Try free

The Pharma Career Ladder · The medical rep · Step 8: Habits and integrity · Lesson 13

Feedback you did not want

Hearing it without defending it

By Ahmed El Menshawy · 20 years in pharma, from medical rep to country manager in the UAE. Founder of RepPharma. LinkedIn
Published

The hardest feedback is usually delivered in the car, straight after the call.

"You talked for most of that call." Every rep has heard a line like that on a double visit. And almost every rep's first reflex is to defend.

In Thanks for the Feedback, Stone and Heen describe three triggers behind that reflex. I see all three in the field:

  • "That is not true." The truth trigger. Before you argue, ask what he saw.
  • "Who is he to say?" The relationship trigger. Separate the message from the messenger.
  • "Am I a bad rep?" The identity trigger. One call is not who you are.

What I ask reps to do instead:

  • Notice your reaction before you answer.
  • Ask one question: "What would you have done differently?"
  • Try it on the next call. Talk less. Ask one more question.
  • Close the loop. Tell your manager what you changed and what happened.

The rep who closes the loop gets better feedback next time, and more trust.

“You do not have to agree with feedback to learn from it.”
Feedback you did not want: Hearing it without defending it

Lesson 13 of 13 in Step 8: Habits and integrity, with the full guide and a checklist for this week.

More lessons in step 8: Habits and integrity

Lesson 1The rep's morningThe first hour decides the dayLesson 2Energy, not hoursWhy your eighth call is weaker than your secondLesson 3Time in the fieldWhere the hours actually goLesson 4Saying no to busyworkProtecting the hours that actually sellLesson 5The habit loop of a good repHow daily planning stops depending on willpowerLesson 6The value of being predictableSame day, same week, every cycleLesson 7Confidence without arroganceWhat doctors actually respect in a repLesson 8Dressing and turning upSmall signals the clinic reads before you speakLesson 9Integrity in the fieldThe lines you do not cross, everLesson 10Handling rejectionSeparating the no from yourselfLesson 11Recovering a bad weekFour moves that stop the slide before it becomes a monthLesson 12Asking your manager for helpThe right way to escalate

Habits and integrity, in RepPharma

Log a visit in seconds

The doctor, products detailed, samples and outcome, on an offline-first Android app. Visits save without signal and send when it returns.

A month of visits in seconds

Smart monthly plans are drafted from each doctor’s priority, required visit frequency and best time to visit. The manager approves in one click.

Your KPIs in your pocket

The KPIs agreed with your manager appear in your own app, so you always know where you stand.

Start 14-day free trialSee the medical rep app →

A new step every week in the Pharma Career Ladder newsletter on LinkedIn.