When a number drops, the first reflex is to defend it.
I have seen it many times. The report comes out, a product is down, and within minutes the rep has an explanation ready. The market is slow. The competitor is aggressive. The doctor travelled. Sometimes it is true. Often nobody checked.
The order I ask reps to follow:
- 1. Check which number fell. Sell-in, sell-out or a stock correction at the distributor. Many drops are timing, not demand.
- 2. Find where it fell. Which product, which accounts, which weeks. A drop is rarely everywhere at once.
- 3. Ask why in the field. Visit the pharmacies and doctors behind it. This is the step most reps skip, and it is the one that matters.
- 4. Bring a plan. Go to your manager with the cause and your next two actions.
A rep who arrives with a cause and a plan gets support. A rep who arrives with an excuse gets more questions.
“A falling number is a question. Answer it before you defend it.”
Lesson 3 of 5 in Step 2: Your numbers and forecast, with the full guide and a checklist for this week.