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Advantages of LinkedIn for Jobseekers

By Peggy McKee

Every jobseeker in medical sales, health care sales, medical device sales, laboratory sales, or pharmaceutical sales should be on LinkedIn. It's an essential element of your networking and job searching strategy. Why? LinkedIn provides several advantages for you:

• LinkedIn is a way to get your name out there. (Personal branding, anyone?) Your LinkedIn profile is an online resume for you, and it's a way for you to get your resume in front of people without actually sending it. That means, then, that the quality of your LinkedIn profile is critical. Make sure it's professional and easy to skim to get what's important about you--a bullet-point presentation is great.

• LinkedIn is a way to reconnect with people you've lost track of, and also to meet new people. Making connections is what LinkedIn is all about. Joining groups is a great way to do that. (Check out Sales Cafe, a group for sales reps--we've had some great discussions and advice for jobseekers lately.) Find groups that are focused on your particular area, and you'll not only make connections, you'll be up on what's going on in your industry--trends and people. No professional networking effort is complete without it.

• LinkedIn is a fantastic source for learning about companies you're interested in. Companies often maintain LinkedIn pages that are more informative than their official corporate pages for someone who wants to know about working there. Executives at these companies have pages, too.

• LinkedIn is one avenue you can take to contact hiring managers directly about jobs you're interested in. Career Confidential's LinkedIn Ninja Tricks to bypass HR and get the job has specific strategies you can use to do just that.

• Recruiters search LinkedIn all the time for candidates when they have a job to fill. Make sure they can find you.

Should you hire an interview coach?

By Peggy McKee

There's tremendous amounts of advice you can find in books and online for how to answer job interview questions, and some of it says to practice your interview answers with a friend, or video yourself so that you can play it back to see your weak spots. It's good advice. It's always harder to critique ourselves constructively, and you need both practice and feedback to improve your game. The flaws in these particular plans are (1) a friend might just tell you what you want to hear, and (2) if you're critiquing a video of yourself, the problem becomes "you don't know what you don't know". Here's a thought: If you really want to improve your skills in something, you take lessons from an expert...in other words, get a coach. Think about it. Even pro athletes, with amazing natural abilities and countless hours of practice, have coaches and trainers to give them that one last boost over the top to excellence. Role-playing interviews with an objective, experienced industry expert can give you so much of a boost in your interview skills that you not only do well in the interview, you crush it....just blow the hiring manager out of the water with your confidence, competence and style. An interview coach can not only help you shape your answers to interview questions, she can help you spin difficult situations into positives (or at least neutrals), and can help you pinpoint and develop those intangible qualities that are ultimately job-winners. I do provide interview help for candidates in sales and medical sales, and maybe I'd be a good fit for you--and maybe not. Either way, it's still a good idea for you to get some outside help in this competitive job market, and I believe that it's even more critical for entry-level candidates, who have the "lack of experience" issue working against them. Find someone who is an expert in your field that you are comfortable working with. Hiring an interview coach is a small investment in yourself that will pay off big for you when you land the job of your dreams.

Pharma Sales Salary Survey

By Peggy McKee

As recruiters in the medical sales arena, we are asked a lot of the same questions over and over: “How do I get into Medical Sales?", "How do I know if I am asking for the right salary?", or “How much can I expect to make as a Pharmaceutical Sales Rep?” Salary research can be an especially complicated question to answer. As many of you may already know, it’s tough to get a grasp on a definite number since there are so many variables that come into play--like location, experience, and differing pay structures of various companies. To help you get a better idea of what you can expect, we decided to reach into our database and take a strong look at the candidates we have worked with in the past year. We chose five of the largest or most well-known pharmaceutical companies, and listed a specific pay structure for several different regions of the country. Then we reviewed the overall ranges of what the majority of Pharma Reps earned, by company. Here is what we found: Sepracor

Location	Male/Female	Base	Variable	Total Comp
Utah	F	60k	20k	80K
Ohio	F	87K	18K	105K
West Virgina	M	63K	22K	85K

The majority of sales reps were in the 60K- 70K Range – variable consistent at 20-25K. King Pharmaceuticals

Location	Male/Female	Base	Variable	Total Comp
Kentucky	F	51K	23K	74K
New Jersey	M	83K	23K	106K
West Virgina	M	115K	15K	130K

The majority of Sales reps were in the 65-75K range (unless specialized) – Variable open. Merck

Location	Male/Female	Base	Variable	Total Comp
New York	F	60k	30k	90K
California	M	65K	30K	95K
Florida	F	90K	50K	135K

The majority of sales reps were in the 60K-70K range (unless specialized) variable consistent at 20K - 30K unless specialized. GlaxoSmithKline

Location	Male/Female	Base	Variable	Total Comp
Oregon	F	53K	20K	75K
Texas	M	55K	30K	85K
California	M	65K	30K	95K

The majority of sales reps were in the 50K-70K range - Variable consistent at 20K - 30K. Pfizer

Location	Male/Female	Base	Variable	Total Comp
California	F	55K	23K	78K
New Jersey	M	65K	23K	88K
Colorado	F	75K	23K	98K

The majority of sales reps were in the 55K-65K range - Variable consistent at 23K. Please keep in mind these numbers were generated from PHC Consulting's database and candidates that we have worked with in the last year. (These figures are meant to give you a general idea of what pharma sales reps earn, and are not a guarantee of what you'll earn if hired.)

