Every week, the field hears something new.
A competitor is changing its bonus offer. A hospital is reviewing its formulary. A doctor heard that a product is about to be withdrawn.
Some of it matters a great deal. Most of it does not.
The first-line manager sits exactly between the two. If everything goes up, the people above you stop reading. If nothing goes up, the business finds out too late.
The filter I use in my teams has four steps.
Hear it more than once. One doctor's comment is a story. When several reps are hearing the same thing, it becomes a signal.
Check it against sell-out. Are pharmacies and hospitals actually buying differently? A rumour with no movement behind it can wait a week.
Ask what it changes. Would it change a plan, a forecast or a target list? If the honest answer is no, it stays in the field.
Report it short. What was heard, where, how sure we are, and what I suggest. And the name of the rep who found it, so the credit travels up with it.
That last part matters more than it looks. Reps who see their information used, and their name on it, keep bringing it.
“Send up what changes a decision. Keep the rest in the field.”
Lesson 9 of 16 in Step 3: The field day, with the full guide and a checklist for this week.