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Seven Sides of Pharmaceutical Selling

What does it take to be a successful pharmaceutical sales rep? According to those interviewed by Selling Power, the following seven traits in drug reps produce the best bottom-line results.

PERSISTENT Physicians today often view drug sales reps as another nuisance in their already hectic schedules. You'll have to keep coming back again and again and again before some will meet with you. And some still won't.

SELF-DIRECTED You'll be logging a lot of windshield time traveling from office to office, and if you're not capable of motivating yourself, no one else will do it for you.

INQUISITIVE Pharmaceutical training is ongoing, and there are never enough hours to learn everything you need to know. Nonetheless, you must enjoy the learning process to stay ahead of the competition.

PREPARED When you meet with doctors, you may be lucky to get 30 seconds of their time. Prepare well and you can make good use of that time. Fail to prepare and you'd better be prepared to fail.

CONFIDENT Doctors have to know their stuff, and so do you if you want to sell to them. If all the sheepskins on the wall intimidates you, go back to selling whitewalls.

ADAPTABLE Every doctor's office is different, with a unique culture and attitude. You must be able to adjust on the fly - one time selling in a low-key, laid-back office and the next in a high-pressure, combative environment.

RELATIONSHIP-ORIENTED Selling in physicians' offices can be as much about your great personality as it is about your great product. Doctors, like all customers, prefer to buy from people they like.