LinkedIn Discussion for Sales Managers: What Do You Do When HR Can’t Find the Hunters You Need?

by Peggy McKee

I recently posted this question on LinkedIn:

Sales Managers:  What do you do when your HR group isn’t able to identify the hunters you need?

With the incredible costs due to unfilled positions (customers going with the competition, RFPs not completed and generally missed sales opportunities), what do you (the sales manager) do to help HR see the need to use an outside source? I have 2 managers right now with open jobs, no real candidates in the pipeline and HR says that they want to fill the job internally.

I got some really great answers from sales managers, business owners, recruiters, and HR people from around the country, and I thought the gist of the discussion was worth posting here for you.

The general consensus seems to be that HR departments are difficult to work with on a candidate search because (1) there are often corporate politics coming into play, (2) HR doesn’t have the expertise to handle finding specialized sales professionals, and (3) HR doesn’t understand the true cost of a vacant position (and might not be all that interested).   Especially if HR is working with a limited budget, they’re not going to be interested in using an outside recruiting source–because they don’t grasp the true cost of a vacant position to the company as a whole.  So, they should stick to the onboarding portion of bringing in a new candidate.

More than a few say that sales managers should just bypass HR entirely–because sales and marketing departments are much more equipped to recruit than HR departments, much more versed in what it is that they need in a new sales rep, and should already have an extensive network of sales reps to mine for their needs.  (In some cases, these were also their arguments for not using a third-party recruiter.)  Most importantly, if the sales manager is going to be held responsible for making the numbers, he or she shouldn’t have to rely on another department to that extent for their team’s success.

My position is, of course, that sales managers make much more productive use of their time by working with the team they have in place to make the sales, and leaving the candidate search to a recruiter.  The more money a manager generates in a normal cycle, the more it costs to use that time finding a new sales rep.  And if recruiting isn’t your business, you’re almost never going to have access to the kind of candidate pool a recruiter has, no matter how extensive your professional network is–which means you’ll be missing out on some very high-caliber talent.  If the sales manager (or the HR department) has to run ads to find talent, that becomes a costly gamble which can easily bring you no results from your efforts.  A good recruiting team saves time and money, while increasing productivity and sales force effectiveness.

What do you think?  Let me know in the comments below.

Lose the big title on your resume if you want to be considered for my sales role.

By Peggy McKee

Job seekers can mistakenly think that the big job title they’ve had is always impressive on a resume.  Some sales reps have the title of VP, or Sales Director, even though they were actually in a one-to-one sales role.  This can cause a problem for you in your job search if you’re looking for another sales role.

Especially if you’re transitioning into medical sales, you’re not going to get a VP role, or a Director role, or even an Account Executive role with that title on your resume, because every recruiter and hiring manager will assume that you won’t be happy as a sales rep.

You need to downplay the big titles, and maybe think about a competency-based resume.  Emphasize your skills, point out your technological or science background, and highlight your sales numbers to get hired in medical sales.

How Does a Nurse Transition into Pharma Sales? Medical Device Sales? Lab Sales? Here’s a Job Search Strategy for You

By Peggy McKee

Nurses have a few natural advantages when it comes to breaking into medical sales.  They have the solid science background, and they have on-the-job technical experience with the products that medical sales reps sell.  (That’s a lot.  If you were the customer, wouldn’t you rather buy a product from someone who’s used it?  It wouldn’t be your entire reason, but it would be a definite point in favor.)

The weak spot for the nurse who wants to transition into a medical sales career then, would be the “sales” part.  But, where there’s a will, there’s a way.  A nurse who has good communication and interpersonal skills and is willing to work for it has an excellent opportunity to transition into an exciting, rewarding new career in any area of medical sales, like medical device, biotech, laboratory, research products, imaging, hospital equipment, surgical supplies, clinical diagnostics, or pharmaceutical sales.

