Send a Thank You Email (Not a Note) After Your Medical Sales Job Interview
The era of the thank you note after a job interview is over.
Well, not the actual “thank you,” just the delivery system.
It’s critically important that you thank the interviewer for the opportunity, but it’s also critically important that you get it to him within 24 hours. And a handwritten, snail-mailed note just won’t do that. Send an email.
Watch the video to see why I believe sending a thank you email quickly is so important, and find out what you need to make sure you say in that email.
The Perils of Texting (or: Can You Fix a Job Interview Thank You Note Mistake?)
One of my medical sales candidates had a great interview, and was following my advice to send a thank you note to the hiring manager as quickly as possible. BUT, she sent the thank you note on her iphone, and made a mistake. She realized after she sent the note that she had misspelled a word, and she was devastated. That’s almost as bad as misspelling a word on your resume.
Spell-check your job interview thank you notes
So, as her medical sales recruiter, I told her to go back to her computer and send another note:
“In my excitement over the job, I wanted to send you a thank you note as soon as possible. However, I realized that I misspelled ________. I’m embarrassed. It’s just not like me to make a mistake like that.” And so on. She ended the note with something positive, and the interview process went on. (In another situation, that would have ended her as a candidate for that job.)
The moral of the story: Be enthusiastic, send your thank you notes quickly, but take a breath and spell-check it before you send it. And maybe type it instead of texting it.
“Damage Control” Thank You Notes
Did you just flub your job interview? Were you awkward? Did you forget some critical piece of information that will make them want to hire you? Or did you make some other kind of job interview mistake? Whatever it was–it just didn’t go well, and you know it. But you still want the job. What do you do?
You send a thank you note.
It’s probably your only shot at damage control–your one last “Hail Mary” pass, but if it’s your only chance to fix whatever the problem was, you should take it.
On a good day, thank you notes are very important to your job interview process. On a bad day, it may be your only hope. Thank you letters show your great attitude, highlight your communication skills, and give you a chance to provide more information about why you’re a perfect fit for this job. In this case, a thank you note also highlights your ability to take in information (the interview) and provide feedback on whatever the problem was. You’re responding to an issue in a timely fashion (e-mail it, please), which is only going to improve the hiring manager’s perception of you. The ability to turn a negative situation around is one of those intangible skills you’ll need in medical/healthcare sales, and a situation like this is your chance to demonstrate it.
Need a little help? Here’s a link to guidelines and samples of thank you letters to get you started.
6 Creative Ways to Stand Out in the Job Search!
SWOT Analysis: One creative way to stand out in your job search!
Can’t get an interview?
Can’t get past the first interview?
Are you demonstrating the levels of commitment, drive, tenacity, skills and organization employers want?
Here are 6 tried and true ways to separate you from other candidates and be the candidate everyone wants to hire:
1. Preparation = SWOT Analysis:
SWOT is a strategic planning tool. It stands for Strengths (attributes helpful to achieving the objective), Weaknesses (attributes harmful to achieving the objective), Opportunities (external conditions that will be helpful to achieving the objective), and Threats (external obstacles or conditions that will harm the process). Look at the picture–it helps. Doing a SWOT analysis on the company demonstrates your drive, commitment, and skills, along with helping you create a better 30/60/90-day plan. Click here for advice on how to do one and avoid mistakes.
2. 30/60/90-Day Plan :
A 30-60-90-day plan is a short, 1-3 page outline for what you will do when you start the job. Essentially, you spell out for your future employer, in as little or as much detail as necessary, how you will spend your time–in training, learning company systems, introducing yourself to customers, and your initial plan to build sales. It demonstrates exactly how you’ll be an asset. A 30/60/90-day plan is an almost-guaranteed way to impress any hiring manager or hiring team.
Check out this audio that will tell you exactly how to present your 30/60/90-day plan to the hiring manager.
If you absolutely can’t get an interview, you could try e-mailing your 30/60/90-day plan to the sales manager. It’s an attention-getter, and it could be the key to get you in the door.
