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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.)

Want recruiters to call?

By Harry Urschel

One complaint from many job seekers is that they can’t seem to get recruiters to call them back when they’re looking for a job. You’d think they’d love an opportunity to place a good candidate… so why don’t they call? They often know the market in their field of specialization better than most people. Is there anything you can do to get them to be a little more proactive in helping you find a job?

It helps to understand their motivations and what gets their attention. Then you can be more effective at getting them to return your calls.

Here’s how…

Understand how recruiters get paid. Many job seekers think that recruiters exist to help people find jobs. The reality is that recruiters are paid by companies to help them find the best candidate for a particular position. A recruiter’s responsibility is to the company that is paying them, not to any candidate they may like but doesn’t fit the role. A recruiter may like a particular person a great deal, however, they can’t make their client hire them, and they lose credibility with their client if they present a candidate that is less than an ideal fit.

Understand what they want. Recruiters are always looking for 3 things…

1. The best candidate for the position they are currently trying to fill.
2. Exceptional performers in their field of specialization that may fit future openings.
3. To build relationships with great connectors!

Listen to Zig! Zig Ziglar, the renowned motivational speaker has a phrase he uses often: “You can have everything in life that you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want.” If you want recruiters to call you back, be one or more of the 3 things they want!

You may or may not fit a position they have right now. You may or may not be an exceptional performer in their area of specialization. However, you can certainly become a great connector. What good does that do you? A good recruiter strives to nurture relationships with people that are great resources of information and referrals. Those great “connectors” are essential to their livelihood, they will often help those connectors in any way they can.

As a recruiter for the past 24 years, I’ve gone out of my way to help people that have been a help to me in my search for candidates for positions I’m working on. I help them with leads I may know of, referrals to others that may be helpful for them, coaching for their own job search, and certainly consider them first for any appropriate opportunities that may arise.

Be exceptional and be a connector! Present yourself to a recruiter in the same way you would to a potential employer. They work for their client companies, they are not career counselors. In order to feel confident about presenting you to their clients, they have to view you as someone that will be more professional and more competent than the average candidate their client is likely to see. If they believe you will add to their credibility with their clients, they will have no hesitations in presenting you for any open positions you’re qualified for. In fact, if they believe you are an “A” candidate based on your experience or presentation, they may proactively market you to some of their clients whether they have an open position or not. It’s your responsibility to help them view you as exceptional. Present yourself as professionally as possible.

Let them know you would be glad to refer people you know for opportunities they may be working on. When you give referrals, don’t only consider people you know are looking for new opportunities. Rather, refer the best people you know with the specific backgrounds the recruiter is looking for. No one has to pursue a position they don’t want, however, it’s to their benefit to be made aware of them and have the opportunity to decide for themselves. When the recruiter realizes you are someone that can point them to other good people, they will be helpful in return.

You want recruiters to return your calls? Be one of their 3 favorite calls to make!

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.

6 Tips for a Successful Medical Device Sales Job Interview

Competition for jobs in medical sales can be fierce.  Health care is a fascinating field, and the work environment for medical sales reps is exciting, lucrative, and rewarding for those who want to really make a difference.  However, sales interviews are difficult, and interviews for jobs in medical device sales, laboratory sales, biotech sales, imaging sales, or other health care sales are demanding.  That means that you're going to have to work a little harder to set yourself apart from the competition and win the job.  If your background and experience are up to snuff, all that's left is the interview.  Here are six things you can do that absolutely will work to make the most of the time you have in your interview to impress the hiring manager and boost your chances of landing the job:

1.  Research the company. In other words, do your homework.  There's no excuse for not knowing what the company does, what its current issues are, what its goals are, where its products fit in the marketplace, and who the competition is.  Your job is to take in this information and use it to figure out how you can help them reach their goals....and then frame your answers to interview questions accordingly.

2.  Know what kinds of questions to expect from a medical sales interview, like "Can you travel?"  or, "How will you build your market?"   Have answers prepared for tough (but popular) interview questions such as, "What's your greatest weakness?" (definitely use a real weakness that helps you be a great sales rep--but not perfectionism) or "Why should we hire you?"  Especially be ready for behavioral interview questions focused on tough situations you've had to deal with, or goals you've achieved and how you did it.  Quantify your answers whenever possible.  Hiring managers want sales reps who know their job is to ring the cash register.

