A new territory tempts you to prove yourself in the first week.
New reps want to show results fast. They change the route, promise doctors more visits and push every product at once. By the second month the promises are broken and the territory is more confused than before.
How I ask reps to use the first thirty days:
Week one: learn the history. Read the account records, talk to the previous rep, meet the key pharmacists. Change nothing yet.
Week two: meet the A-list. Short introductions, one question each. Ask what they expect from a rep.
Week three: build the route. A steady weekly pattern for every account. This is the step that makes everything else work. Predictable beats busy.
Week four: first review. Bring your manager three findings and a plan for the next cycle.
The doctors are also watching. They want to know if you will still be there in six months.
“Earn the territory before you try to change it.”
Lesson 12 of 12 in Step 1: Planning your territory, with the full guide and a checklist for this week.