3. Video or Audio Communication -:
Send the interviewer an audio or video clip of yourself. Keep it short and sweet, and make sure you’ve checked lighting, background, and sound quality. One idea: Structure it like an elevator pitch–what can you do for the company and why can you do it?
4. Brag Book :
A brag book is a folder/ binder that you can use during your interview process to clarify your skill sets. It can include letters of recommendation, “attaboy” notes (or any notes commenting on what a good job you’ve done), staff ranking, annual reviews (if you include some, include them all), rewards letters, your resume, types of equipment you’ve used or marketed, certifications or other educational courses, any financial or PowerPoint presentations, copies of articles you’ve written, brochures you’ve helped develop, and a college transcript (though ONLY if you’re just getting out). Here’s a link to a video that explains more.
5. References :
It’s critical that you have winning references. Some people believe that references never get called, but they do. You should know how to choose a good reference, and know with stake-your-job-on-it certainty what they will say about you. You can (and should) even coach them beforehand, to help them tailor their answers to the job.
6. Follow-up/Thank You Notes :
Don’t underestimate how important thank you letters are in the job interview process. Everybody “knows” they’re critical, but unbelievably, not everyone writes them. Thank you letters accomplish several things:
- They get your name in front of the hiring manager one more time.
- They are your last chance to package yourself as the best, most qualified person for the job.
- They are polite, and manners count.
- They can be an example of your ability to take in information (the interview) and process and provide feedback or new ideas about whatever the problem was. For example: “I thought about your concerns about how to handle xyz delivery issues, when I was a product manager at ABC corporation, we used………”
(See what I mean?)
Handwritten thank-yous are nice, but e-mail thank yous are fast. Sometimes, hiring decisions are made quickly, so a timely note can be critical.
I know these things will help you become an outstanding candidate!
If you need more personalized help, please see my custom consulting page. If you’re really having trouble, a fresh pair of expert eyes can point out issues or problems that are keeping you from getting the job you want.
Thank You Notes for the Medical Sales Job Search
Everybody knows that you’ve got to send a thank you note after your interview, and yet I continue to be surprised by how many people don’t. They really do make you stand out from the crowd, and they give you another opportunity to point out a key item or two in your favor…it should always be substantial. But do them quickly.
E-mail thank you notes are entirely appropriate. Handwritten thank yous are of the past. They work only if you can get them out on the exact same day, because speed is a strength here. Still, you should send an e-mail one because there are hiring decisions that happen while the post office still has your letter.
(Didn’t get the address? Google the interviewer: *@thecompanyname.com. For instance, *@phcconsulting.com would get you my address and everyone who works here.)
Send Your VP of Sales and Marketing a Thank You Note
Many sales reps who spend time with upper-level people in their organization (they go on a few sales calls with you, they sit down with you to talk, etc.) feel intimidated and as if they are wasting that person’s time. Don’t feel that way. They don’t. If you are a rising star in your organization, they look at spending time with you as an investment. It’s part of their job to help groom the next generation.
So, here’s one of the things I want to encourage: if someone from management comes to work with you, send him or her an e-mail thank you note within 24 hours of the visit. (Thank you letters aren’t just for job interviews and customers.) Say something like:
“I really appreciate your taking the time to come and work with me. I enjoyed getting to introduce you to some of my key customers, and they enjoyed the opportunity to interface with someone in our company in a larger capacity. I learned a lot from you, I enjoyed the time, and it just reminded me that I should send you a note and say how much I appreciate the opportunity to work here at XYZ Company. If there’s ever anything that I can do for you, either in sales, customer service or anything else, please don’t hesitate to tap me on the shoulder. I’ll do whatever I can to assist.”
