5SurefireWaystoTotallyRuin
aPharmaceuticalSalesInterview
Pharmaceutical sales can be a lucrative career choice. After diligently learning about the industry, familiarizing yourself with various companies, and networking to get your foot in the door, the last thing you want to do is blow it when you finally land an interview spot. However, every year, thousands of candidates enter the interview room not realizing how the process of becoming a pharmaceuticals rep differs from most other industries. Without an appreciation of the differences, these candidates are at a serious disadvantage for landing one of these limited positions. They usually don’t get the job. Don’t become one of these negative statistics. Instead, learn how to avoid the 5 most common mistakes that we see in pharma sales interviews. Avoid these 5 Surefire Ways to Totally Ruin a Pharmaceutical Sales Interview: 1. Not preparing before the interview. In most industries, the only interview pre‐work that’s needed is familiarizing yourself with the interviewing company and the industry a little. This is not the case with pharmaceutical sales. For pharma sales, the interview is largely a test to see exactly how you will communicate, present, and close during an actual visit with a doctor. Sure, there will be the “getting to know you” chitchat and the stock questions about your hobbies and interests, but unlike many other types of interviews, there will be opportunities for you to present information and data in the same way that you would when actually making a sales call. This means that, not only should you learn about the company and the industry, but you should research the actual drug that you would be selling if you get the position. You should also research that drug’s main competitors, so if you’re asked to demonstrate how you would sell a product to a doctor, you’ll already have your information in a presentation‐ready format. If you don’t know the product that you would be selling, choose another popular product made by the interviewing company. In addition to researching and comparing drugs, you should also prepare a Brag Book that talks about your achievements and accomplishments. The Brag Book is another great presentation prop. 2. Not developing your recurrent theme. If you’ve had even a single interview previously, you probably know to expect the question that sounds something like this: “Name three adjectives that describe you.” It might be phrased differently such asking you to name your strengths, but the point is the same. Average interviewees don’t prepare for this question and simply answer on the spot with whatever pops into their mind. Better interviewees actually determine their response beforehand, but they view the question as a single, isolated interview question. Superstars not only predetermine their response to the direct question, but they also realize that virtually every question during the interview is an opportunity to reemphasize their stated traits or strengths. This means using examples that not only support the adjectives that they have chosen but also literally restating the traits throughout the interview. Of course, you should choose traits that really reflect who you are, but in addition to the three that you choose, an additional trait that should always come through is that you are organized. During the intensity of an interview, most people try to blurt out answers as quickly as possible. However, being organized may mean that you need to take a moment to collect your thoughts after the question is asked. It’s much better to wait and think versus rambling. Also, always have multiple copies of your resume with you. If you’re nervous during your interview, it may be a little harder to remember all the great things you did a previous jobs. Just having your resume as a reference guide to walk through your past experience can make this part of the interview flow much more easily and help brand you as “organized.” Have multiple copies of your resume in case the interviewer forgets to bring his copy…either accidentally or on purpose! 3. Letting the interview wander. Previously, we mentioned that the pharma sales interview is largely a test to see how you will perform during actual sales calls. In a typical sales call, you’re likely to encounter prescribers that want to talk about everything other than the class of drugs that you’re representing. Perhaps it’s talking about the game last night that went into double overtime, or maybe it’s how kids don’t communicate like “we used to when we were younger.” Whatever the chitchat, if you are to be successful at pharmaceutical sales, you will need to be able to reign in the conversation in order to present the information that you need to present. The interviewer knows the drill, and there’s a good chance he’ll test you on this. Of course, there’s a fine line between casual banter versus being too rigid. Also, it’s true that people buy from people that they like, so the banter is important. However, just like in a sales call, you need to make sure the interview forwards the sell. If the “getting to know you” chitchat gets lengthy, the interviewer is probably testing you to see if you can take control and get the interview on track. Don’t fail this test! 4. Failing to role play. We can’t overemphasize the fact that the pharma sales interview is a test to see exactly how you will perform on an actual sales call. During the actual sales call, you will need to successfully present detailed written information to the prescriber, so during the interview, you need to show the interviewer that you can successfully present detailed written data. The best way to do this is to use your pre‐interview prescription research or your Brag Book. The key to presenting this information effectively is to pretend you are actually presenting the information to a doctor. Take it seriously because this is one biggest determinants of whether you get the job or not. Also, don’t worry if you don’t feel comfortable bragging about your past achievements. The Brag Book really isn’t about you; it’s just a prop to use to demonstrate your ability to communicate information. 5. Not selling during the interview. In the quintessential sales movie "Glengarry Glen Ross," the mantra is “A.B.C. – Always Be Closing.” This is the mantra for salespeople everywhere…even aspiring pharmaceutical sales reps sitting in an interview. You must show demonstrate to the interviewer that you have the courage to ask for the close, and the way you do it is to ask for the close on the job you’re interviewing for. Of course, the interviewer may voice some concerns, but you must handle any objections and try to close on the position. It’s not likely that you’ll be given the job on the spot, but as a salesperson, if you don’t ask for it, it’s likely that you won’t get it at all.