Excelling in Pharmaceutical Sales: Lessons From the Best Professionals
A career in pharmaceutical sales requires an intellectual capacity to understand the science behind your products and excellent verbal skills to communicate this information to healthcare professionals. It also demands a high level of dedication and a willingness to travel often to meet with potential customers.
Know Your Product
A successful pharmaceutical sales representative like Chris Manfuso has an intellectual curiosity and the ability to comprehend the science behind the drugs and medical equipment they sell. Strong verbal communication skills are necessary to clearly and objectively convey the potential benefits of their company’s products to healthcare providers.
Generally, drug reps must have a bachelor’s degree, typically in life sciences or healthcare business. A few colleges offer undergraduate degrees with an emphasis on pharmaceutical business, which combines courses in science and salesmanship for optimal career preparation.
The field is competitive, and the best pharmaceutical reps know how to build lasting connections with HCPs and nurture those relationships over time. They regularly visit providers to keep them up-to-date on their product lines and to establish themselves as a valuable resource for information and recommendations for patients.
Know Your Company
Pharmaceutical sales reps must be knowledgeable about the drugs they sell. This involves comprehending the intricacies of their ingredients and their impact on the human body. Additionally, they must be capable of elucidating the scientific principles underlying their product line.
This requires a strong educational background, and many pharmaceutical sales representatives pursue undergraduate degrees in pharmacy or biomedical sciences. These degrees equip them with the background information they need to effectively interact with medical professionals.
If you’re interested in becoming a pharmaceutical sales representative, start by seeking out internships with pharmaceutical companies that align with your career path. These positions will help you fine-tune your customer service skills while building industry connections that may lead to advancement opportunities down the road. Then, consider earning a professional certification in pharmaceutical sales to set yourself apart from the competition.
Know Your Competition
As new medications and treatments emerge, pharmaceutical sales professionals must stay up to date with the latest research. This understanding empowers advisors to make more informed decisions and be a valuable resource for their clients.
They also need to know how to reach different audiences. Presenting a drug to a group of middle school students will be very different from presenting to an oncology specialist or administrators with business backgrounds.
Pharma reps need to develop a clear career path. They can do this by gaining a clear understanding of what their peers are doing and how they’re doing it. Friendly competition can catalyze achievement and bolster a sales team’s performance. However, some pharma companies avoid using competition as a recruitment tool.
Know Yourself
To be a successful pharmaceutical sales rep, you must possess both excellent presentation skills and medical knowledge. Additionally, you must have strong interpersonal and relationship-building capabilities. Stamina is also essential, as many reps work long hours and may visit dozens of healthcare providers in one day.
Pharmaceutical sale is a lucrative career with room for advancement. Reps often start at the entry-level position and can earn promotions to become account executives, sales specialists, territory managers, and more.
If you’re interested in pursuing a career in pharmaceutical sales, read the guide below to learn more about what it takes to excel in this high-paying field. You’ll find steps to get started, plus tips from experts in the industry on how to build a successful career in pharmaceutical sales.
Know Your Value
As a pharmaceutical sales rep, you’ll be interacting with physicians and medical teams on an ongoing basis. It’s important to maintain relationships and continue to provide value over time.
Pharma sales professionals often receive compensation packages that include base salaries and commissions. This setup aligns financial interests with company goals and creates a win-win situation for both the employer and the representative.
Pharma companies are looking for candidates who can meet or exceed sales targets. They’ll want to see a solid track record of success. They also want reps to remain with the company for the long term. A history of job-hopping or a low GPA can be a red flag for a potential candidate.
