Career Advancement Tips for Pharmaceutical Sales Reps

Whether you’re just starting out as a pharmaceutical sales representative or you are a seasoned veteran in the field, there are several things you should know to help you on your journey.

Continue reading to learn what it takes to become a successful pharmaceutical sales representative and discover helpful tips to advance your career.

The rapidly growing biopharma industry needs leaders to manage sales forces at the local, district and regional levels. If you want to pursue a management position in sales, you will have to develop the leadership skills required for mentoring and developing less experienced sales reps.

You can also advance in the pharmaceutical sales industry by moving into larger markets, as well as marketing a larger number of different medications. Here are a few vital career advancement tips for pharmaceutical sales professionals.

As an entry-level pharmaceutical sales representative, you can expect to work for a drug manufacturer. Your primary job responsibility entails presenting drug information and marketing materials to healthcare professionals that are licensed to prescribe medications.

You will interact with specialists, general physicians and pharmacists to explain new products, as well as ascertain the demand for the drugs in the current pharmaceutical industry pipeline. Pharma sales reps also submit expense reports and manage customer information by using advanced databases. If you’re looking to break into this competitive industry, try searching job boards specifically tailored to biopharma.

This is not an office job, as you will spend most of your time out of the office commuting to hospitals, medical clinics and physician practices. Appointments are typically made during normal business hours.

However, the completion of government-mandated paperwork will require you to work a few nights during the week. You might also have to travel at night to reach different markets.

The minimum education requirement for a pharmaceutical sales representative is a bachelor’s degree, preferably in sales or marketing. A bachelor’s degree in a scientific or healthcare specialty is also an option for aspiring pharma sales reps. Numerous universities offer specialized programs that include a bachelor of science in pharmaceutical marketing.

Professional skills required to thrive as a pharmaceutical sales representative include strong sales and communication skills. You will have to possess the level of interpersonal skills that allow you to build personal and professional rapport with the healthcare professionals that are responsible for prescribing FDA-approved medications.

It might not appear to be the right time to set career goals, but when you start as an entry-level sales representative, you should at least have a general idea about how you want your career to progress.

You do not have to put time limits on when you want to advance as a pharmaceutical sales professional; you just need to craft a rough draft of where you want to go and how you plan to get there.

Although it is important to learn from other professionals in this field, the bottom line is you will not get to where you want to go unless you create your own unique career path.

For example, starting as a pharma sales rep can lead to advancing into other positions other than management. You might want to work as a pharmaceutical sales professional to acquire a fundamental understanding of different medications. After a few years, you may decide to go back to school to earn a degree that helps you become a licensed pharmacist.

Just because you will market products that consumers need does not mean every sales pitch will be accepted by a healthcare professional.

You can expect to go through the ups and downs of a sales position. Learning how to rebound after a day of no sales is a key component to advancing in the pharmaceutical industry. You will also have to be resilient to handle the long hours on the road that takes you to different sales markets.

Pharmaceutical sales representatives who advance quickly are willing to sacrifice personal time to improve their professional credentials. This means traveling often to reach as many customer prospects as possible.

The more you travel, the more contacts you will establish with prospective buyers. Because of the need to travel as a pharma sales rep, you will have to master the art of time management.

If there is one thing that is common for virtually every career, it is the development of a mentor-protégé relationship.

As an entry-level pharmaceutical sales representative, developing a personal and professional relationship with a mentor will enable you to improve your skills, as well as learn about how to establish lasting relationships with healthcare professionals. Your mentor will also provide you with tips on how to close sales, as well as knowing when to move on to the next prospective customer.

Networking with your professional peers will go a long way in determining how you advance in the pharmaceutical industry. From trade shows to medical facility open houses, meeting new contacts within the industry can help you establish the type of professional connections that eventually lead to plenty of career advancement options.

Organizations such as the National Association of Pharmaceutical Representatives and the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) are two excellent networking options for sales reps that want to advance in the pharmaceutical industry.

Having a fundamental knowledge about the drugs you market is a good start for entry-level pharma sales reps. However, to advance into larger and more lucrative markets, you should enhance your education profile by pursuing a master’s degree or a Ph.D. in a specialized scientific field.

For advancing into different management positions, an MBA will help you develop the type of management and leadership skills required to oversee a large sales force.

Finally, a list of career advancement tips for pharma sales professionals is not complete without a mention of longevity. Success as a sales rep means you need to stay with a drug manufacturer long enough to enhance your professional credentials as well as establish the type of networking relationships that will keep your career on track.