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How do I arrange to
'shadow' a Medical Representative?
Every week we receive
requests for us to organise field visits. Whilst it would be easy for us to do
so, if you're asking this question, you are probably missing the point. 80% of
the time, shadowing is considered to be a vital step in the recruitment process
and you would be well advised not to miss it.
If you have already been
in contact with pharmaceutical recruitment agencies, you may have already
discovered that in their initial telephone screening of you - their potential
candidate - that they will ask you if you have shadowed. Many will not invite
you for an agency interview if you answer no and you may well have missed an
important opportunity.
Take a moment to consider
this step from the eyes of the Recruitment Consultant. Your relationship with
them is one of mutual gain i.e. they are your ticket to your chosen career and
their ability to earn a salary is directly linked to you gaining a job offer.
Therefore, it is logical that any Recruitment Consultant is looking for the
best-prepared, motivated and qualified candidates. Can they take you seriously
if you have not experienced, first-hand, elements of your chosen career? In
view of the overwhelming competition to secure jobs within the pharmaceutical
industry, the answer is...probably not!
One also has to consider that
the role of a Medical Sales Professional is not a soft option. You will need
levels of business acumen, resilience, flexibility and drive that are well
above those required in other sales professions. Many would-be candidates,
having spent a few days on the road, decide that a career in medical sales is
not the glamorous role that they had imagined and is not suited to them!
Taking the time to shadow an existing Medical Representative demonstrates
that you are serious and perhaps, more importantly, offers you the chance to be
sure that you have made a well-informed decision.
As with your future
sales role, it is highly likely that you will face a number of challenges in
attempting to secure some time on the road with a Medical Representative. For
example, many pharmaceutical companies do not allow their representatives to
take non-employees on the road! Your ability to overcome these minor hurdles
will further serve as evidence that you have the necessary tenacity to excel in
the medical sales arena.
Unless you have the luxury of personally
knowing an accommodating Medical Representative, without doubt, you will face
some obstacles.
Below, you will find a number of ways to gain contact
with a helpful Medical Representative:
- Via your local Doctors Surgery
You may wish to approach your own GP or talk with the Practice Manager at
your local surgery. Explain that you are planning a career in the
Pharmaceutical Industry and that you need to shadow a Medical Representative.
Ask them for some personal introductions or for some contact details of the
representatives that they know.
Another approach would be to ask the
Practice Manager for work experience. Offer your services, free of charge, for
a few days. In doing so, it is likely that you will have several opportunities
to meet with Medical Representatives as well as the opportunity to talk with
your future NHS customers. Look for the opportunity to converse with everyone
and to learn about their views on the Pharmaceutical Industry and its sales
representatives. Create opportunities to witness the interaction that takes
place between Medical Representatives and Practice Staff. By doing so you can
begin to form your own opinions, as well as establishing knowledge of the
skills required to 'open doors'. This level of 'go the extra mile' research
will pay dividends and to a certain extent will allow you to stand out from the
crowd when you are dealing with recruitment agencies and subsequently at
interview.
- Via your local Retail Pharmacy
All Pharmacists know Medical Representatives. Why not adopt a similar
approach as discussed above? Ask for personal introductions and consider a days
work experience.
- Via your local Post Graduate Education
Centre
Most hospitals have educational facilities for their
resident NHS staff. These are usually termed 'Post Graduate Educational
Centres' and are always frequented by Medical representatives, per the
educational timetable.
You may wish to seek a meeting with the Manager
of your nearest 'Post Grad Centre', explaining your goals and gaining her
permission to attend the centre at the appropriate times.
If nothing
else, this will allow you the opportunity to meet with a number of Medical
Representatives and to witness one aspect of their sales / educational role.
In our experience, the above
methods work and it is likely that you will learn a whole lot more than you
would from a shadowing experience alone.
If you have yet to shadow or
to conduct some industry / NHS research, consider the merits of not contacting
the recruitment agencies until you are better prepared. At the very least, have
your plan in place and field visits in your diary before seeking the help of a
Recruitment Consultant. We guarantee that if you heed this advice, the
recruitment process will be a smoother journey for you, with less setbacks and
a higher probability of a successful outcome.
How do I get the most
out of a shadowing assignment?
