What is a Medical Sales Representative?
A Medical Sales Representative connects medical companies with the healthcare professionals who utilise their goods.
In general, there are two sorts of Medical Sales Representatives. Those who work in an office come into the first type, while those who work in an outside profession and travel to clients to demonstrate and sell things, fall into the second.
Medical Sales Representatives are the front-line warriors who make or break a pharmaceutical companies’ business. They are the ones that represent the firm to the outside world and do the most valuable task.
A Medical Sales Representatives’ primary and most important task is to increase sales by expanding the prescription base of the pharmaceutical brands/companies for whom they work.
Your sole purpose as a Medical Sales Representative is not to wow and persuade customers to buy your products. As a human being, it is critical to think about the ethical aspects of your job and to truly care about what healthcare professionals buy and what is best for them and their patients. It is your responsibility to assist them in meeting the demands of people with various health problems. The best you can do is sell the appropriate products to the right doctors and make a difference in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries to make the world a better place for everyone.
Being a Medical Sales Representative is the ideal career for someone who is enthusiastic about their work and wants to advance swiftly in a fast-paced, difficult workplace with enough opportunity to develop. The job is enjoyable, and it is mostly contingent on three factors: accomplishing goals, meeting new people, and improving professional healthcare.
Responsibilities
A Medical Sales Representative is generally expected to:
- Establish ties with consumers.
- Manage important accounts and keep them
- Aim to grow the clientele by talking to new people and seeing them in person to show them the items.
- Deliver compelling and effective presentations to encourage people to acquire items
- Deliver a superior customer experience by offering exceptional customer services
- Plan the days and deliver a report of the daily outcomes and successes to management
- Contribute to sales meetings, participate in relevant training programs, and keep themself up to date on the latest policies, trends, and developments
- Arrange, shuffle, and restock the inventory of customers on each visit
- Contribute to sales meetings, participate in relevant training programs, and keep updated on the latest policies, trends, and developments
- Utilise persuasion skills to overcome any disagreements or objections.
- Achieve sales goals and targets
- Advertise and sell the medical company’s products, such as medical gadgets, equipment, and pharmaceutical drugs.
- Acquire knowledge of the items being sold in order to respond to consumer questions. Doctors, nurses, and pharmacists are among the target clients.
- Increase product awareness
- Advise clients as needed and inform them of new items
- Answer all customer questions
- Explain all the possible benefits of a product to encourage consumers to make purchases
Salary
The average salaries for Medical Sales Representatives in the UK range from £21,000 to £50,000.
Bonuses or performance-based compensation can supplement your income, and if you reach and surpass sales objectives, you can significantly increase your income.
In addition to bonuses, other incentives and advantages include a business car, laptop, mobile phone, pension, and private health insurance, among others.
Working hours and work location
Medical Sales Representatives work 39 to 45 hours per week.
Since the job role of a Medical Sales Representative involves a lot of travelling to meet clients and attending conferences, working hours may include additional hours, evenings and weekends.
While part-time work is possible, self-employment and freelancing are very uncommon.
Qualifications
Eventhough all graduates are generally qualified to apply for a position as a Medical Sales Representative in most organisations, your chances of getting hired are better if you have qualifications in specific fields.
These are some of them:
- Health Studies
- Dentistry
- Pharmacy
- Medicine
- Nursing
- Life Sciences
No, you don’t need a science degree to become a Medical Sales Representative.
In reality, the vast majority of salespeople lack a scientific degree. They are generally graduates or postgraduates in marketing, communication, public relations, and other related fields. These degrees are beneficial since they provide you with the necessary abilities to advertise and sell your items.
As a marketing postgraduate, all you’ll need is a few training sessions to learn fundamental and relevant medical terms. Similarly, if you have a science degree, all you need to know is how to advertise and sell your products. A Masters Degree is an advantage when applying for the Medical Sales Representative position.
Skills
The job description of a Medical Sales Representative requires you to have the following abilities in order to get recruited by an employer and be successful in your career:
must have skills:
- Negotiation and persuasion abilities – To be able to negotiate with those you are targeting, you must have good convincing power and the ability to bargain, in addition to being a good communicator and presenter.
- Skills in sales and customer service– There is no way you can thrive in a corporation or as an independent medical sales agent unless you can sell the things you have to offer and develop long-term connections with your clients. Remember that getting clients is difficult, therefore knowing how to keep them is as crucial.
- Excellent communication and presenting abilities- It goes without saying that anyone interested in pursuing a career in medical sales must possess exceptional communication and presentation abilities. This is especially crucial for medical sales professionals because pitching medical items and converting leads to sales is more difficult. You won’t be able to sell anything if you can’t showcase your items well and highlight the advantages of purchasing them.
