Pharmaceutical companies often shower the key doctors with
all kinds of gifts. The gifts can range from the ubiquitous ball pens to
expensive dinner sets. While some items are normal and serve as constant
product reminder at the doctor’s table, some other items can be highly
exclusive by way of their unique design and may be price. Such exclusive gifts
are usually meant for some topnotch doctors in a medical representative’s
territory. Distribution of such gifts needs very careful planning so that
maximum mileage can be derived from the promotional activity. This is a story
of a new recruit who was copybook in his working style and had yet to learn the
tricks of the trade. He had to distribute an exclusive gift to ten exclusive
physicians. After carefully analyzing the prescription pattern and potential
for his product, the medical representative shortlisted ten doctors from his
calling list and marked them as potential recipients of the gift. It was a
beautiful silk tie befitting the high esteem which doctors usually have in the
society. There was a doctor named N. K. Jha. He was in his late sixties with
roaring clinical practice. He was a genial person who always showed nice behavior
towards medical representatives. After thorough detailing of key products to
the doctor, the medical representative presented the gift with all the style
befitting any exclusive gift. The compounder of the doctor was also present in
the chamber. He was in his mid forties. He was shabbily dressed and sported a
thick moustache with three days’ old stubble. After finishing the call, the
medical representative came out of that doctor’s chamber only to be confronted by
the compounder.
The compounder rudely asked, “Where is my gift?”
The medical representative replied with a lot of assertion
in his voice, “Gifts are only meant for doctors. No company gives gifts to be
given to compounders. I am sorry but I am not in a position to give you this
gift. This is an exclusive gift meant for only ten doctors in my territory.”
The compounder promptly replied, “You appear to be a new guy
in this trade. Ask your seniors about me. You have to give that gift to me also
at any cost. Otherwise I will show you who I am.”
The medical representative hastily left the scene only to
forget the incident in due course of time. About a fortnight passed after that
incident. It was the time for a repeat call to that doctor. Chemist survey showed
that the doctor had increased prescriptions for some of the key products for
the concerned company. The medical representative reached the doctor’s clinic
to make a second call. But at the entrance, he was stopped by the burly
compounder. The compounder told to the medical representative, “You are not
allowed to enter this clinic because you did not give me that gift. What do you
think? How will you get the prescriptions from this doctor if you would not be
in a position to make a call to this doctor? I have been working with this
doctor since last 15 years. My writ rules in this clinic. Hope you will take a
lesson from this incident.”
The poor medical representative was dumbstruck. He was at
his wit’s end. He was unable to understand what to do next. He met some senior
medical representative at a tea stall which was near that clinic. After hearing
his story, the senior guy advised him, “Do not try to annoy such people. Sometimes,
they are more powerful than even their masters. You can always manipulate to
please such guys.”
When the medical representative narrated this story to his
first line manager he was told that he should always be honest in gift
distribution and follow all the ethics as taught during training program. Can anybody
give suitable reply to this predicament?