3.  Dress appropriately, and watch your body language. Dressing appropriately means dressing conservatively (see how to buy a suit for men) with no flashy jewelry or strong perfume.   If you're not sure about your job interview body language, find a book to study, or research body language online.  Try making a video of yourself and get a friend to help you critique it.

4.  Create a 30/60/90-day sales plan, which is a short, 1-3 page outline of your first 3 months on the job–how you will get your training, how you will get up to speed on current accounts, how you will bring in new customers, and so on.  It's impressive because it is evidence of how much you want this job, and how hard you're willing to work, before you even get the job.  It shows the hiring manager that you understand the company, and you understand how to be successful in the job.  A 30/60/90-day plan helps the hiring manager to see you in the job, which then makes it easier to make the decision to hire you.  It also helps you guide the direction of the interview so that you are sure to get your points across, and it turns the interview into a conversation rather than a question-and-answer session.  You can certainly make a 30-60-90-day plan yourself from scratch, but if you want to make your life easier, you can download samples and a template with audio coaching from the Sales Recruiter.

5.  Bring your brag book. A 30/60/90-day plan shows the hiring manager what you will do, but a brag book shows the hiring manager what you have done.  It's the evidence to back up what you say you can do.  It should include your sales stats, performance reviews, "good job" notes or emails, resume, certifications, PowerPoint presentations you've created, brochures you've done, and what types of products or equipment you've marketed.  A really thick brag book with a few critical things highlighted (that you show the hiring manager) is especially effective.

6.  Know how to close the interview. If you're in sales, you know how to close the sale.  A job interview is the same process, except that the product you're selling is yourself.  This is one of the most important sales calls of your life.  Don't leave without asking for the job.  Whether you ask for it directly or you use an assumptive close by asking about the next step, it's important that you uncover any objections the hiring manager might have while you're right there to answer them.

Being well-prepared for the interview will boost your confidence, present you as a better candidate, and help you smoothly navigate the interview toward getting the job offer.

A Recruiter Can Help You Land Your Dream Job in Medical Device Sales

By Peggy McKee

It's hard to land a job completely on your own.  That's why the phrase "it's all in who you know" is such a cliché.  Finding a job through someone you know is still the number one way that candidates find jobs.  That's why networking is so important for your career.  And what better person to include in your network than a medical sales recruiter?

You might say, "I don't need a recruiter.  I have a great network of professionals as a resource, and these days, everything's online anyway. I can find all the jobs I want and apply that way."  OK, let's talk about that.

First of all--yes, you can apply for jobs online.  However, most online applications are a time-wasting black hole for a medical sales job hunt.  They take forever to fill out, and if you've seen it online, a thousand others have, too.  So unless you're PERFECT for that job, your resume is never going to make it past the Human Resources screening process (which is keyword-based) and make it to the hiring manager.  Your odds are not good. Endlessly applying for jobs you don't get is a morale-killer that's hard on your confidence, which eventually affects how you present yourself as a candidate.

Now--your network.  I absolutely believe that maintaining a great professional network is critical for you and your career.  But what I want to ask you is this:  How many of the professionals in your network make their living from knowing where the medical sales jobs are?  As a medical sales recruiter, I do.  What's more, many of the jobs recruiters fill are never advertised.  Simply because of that, your odds go up because fewer candidates will be considered.  And then, your odds increase even more because a recruiter will submit you for jobs you have a good chance of getting.  They match you with the company and the job:  by industry, skill-level, opportunity for advancement, and geography (where in the country you want to work). That's a timesaver for you because you're not wasting time applying for 50 jobs you aren't suited for and won't get.

And here's the icing on the cake:  Once a recruiter submits you for a job, they have a vested interest in seeing that you get hired.  Recruiters don't get paid unless their candidate gets hired.  So, the recruiter becomes your advocate in the job search process and will give you the inside scoop on what the hiring manager's looking for, what the company culture is like, how to tweak your resume, what to say to stand out in the interview, what to bring to the interview that will blow the hiring manager away, and what the hiring manager REALLY thought of you.

I'm not saying that a recruiter is your only option in your job search.  You should use your network, your LinkedIn profile, and the tricks I teach candidates on how to contact hiring managers directly.  If you're really having trouble finding a job, consider hiring a career coach to help you.

Working with a recruiter is a no-brainer.  You can't lose.  It doesn't cost you anything, because recruiters don't charge candidates, they charge employers.  (Fine print:  The only thing you have to remember is that a recruiter won't work with you to get a job you've already applied for, because the recruiter won't get paid unless they were the first person to submit the candidate.)

