If you like to talk to people, are great at forming relationships, and have the ability to recall large amounts of information, a career in pharmaceutical and medical device sales could be for you! Over the past decade, I’ve worked with quite a few professionals in or making moves to this field, and most of them have been satisfied – they enjoy their jobs, the people they work with, the changing nature of the environments, and the compensation!
If you’re one of those folks looking to make a move into this area, here are a few things to consider.
- Choose a Solid Company – Because this position requires high energy and flexibility, a solid employer will offer plenty of incentives for achieving and exceeding goals. The best employers provide assistance with goal setting and offer mentors to help their new employees succeed. Finally, it can be hard to sell a low-quality product, so be sure to select a pharmaceutical company that offers high-quality products, has a great reputation, and employs policies and procedures that make them a favorite of the healthcare companies they serve. Most of my clients who haven’t enjoyed this job are in that position because they worked for an employer with a low-quality or hard-to-sell product.
- Demonstrate Results – In sales, it’s all about the results! Strategy is important, but it’s only a skill if that strategy helps you to get somewhere! If you’re moving to pharmaceutical sales from another industry, the best way to indicate that you will also be successful for your new employer is to show results. Your resume and the answers to your interview questions should be full of them. Always ask yourself, how did my contribution move the company forward?
- Show Strong Relationship-Building Skills – Successful pharmaceutical and medical device sales professionals know how to build enduring professional relationships. This is not the type of industry in which you make the sale and walk away. On the contrary, to be successful in this role, you need to know how to build relationships, solve problems, and get past gatekeepers. You will need to position your products as real solutions to client problems. This requires research, persistence, great communication skills, and availability. Show this in your resume by highlighting your interpersonal skills and explaining how you have forged partnerships that have resulted in positive contributions to the company.
- Show That You Can Be Flexible – Successful pharmaceutical sales reps often need to change their strategy, communication style, and plans on a dime! So, if you’re aiming for this role, you need to show that you can be flexible and keep your cool under pressure. You can do this on your resume by providing context to your current employment background and showing how you’ve contributed to solutions by being flexible and keeping calm and professional.
Whether you’re looking to break into pharmaceutical sales or another field, a solid strategy can help you get there. Book a free call to learn more about how you can make your next professional leap!