A letter like this can be a career-defining moment for you. So, I’m just encouraging you that if your VP of Sales and Marketing comes to visit, or your Director who’s over the Regional Sales Manager comes to visit, write that thank you note and copy it to your manager. It’s a complete positive for you. It is one of the things that significantly raises your visibility within your organization and will pay off for you down the not-too-distant road in every area of medical sales: laboratory sales, medical device sales, biotechnology sales, clinical diagnostics sales, hospital equipment sales, imaging sales, surgical supplies sales, pathology sales, or pharmaceutical sales.
(Besides…it’s just nice. Wouldn’t you like to get a thank you from someone you’ve helped?)
Thank You Notes for Medical Sales
medical, sales, recruiter, hiring, laboratory, job, thank you note
Andrea Nierenberg often offers some of my favorite pieces of advice. One of the latest I’ve found is “Eight Key Ways to Say Thank You to Customers.” Good manners are always important, and they have always been an essential part of good customer service and relations. (They’re not just for job interviews.) And in our current era of economic downturn, they just might be your edge in medical sales, laboratory sales, clinical diagnostics sales, hospital equipment sales, surgical supply sales, imaging sales, pathology sales, medical device sales, or biotechnology sales.
Thank you notes don’t necessarily have to be handwritten—a quick e-mail can work equally as well. This is one of those classic instances when “it’s the thought that counts.”
Andrea’s 8 opportunities to say “thank you”:
1. When customers do business with you, every time.
2. When they compliment you.
3. When clients offer comments or suggestions. (Andrea says this is an incredible buying signal.)
4. When customers try something you recommend. (Different wording than just when they buy from you.)
5. When customers recommend you.
6. When customers are patient, or not so patient.
7. When clients say “no” to you.
8. When customers make you smile.
All of these have suggestions for what to say in your note. It’s well worth the read.
Job interview tip: Don’t forget the thank you letter
Don’t underestimate how important thank you letters are in the job interview process. Everybody “knows” they’re critical, but unbelievably, not everyone writes them. Thank you letters accomplish several things:
1) They get your name in front of the hiring manager one more time.
2) They are your last chance to package yourself as the best, most qualified person for the job.
3) They are polite, and manners count.
4) They help you land the job.
5) They can be an example of your ability to take in information (the interview) and process and provide feedback or new ideas about whatever the problem was. For example: I thought about your concerns about how to handle xyz delivery issues, when I was a product manager at ABC corporation, we used………
(See what I mean?)
Here’s a link for tips on how to write a thank you letter. Written ones are ideal (but snail mail may not get to the manager before the decision to hire or not hire), but e-mail thank yous are perfectly acceptable (and I think most valuable because of their timing). Any thank you letter will put you ahead of the pack in your search for a job in sales, marketing, or managment for medical sales, DNA sales, pharmaceutical sales, clinical diagnostics sales, laboratory sales, medical supplies sales, medical equipment sales, pathology sales, imaging sales, or biotech sales.
Thank you notes after any interview!! Every time!!
I have a great medical (laboratory or pharma or device or capital equipment) sales candidate who is probably not going to get the job. Why? Because he had a phone interview and did not send a thank you note. The manager set up a face to face interview and the candidate did not send a thank you after that! The manager feels that if the candidate won’t communicate well with him, then they won’t communicate well with their customers (either). Good point. Please don’t let this happen to you.
Also, thank you notes via email are always appropriate. By the time a manager gets the hand written note, he may have decided you weren’t that responsive. This is the age that we live in……
P.S. If you happen to interview via video, remember to send a thank you note for that, too.
Is an emailed “thank you” note okay (after an interview)???
I have seen some articles where the authors felt that it must be a written note, and others that point out that it doesn’t matter how it’s delivered, just that it’s done. (Here’s a great form to follow for thank you notes.) I think that e-mail is fine. Most of the hiring managers I deal with in pharmaceutical and biotech sales are on the road, and snail mail doesn’t get to them in the lightning fast mode of communication that they are used to…..An email thank you gives you a chance to show your speed of response and to copy others on that response.
(This is a new and improved version of a post I did in December.)
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