Have you been actively pursuing everything possible to start a
new career in medical sales and feeling frustrated because it seems you aren’t getting anywhere quick? Are you close to giving up your dream?

The biggest problem that I have seen over my 30 plus years
in recruiting is that most people don’t really know how to
be  objective and honest with themselves.

LETS BE HONEST!
Human Nature forces us to only see what we want to see and most of the time we just close an eye to what’s right in front of us. I believe that everybody needs a professional opinion, and more importantly guidance from either a career coach or veteran recruiting professional who has the insight and experience to give you the real facts.

 Most of the greatest golfer in the world have a swing coach or a knowledgeable caddie by their side for advice and support.
There are excellent experts out there who can support your
career efforts if you are committed to making it happens.

Feel free leave a mesage here on our blog and we’ll offer recommendations.
tweet us at www.twitter.com/ralphsteeber

Some people have it.  Others don’t.  A handful of charismatic reps simply know how to charm the apathetic, convert the resistant and quickly develop the relationships needed to succeed in the pharmaceutical industry.  In other words, these reps have an ability to establish “rapport.”

            Sometimes rapport comes easily, like when you see a photo of a doctor’s sailboat and you happen to be an avid sailor.  Sometimes rapport is more difficult.  For example, you can probably think of several physicians who have never warmed up to your presence—even though you’ve given it your best shot.

            This article provides five proven strategies for taking your rapport-building skills to the President’s Club level.  As you will see, the ability to develop rapport is not only an innate talent, but also a skill that can be learned, practiced and perfected. 

Strategy #1: Quickly Establish Similarities

Some of the most charismatic reps are masters at quickly finding similarities between themselves and others. Are you meeting a physician for the first time?  Are you having challenges connecting with an office member?  Reps who have the ability to quickly bond with others have a natural tendency to find commonalities. 

“The essence of trust building is to emphasize similarities between you and the customer.”

Thomas J. Watson

Founder, IBM

Almost any similarity has the potential to ignite a spark.  One rep had a hard time connecting with a physician.  The rep said, “No matter what I did, the physician seemed to have a general disinterest in what I had to say.”  After asking the staff for background on the physician, she discovered a similarity—both were married to men from Germany.    During her next lunch, the rep brought up the similarity.  It sparked a great conversation and the beginning of a strong relationship.  “Now,“ said the rep, “I look forward to seeing her and she looks forward to seeing me. It’s amazing how one little thing has helped us bond.”

When you uncover things you genuinely have in common with physicians and office staff—hobbies, background, beliefs—you will find yourself drawn to them.  In turn, they will be drawn to you.  Similarities create relationships. 

Strategy #2: The Popularity Factor

Have you ever been at a party when a stranger walks into the room and a friend says, “Oh, there’s Pete… he’s such a great guy”?  What’s your new impression of Pete? You probably feel that Pete is a great guy—even though you’ve never met him!

The same process happens in offices. What happens when the receptionist says, “Oh, there’s Michelle, she’s our favorite rep”? Now everyone is on your side.  People follow the lead of others.  If the receptionists like you, the nurses will like you.  If the nurses like you, the doctor will like you.  Popularity is contagious.

Becoming appreciated by the total office pays off in countless ways.  You’re treated with respect; you’re given priority for lunches and appointments; you’re provided superior access.  In the meantime, you create enduring relationships.

            Here are a few ways to put the power of popularity on your side:

Ÿ  Send a signal. When a doctor sees that you are popular with the lab tech, popular with the receptionist, and popular with the nurses—there’s only one conclusion the doctor can make: you must be a pleasure to deal with!  Now the physician is more open to a relationship with you. 

Ÿ  Jot it down.  Remembering names and personal details of office staff members is one of the most powerful things you can do.  When you know someone’s first name, they know you care.  One rep said, “I jot down the names of office staff and one thing I discover about each person I encounter.  It’s amazing what a difference it makes.”

Ÿ  Everyone counts. Treating everyone in the office with respect is not only the right thing to do, it’s also a smart business decision.  I asked one area manager why her top-performing rep won President’s Club several times.  The manager said, “She is nice to everyone.  She treats the receptionists with as much respect as the physicians.  You should see it.  They want to help her.”

Strategy #3: Mirror Nonverbal Behavior

Can you build relationships by “matching and mirroring” the body language of physicians?  Proponents of the matching and mirroring theory say that if you match the body language of your physicians, they will feel a bond with you. For example, if the doctor takes a relaxed posture, you should take a relaxed posture; if the doctor speaks slowly, you should speak slowly.

