What does a Medical Representative Do?

A medical representative is employed by a pharmaceutical company to maximize the prescribing of that pharmaceutical company's products in a geographical area.
There are no strict formulae for how to maximize product prescribing - hard work is only part of the story and often working smarter is the key to success. This is why pharmaceutical companies are constantly looking for candidates who have the ability to think (and then put into practice) new ways of approaching sales opportunities.
As an experienced representative you will know your territory, know your customers and have a clear idea which part of your territory offers the highest potential for sales. You set yourself clear objectives for every day that you work and will know exactly what you want to achieve from each customer visit.

 

Interview Tips

Preparation, communication, enthusiasm and understanding the interviewer's requirements are the 4 key ingredients to success at interview.

Companies want to feel that they are exceptional. If you haven't thoroughly researched a position or company you will find it very difficult to persuade the interviewer that their particular position or company is the one you are looking for.
If you want to break into medical sales then you will need to have spent at least 1 day work-shadowing an experienced medical representative. This can be difficult to arrange but - if you can't persuade someone to take you out on a day's work-shadow what chance do you have of persuading a doctor to change his or her prescribing habits?
You must also understand some of the issues facing a medical representative and have developed some ideas of your own on how to tackle these challenges:
How are you going to get to see more doctors than other applicants?
How are you going to plan your territory?
What initiatives can you think of that might help you develop good working relationships with your customers?

You must be able to communicate, succinctly, why you are the best person for the position. Demonstrating a sound understanding of what the position requires and what transferable skills you already have will give you a distinct advantage. Don't expect to be taken at face value, you must be prepared to back up any claims with specific evidence from your previous experience.

Enthusiasm is probably the single most important ingredient that most pharmaceutical companies look for in their sales recruitment. You can train representatives in most things but you can't train people to be enthusiastic - you either have it or you don't!
Enthusiasm can be demonstrated in many ways.

Body language

By the amount of preparation you have done.

The vitality with which you discuss the subject of medical sales

You're overall determination to get a position with this particular company.

Remember to sell yourself for the medical sales position that is being interviewed for. You can demonstrate ambition by telling the interviewer that you are looking for a career but reinforce that you have a realistic expectation of the timescales involved. Remember, they will be trying to fill this sales territory for at least the next 2 - 3 years.

Training

Training is an essential ingredient to becoming successful in any field. Pharmaceutical sales is no exception and you will receive a comprehensive initial training program. This comprises 3 areas:

Basic anatomy and physiology

How your particular drug works

How to become a more effective salesperson