Here’s a career-transition strategy:

• Set up some informational interviews with medical sales reps or managers who work in the areas you’re interested in.  Keep it simple, maybe take them out for a coffee or lunch (no more than a 15-30 minute meeting, please), and ask your questions.  If they can’t meet with you but offer to answer your questions by email, then by all means ask them.  Research before you ask so you don’t waste valuable time, and be sure to send them a thank you note.
• Bridge your sales gap by reading books on sales to increase your knowledge of the sales process.  Think “sales techniques,” “sales strategies,” or things like that.  I personally love SPIN Selling by Neil Rackham.   Or take a sales course.  If you want to go all out, you could consider an MBA degree (education is always helpful), but it’s not essential.
• Set up a professional profile on LinkedIn.  You can learn a tremendous amount by joining sales groups and checking out their discussions, and most people are very willing to answer questions and help you out.   And an attractive, professional profile is your first step to gaining the attention of medical sales recruiters or hiring managers.
• Find a medical sales rep or two who will let you ride along with them for a day.  Job shadowing will (1) give you hands-on experience of what the job is like, (2) arm you with critical keywords for your resume, and (3) impress hiring managers with your willingness to invest the extra time and effort before you even get the job.
• Polish your resume and interview skills.  Research how to write a good resume for sales jobs.  Sales job interviews are tough, so practice, practice, practice.  You have to be smooth, confident, and able to answer objections (just like in a sales call).
• Create a 30/60/90-day sales plan for your interview.  A 30/60/90-day sales plan is just an outline for what you will do in your first 3 months on the job–broken up into your first 30 days (like training and introductions), your first 60 days (like more field time), and the first 90 days (starting to pull in new business).  I can’t emphasize enough how well this works.  It helps the hiring manager to see you in the job, and lets him know that you do understand how to be successful in this new career area.  That takes away a lot of the risk (in his mind) from hiring you.
• Consider personalized career coaching.  Everyone’s situation is different, and what one candidate really needs to work on is not the same as the next one.  A good career coach will quickly see the best way for you to market yourself as a medical sales job candidate, find the most efficient way for you to fix your weak spots, help you practice the best answers to interview questions, tweak your resume for maximum effect, and give you a map for the process.

I can’t guarantee you that doing these things will land you a medical sales job, but I will guarantee you that they will make the most of what you have to offer, and give you your best possible opportunity to transition into medical sales by setting you up as a very attractive candidate who stands out from the competition.  Best of luck to you.

Sales Resumes Should Have Sales Numbers!

By Peggy McKee

There is one thing that hiring managers are really looking for when scanning resumes of sales reps for medical device, laboratory sales, biotech sales, imaging sales, or any other health care sales position:  revenue.  That means they want to see the numbers (or percentages) of revenue generated, revenue saved, or labor saved.

The only way to show a hiring manager what he wants in a sales rep (and why he should hire you) is to include those numbers on your resume.  You’re not going to be hired based on what you were “responsible for.”  You’re going to be hired based on what you’ve done, and what you can do for them.

What kinds of numbers should you include on your sales resume?

• Gross revenue
• Profit
• Growth (in # of customers, increased units sold, etc.)
• Budget numbers (over, under, higher than others?)
• Sales rankings

So, your resume should say things like:

“I closed X accounts, which resulted in Y dollars.”

“increased my revenue numbers by $ ____  or _____%”

“increased my ranking from #10 to #1″”

As a sales recruiter, I’m looking for sales numbers, dollar amounts, percentages, etc.–anything that’s going to help me see that person in the job.  If I can’t see a salesperson generating dollars, then I don’t see a very good salesperson.

Use Job Shadowing to Get Resume Keywords

By Peggy McKee

Job shadowing is just what it sounds like:  you be someone’s “shadow” for the day, to learn what a typical day is like in their job.  It’s also known as a field preceptorship, or a ride-along (especially accurate for going with sales reps on their routes).  It’s a “tryout” for you with no pressure.  It gives you a chance to see if you like that work environment, and see what it takes to be successful in it.  If you work it right, you can ask questions throughout the day that will give you better insight into the work.

A big benefit of job shadowing for you is that you can gather keywords for your resume you might not otherwise have, especially if you’re just learning how to get into medical sales.   You put the job shadowing experience on your resume and you write about which doctors you called on, what the products involved were, and what kind of medical sales accounts they are.  The words you’ll use are the kinds of keywords that will get your resume noticed by computerized tracking systems, and then read by recruiters and hiring managers.

So now that you know why job shadowing can be so important to someone transitioning into medical sales, how do you go about getting that experience?

First, find a sales rep.  If you’re interested in pharma sales or medical device sales, you can ask your doctor or medical specialist for the names of people who sell to them and their offices.  If you’re interested in lab sales, find a small lab and ask for the names of the sales reps who call on them.  Then, ask the sales rep if you can ride along for a day or half a day, to see what that job is like.  It will be a nice touch if you offer to buy lunch, or maybe give them a small gift afterwards (maybe a LinkedIn Profile Tutorial or new sales book).  Add that experience to your resume, and you’ve made a huge positive step toward landing a medical sales job.