Does it work? Could something so simple really be effective? In one study, reported in The Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, researchers helped waiters match and mirror the behavior of their customers.  Tips were increased by 60%. In a separate study, subjects who were “mirrored” consistently reported their interactions to be smoother and more pleasant. 

This strategy of matching and mirroring is particularly helpful when you feel your personal style of self-expression is at odds with the physician.  Trent Sanders, a specialty rep in Columbus, Ohio, reported how he resolved personality differences with his physicians.  He said the following:

 “I have a very expressive personality.  I gesture.  I talk quickly.  I can be pretty dramatic.  I’ve noticed, especially when I’m with a shy physician, that if I match the physician’s nonverbal behavior, the interaction is more successful.” 

            When you’re really good—when the physician is totally in sync with you—you will notice that the physician mirrors your body language.  When you fold your arms, he will fold his arms.  When you sit at a certain angle, he sits at the same angle. That’s when you know you have rapport.

Strategy #4: Feel Free to Compliment

Think about the last time someone gave you a really nice compliment. Now, think about the person who complimented you.  How do you feel about that person? You probably recall positive thoughts and feelings.

Compliments are wonderful things. Not only do they help people feel good about themselves, but they also help speed the rate at which relationships develop. So the question is—are you integrating compliments into your day?

“There are two types of people—those who come into a room and say, ‘Well, here I am,‘ and those who come in and say, ‘Ah, there you are.’”

Frederick Collins

While shopping in Mexico one day, a one vendor called out to me, “Hey Hollywood movie star, come look at my stuff.”  Although I look nothing like a Hollywood movie star, the compliment made me like the vendor.  I purchased some of his products.  One study published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology showed that compliments increase liking, even when the compliment is perceived to be inaccurate!

The point, of course, is not to provide insincere compliments, but to realize that sincere compliments are incredibly powerful tools for building relationships. Is the receptionist wearing an attractive bracelet?  Let her know. Do you like the nurse’s new hairstyle? Tell her. Do you find that the physician is more articulate than most? Make it a compliment.  When you get into the habit of complimenting people, you will be surprised at how they gravitate toward you.  In the process, you develop stronger relationships.

Strategy #5 : Make Some Mistakes

University of California psychologist, Dr. Eliot Aaronson, has shown that we are attracted to competent people, but we are likely to form relationships with people who also show a vulnerable side. 

When I first started my career in pharmaceutical sales, I became friends with a very popular rep named Glen.  Glen wasn’t the typical rep.  In fact, some people jokingly called him “scatter brained.”  Nevertheless, Glen was a top performer.  People loved him for his personality. Although he was extremely bright, he was always making fun of himself.  He had an amazing ability to smile and laugh at his own behavior.  As I think about him now, it makes me grin.

Have you ever noticed how people warm up to you after you share a funny story about yourself, especially when you share a story about one of your more comical mistakes?  It helps them relate to you.  It let’s them know that you’re human.  If you want to form bonds more quickly, make sure that your offices see your human side. Use self-deprecating humor. Share one of your occasional blunders.  And of course, never be afraid to admit that you made a mistake, or don’t know an answer.

Conclusion

Rapport is one of the essential ingredients that separates good reps from great reps. The good news is that everyone can learn the skills they need to build rapport with their doctors – even the challenging ones!  As you apply the principles in this article, you will begin to notice yourself meeting more people, creating more connections and developing the type of relationships that make pharmaceutical sales enjoyable.

TEXT BOX:

“Rapport: relation marked by harmony, conformity, accord, or affinity”

- Merriam-Webster Dictionary

Please note that this article was written by two authors,
Scott Edwards and Sarah Taylor.   

Scott Edwards is the author of the new book, Pharmaceutical Sales Solutions, a guide packed with insider secrets for gaining access and selling to busy physicians.  For two FREE chapters from his book—go to www.GreatPharmaReps.com

Prepared by: Ralph Steeber, CPC

I have reviewed thousands of resumes during my 30 plus years in sales recruiting.  There have been many books and online articles produced over the past 10 years about how to write the perfect resume and it still amazes me how many poor and ineffective resumes are being produced.

Individuals in the Sales Profession need to present three very important elements to get noticed by employers: (1) who do you work for; (2) what do you sell; (3) how good are you? Many people just put name of company and expect someone to know who it is (that’s Ok if you work for Xerox or Proctor & Gamble) so placing a short thumbnail summary is very beneficial. (2) Tell them what you sell and who are your customers and contacts. (3) List your accomplishments over the past 2-3 years only.  (nobody cares what you did 10 years ago)

We all know that your resume only gets a quick 15 second visual scan. So, if it isn’t easy to read and have the key ingredients above, more often than not, it’s going in the ”not interested  file.

