The Rise & Downfall of a Pharma Sales Rep Pt 1 | Alec Burlakoff

DarshanTalks brings to you the cautionary discussion with Alec Burlakoff. Alec was sentenced to 26 months in prison due to Insys’s unlawful sales practices which helped fuel the deadly U.S. opioid epidemic. Alec talks about his journey from private school guidance counselor to the Vice President of Sales at Insys Therapeutics Inc. He gives us an insight into what led to his downfall, both personally and professionally. In today’s episode Alec talks about how two conversations that he had with the parents at the school encouraged him to get into pharma sales. HOW DID ALEC DECIDE TO GET INTO PHARMA SALES? A parent at the school told Alec that he would do very well in pharma sales because of his friendly and outgoing nature. Alec decided to give it a shot and requested the parent to get him an interview. However, what actually motivated Alec to truly consider pharma sales was a brief chat he had with a guy in a Bentley who had come to pick their child up from school. Alec asked that guy to not smoke a cigar at the school campus but the guy looked at Alec and said, ‘Petty rules for petty people’ and took another puff of the cigar. This encounter changed Alec’s mindset completely and he decided to get into pharma sales as this field would give him money and the power that comes with it. Alec mentions that the conversation he had with the guy made him realize that he never wanted to be in such a position ever again in his life. He wanted to be treated with dignity and respect. At that point, Alec felt that being a successful pharma sales rep will not only make him rich but will also help him gain respect in the society. ALEC AS A PHARMA SALES REP: In the early 2000s, pharma sales was all about establishing relationships with the healthcare professionals (HCPs). Alec was always a social person who loved interacting with people. This quality helped him create long-lasting relationships with the HCPs. Alec therefore, managed to be the top sales rep at every company he worked for. Looking back, Alec feels that the concept of ‘relationship-based selling’, which made him the top sales rep at every company, does not belong in pharma sales. The information that the sales reps share with the doctors affects patient health. Therefore, convincing doctors to change their prescribing habits only because the sales rep has a good relationship with the doctor is not correct. Did Alec become greedy in search of money and power? Tune into the interview to know more! Alec Burlakoff’s book- ‘Selling Hard Lessons Learned’ is available on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Selling-Lessons-Learned-Alec-Burlakoff/dp/B0BCSGPYS2?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&ref_=fplfs&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER Do you want us to ask Alec a question? Leave a comment! Don't miss the next episode: Episode 2- The Death of a Pharma Sales Rep Part 2- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3DP6ZgKxsw&t=24s Episode 3- The Cautionary Tale of being a Pharma Sales VP Part 3- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UeUs3FrT-KM Episode 4: Did Insys Put Profits Before People Part 4- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbuEhQ8NKMY Episode 5: The Tragic Of A Pharma Sales VP In Prison- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_Lre9f-Taw #pharma #pharmaceuticals #opioids #epidemic #crisis #addiction #opioidepidemic #opioidcrisis