If you need help with this, contact a career coach who can guide you through the process of how to break into medical sales.

Use a Field Preceptorship to Get Your Next Sales Job

By Peggy McKee

A field preceptorship a fantastic way to boost your chances of landing a medical sales job.  Also known as a ride-along or job shadowing, it’s usually something we associate with students, but a field preceptorship offers multiple benefits for the jobseeker:

• It gives you on-the-job experience without having to get the job.  You can explore it to see if it’s right for you before you make the commitment to change careers.
• You can use the experience on your resume, giving you keywords that will flag your resume in Applicant Tracking Systems–especially helpful for those with no prior experience in medical sales.
• It gives you material for your 30/60/90-day plan, an impressive document to have in a job interview.
• It sets you apart as a “go-getter.”  Not everyone will go to this length before they even have the job.
• It shows that you know how to make contacts, which is essential in a sales role.
• It’s impressive to hiring managers, and helps them to see you in the job.

How do you find someone to ride with?  Ask your doctor or lab for the names of sales reps.  When you contact them, ask if you can ride along for the day, or even part of the day.  Reassure them that you’re not after their job, but are just looking for information.  Try to stay quiet during the actual sales part, but in between, ask questions about a typical day, the pros and cons of their job, what it takes to be successful, and so on.

When you get to the interview, the prep work you did will show, giving you the edge over other candidates and help you land the job.

How Do Med Techs / Lab Employees Transition to Medical Sales Jobs?

By Peggy McKee

Well, I guess the first question should be: CAN med techs or other laboratory people transition from a technical role into a sales role? The answer is: it depends. The odds are low, but for those who can beat the odds, they'll likely be fantastic sales reps. It tends to be a love it/hate it proposition. Why is that? It's because the laboratory is a black-or-white world. There are absolutes and definites. In the sales world, there are many more variables, many more maybes, and much more fluidity inherently involved in dealing with people. The laboratory person who has good people skills coupled with that extensive technical background and who can deal with the uncertainty and constant change will be very successful. So, if you've got the technical background necessary for success in laboratory sales, how do you make the leap?

• Before you do anything else, go for a ride-along with a few sales reps. See what it's like on the other side of the fence. Ask questions about the pros and cons of the job, ask what a typical day is like, and find out how to be competitive in the job search and in the field. The logical way to find a sales rep willing to let you job shadow him would be to get names from labs they sell to. If you'd like to keep this on the down low for a while, find a lab where you're not known to ask for a few contacts.

• Use the job shadowing experience to beef up your resume with keywords that will get it flagged by computerized tracking systems. You'll have to revamp your resume to give it a sales focus while still highlighting your technical background.

• Find out everything you can about how to get into medical sales. There are hundreds of articles available right here on this blog.

• Expand your professional network. If you haven't done it already, set up a profile on LinkedIn. Join sales groups like Sales Cafe: Sales Rep Careers to find out what's going on and make more contacts.

• Shore up your sales skills. Research sales skills and sales call best practices online. Read books on sales techniques. Watch YouTube videos for job search advice.

• Seriously consider hiring a career coach to help with your medical sales job interview preparation. On the face of it, it looks like an expensive option when you could do all this research yourself, but in reality, it's a time- and money-saver: if you want to get hired faster, you consult an expert who already knows the territory and can give you a map of the best way to get where you want to go. It will keep you from making some completely avoidable mistakes and show you how to put your best foot forward.

• Get good at handling phone interviews. Almost all your initial contacts with recruiters and hiring managers will be by phone. Making a good impression there will be the key to landing the face-to-face interview.

• Learn how to write a 30/60/90-day plan. Use all of the research you've done on the sales process, and then research the specific company you'd like to interview with. Write an outline of what you'd be doing in the first 30 days, the first 60 days, and the first 90 days on the job. That's usually things like training (find out how they do that ahead of time) in the first 30 days, initial field work and customer introduction in the first 60 days (find out who their customers are), and going after new accounts in the first 90 days (think about who that might be). The 30/60/90-day plan will make you stand out as a person who knows how to be successful in this new role, and help the hiring manager see you in the job--which is half the battle.

• Polish your interview skills (this is a given). Practice answers to difficult but common interview questions, know how to answer behavioral interview questions, dress appropriately for a sales rep role, watch your body language, ask questions of your own, project confidence, know how to ask for the job, and don't forget the thank you note.

This is all a lot to remember, and it's certainly a lot of work. But if you're ready to transition out of the lab, the rewards will be worth it.