Successful Pharmaceutical Industry Strategies

Do I need a Degree?

This is without a doubt one of the most common questions that I get asked by people who would like to enter into the pharmaceutical industry:

“Is it necessary for people to have a university degree in order to get into pharmaceutical sales?”

In fact, I have received so many letters with this same question that I think it is time to address the issue.

The truth to this is that there is no correct answer. I have worked in this industry for many years and most people that I have met and worked with do have a degree.

However, do I know people working in the industry that do not have a university degree? Yes, absolutely!! In fact, many of the best sales people I know do not have a degree.

I think that for the most part a couple of generalities will hold true.

The really big pharmaceutical companies will most likely be hard-line sticklers on the degree issue and it will be more difficult to get hired by one of these companies without one. At the same time, I have met a number of people working for the Big Ten Pharmaceutical Companies chest and most successful people in the world).

There are also some really exciting areas of health care sales to think about as well. These can be both extremely interesting and extremely lucrative. Medical supply companies or medical device
companies are one example of growth areas and many of them are looking to expand. These companies will often hire people that can sell regardless of educational background.

Sales ability! This is the key. I know that I often mention the importance of sales ability, but a person really must have knowledge in this area if they are to succeed. It’s true regardless of a person’s level of education.

Let’s look at the flip side. Say someone has a degree from university. Are they guaranteed entrance into the industry?

No - absolutely not!

They need to sell on their strengths, and a degree is only a small part of this process.

I really focus on this aspect in my book which lays out a simple step-by-step method to achieve this knowledge and succeed. One of the key principles of this is to sell on your strengths - not the perceived weakness. (I say this because there are people who do not have university degrees and yet are the richest and most successful people in the world).

HIGHLIGHT WHAT YOU DO HAVE and not what you don’t have! Sell your strengths! I am sure that you have plenty.

Now let’s be clear. I am not suggesting you lie or hide the fact that you don’t have something, not for a minute. But do not highlight it or advertise it.

Let me give you a quick algorithm. Lets pretend I am a sales person in a bike store. I am with a client and am trying to sell them a bike. Would I tell them all the things my bike doesn’t have or can’t do? Of course not. I know this sounds ridiculous, but sales people have done this with me so many times. It almost appears that the sales person is trying to un-sell the product.

One summary statement on the issue!

If you don’t have a degree you still can enter into this exciting industry. However if you do not learn to sell your strengths, you will have trouble entering into the industry. The mere fact that someone has a degree does not mean that they can sell. You must learn to make someone want to hire you because of your strengths, in spite of the fact that you may not have the level of education that they prefer.

Good luck - I know that you can do it!!!

My Ebook can be found at www.pharmacareerguide.com.

Dedicated To Getting you Involved in this exciting and rewarding Industry.

Hunter Davis

© 2008, Pharma Career Guide.
www.pharmacareerguide.com

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How To Get The Job

When going in for an interview with in the pharmaceutical industry there are a number of excellent ways that you can prepare yourself for any questions that might be thrown your way!

The most common type of interview question used today is one that will require you to explain a trait that you believe will make you an excellent candidate for the position. No kidding you say! Well here is the catch!!!

Say you tell them that you are creative and think outside the box. The next question that will be thrown at you is to ask you to explain how in the last week you have been so creative and thought outside the box. So make sure that you have thought about what you are going to say when you are asked to give your strengths and weaknesses in an interview. The questioning never stops there.

For way more information, check out my book,

www.pharmacareerguide.com

There is a much more detailed explanation into this interview technique, along with lots of ways to turn questions like this to your advantage. There are also many more interesting tidbits of information to help you get a six-figure income in pharmaceuticals.

© 2008, Pharma Career Guide.
www.pharmacareerguide.com

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Landing An Interview

The other day I received a fantastic email from a man who is trying to get involved with the industry. I believe that his question was very pertinent to many others out there who are pursuing this type of sales career. He asked me to change his name and location, so I have done that.

First the letter.

——

Dear Hunter,

I appreciate your response. I will be ordering your book in a few minutes.

I have been interested in Pharmaceutical Sales and applying for jobs for eighteen months. I did land a phone interview with “a large pharmaceutical company” last year and I was so unprepared, I did not hear from them again. Last November, a head hunter called and asked if I was interested in a career with “this large pharmaceutical company”. Needless to say, I said I was. I forwarded my resume and was once again given a phone interview, which landed me my first personal interview.

