If you're a recovering pharma rep looking to get into a more
stable area of medical sales (or someone who's looking to get into medical sales from another field), start by doing everything you can to become the strongest medical sales candidate.
Salespeople (in
all areas of medical sales, pharmaceutical sales, laboratory sales, clinical diagnostics sales, DNA products sales, biotechnology sales, imaging sales, pathology sales, or medical supplies and equipment sales) are good at having these numbers at hand, but people in marketing, tech support or service areas in healthcare will need to work harder.
Objective — Put current qualifications to use to further enhance sales skills and acquire higher professional practice in
the area of medical sales.
The upshot is that for
some areas of medical sales, a science background is a plus, but not always required.
Women are underrepresented in
all areas of medical sales, so the fact that men account for 81 % of capital equipment respondents shouldn't be all that surprising.
All areas of medical sales have their own key events that sharp sales reps should be at.
It is one of the things that significantly raises your visibility within your organization and will pay off for you down the not - too - distant road in
every area of medical sales: laboratory sales, medical device sales, biotechnology sales, clinical diagnostics sales, hospital equipment sales, imaging sales, surgical supplies sales, pathology sales, or pharmaceutical sales.
-LSB-...] Pharma reps are already the least respected of
all areas of medical sales — behind pharma revenue, biotech sales, clinical device revenue, imaging sales, laboratory sales, and clinical diagnostics sales.
The industry's going downhill fast for sales reps.. Other
areas of medical sales (laboratory sales, clinical diagnostics sales, medical device sales, biotech sales, imaging sales, pathology sales — just about any other area of healthcare sales) are more stable, less tied to the economy, more respected, and more appealing if you really like the sales process.
And why do I think that almost
any area of medical sales (imaging sales, pathology sales, clinical diagnostics sales, research lab sales, medical device sales) is better than pharma sales?
They are a critical part of your job interview in
every area of medical sales, laboratory sales, biotech sales, medical device sales, imaging sales, pathology sales, and pharmaceutical sales.
The one
area of medical sales that does tend to be tied to the economy is pharmaceutical sales.
Because, when the rubber meets the road on the first phone interview with the recruiter, and the first phone interview with the company, if you don't do well with those two things... it doesn't really matter how well - trained you are in
any area of medical sales, laboratory sales, biotech sales, medical device sales, or pharmaceutical sales.
A nurse who has good communication and interpersonal skills and is willing to work for it has an excellent opportunity to transition into an exciting, rewarding new career in
any area of medical sales, like medical device, biotech, laboratory, research products, imaging, hospital equipment, surgical supplies, clinical diagnostics, or pharmaceutical sales.
Pharmaceutical reps are already the least respected of
all areas of medical sales — behind laboratory sales, biotech sales, medical device sales, imaging sales, pathology sales, and clinical diagnostics sales.
In
all areas of medical sales, laboratory sales, biotech sales, clinical diagnostics sales, medical software sales, medical equipment sales, medical device sales, hospital equipment sales, imaging sales, pathology sales, DNA products sales, and pharmaceutical sales, you need to think about where you are (and where you want to be) in the market.
I am a big proponent of job shadowing (aka ride - alongs, ride - withs, or preceptorships), and not just for entry - level medical sales candidates — it's a fantastic strategy for candidates who are moving from one
area of medical sales to another.
One thing about pharmaceutical sales: it's very different from all other
areas of medical sales (laboratory sales, clinical diagnostics sales, medical supplies sales, medical equipment sales, surgical supplies sales, imaging sales, biotechnology sales, cellular / molecular products sales, medical device sales, hospital equipment sales, imaging sales, etc.).
Pharmaceutical sales reps often run into trouble when they try to transition into
another area of medical sales because of their pod sales experience.
There are two basic types of sales that occur in
all areas of medical sales, which includes clinical diagnostics sales, laboratory sales, pharmaceutical sales, imaging sales, DNA products sales, cellular / molecular products sales, medical equipment sales, surgical supplies sales, hospital equipment sales, pathology sales, or biotechnology sales.
So, the upshot is that for
some areas of medical sales, a science background is a plus, but not always required.
My take on it is that if you have a science degree and sales experience, you should definitely look into
another area of medical sales... like laboratory sales, clinical diagnostics sales, medical device sales, hospital equipment sales, imaging sales, pathology sales, or biotechnology sales.
Second, all of
the areas of medical sales (laboratory sales, clinical diagnostics sales, biotech sales, DNA products sales, cellular products sales, molecular sales, hospital equipment sales, imaging sales, surgical supplies sales, medical device sales, pathology sales, histology, medical software sales), pharmaceutical sales is the most volatile and the least respected — partly because pharmaceutical sales reps as a whole (though there are exceptions) bring the least value.