Apart from the academic pre
requisites to obtaining an interview, prospective employers will look for
evidence that you have given due consideration and thought to your chosen
career. Candidates with a well-developed passion to enter the Industry will
shine at interview, as will their hunger to succeed. Therefore, dedication to
your pre employment research and a 'go the extra mile' attitude will always pay
dividends and perhaps give you the edge over other less well prepared
candidates. It is essential that an element of your research include time on
the road with an experienced Medical Representative. Surprisingly, this simple
step is a stumbling block to many aspiring Medical Sales Professionals.
OK, so you have a field
visit arranged.
How will you make best use of the time?
How can you go
the extra mile and obtain optimum benefit?
As follows are some
guidelines:
- Spend the whole day on the road. Part of a
Medical Representatives day involves 'setting the day up'. This may involve an
early start and 'dropping cards'. Make sure you experience this, as the skills
involved with this element of the role are vital.
- Make copious notes throughout your field
visit. Things are always forgotten. Ask questions.
- Look for opportunities to discuss Pre Call
Objectives
- Post Sales Call - ask your escort to de
brief you on the call and to discuss 'Moving the call forward' or Next Call
Objectives
- How was the day planned?
- How is business targeted?
- What works best - Sales Targets or Activity
Targets?
- Is a business plan important?
- How is success measured?
- How do you become a top performer/top bonus
earner?
- Look to discuss 'Gate Keepers'
- Ask about effective Time planning &
Geographical planning
- How do you develop the toughness to handle
rejection?
As well as the above
questions, it would be wise to examine the structure of the Sales Calls that
you witness.
The following is a guide:
- Did you witness evidence of Pre Call Planning
/ SMART objectives?
- How was the right climate created in the
Sales Call?
- Did you witness the use of Open Questions?
- How were they used & what type of
information did they elicit?
- Did you witness the use of Closed Questions?
- How were they used & what type of
information did they elicit?
- How were the customers needs uncovered?
- Having uncovered the customers needs - were
benefits sold to the customer? (sell benefits, not features)
- Did you witness Listening Skills on the part
of the Sales Professional? (selling isn't about telling - its about asking
questions)
- How did the Sales Professional respond to the
customer's behavior and 'buying signals'?
- How were customer concerns / questions /
objections - dealt with?
- How was commitment gained?
- In your opinion will the customer take action
on the basis of this call?
- Were SMART objectives reviewed & how were
Next Call Objectives set?
- What went well?
- What did you learn?
The above is merely a guide.
Remember that you are not there to interrogate or judge the effectiveness of
the Medical Representative who has been kind enough to take you out. Remember
that it can be quite unnerving being watched. Above all, make the most of your
time on the road and ensure that it is a positive learning experience. Take the
time to reflect on what you have learned and perhaps be prepared to document
your findings. By doing so, you will give yourself increased confidence and a
clear 'winning edge' at interview. Average candidates do not embark on this
level of research. Average candidates don't excel at interview.
How do I manage my
relationship with recruitment agencies
Your relationship with
recruitment agencies and consultants is of critical importance if you are to
quickly secure employment. This article will help you to better understand the
dynamics of this relationship and how to ensure that your job search activities
are geared to your best advantage.
Without doubt, the vast
majority of individuals who successfully secure a sales career within the UK
Pharmaceutical Industry, do so via a specialist recruitment agency. Such
agencies act as recruitment consultants to both you - the candidate and to
their 'client companies' i.e. your potential future employer. It is the role of
the agency to understand the exact requirements of their client companies and
to seek out those candidates who meet these criteria. Recruitment Consultants
and Agencies, in most circumstances, are paid in relation to their ability to
produce results via the search, selection and placement of such qualified
candidates.
When you seek the help of an agency, you are forming a
mutually beneficial partnership with an organisation or individual who has the
tools and knowledge to help you attain your desired objective. Many agencies
employ ex-pharmaceutical sales professionals who have already taken the path
that you are starting. Where this is not the case, such agency staff will at
the very least have been fully trained and will have a well-tuned understanding
of the steps that you will need to take to secure employment.
Which
agency is best for me?