I was interviewed by the regional manager from the “U.S.A” region. The regional manager for the SW region never arrived. Two days later, I received an e-mail from the SW region that I was being moved up on the interview schedule - timing was unknown for the next interview and this is the region I am interested in. I received an e-mail from the U.S.A region, several days later, saying they were not interested. This was very confusing at first.

Several years ago, I applied for a job with “MASTER” Technology out of Las Vegas. My first interview did not go well, but I kept in contact anyway. At first I faxed information to them once a month, then once a week, and then every day. Just as I was about to give up, they called and asked if I could be in New York for training in two days. I was with MASTER for a number of years before they had to file for reorganization - I left once month before the sales staff was let go.

I wanted to get back to selling capital equipment or pharmaceuticals, working with the medical profession, but no luck. I limited the number of times I sent out my resume or applied for jobs listed in the newspaper or on Monster - I just never got a response doing this.

My question to you is this - should I be “persistent” in keeping contact with “this large pharmaceutical company” ? I know that a local representative for “this large pharmaceutical company” will be at our medical clinic this coming 12th day of January.

I plan to be there. I also requested the to clinic forward my name and phone number to the representative so that I might be able to meet with them at an earlier date.

If in fact I land a job with a pharmaceutical company, with your assistance, it will be worth far more than $45.00. Wish I had you as a mentor or coach much earlier.

Regards,
John Wayne

——

There is so much in this letter that it makes a fantastic “Case presentation”. First I want to say thank you for “John” to give me the opportunity to use his letter and situation for my newsletter and also for purchasing my book.

What all of this is really trying to do is give you all the best chance to succeed in this career. Reading and researching about the industry is just going to increase the strength of your knowledge with in the industry. I know that my step-by-step method is an excellent but most importantly a fast way to gain inside information that will tip you over the edge and into a career. That way you won’t feel “unprepared”.

Next, you mention that SW regional manager never arrived. This is totally normal. These people are not only very high up in the company but they are also extremely busy.

How about a phone call to him or her to tell them that you missed them at the interview and to reschedule. I cannot stress how important someone like this is to your chance at the job. All of this puts your name to the top of the list.

So now is the time to get out and get yourself known within the industry. This and more is all outlined in my easy step-by-step method found at:
www.pharmacareerguide.com

Committed to giving you the best chance to succeed in this exciting industry.

Hunter Davis

P.S “John Wayne” you can for sure get this one. Be persistent. As ever, you have nothing to lose.

© 2008, Pharma Career Guide.
www.pharmacareerguide.com

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Sell Me a Pen!

Personally I been asked to do this in a number of interviews. In the first company I was hired by this was one of the key interview questions. I have also had this question when going for promotions or when changing divisions with in the company.

If the company or manager that is doing the hiring is looking for a person that will be able to sell the product, then why not see how well you can sell them a fictional pen. In my book found at www.pharmacareerguide.com there is an easy step-by-step sales method that you can follow.

Doing so easily will guarantee your spot in the organization. In fact my book will quickly and easily explain how to sell anything from a pen to a pharmaceutical product - but most importantly, yourself - in an interview.

To learn about how to really answer this interview question and ensure that your career gets put directly on track to make you a lot more money and more importantly an excellent lifestyle.

© 2007, Pharma Career Guide.
www.pharmacareerguide.com

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Interview Tips

The following is another excellent letter that I received from a fellow that is trying to get into the industry. I believe that these letters are essential to understand what it takes to enter this industry and pursue this career.

The letter…

——

Hunter,

Here are the questions I have to ask: What can I do to get into this industry? For your company what are the requirements, or daily tasks associated with what you do? What type of person is fit for this industry? (then I would tell him how I am fit for this)

Hunter is this good or what? Are these good questions I really wanted to make this meeting as beneficial as possible. The meeting has been moved to Thursday. I know this informal talk is big because in your book you say informal talks are like an interview although they are not labeled as that.

TME

——

From this I have to congratulate him on landing this contact and interview within the industry. He also has what really is the second interview with this company so he has already been successful with the techniques that he has learned and utilized to peak the interest of the company.

The advice that I would offer is that he really needs to follow the sales section in the book. He may be concerned with the content of the questions that he is asking. The content of the question is extremely important but the type of question.

Keep the questions open. An OPEN question is one that will require the person that is asked to really speak a lot and elaborate on the answer. I would not tell someone how you are fit for the company with out first being very clear on what that persons perception of what makes a person fit for this position. Keep them talking for the most part and they will tell you exactly what the answers are that they are looking for.

