Interview with Elena Chevachina, medical representative of Promo-Med in Saint-Petersburg
Interview
with Elena Chevachina, medical representative of Promo-Med in Saint-Petersburg.
- What was the start of your career in Promo-Med?
Elena: I came to work for Promo-Med when the company only
started its activities; we began it all almost from scratch. But for me
personally the fact that the company was Russian was quite important. I love my
motherland and it s very valuable to me to take part in something that
contributes to the development of Russia.
On the other hand, I was happy to join this new
company because my course-mates from the Chemical and Pharmaceutical Academy
had already been working here.
Moreover when I just came to Promo-Med I quickly
realized the high level of marketing: it was so well-thought in smallest
details starting from the segment and up to promo-stuff. We faced tough
challenges but that was the thing I liked: we had a lot of fun (and still
have), our work is quite dynamic and mobile, and this desire to fulfill the
tasks is so inspiring.
And another thing that struck me at once in Promo-Med
– the feeling of care that you are surrounded with right away. Everyone helps
each other, tells what s better in this or that situation, share previous
experience. It was then and it goes on now. We had special training courses
organized especially for us that we took almost on-the-job, but this was again
much fun because we could try to use in practice the information we just
acquired and such information lead us to evident results quite soon.
The products were very interesting as well: first of
all, they were of high quality, secondly they were new. The company was
carrying out researches and doctors then were quite active to share their
experience in indicating our medications to their patients. Such an immense
number of things to do, we simply had no time to get bored.
We used all our experience, united all our knowledge,
held joint discussions, were fast in making decisions – and we managed to
keep this great atmosphere throughout all these years of working at Promo-Med.
- Has the picture of a medical representative changed
during last years?
Elena: Yes, it has. I think newcomers are not as cheerful
and fast-paced as we are. But we surround them with care and support, we teach
them and help them and with us they become more energetic, and they love this
practice of fast achievement of goals.
On the other hand, medical representatives of western
companies have become more serious – there was less competition earlier and
seems like budgets for promotion were bigger, and now they have to accommodate
to new conditions of extreme competition and budget cuts – and thus we can be
the winners – because we already have such experience and it s quite
successful. They have a lot to learn from us!
Training courses:
Elena: We take lots of training courses, they are
always very interesting: we even sometimes go abroad for some training courses.
Every time such courses are like a breath of fresh air – you get an energy
boost for your work and want to put your new knowledge into practice right
away, you just want to work!
What I especially like is that our headship always
follows us at all training courses, at cycle meetings; they even play role
games with us.
Headship:
Our headship is quite open; they know every one of us
personally and remember in detail about all our challenges and matters up to
our work with doctors. It s very pleasing that the company has a leader who
everyone wants to resemble and look up at: I mean our General director Elena
Palevskaya – she is an intelligent, wise, well-educated woman, a highly skilled
professional and a true leader.
Stability:
We didn t feel the crisis: there was a cut in neither
representative expenses, nor bonuses, nor fuel. And our wages are steadily
going up.
Colleagues:
I personally like to help newcomers and to take care
of them, but in my turn I know that they will help me as well. For example, my
colleague from Saint-Petersburg Ira Kovaleva spent her evenings at the expense
of her free time – when I had issues with my PC – helping me draw up reports
and get ready for the cycle meeting.
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