To be successful and get selected for more phone followups and potential face to face interviews, remember to make sure your resume has the “who, what and how” factors.

Searching for a job isn’t as difficult as it used to be. With the Internet at your disposable 24X7, the searching process has become much easier. Now you can locate jobs that interested you and send your resume via Internet  from the comforts of your living room.

Since job postings are online, it’s important that you teach yourself in the finer points of online job searching. If you’re not tuned in to the nitty-gritty of job searching online, you might find yourself getting frustrated and overwhelmed.

Once you’re online, start with niche job sites in your specialty, the biggest job boards can be cumbersome. To find the most number of job listings you might consider using sites such as Indeed and simply hired. They pull from all sites, newspapers and companies. Once you have spent a few hours you should get a good feel of where to spend your time most effectively.

Register your profile and resume with as many job agencies as possible. This also can be done online today. Once the recruiting firm reviews your background and feels you qualify for clients they represent they will be on the lookout for an opportunity that matches your requirements. The key to success in searching for a new career is to utilize all the options available.

While you are online surfing for a job, you may come across opportunities where your experience level may be slightly more or less than what they are asking for or your area of expertise may be a little different. Give it a shot, take a chance, go ahead and respond because they may want to interview you based on your experience and overall qualifications.

Do not send every job you respond to the same resume. Make changes that reflect your experience as it pertains and speak to the job in question. Customize your job resume to meet the requirements of each company according to their needs. Dress up your skills in such a way that it shows your biggest strengths.

And to make the necessary first impression you must read and re-read your resume. Make sure it’s right. Have a friend review if possible. A second set of eyes is always best. Do not have any grammatical errors. That’s the surest way to the proverbial trash can.

 

 

Always follow up if possible to see if your application has been received by the recruiter or company you have applied to and send a follow email saying you’re still interested in the job.

effectively using the online technology is the 21st century way but never forget to keep networking. GOOD LUCK!

Many jobseekers are not aware that Medical Sales Marketplace offers numerous product levels that can impact their career path. Because of the vast multifacets of the industry, knowing where you are is important so you don’t get trapped or become stagnate.

The Five Basic Product Sales Levels are: (1) Pharmaceuticals (2) Disposables (3) Medical Devices (4) Small Equipment (50K-500K) (5) Large Equipment (500K-5 million)

Most people who begin their career without having past medical sales experience start in levels 1 or 2 depending on experience and many times “who they have worked for”. Once accomplished, after 3-4 years you need to evaluate yourself and determine if you like what you do and can be challenged, plus earn the type of money to keep you happy.

Choosing the right first job isn’t always possible because generally you’re just excited to “Get a Job in Medical Sales” and when given the first offer the answer is “YES”.

If that’s the case, you need to periodically evaluate your career, determine whether you can stay the course, be happy for a long time or start checking out your options in higher levels. Unfortunately, in my 30 years of recruiting, I have seen too many people get content, wait too long, then when the light finally goes off it’s often too late.

Once you get over 3 years in any level, both money and options to be a “Choice A Candidate” to that hiring employer, becomes less and less with each passing year.

When making career changes, to sell yourself you have to offer either product or market knowledge to command attention from hiring managers and companies. Of course demonstrating sales accomplishments over the past 2-3 years is also very important. Anything more than that is irrelevant and nobody usually cares what you did 7-8 years ago.

So my advice is to periodically evaluate your career path and future with your current employer and keep an open ear to other options when they present themselves. If you would like a professional evaluation of your employment path and advice on possibilities for future options send your resume to admin@medicalreps.com

Thanks to better technology, more companies and people are conducting job interviews and screening via video.

The good news about this new media is that it can provide a quick and easy platform to introduce yourself and sell your strengths, experience and personality to others before ever meeting face to face.

Now don’t get me wrong, the personal face to face interview will still be the way that employers hire. Video interviewing basically offers a stage allowing you to get your foot in the door.

An important rule is “don’t forget that people are evaluating you” so be prepared and ready.

Always dress the part based on the type of job you’re looking for, it never hurts to be safe and wear the proper business attire. First impressions are always very important.

Maintain eye contact and don’t gaze off into the distance while videoing and always present a professional demeanor.

It’s good practice to practice. Have someone assist you in making your personal video and review it to see if you have any little quirks thatneed corrected.  Also observe whether you’re speaking clearly and boldly.

If you have experience, comments or suggestions, please register and share your experiences. We appreciate that!

