Where have the Brigadiers gone?

Sorry.  It has been way too long since my last post.  Much has happened and not all of it is good.  This will probably be the first of several topics I will post over the next few days.  Mostly because I will not see the inside of a 737 for the next week or so and this gives me time and energy to post my thoughts.  

Recently I was talking to a friend in the business and I asked him, " How's it going?"  I was surprised at his answer.  It wasn't things are good, or even that things were bad.  It was, " I just got off my weekly 2 hour  conference call with my AVP."  Two hours? You are kidding me!  After several more questions I was surprised to find that this was the way that this particular management team "managed."  One of the more telling responses to my querries was that this manager has never spent any time in the field with this person.

So this leads me to the question, "Where have the Brigadiers gone?"  The fact of the  matter is, that the role of the AVP, RVP, Senior Director or whatever title you want to assign this level of management has changed over the last few years and not for the better I might add.  The Brigadier is a field general.  Usually it is a promotion because this leader has demonstrated battlefield excellence and the ability to lead under tense situations.  In the sales arena of medical devices, it has always been this individual who was the "link to corporate."  This person was in the field, meeting customers, helping to create the bond between the company and the customer.  They helped drive the sales message from "corporate" to the field.  They engaged the independent agents and reps alike.  There was no line of demarcation between whether the rep was a direct rep, an agent or one of the agent's reps.  The AVP worked with all levels of the sales team.  Now the key phrase here is "worked with."  The average work week used to be...office ;Monday, field Tuesday through Thursday and office again on Friday.  That doesn't seem to be the case anymore.  This conference call I spoke of that started this rant?   Wednesday.  Well, that's a productive use of sales leadership...taking a Wednesday to conduct conference calls.  What's next conference texts?

This new behavior is what I call "phamatization" of the medical deveice industry.  OK, I invented that word, but you get the idea.  Sales teams in the medical device arena are now managing like large pharamceutical companies.  And this is not a good plan.  My proof?  It's simple.  Look at the growth.  When I was the VP of Sales, we were in the field.  When I say we I mean WE.  The reps, the Regional guys, the AVP, me and even the divisional President.  Why? Not because we liked to fly.  Not because we enjoyed yet another dinner at Ruth Chris'.  We were in the field because that's where the customers were!!  The business grew because the entire organization was engaged with the customer.  And it wasn't just my company...it was industry wide.  The result?  Double digit growth in major market segements. The markets grew significantly. Compare that with today...The AVP is home "working" ( conference calls ). The VP of Sales rarely is in the field and many of the reps have handicaps that would rival some PGA players.  Folks, leadership starts at the top.  The top of the field organization is the VP , Sales and his Brigadiers are the AVPs.  If their efforts are not in front of the customer, then something is wrong.

I know, I know.  Not all sales teams have been pharmatized.  Want the evidience?  Look inside any of the major companies and see what is happening to the sales structure. Those divisions where the primary role of the  AVP or RVP is to be in the field;  training, teaching and driving the business all seem to grow at rates faster than the market.  The AVP and others, including the VP, Sales are all engaged in customer activities.  Conference calls are not customer activities.  Divisions within these companies where the role of the RVP or AVP is to monitor the field activities via conference calls or quarterly business reviews  grow at or below market.  These companies are shrinking the number of AVP or RVPs in the field.  Where there were 8 now there are 4... or in some cases 2.

I am getting a little long winded here.  Sorry.  As to those who say, " The market is different than when you were the VP..."  I have one answer.  BULL.  Markets are driven and created by sales / customer activity...there might be products that can help create markets...in our business, ceramic /ceramic....IM nails ....biologics to name a few.  These were/are terrific products.  By themselves, without customer contact and field activities, they do not grow.  The field generals make these products grow by being with the customer, with the field management and with the reps.  When field managers become sales analysts then the death nill of that comapny as a selling organization has begun.

I will close by finishing the conversation I had with my friend.  I asked the following questions...What is the growth of the company? What is the growth of the industry?  What was the growth when AVPs were in the field and visitied your team on a routine basis?  What was the growth of the indsutry then? and last but not least, How often do you see your AVP in your territory now?    The answers: minus 1 per cent growth, flat to 2 per cent growth?  30 % growth? 15% growth and...wait for it..."I have never seen the AVP in my territory...in 2 years..."

Pretty much sums it up.

Comments

[Drue De Angelis]

Great article! Keep them coming!