने में नाकाम होते हैं तो उनसे उसकी भरपाई करने के लिए तरह तरह के हथकंडे भी अपनाये जाते हैं।

एक ऐसा ही किस्सा हुआ था किसी गाँव के डॉक्टर के साथ। उस डॉक्टर को सही सेल न देने के बदले में बड़ी फजीहत झेलनी पड़ी थी। मैं सुबह सुबह उस गाँव में काम करने के लिए पहुँचा। जब मैं उस बाजार में पहुँच ही रहा था तो देखा कि सामने से वह मेडिकल रिप्रेजेंटेटिव और उसके मैनेजर चले आ रहे हैं। मैंनेजर साहब एक मोटी सी रस्सी पकड़े हुए थे जिसमें एक भैंस बँधी थी। मेडिकल रिप्रेजेंटेटिव ने बछिया की रस्सी थामी हुई थी।

मैने उनसे पूछा, “अरे, ये क्या देख रहा हूँ? आप लोगों ने लगता है नौकरी छो‌ड़कर डेरी का बिजनेस शुरु कर दिया है।“

मेडिकल रिप्रेजेंटेटिव ने बताया, “अरे नहीं भाई। ये भैंस हमने छ: महीने पहले उस डॉक्टर को बतौर एडवांस गिफ्ट दिया था। वही वापस लेकर आ रहे हैं।“

मैने पूछा, “अब किसी को दिया हुआ गिफ्ट कोई वापस लेता है?”

इसपर मैनेजर साहब ने जवाब दिया, “भैया हम छोटी कंपनी वाले हैं। ऊपर वालों को एक एक पाई का हिसाब देना होता है। छ: महीने बीत गये लेकिन उस डॉक्टर ने वैसी सेल नहीं दी जिसका उसने वादा किया था। फिर कम्पनी के हेड ऑफिस से फोन आया कि जाकर गिफ्ट वापस ले लो।“

मैने पूछा, “अब इस भैंस का क्या करेंगे? अपनी बालकनी में बाँधेंगे?”

मैनेजर ने कहा, “नहीं, कई दूसरे आस लगाए बैठे हैं। जाकर किसी और से डील फाइनल करूँगा और उसके दरवाजे पर बाँध दूँगा।“ 

Is It A Multivitamin!

Sometimes, some doctors prescribe a particular product with great zeal; without being aware of its indication or contraindication. This also helps in augmenting the sales. Most of the medical representatives try not to annoy such doctors and just try to enhance his self esteem by using suitable communication tools and other motivational tools. This story is related to an RMP who was practicing in a small village near Katihar. This story was narrated to me by my predecessor in Katihar.

The doctor was having roaring practice considering the small market where he was practicing. He must be seeing at least hundred patients per day. The doctor was a fan of Pfizer products; especially of Becosules capsules. For the last six months or so, he was prescribing Becosules to almost all of his patients. It had resulted in growing sales for the product. The chemist near that doctor was consuming at least five cases of Becosules per month. Thus, the doctor contributed about 25% of the total sales of Becosules in that territory. My predecessor was happy with the doctor and had been meeting that doctor on a regular basis. He was careful enough to not annoy the doctor by doing too much detailing in front of him. He used to keep the doctor in good humor by tailoring his communication to suit the doctor’s personality. During each call, he used to discuss sundry topics; like politics, sports and Bollywood. He used to shower the doctor with all kinds of gifts; ordinary as well as premium.

Once, the District Manager went to Katihar for joint working. He was also pleased at that doctor’s contribution. His curiosity propelled him to take an attempt at meeting that doctor. The PSO advised him to focus on the doctors of the town instead of going to a small village. But the DM pressed for going to that village. He said, “I also want to say my thanks to that doctor. He is such a big contributor in our sales.”

The PSO replied, “Ok, if you insist then we will go to meet that doctor. But there is an advice. The doctor is quite old man. He has highly inflated ego in spite of being an RMP. So, do not try to do the ‘detailing’ in front of him. I fear it may end up in annoying him. I don’t want to lose my important customer.”

The DM said, “I know the attitude of PSOs. They always avoid ‘detailing’ for fear of annoying their customers. But my firm belief says that detailing properly always opens up the mind of a customer. You never know, the customer may pick up one or two new indications to prescribe our product. This would help in further augmenting our sales.”

Thus, both of them reached that village by about 10 AM. After doing a thorough chemist survey and meeting other doctors, they reached to the clinic of that doctor. The DM cleared his throat and began reciting his version of ‘Becosules Purana’. While doing so, he went on and on. The doctor listened with rapt attention; without showing any sign of distress.

After the detailing was over, the doctor said with a great deal of enthusiasm, “Oh my God! You have opened my eyes. All these days, I was thinking of Becosules as a highly potent antibiotic and hence was prescribing to most of my patients. You have just revealed that it is not an antibiotic but a multivitamin capsule. I was doing a big blunder all these days. Thanks for pointing out my mistake. I will only prescribe Becosules whenever a patient needs some multivitamin. Thanks a lot.”

It is needless to say that the sales of Becosules drastically dropped from the nearby chemists. In place of the earlier sales of about five cases a month, the retailer came down to selling just twenty boxes of Becosules per month.