Thanks from the staff at Medicalreps

A Recruiter’s job is to find the “best person” for a position. Recruiters in general or specialty agencies are better known as Headhunters and specialize in matching a candidate’s skills, experience and personality to a particular job.  Companies who want pre-qualified matches for their critical openings hire Recruiters to assist them in finding the best people.

The truth is this, although we would like to believe that “the age factor” should have nothing to do with whether you get consideration most companies do care. 
If you’re making a 180 degree career change (example) spent 18 years in Industrial Widget Sales and you want to transfer those skills to Medical Sales it’s probably not going to happen unless the hiring manager is your brother-in-law.

 It has been my experience that the “un-written rule” is generally mid 30’s OR 10-12 years removed from college as a benchmark no matter what your track record or field.

It’s not that anyone feels you can’t learn or do the job it’s simply a matter of FIT. Most hiring managers feel the person that fits better regarding money being offered, different sales habits and style, overall chemistry with the sales team is dependent on age. 
Even though you bring great sales experience, desire and determination there are younger jobseekers that possess what’s necessary. The rule is that if a company (in their mind) is going to train their new hire then previous experience to determine as to whether you can get the job done is based on your performance over the past 3-4 years.

Now there’s always the exception to the rule and over my 30 years in recruiting I have seen people outside the norm get hired, usually a personal referral, great chemistry or simply in the right place at the right time.

I always advise people that it can happen but have plan B working also. If you’re reading this and it applies my suggestion is to broaden your search base and you just never know what can happen.

If you can share any stories or experiences on this subject please sign in and use the comment area.

Ralph Steeber, CPC

By Peter Stankovich and Sarah Taylor

Dr. Richards was one of the busiest internists in the area and he was writing prescriptions with both hands. But his office was impenetrable. Every pharmaceutical rep in the territory tried to get in and secure just five percent of his business. If one could succeed at this endeavor, he would be king and make his numbers for the year!

The first challenge was to build rapport with the staff and the second challenge was to get invited into Dr. Richard’s office. Only one representative from our company had ever made it that far, but his sales call proved unproductive.

To this day I don’t know if it was the alignment of the universe, the planets or just good clean living, but not only did I make it into Dr. Richard’s office, I also had a real heart-to-heart talk with him. In fact, I was invited to go boating with him later that afternoon! 

My colleagues often asked what I did when I finally got face to face with Dr. Richards that got me an invitation to go boating – and later to secure a very large percentage of his business.  The answer is this:  I used a technique I call “Hot Buttons” to quickly and effortlessly build instant rapport.  Using this incredible technique, I sold so much of my product to Dr. Richards and other physicians in my territory, that I became the #1 sales rep in the country for eleven months that year.

What, exactly, are hot buttons?  Most people think of hot buttons as topics that quickly incense a person, and get their blood boiling with anger.  Those are negative hot buttons, and we all know to avoid people’s negative hot buttons.  However, there are also positive hot buttons.  Positive hot buttons are topics that really fire a person up with excitement.  These topics could be their children, their travels, their career, their hobbies, or other topics.  Everyone has topics that they simply love to talk about – even the most introverted doctors – it’s just a matter of uncovering those topics.

Those of us who can quickly uncover other people’s positive hot buttons will promptly build rapport, trust, likeability and credibility with them.  Access becomes easier in key offices, and sales numbers will climb. Salespeople who don’t know the art of uncovering and expanding on people’s positive hot buttons will struggle in their sales careers, and have a very difficult time building rapport with their customers.

So now that you know what positive hot buttons are, how do you go about uncovering them and using them to your advantage?  Here are the five keys to hot buttons…

Key #1

Let Others Talk

Many people go into sales because they enjoy being around people, and love to talk. Interestingly, most six-figure salespeople are either introverts, or they have seriously learned to listen and let others do the talking.  They have found that the more they let the other person talk, the more they themselves learn, and then the more they sell.

When you let other people do most of the talking, they will thoroughly (and unconsciously) enjoy being with you because you are showing an interest in them. So, the more you let the other person talk in a conversation, the more you will be liked!  This will build your rapport with that person, and help you gain access into the office on future visits.  

Furthermore, when you listen, you will learn incredible amounts of information about that person; you can uncover facts about his or her life, beliefs, and of course, prescribing habits.  You can then use this information when you sell. Your goal should be to let others speak at least seventy percent of the time.

Key #2

Fish for Positive Hot Buttons

Everyone has a hot button that is itching to be pressed. It could be a core button, or a superficial hot button.  Core hot buttons are topics that the person always loves to talk about, like cars, golf or cutting-edge medicine. Superficial hot buttons are more temporary, and are usually whatever is on the top of the person’s mind that day, such as a breaking news article, a new product indication, or hospital politics.

