How To B A Pharmaceutical Sales Representative

Pharmaceutical sales representative are the key link between pharmaceutical industry and and professional health care workers. They may be under the marketing unit of supply chains management. They are one of the people that promote the companies product which leads to sales. To do this, they increase product awareness, point out the benefit of their product over existing brands and answer questions relating to the product or disease condition it can treat.

Job Description Of Pharmaceutical Sales Representative

Different companies design different format that will suit them. Big pharma companies have hierarchy. Managers to sub manager to pharma representative. Manager control maybe the whole country. The country maybe divided into units for sub managers to oversee. Pharma reps are further given a location to represent. No pharma rep must leave their domain except they are given such permission.
The manager organizes seminars or do presentation at large gatherings with many healthcare professionals like during pharmaceutical society of Nigeria (P.S.N) meeting from all over the country. The talk is all about presenting some key notable products of the company to members and attendants. Same way too, sub managers present seminars and talk shows to showcase their wares in most states gathering of health professional. All this is to help to reduce the workload of the pharma reps job.
Pharma reps on their own travel alot from one community pharmacy to another and between hospitals. They hold meetings with medical doctors and pharmacist in their office.

Products Promoted By Pharma Rep

Pharma reps promote various types of products. They range from medicines to softwares to medical device and even data collection. Each require a good knowledge of the product and how it function. For medical products, it is good to know the pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, etc of the drug. For medical devices, the function of the product, how to use it and the benefit over others is very crucial. Most data collection is to gain an idea the most sort after drugs in an area, the price and complain.
Some reps promote all the product of the company why some only promote selected products approve by the company.

Pharma reps

Requirements To Become A Medical Sales Representative

To become a pharma representative, all you need is a degree in health related field. Some companies specify first degree in pharmacy. No pharma rep can succeed without good communication skills. Some companies also demand for fluency in a particular language including English language. This will help to curb language barrier because I will prefer to do business with my fellow countryman than a stranger. To cap it all, you need patience, confidence, organization skills, commercial awareness, sales skills, etc.

Salary Of Pharmacy Sales Representative

Salary is never fix. It all depends on the commission per product and also on how many sales made. Although some do have a fix salary combine with sale commission. The salary of pharmacist is higher than those from other health related field. The higher the rank, the higher the salary. Pharmaceutical sales reps manager get the highest pay.
Read Also: The Salary Range Of An Average Pharmacist

Advantages

Big pharma companies provide company car for their reps until they resign. Some even provide accommodation. The major advantage of small pharma companies is that it is easy to get to the top of the rep job like manager when you are very hard working.
The job of a pharma rep gives you freedom to work at your own pace. You can move when you like and stay at home negotiating business over the phone.

Disadvantages

Big pharma companies set high target for their reps with lower commission. Although, sales is faster because buyers may prefer their products to the unknown and unpopular brands. However, one must look note that buyers buy fewer products because most big pharma companies set high price tag on their products. That is why almost every customer will buy but few quantities. This will put pressure on the pharma rep. And because of the way the company is always structured, it will be difficult for their pharma reps to climb to the top to become managers themselves.
Smaller pharmaceutical companies set lower target for their pharma reps with high commission. But because many persons are not yet aware of the product, it becomes difficult to sell. It takes great skill by the pharma rep to achieve sales here.
To improve on sales, most pharma representative even from pharma rep managers sponsor seminars to gain the approval of members of the health care team. Some may even offer money to medical doctors to encourage the prescription of certain medications against a rival product. This is usually from the pocket of the pharma representative. This is really disheartening.
Lastly, most buyers of products from new pharma companies put it on sales or return (S.O.R). That is if by a certain time, nobody came for the products it will be return to the pharma rep without payment except for the quantity's sold. This can lead to loss on the part of the pharma rep especially when the drugs or products are close to expiry.

 How To Succeed

Read Also: Success Tips For Community Pharmacy In Nigeria

If you are to promote all the products of the company, it is best to pick on some products that are very scarce or have few alternative. For example, strepsil lozenges is the most popular among the throat lozenges. You hardly find another product. Promoting a product that does same with it and and at a cheaper raye will yield positive rest than promoting paracetamol because there are already many popular brands with stiff competition. Also focus on promoting a set of related product rather than picking from different categories. That way, your knowledge will be more focus that scattered. For example, promoting three different types of skin ointment is better than promoting one skin ointment, one oral antibiotics and one pessaries.
Most sale pharma reps always make the mistake of leaving out sales assistant in community pharmacy. Mind you the pharmacist may only accept to stock your products but in most settings, sales assistant are more active in pushing out drugs in the shelf especially when the pharmacist is not around.
You will produce more turn over when you got an online presence. This part is often ignored by many pharma reps. From social media to digital ads to owning a blog can go along way in pushing the product out to the public. Imagine writing an article on your product and publishing it in a blog with a link back to your social media accounts for purchase or email or phone number. Think about it.