Whenever a pharmaceutical company or healthcare professionals develop a new medical products, to ensure the market knows about its’ uses and abilities, there must be someone who can sell the product onto the market – this is where a medical sales representative is required.
The medical sales representative will be the key in negotiating and communicating with clients such as hospitals, GPs, dentists, prime care trusts and any other medical related companies. The duty of the medical sales representative would be to cold call these clients and try and pre-arrange bookings and appointments with them to discuss about the product, its benefits and its uses. The medical sales representative would have to put a presentation together and present to the client as well as bringing samples of that product for the client to see.
Like with all sales roles, the medical sales representative is no exception, they would need to build up a client relationship as well as trying to sell the product to them and maintaining a client database. It is also required for them to look for new business opportunities and development as well as keeping up to date with all the medical data and company news in order to be able to sell the products successfully.
The medical sales representative will have to maintain budgets and plan out schedules and attend daily and monthly meetings either with the client or with the company. The medical sales representative would require the person to have excellent selling skills and not necessary to have studied any medical related subjects, although it would be beneficial to have some background knowledge within these areas. In order to successfully become a medical sales representative, the person must pass the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) medical or sales representative's examinations, depending on the type of role it is and would need to be entered within the first year of work and to be completed and passed within two years.
There is always career advancements, especially if the person is performing outstandingly. The role would involve lots of travelling; however it will usually include company car benefits and an attractive salary and commission structure. The hours of work may be irregular, as appointments have to be arranged in the client’s convenience and may require the candidate to have extra storage space for products being sold. It is a role that requires excellent communication, negotiation and selling skills, the individual must be confident with the product knowledge and be dedicated with the training which can last for up to 6 months or more. The role may not be easily applied for due to the level of competition involved, but people with excellent sales record may be headhunted, it is still a role worth apply to and working for.
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