One way to find hot buttons is to look for clues in the office – a photo of a boat or a golfing trophy are signs of positive hot buttons.  Asking more personal questions if time permits can also lead you to hot buttons.  For example, by asking the physician if she has any plans for the holiday weekend, you might uncover her penchant for adventure travel or her love of volunteering. 

You can also find out valuable information about the physician’s views on medical topics by fishing for hot buttons.  Asking questions like, “What do you think about the hospital’s new policy on drug samples?” can give you important information about what that doctor thinks about the hospital, policies, the hospital’s decision makers, drug samples and even drug reps!  But be careful:  If you hit a negative hot button, mentally store the information and move on quickly.  Staying with a negative hot button too long could hurt your rapport.

Key #3

Look for the Light

You can detect when you hit people’s positive hot buttons by watching them during your conversation. Pay attention to the conversation and pay attention to how they react to what is being said. They might talk faster, use more gestures, talk louder, or simply laugh or smile more often.

While you are talking to people, look into their eyes. If you hit a hot button, you will see a change in energy, as if a light were switched on in their head. If it is a positive hot button, their eyes will widen and their pupils will dilate. When you see this happen, stay with the topic and expand upon it, for they are genuinely interested and excited about the topic. Pupil dilation is an involuntary response and cannot be faked.

Key #4

Watch Their Body Language

While you are talking with the other person, watch their body language and notice the distance between you and the other person. Striking a positive hot button may draw the person closer to you, while a negative hot button may “repel” the person, and they will back off.

This approach to watching body language can be an excellent way to uncover a physician’s positive and negative hot buttons about your product during a detail:  you can often notice the physician move slightly toward you and away from you as you talk about the various features and benefits of your product.  The physician may not be verbally saying he doesn’t like your product’s safety profile, but his body language may tell you everything you need to hear.  This information lets you know exactly where to focus your details to make the biggest impact.

Key #5

Fan the Fire

When you find a positive hot button, fan it with follow-up questions to keep it hot.  Simple questions and comments like, “Wow, you’re adventurous!  Tell me where else you’ve been!” or “How did you become interested in researching autism?” can keep the person talking.

Try to ask at least three follow-up questions for each hot button.  Ask open-ended questions to get the physician to expand on what she is talking about. Ask close-ended questions to guide a discussion.

For example, if a physician seems to be concerned about your product’s safety profile, you might want to try open-ended questions like, “Can you tell me about a few patients that have had that reaction?” or “What have your patients been telling you about how they feel on product X?”

Close-ended questions that let you guide the conversation might include, “You have been talking about your concern for Product X’s safety (hot button) … would product X’s new, once daily dosing help to reduce your concerns about systemic side effects?” or “Would you be willing to try a lower dose in a handful of patients this month and see if you can get adequate results with less drug?

Make sure that, over time, you continually uncover new hot buttons, so your conversations don’t get stale and repetitive from discussing the same topics over and over. After a couple of calls using the same hot buttons, uncover some new hot buttons, and talk about those too.  If you see an interesting article in the newspaper or a magazine about someone’s hot button, you may want to clip it out and bring it to them – it will show them that you listen, and that you think about them outside of your office visits.

Finally, make sure that you take great notes after each call so that you remember each person’s positive hot buttons in the office. Even those of us with the best memories will forget key points from last month’s calls.

Conclusion

The most effective salespeople are simply the best at zeroing in on what the customer wants, and what interests him or her. The better you are at finding these “positive hot buttons,” the easier your details will be, the more interesting you will become and the hotter your sales will be!

Tips To Ensure Your Confidentiality & Success

You get online and through your search of the Internet you find a job posted or a job board service that looks like it’s the “One For You”. You quickly register attaching your personal and professional information, CORRECT? Well, let’s cover a few suggestions that might be worthwhile thinking about. (1) If using your everyday personal email address you might want to consider signing up at Yahoo.com and selecting a new email address strictly for job searching purposes. (2) Choose one that is “business like” js975@yahoo.com NOT cutypie@yahoo.com or salesstud@yahoo.com. Believe it or not, those may get a chuckle but they could cost you from being contacted and taken seriously. Protecting your identity until you can determine the credibility of a job opportunity and the person behind the job posting is critical. Since postings listed, in most cases, are not regulated by job board staff you could find a rare case of misrepresentation.
Utilizing the Internet today to find job opportunities online is very popular and easy. So the best advice is use good common sense, think before reacting and you’ll be fine.