Why you shouldn’t hire a pharmaceutical sales rep for your medical sales job–or should you?
Pharmaceutical reps have a mostly negative image to overcome when venturing out into other medical sales areas–often deserved, but sometimes not. If you’re a hiring manager, you shouldn’t dismiss a pharma candidate out of hand–it should be a decision based on the individual, with many factors to consider. If your friendly medical sales recruiter has submitted such a candidate to you, there must be a reason. If you’re a pharma sales rep looking to move into laboratory, clinical diagnostics, biotech, medical device, or other healthcare sales jobs, you should know what you’re up against, as well as how to deal with it.
NEGATIVES:
- They’re spoiled – do they realize this is the real world where you have to work for that sale?
- Great pay- base salaries between 55-75 +20 –are they realistic about starting salaries elsewhere?
- Great benefits – you’ve got benefits, but not like Pfizer had?
- No heavy lifting – they haven’t worked as hard as your job requires
- Work in teams – are they self-motivated? Were the results really theirs, or did someone else on the team do most of the work?
- No “real” sales experience – they haven’t closed before, and don’t understand the sales process
POTENTIAL POSITIVES:
- They may have strong technical degrees (life sciences-biology, zoology, chemistry…)
- Many had tough b2b jobs in the past and excelled there
- Many are tired of delivering donuts (they get no respect) and want to really achieve success
- Many are really professional, motivated and just want a chance
What do I think, as a medical sales recruiter?
I won’t submit a candidate who has worked for more than 2 pharmaceutical companies. Why? Because they must have liked that environment in order to have stayed in it, which means that they won’t like the vastly different environment in laboratory, clinical diagnostics, medical device, biotech, pathology, or imaging sales.
I won’t consider a candidate who won’t concede that pharmaceutical sales is a detailing process, not a selling process. Why? They are disconnected with reality. Pharma reps, however successful they have been, do not follow a sales process in which they have to close a sale and ask for the business.
I won’t consider a pharma rep who is more interested in base salary than in total comp. Why? This is obvious: A great sales rep will be much more interested in sales commissions, because they expect to do well and make money off their efforts.
I won’t consider a pharma rep who can’t provide me with a manager reference (although I really won’t do this with any candidate). Why? In this day of LinkedIn, etc., it’s ridiculous to say you can’t keep in touch. That’s a red flag for me.
On the other hand, I would be interested in a pharmaceutical rep with a science degree who
(1) hasn’t been in the pharma area long and has realized it’s not the place for him/her, or
(2) has had some success with a real sales process in the past and wants to get back to it, or
(3) some combination of these with significant motivations to get out of pharmaceuticals, as well as a realistic attitude about pay and position.
Written by Peggy McKee - the medical sales recruiter
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Peggy,
I am a pharma rep and completely disagree with your “opinion” that there is no sales process involved in what I do on a daily basis. Many people have an unfair opinion that recruiters aren’t interested in their clients well being so long as they are getting paid their commission for placing the client with a job. I have been in pharma sales for a short period of time. I was previously in a B2B position selling payroll. Not only do I follow a sales process but I ask for my clients business on every call which “closes the deal.” Most of your material is well thought out and educational but you should be careful in generalizing the pharma field. I would dominate your canidates throughout the interview process because of who I am, not for who I work for.
Best,
Pat
Peggy,
I also disagree with your assessment of the pharmaceutical industry. My perspective is coming from starting my career in b2b, transitioning to pharma, then to devices. Unfortunately, you are playing into that same stereotype that exists. True, there are reps that aspire to stay under the radar, deliver lunches, and talk small talk while raking in a nice paycheck. However, you can not paint the entire industry with that brush. Or go by your rules of engagement with pharma reps. I received more robust sales training in pharma than I have anywhere else. As far as “detailing”… I had never been told to make sure you present your product and discuss all the “deails”, but whatever you do, don’t close…. Don’t ask for the business. That’s rediculous! It’s a part of every sales process to close the sale. Any good pharma rep closes. If anything, pharma reps are often more polished in there presentation skills. In a time when many of my former colleagues are getting displaced by big pharma, I hope you and other recruiters don’t snub some potentially dynamic sales people.