Tips and Tricks

The information that follows is the first page of the “Tips and Tricks to Get Your Foot in the Door” Chapter in Secrets of Breaking Into Pharmaceutical Sales.

Tips and Tricks to Get Your Foot in the Door

Summary

In this chapter, we will provide you with several proven strategies on how to “Break into Pharmaceutical Sales” through networking. This chapter includes ways to find pharmaceutical sales representatives, methods and scripts on how to approach pharmaceutical sales representatives, questions to ask during your appointments, and other ways to break into pharmaceutical sales. Your networking should focus on four critical areas: pharmaceutical representatives, answering job postings, job boards, and working with recruiters.

To become good at networking, you must ask, “Who do you know?” and “Do they know anyone else?” Remember this valuable saying:

It’s not WHO you know, but who THEY know!

Personal Contact

To set yourself apart from your competition, you must take the extra time to establish personal contacts within your network. Use the phone, schedule appointments, make lunch dates, and write thank you notes. Use your creativity to get noticed and be professional in your approach. People like to help their friends. Maintain a positive, upbeat, persistent attitude and remain patient.

Why do you want to speak to a sales representative or district manager?
Speaking with a pharmaceutical sales representative or district manager is probably the best way to break into the industry. You want to build a relationship with existing pharmaceutical sales representatives and district managers for several reasons. First, a referral from a representative to their manger is golden. The referral usually carries more weight than a resume from any other source. Second, they know the industry and might be able to provide you with a list of contact names (i.e., other sales representatives, hiring managers, or recruiters) or existing or potential open positions.
Your goal in meeting with a pharmaceutical representative or district manager is to learn as much as possible about the pharmaceutical industry and evaluate this opportunity as a potential career move. If possible, ask the representative for permission to ride with them to see what their typical day is like (if you are able to ride with a sales representative, use this information in future interviews). While observing the sales representative, ask questions about the industry, company, products, sales techniques and express why you are interested in pharmaceutical sales. While this is not a formal interview by any means, the impression you leave with this sales representative will influence their decision to refer you to their hiring manager.

How do you contact pharmaceutical sales representatives?
Who are they and how do I meet them? The answer to both of these questions is your network. Your network with the people listed in the following sections that personally know the representatives or medical professionals that have regular contact with…