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Job description: Healthcare Sales
As a salesperson or 'rep' selling healthcare products, also known as pharmaceutical or medical products, you'll sell prescription drugs, medicines and medical equipment to health professionals including GPs, hospital doctors, pharmacists and practice nurses.
You're likely to be selling across a wide geographical area, and your work will include:
- Making appointments to see existing and potential clients
- Presenting products to doctors, pharmacists and other clients
- Persuading clients to buy your company's products
- Providing an after-sales service
- Meeting sales targets
- Organising or attending medical conferences
- Keeping records of sales and customers
- Reporting information back to head office about customer needs
- Keeping up to date with the latest clinical data and research, so that you can discuss medical matters with health professionals in detail.
In many cases, you'll specialise in a particular type of product or therapy area, such as oncology or diabetes.
Hours and Environment
You'll be based either at home or in an office. However, you'll spend most of your time out on the road meeting clients. You may have to spend some nights away from home, either to see clients or attend conferences.
Your working day would usually be long, mainly because of the travelling involved. You may also need to socialise with clients in the evenings.
Obviously, a full driving licence would be a major advantage.
Skills and Interests
To be a healthcare salesperson, you'll need:
- Excellent sales and negotiation skills
- Strong communication and networking skills
- Good planning and organisational skills
- Self-motivation, drive and initiative
- An outgoing and confident approach
- Commercial and business awareness
- The ability to understand and present clinical data
- The flexibility to cope with frequent changes in products and healthcare systems.
Entry
Normally, you'll need either a degree in life sciences (such as biology, pharmacy or biomedical sciences), previous experience in nursing or healthcare or else a track record in sales or marketing and an appreciation of what healthcare sales involves.
Most employers prefer to train graduates, but a science degree is not essential for all jobs. However, as you'll need to show that you can learn about medicines and therapy areas in detail, you may find it helpful to have an A level or similar in biology or general science.
Ideally, you will spend time 'shadowing' an existing rep before you look for your first job. You could get in touch with one through doctor's surgeries, pharmacies, or by contacting pharmaceutical companies directly. See the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) careers website for a list of pharmaceutical companies.
Training
Your employer will usually provide some training in sales skills, together with detailed training in their products and therapy area.
You must pass the ABPI Medical Representative's Examination within your first two years in the job. Your employer may include this as part of your in-house training, or you could study through the ABPI's distance learning programme. Visit www.abpi.org.uk for more information.
You should keep up to date with new products and research developments throughout your career. The ABPI provides various seminars and short courses to help you do this.
You could also work towards general sales qualifications, such as NVQ levels 2, 3 and 4 in Sales, or qualifications from professional sales organisations, such as:
- Institute of Sales and Marketing Management (ISMM) Level 3 Advanced Certificate in Sales and Marketing
- Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) Certificate in Professional Sales.
See the ISMM or CIM websites for more information.
Opportunities
Some of the main employers are multinational healthcare and pharmaceutical companies, so you may have opportunities to work overseas.
Jobs are advertised on employers' websites, by specialist recruitment agencies, and in the local and national press.
With experience and a good track record in sales, you could progress into area or regional management, or into marketing, product or account management. Head hunting is common for senior jobs.
Annual Income
Figures are intended as a guideline only.
- Typical starting salaries are £18,000 to £24,000 a year.
- With experience, this rises to £25,000 to £40,000 a year.
- Senior level staff can earn up to £60,000 a year.
Many companies offer a basic salary plus bonuses or commission, with other benefits such as private health insurance.
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