Vital Detail Man Interview Preparation Guide

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Depending on the situation I would prefer which cycle to opt for, usually a long sales cycle as it gives enough time to know the physician and can spend time educating him about the benefits and uses of the product. However, if the physician is well-informed about the product, then short sales cycles would be more preferable.

The role of a Product Manager is

► Market Analysis
► Segment Analysis
► Competitor Analysis
► Qualitative and Quantitative research
► Planning and Preparing the marketing mix
► Delivering the marketing mix

► When did the distributor deliver the last order to the chemist
► What is the distributor frequency of visit
► What category of your drugs is the prime focus of his purchase and in what quantities
► Would you like to inform the pharmacy staff about a new drug launch
► Do you have any question about generic substitutions

The unspoken questions: How do you work? Is your work style organized or improvised? Will you fit into our culture, or be a maverick? Will we have to worry about you? Are you likeable?

Response: Tell the truth, but don't focus on minutiae. This is your chance to highlight traits that are helpful in pharma sales jobs, such as initiative, organization and the ability to follow through.

The unspoken question: Do you have the drive it takes to build your margins?

Response: Everyone says they're an eight or nine, which features job interview tips for pharma sales reps and other professionals. "But you also need to explain why you are that kind of person," he says. "Give some situations of how you're competitive both on and off the job."

The unspoken question: Are you optimistic enough to succeed?

Response: No matter what you really believe, the answer they want is yes. And prepare to give examples. "Even if you've hit a stretch of bad luck, you must find the nuggets of gold in your life,"

Marketing mix refers to the set of actions, tactics which a company uses to promote its product or brand is referred as Marketing Mix.

Your sales depend on how often you see your physicians and make contacts. To achieve maximum sales it is desirable to make maximum calls and fix the appointments. On average, any company demands around 10-12 calls a day.

A sales call of a med representative does not end like that or normal sales call. Instead it sounds like offering an option like

► Trial usage
► Repeat prescription
► Continued usage
► Extended usage
► Expanded usage

Once the client or physician identifies it requirement, it will choose one of this option.

► Try to communicate with their staff (receptionists, medical secretaries, practice nurses, etc.)
► Send him product information and literature through e-mail
► Drop literature regarding product to their clinics
► Invite him to speaker meetings and see him at CME meetings

The unspoken question: Most obviously this question is about your ability to handle authority. But your interviewer also wants to see how tactfully you handle delicate situations and how you pick your battles, both important skills in pharmaceutical sales jobs.

Response: Describe a situation where you were correct, and the (polite) arguments you made to bring the boss to your side. Make sure the result was a win-win.

The most re-warding about being med sales representative is satisfaction of helping patients and becoming a medium of providing them a lifesaving medication. Apart from that you help physician to make the right decision about the product and nevertheless you get an opportunity to see many people throughout the day.

Pros:
► It is easier to shine and advance at small pharmaceutical companies
► Small scale industries become big pharmaceutical companies very rapidly
► Small companies offer stock options as incentive to stay with them long-term
► Often smaller companies are sell out to larger companies, and the original stockholders get wealthy

Cons:
► For entertaining clients, small pharmaceutical companies do not provide significant expenses
► Territories are bigger, and you have to drive more instead of working in a limited territory

► Be clear and precise about your product
► Use Pictures, Illustrations and Drawing and if possible use PowerPoint Presentation to show product
► Support your argument with evidence like case studies or clinical trial results
► Every drug has advantages and disadvantages- do not hide any information about product
► Maintain constant communication with the physician
► Build relationship with physician and staff

The unspoken question: Companies want to know in detail how you saved and made the company money. And they want to make sure the accomplishments on your resume are really yours alone and not your team's.

Response: Be specific. You should come prepared with at least three examples of ways you personally contributed to increased pharmaceutical sales. Back up your points. Before the interview, write three specific situations in your current or previous jobs when you attained goals. Example: "I increased the sales of X with my three-part strategy of…"

Usually, a med rep carries 2-3 products and sometimes four if it is an experienced guy. Each product is responsible to a portion of the rep's sales bonus. To get bonuses paid, they have to sell all the products and meet the decided quota.

Expect interview questions that explore your knowledge and understanding of this specific job opportunity. Do your homework on the company and the position to make sure you can answer this question properly.

You need to have a clear picture of what this job involves and what is expected from the person who does it. The more you can relate what you are currently doing to these job requirements the more suitable you will appear.

Get as much detail as possible on the employment opportunity, the company and its products and parallel your experience to this. The company website is a good place to start.

The training can include

► University or school studying all the aspect of the product
► Training on field with an experienced representative
► Learning anatomy and physiology to competitor's products

Be candid about what you have found to be the most difficult aspect of pharmaceutical sales and then clearly describe how you have successfully managed this challenge. A common difficulty is getting enough time with health care professionals to properly discuss your products. Detail how you have used your initiative and problem-solving skills to effectively deal with this and get sufficient access to the customer.

80% of business comes from 20% of the people. For a given territory, your first approach should be

☛ Analyse and see the customers and their potential
☛ Gather all the data's of sales particularly in the area you are given
☛ Target those physician or customers who have bigger sales potential

This question is exploring your ability and motivation to be fully informed about your products. Keeping current with product data is essential to the job. Detail the resources you use to stay current and informed.

☛ Provide you with all amenities and tools required for job
☛ Knowledge and tips to increase sales
☛ One who can assess your potential and set realistic goals
☛ One who supports and use his knowledge and yours to bring synergetic result

Expect questions that investigate your sales ability and persuasiveness. Highlight how you found out what influenced the physician's choice of products and how you used a combination of appropriate tools to convince him or her to change to your product. Show how you used your persuasive skills, your knowledge and understanding of the product and of the physician's needs to change the perception of a product.

To convince a physician to switch on to your drug is most challenging task especially when he is happy with its current drugs.

To switch on to your prescribed drug, your first step is to

☛ Make your presence by setting small sales initially let say targeting 1 or 2 patient and target bigger later on
☛ Gain complete knowledge about the drug and observe the prescribing behaviour of physician
☛ Use your product knowledge and other tools to make physician understand your product.
☛ Once the physician show his confidence in the product, push him to prescribe your product for more patients

You need to be able to plan and organize your activities to meet specific goals.

This comes down to the old 80/20 rule. Highlight how you have set priorities based on the best return on your time investment by spending time on customers with the greatest sales potential. Detail how you were able to establish that 20 percent of customers as quickly as possible and how once you had successfully established that 20 percent you moved onto developing new customers.