How to Work in Pharmaceutical Sales

Pharmaceutical sales rep jobs are highly-competitive and demand at least a bachelor's degree in a scientific discipline. Many people looking for a job in a pharmaceutical sales force find that a master's degree is needed in order to compete with the many people seeking this high-paying job. A degree in biology or nursing can be helpful because of the medical knowledge required for the job, but any degree in a hard science can be helpful in getting pharmaceutical sales representative jobs

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

1. Contact someone in pharmaceutical sales recruitment to find out what pharmaceutical sales representative jobs are available. Recruiters often use job websites like Monster.com and other major job sites to find qualified candidates.

2. Learn as much about the pharmaceuticals that you will represent as you can. Your job will be to sell doctors on the drugs that the pharmaceutical company is asking you to sell. You will have to be able to answer the questions that a doctor will ask, particularly questions about why the drugs you are selling are better than the competing drugs and why they will be better for patients.

3. Get to know the policies of the doctors, clinics and hospitals in your area. Part of the job is to build and maintain a good relationship with your pharmaceutical customers, and breaking their sales policies can hurt that relationship. Some doctors have specific days and times that they will speak with pharmaceutical sales people. Others want sales people to make an appointment first. Still others prefer to work sales people into their schedules around their patients.

4. Go on your sales calls, bringing plenty of presentation and promotional materials. Some doctors like to see the figures in black and white. Some sales people find that giving a set presentation with charts and reading materials can be helpful in making sales. Most doctors like getting the promotional materials that come with sales calls, such as pens and notepads.

5. Familiarize yourself with the regulations that limit how much a doctor can receive from a pharmaceutical sales person to avoid breaking the law. There are restrictions in place to prevent promotional materials becoming a bribe.

6. Build new business by staying aware of new doctors and clinics that open in your area. Most pharmaceutical companies expect their pharmaceutical sales reps to bring in new business regularly.