- Patience and self motivation – Patience is essential, but patience does not imply that you keep playing the persuasive game while irritated on the inside. Throughout the process of pitching sales, you must be extremely driven in order to reach your goals.
- Skills in networking– A person cannot be a successful Medical Sales Representative or any other type of sales rep unless he or she is adept at networking. Strong networking abilities are required for a job in medical sales since they allow a greater flow of ideas and information, which is one approach to get others to buy your products.
- Driving- Medical Sales Representatives are typically required to go to physicians, practitioners, organisations, and hospitals to market their products, hence the majority of these professions require you to be able to drive and have a valid driver’s licence.
- Skills in analysis and planning– A Medical Sales Representative should be skilled in planning and analysis as a salesperson. This allows them to better organise their days and sales efforts by using the outcomes of their daily analyses.
Work experience
Healthcare and pharmaceutical industries employ/can employ Medical Sales Representatives.
Job postings for these positions are typically found online, through employment services, in newspapers, and/or in trade journals and periodicals.
The bulk of firms also regularly publish job openings on their own websites.
The simplest approach to apply for a career as a medical sales representative is to visit the websites of third-party contractors who provide outsourcing services to customers and advertise their openings.
If you don’t have any experience or a relevant certification, it’s a good idea to seek internships and/or work-shadowing opportunities.
A Medical Sales Representatives’ job description and experience qualifications might differ from one organisation to the next. Nonetheless, before breaking into medical sales, it’s a good idea to do your homework and attempt to get as much pre-entry experience as possible through things like internships and other opportunities.
It makes no difference if the pre-entry job pays poorly or not at all; what counts is what you learn, which will pay off more in the long run than what you would earn in a pre-entry role.
Some firms and independent Medical Sales Representatives may be interested in training and eventually hiring you. Some may charge you for training, but it will be well worth it.
You may also contact pharmaceutical businesses to arrange work shadowing, or ask your doctor or a local pharmacy for recommendations. When you do practical work, you’ll also learn about the obstacles and reality of working as a medical sales person. If you can find a way to shadow a medical sales representative, that would be ideal.
Career prospects
The question of What Can You Do With a Health Studies Degree? could easily take you in the direction of pursuing a career in Medical Sales.
Medical sales people have a wide range of professional options when it comes to the scope of their work.
They can specialise in marketing a specific medical product, such as gadgets or pharmaceuticals, or they can become a “jack of all trades” and sell everything they are requested to.
While Medical Sales jobs cover a wide range of products and services, most common areas include:
- Pharmaceuticals- Covers drugs and medication used to treat patients
- Biotechnology- Development of new medical products with the use of living organisms.
- Medical Devices- This includes a wide range of medical equipment like diagnostic equipment, pacemakers, gloves and many more.
Each of these fields has its own set of benefits and challenges, necessitating distinct methods and personalities.
It may be tempting to pursue high-ticket products with the greatest commission, such as medical device sales for medical equipment, but this may result in more competition and a lengthier sales cycle.Before you can finalise the sale, you’ll likely have to go through numerous decision makers, from the medical personnel who will be utilising the equipment to the executives who will sign off on the purchase.
Selling low-ticket things like off-brand medications may imply less competition, but it doesn’t always guarantee a shorter sales cycle. You’ll still need to create long-term connections with your potential clients, just like in any other modern sales profession. You’ll need to build trust, establish yourself as a trustworthy source of information, and position yourself as a valuable addition to your prospect.
Whatever sector you choose, you must establish a strong interest in the product you are selling.
Remember that you will need to do research on your items, particularly those using biotechnology, which may entail a significant amount of time and additional training.
An aspiring medical sales representative might easily see themself progressing to the position of Regional Manager, District Head, Sales Director, Senior Director, or even Vice President.
In terms of earning and advancement, once you’re in the field, there’s no stopping you.
Related Courses
This University of the West of Scotland London three-year full-time study is a fantastic way to improve in the healthcare or social work areas. This course, taught at their central London location, intends to educate students about health policy fundamentals, with a focus on the interaction between social and health care.
Other related courses
- MBA in Digital Marketing - This one-year London based course delivered by the University of the West of Scotland London, in addition to a broad business perspective, allows students to focus on digital marketing in a more specialised manner. The marketing component of the curriculum is designed to help individuals with extensive digital marketing expertise develop their abilities and advance their careers. Areas of study include: digital marketing strategy, management, social media marketing, search engine optimisation, pay per click, email, and influencer marketing.
FAQ Summary
A Medical Sales Representative connects medical companies with the healthcare professionals who utilise their goods.
The average salaries for Medical Sales Representatives in the UK range from £21,000 to £50,000.
Even though all graduates are generally qualified to apply for a position as a Medical Sales Representative in most organisations, your chances of getting hired are better if you have qualifications in specific fields.