We cannot endorse or recommend the services
of one agency over those of another. Your choice of agency or recruitment
consultant must be a personal one. Your ability to gain rapport via your
initial telephone contact or one-to-one interview, may have a bearing on your
choice. The professionalism and integrity displayed by the agency may equally
influence your decision. There may be a number of logical considerations when
contacting agencies. For example, you may wish to establish upfront, which
client companies the agency partners work with. Several of the 'top 10'
pharmaceutical companies only deal with a select number of recruitment
agencies, so if you wish to work for a specific company, it would make sense to
seek out the appropriate agency.
To a large extent, your
choice of agency will depend on three things:
- Their qualification to deliver the calibre of
career that you are seeking
- Their observation of certain codes of
recruitment practice, relating to their respect of your career and best
interests
- The quality of relationship / partnership
that is established
How many agencies should I
register with?
There is no exact answer to this question, but let us
first consider the difference between an agency 'accepting you on their books'
and an agency that is proactively seeking interview opportunities for you. It
does not matter how many agencies you register with, if all that is ever
achieved is another confirmation that you are on their database! What counts is
action, interviews and results. On this basis, experience dictates that the
optimum number of agencies to register with is between one and three. Any more
than this can often be counter-productive and to understand why, one has to
consider things from the perspective of the recruitment consultant. Recruitment
is a highly competitive and demanding business, where as much as 90% of time
invested can yield no results (for the Recruitment Consultant). For this
reason, any sensible recruitment consultant will establish working practices
that stack the odds in the favour of themselves, their agency and the
candidate, thus maximising return on investment. Restricting the number of
agencies that you register with or even granting exclusivity to one agency, can
very much stack the odds in the favour of the agency, making it far more
attractive for them to 'pull out the stops' and work harder for you (the
candidate). On the other hand, why would a recruitment consultant wish to
invest their time to help you, if they discover that they are already in
competition with another ten agencies?
Where can I find agency and
vacancy information?
You will find full contact details of the
better-known UK agencies at the top of this page.
Other traditional
sources of job vacancies and agency listings include:
- The Daily Telegraph (Thursday edition)
- The Grocer Magazine
- Pharmaceutical Field Magazine (PF)
- Pharmaceutical Times Magazine (PT)
In addition, there are a
number of other established internet portals offering current vacancy and
agency listings. Links to these can be found at the top of this
page.
What constitutes good recruitment practice?
Without
covering the full codes of practice, there are number of ground rules that
should be established:
- Maintain control of your CV
It is
important that in most circumstances, you maintain control of where your CV is
sent. Good recruitment practice dictates that when a suitable opportunity
arises, that your agency should first discuss this with you and gain your
consent to forward your details. This allows you to maintain an element of
control, whilst ensuring that a potential employer does not receive your CV
from a number of different agencies. Where this duplication occurs, your
chances of an interview will be lessened!
- Mass mailing of your CV
Some
agencies may wish to speculatively forward your CV to several companies,
regardless of the current vacancy situation. This is generally not good
recruitment practice.
- Your best interests first
Bearing
in mind that recruitment consultants are normally paid on results, there will
be times, when the occasional consultant fails to act in the best interests of
the candidate, by 'pushing' them or influencing incorrectly. If at any time you
feel that an agency is not fully acting in your best interests, you would be
wise to seek independent advice.
How often should I be in
contact with my recruitment agency?
It is said that 'the wheel that
squeaks the loudest, gets the most grease' and to a certain extent this is true
of your relationship with recruitment agencies. There is, of course, a fine
line between maintaining professional contact and becoming a nuisance. It is
for you to strike this balance and to ensure that your recruitment agency is
appropriately, and regularly, reminded that you are still looking, or to update
them on elements of your research and general progress. Do not register with an
agency and then sit back expecting job offers to arrive. You must be willing to
proactively manage the process.
Keep a journal
We would
strongly implore you to maintain a journal of all aspects of your contact with
recruitment agencies, including consultant details, telephone contact summaries
and especially records of any vacancy or company to whom your details are
submitted. This professional approach will save any confusion or embarrassment,
especially when dealing with more than one agency.
The ability to
professionally manage a relationship with recruitment agencies is a stumbling
block for many aspiring medical sales professionals. To a certain extent, this
part of the process warrants the least amount of nerves. You are in effect
seeking a mutually beneficial partnership, where you, the candidate, are
seeking a career and in return, the agency receives financial reward.
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