Every district has a bad quarter.
A tender goes the other way. Stock runs short. A competitor launches. The number drops, and the reps who worked hardest feel it most.
In that quarter, the only thing many reps hear from their manager is the number.
Herzberg's two-factor theory is useful here. Recognition and achievement are among the things that drive effort. When results lag, the achievement is hidden, so recognition has to do more of the work.
What I try to do in a bad quarter:
- Separate effort from outcome. A supply gap can hide good work.
- Name the behaviour. "You went back to that hospital with new answers every time."
- Show the progress. Better access and a doctor now prescribing are progress too.
- Say it in front of the team, with the rep's permission.
- Be honest about the number. Recognition is not pretending the gap is not there.
- Fix what frustrates. Late samples or a broken system are hygiene problems. Remove them quickly.
- Ask what they need for next month.
- And keep it steady, not only in the month the target is hit.
In my experience, reps remember how they were treated in a hard quarter long after they forget a good one.
“Results lag effort. If you only praise results, you lose the effort first.”
Lesson 9 of 19 in Step 5: Motivating and building the team, with the full guide and a checklist for this week.