Reviewing the sales section and question types in the book will really help to give some ideas to become an expert on this technique.

Don’t rush ahead. It is such common things that people do. They are always trying to speak and let people know how great they are. Find out what others think a person would have to have that makes them great.

One of my great mentors has always said. Selling is a simple matter of uncovering an unmet need and then filling that need.

What is it that the current business unit is missing currently? What is it that is
holding them back, or if not holding them back, slowing the growth down? Once you know what that is. What is it that you will bring that will get the business unit past that hurdle.

Dedicated To Getting you Involved in this exciting and rewarding industry:
www.pharmacareerguide.com

Hunter Davis

© 2008, Pharmaceutical Sales Job.
www.pharmacareerguide.com

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A pharmaceutical sales job is also known as an “Outside Sales” Position.

People hired for an outside sales position must find customers and meet them in their own offices or places of business. You are not going to be waiting for the business to be coming to you.

So how can you make your interviewer feel comfortable that you are enough of a self-starter to get out there and hunt down business on your own?

My eBook covers many strategies to ensure that you are not only comfortable answering this question, but also prepared to focus your efforts on ensuring your responses achieve two goals:

1. Get you onto the interviewer’s “short list”
2. Land you a paying position in one of the most profitable industries in the world!

Outside sales is halfway between cold calling and a retail sales position. Cold calling can be defined as starting out from the very beginning. People who sell with cold calls have next to no sales leads. A door-to-door Encyclopedia sales person would be cold calling. It is difficult at first, but when you get good at it, this skill can take you anywhere in the world.

Pharmaceutical sales can be similar to this in many ways. For example, when you are just starting out, you will not know your clients and they will not know you. It is going to take a while to build up a relationship.

So the first time you knock on that doctor’s door, it is similar to a cold call, - although you DO know that the doctor’s patients are using pharmaceuticals, and it is a pretty good bet that the doctor is prescribing one or more drugs produced by your company.

Now that we know what outside sales experience is, how can we tailor our personal experience to get maximum results?

It is up to YOU to make sure that the interviewer sitting in front of you believes that the experience you have gathered over your working life gives you the ability to go out and be successful as an outside sales person.

In other words, your first big outside sales call is the interviewer!

Sell the interviewer on your strengths, land the position, and move into a well-paid career. The first step really is that simple!

You can have the lifestyle you want, with the income you desire. All of this comes with some well-focused work. I always say: “Work smarter - not harder.”

How do you ace this critical first sales call with your interviewer? If you’re looking for an exact step-by-step guide, you’ll find it right here:

Click here for your pharma career guide!

Happy job hunting!
-Hunter Davis

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Are you from a country other than the USA?

One question that is quite common from people first looking to enter the industry is “How relevant are these tips to people from, say, Britain or Canada, or any other country in the world? In other words, how transferable is the knowledge and skill?

During my work with in the pharmaceutical industry, I have met people from all over the world. It has become clear to me that the job that they do is very similar and transferable. Sometimes there are differences with regulations (how to get the drug to market), product names, and reimbursement issues (who pays for the drug - private or government), but for the most part the people are very similar.

The one thing that unites all of these people is that without exception, every one of them has the ability to sell. Without this skill, they could not have gotten into the place that they are in now. There is not one pharmaceutical company in the world that is not looking for people that can increase market share. The question is of course - How do we do this?

In a previous Pharmaceutical Strategy Newsletter, I discussed the importance of understanding exactly what type of sales experience this job entails. Without this knowledge you will come off as a real rookie to your potential new employer!

Regardless of your country of origin, or the country where you are living now - as long as pharmaceutical companies have offices there, people will be needed to sell these products. The skills to do this are transportable across all borders.

This information will help you land your career regardless of the country you live in. Some countries will not pay as much in pure dollars compared with the United States, but you will definitely be making a much higher wage than the average white-collar worker.

Regardless of the country you wish to work in, you must be able to collect contacts with in that country’s pharmaceutical industry. If you can get that information, you have the power to very efficiently find and target prospects, as we’ll discuss in future newsletters.

How do you get this kind of information about the corporation that you want to work for?

Here is Rule Number One that I cover in my eBook:

ASK AND YOU SHALL RECEIVE

Here’s how you can put this principle to work on YOUR career starting right now:

Click here for your pharma career guide!

Happy job hunting!

Hunter Davis

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