So You Think You’re Cut Out For Medical Sales?

CNN Money lists Pharmaceutical Sales Representative as no. 16 among the Top 20 Jobs for America’s young and restless. A growth of 14% is projected until 2014. The survey also noted that about 90% of the medical reps in the US make USD 61,000 annually. That’s PhP2.8M in today’s exchange rate. Now, that’s still a loooot of money even by today’s standards.

A sales career is now one of the leading paths taken by young people today. Here in our country, people are both intrigued and fascinated by medical representatives (“med reps”). Reps used to be portrayed as smooth-talking and hard-drinking con artists, who’ll do anything and say anything to get a sale. But there’s a growing trend to professionalize the ranks and steps are being taken to attract the best and the brightest. Still, the stereotype has stuck.

People are turned off by sales because of various reasons:

• They don’t want to be humiliated.
  But think about it: throughout your employment, you’ll be humiliated anyway. There’s no escaping this cruel fact of the working life.

• They’re afraid of rejection.
  You’ll be rejected anyway.

• They don’t want to fool people.
  It’s not about fooling people, but being a partner, a consultant and not just a vendor. You are just giving people facts and evidence in a more exciting manner. As the slogan for the ad agency Universal McCann says, “Truth Well Told.”
• It’s a lot of work.
  See no.1. You’ll be required to work hard anyway. You just won’t get paid for it.

So, do you think you’re cut out for medical sales, or any sales job for that matter? Here are some tips that can help you make that final decision.

1. Embrace the profession
   Acknowledge that you’re in sales. Even some salespeople are in still in denial. They’ll tell you that they’re in marketing, or that they’re “sytems engineers” (salespeople for tech or IT products). Once you’ve dealt with this, you’ll learn to accept the rejections, the humiliations, customer moods and their other frailties.
2. Humble yourself.
   Being a salesperson is one of the most humbling and transforming moments of my life. But after being rejected and humbled, now begins the fun part. Having gone through the worst, you’ll soon find out that you have developed a thick skin and that this helps a lot. You’ll have more confidence and getting what you want is so much easier.
3. Improve continuously.
   There will always be a need to improve continuously if you’re in sales. But constant improvement is a requirement for us to get ahead, right?
4. Aim high.
   Some people got their start by being in sales. These people later moved on to become doctors, businessmen, celebrities, etc. Being in sales helped uncover their true passion and gave them the means to pursue their true calling.
5. Be a salesman for a day.
   Have you often wondered what’s in store for you as a sales rep? Enlist the help of a friend and ride along with him for a day. Discover the highs and lows, the sacrifices and the rewards of a salesperson’s life, and decide if this is really for you.