Many say that medical sales is the 800-pound gorilla when it comes to sales careers. It pays very well and the career path can be stratospheric. Which is why everyone will be vying for that one medical sales post you’ve applied for. Say what? You have no sales experience? In that case, you’ve got a tough hill to climb, for you’ll be competing with degreed, experienced pros. So game on. Here’s what you’ll need to get on the short list of candidates.
Research, Research, Research
As a medical sales pro, you’ll be doing a ton of research, so get used to it. Research the sales job you are applying for. Find out exactly what the employer is looking for. Mine your contacts in the medical sales industry. If you’re lucky enough to know someone who works for the company (in any capacity) drill them for info. Put what you’ve learned in your resume and use it to prep for the interview.
Hone Your Personal Sales Philosophy
This goes beyond your basic elevator pitch. In a few sentences, you should be able to succinctly explain your sales philosophy. Capsulize what you learned about sales and customers from your ride along and shadowing (see below) as well as your reasons for wanting to be a salesperson. What would you bring to the job? Your approach to dealing with customers? Handling objections and closing them? Tie in a story about how you convinced someone to buy something from you. Practice this with a colleague and hone your phone interviewing skills. That initial phone call (if you’re lucky enough to get one) can make or break your chances of getting an interview.
Do a “Ride Along” and Shadow a Pro
Recruiting coach Peggy McKee suggests job applicants can learn much from “ride alongs and shadowing.” If you know a medical sales rep (or any sales rep), ask him or her if you can job shadow them and go for a ride-along. See how they approach selling, how they handle customers, and how they overcome objections. Learn the tech-sales speak of the job and load up your resume with keywords that will be picked up by computerized tracking systems. Your resume should be heavily focused on sales and stress any technical or med-tech degrees you have or classes you took.
Take an Entry-Level Post
Don’t overlook the advantages of getting your foot in the door with an entry-level position. Even if it’s an internship that pays very little. The on-the-job training you’ll be getting will be worth it. Many companies have internship programs. If the hiring manager sees that you’re motivated with a positive attitude, you may get in on the ground floor. If you want a shot at getting into pharmaceutical sales (everyone does), The National Association of Pharmaceutical Representatives (NAPR) has designed a special certification program named CNPR.
If you have a degree from a fine school and you prepare, practice and plan your job hunting skills, you may be able to land that first medical sales job.
Image courtesy of Ambro/FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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