What Is It Like to Be a Pharmaceutical Rep?
Not less than 6 years ago, if you asked what it is like to be a pharmaceutical rep, the answers will be filled with positive words like more freedom, more money and bright future career. But right now, even those reps working with giant Pharmaceutical Companies are unsure of what lies ahead.
The news for this industry is filled with words like layoff, merger and acquisition and restructuring. That is definitely creates a different type of stories compared to previously.
But I know people like to hear the earlier version. So here it goes:
A pharmaceutical rep has a job that many people envy, especially, due to its time flexibility. But little that they know it is only true for those who are based outstation only, not for central based or manager post.
The most obvious flexible time can be seen in starting the day and ending it.
What are other things that people do not see?
They could not see the time that a rep has to spend on the road, traveling. It can take as short as a few hours and extended to a few days, depending on the call that has to be made and the number of customers they had to cover.
Talk about customers, pharmaceutical sales reps have to see one of the most elite group of people ever produce by the education system; the doctors and pharmacists. These people demand highest quality knowledge and information from the reps, and the highest respect.
Not to mention a huge stroke for their ego too!
Every call to each customer is unique and should be treated as such. But when all the preparation and hardship results in successful long term commitment, the career path is filled with good things, for example, high incentives payout, more bonus and commission.
And the flip side of the coin is just as hideous.
When a rep fail to meet his or her commitment, or usually known as the budget, things are to going to get tougher and every action of the rep is going to be scrutinized. It will make her feel like living in prison, and if one could not take it, resignation is often the best way out.
And I have not even started with the bad boss.
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About two years ago, I wrote something opposite to the topic of the article today. That year, I joined a company that sells medical devices after getting involved for almost a decade with pharmaceutical selling. I got nothing but good things to say about my move and I last for three years. Right now, I am reattached to a pharmaceutical company, and I got nothing but good things to say about this also.
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If there is one area of training that all pharmaceutical sales managers need to go through then I would recommend going through managing processes training. It is a whole lot different from managing results, like what is happening in the industry right now, and it is proven to give better return on effort too. I will set forth my argument herein and as I do, I suggest you keep an open mind, especially, if you have people reporting to you.
About two years ago, I wrote something opposite to the topic of the article today. That year, I joined a company that sells medical devices after getting involved for almost a decade with pharmaceutical selling. I got nothing but good things to say about my move and I last for three years. Right now, I am reattached to a pharmaceutical company, and I got nothing but good things to say about this also.
I have been involved with medical device sales job slightly over 3 years. That makes my total experience in this industry spans slightly over 12 years; with the rest are spent in pharmaceutical sales. In a glance, there probably is nothing different between these two segments of the industry but my experience tells me otherwise. There is no guarantee that a success in one segment is enough to catapult a person to stellar success in the other.
Why a career in pharmaceutical sales when you can find thousands of career elsewhere? Such question warrant a simple features and benefits answer which I am going to spell out herein to the best of my knowledge; having being involved in pharmaceutical industry for slightly over a decade.
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