The bottom line is, if you know there's an industry expert whose business it is to know where the jobs are in medical sales, wouldn't you be crazy not to take advantage of that resource?  Contact a recruiter today.

A Recruiter Can Help You Land Your Dream Job in Medical Device Sales

By Peggy McKee

It's hard to land a job completely on your own.  That's why the phrase "it's all in who you know" is such a cliché.  Finding a job through someone you know is still the number one way that candidates find jobs.  That's why networking is so important for your career.  And what better person to include in your network than a medical sales recruiter?

You might say, "I don't need a recruiter.  I have a great network of professionals as a resource, and these days, everything's online anyway. I can find all the jobs I want and apply that way."  OK, let's talk about that.

First of all--yes, you can apply for jobs online.  However, most online applications are a time-wasting black hole for a medical sales job hunt.  They take forever to fill out, and if you've seen it online, a thousand others have, too.  So unless you're PERFECT for that job, your resume is never going to make it past the Human Resources screening process (which is keyword-based) and make it to the hiring manager.  Your odds are not good. Endlessly applying for jobs you don't get is a morale-killer that's hard on your confidence, which eventually affects how you present yourself as a candidate.

Now--your network.  I absolutely believe that maintaining a great professional network is critical for you and your career.  But what I want to ask you is this:  How many of the professionals in your network make their living from knowing where the medical sales jobs are?  As a medical sales recruiter, I do.  What's more, many of the jobs recruiters fill are never advertised.  Simply because of that, your odds go up because fewer candidates will be considered.  And then, your odds increase even more because a recruiter will submit you for jobs you have a good chance of getting.  They match you with the company and the job:  by industry, skill-level, opportunity for advancement, and geography (where in the country you want to work). That's a timesaver for you because you're not wasting time applying for 50 jobs you aren't suited for and won't get.

And here's the icing on the cake:  Once a recruiter submits you for a job, they have a vested interest in seeing that you get hired.  Recruiters don't get paid unless their candidate gets hired.  So, the recruiter becomes your advocate in the job search process and will give you the inside scoop on what the hiring manager's looking for, what the company culture is like, how to tweak your resume, what to say to stand out in the interview, what to bring to the interview that will blow the hiring manager away, and what the hiring manager REALLY thought of you.

I'm not saying that a recruiter is your only option in your job search.  You should use your network, your LinkedIn profile, and the tricks I teach candidates on how to contact hiring managers directly.  If you're really having trouble finding a job, consider hiring a career coach to help you.

Working with a recruiter is a no-brainer.  You can't lose.  It doesn't cost you anything, because recruiters don't charge candidates, they charge employers.  (Fine print:  The only thing you have to remember is that a recruiter won't work with you to get a job you've already applied for, because the recruiter won't get paid unless they were the first person to submit the candidate.)

The bottom line is, if you know there's an industry expert whose business it is to know where the jobs are in medical sales, wouldn't you be crazy not to take advantage of that resource?  Contact a recruiter today.

Stand Out In Your Medical Sales Job Interview

What does it take to set yourself apart from the competition in the job search? Is it a killer resume, a brag book, a 30/60/90-day plan, a great LinkedIn profile, smooth interview skills, or how well you prepare for the interview? Yes, it's all those things. AND, it's more. It's how you position yourself in relation to your competition. Who is the hiring manager comparing you with? How do you stack up? What do you have to offer? In this video, I'll give you a breakdown of the thought process you need to be able to stand out in a job interview in medical sales, medical device sales, laboratory sales, clinical diagnostics, imaging sales, healthcare IT, or pharmaceutical sales.

• How to analyze your competition
• How to use your recruiter or the hiring manager as a resource
• How to use this information to position yourself as a stand-out candidate

Interviews: How to Answer the Job References Question

Your job references are important to your job search success.  They’re the last step in the interview process, and you have to take just as much care with them as you do with anything else–like your resume, your interview skills, your brag book, or your 30/60/90-day plan.  A great reference could easily be what convinces a hiring manager who’s on the fence about you to go ahead and hire you.  And a bad one can knock you out of the running faster than you can blink.  Recommendations carry a lot of weight.

When you are asked in a job interview about your references, don’t lead off your answer with a list of names. Get to the meat of what the hiring manager or recruiter wants to know by talking about what kind of references you have:  titles, positions, and so on.   Which references are the best ones?  Former managers are always at the top of the list of desirable references for any job seeker. If your last job situation was less-than-ideal, you might have to get a little more creative to get a good reference.  For instance, you could ask a high-level client, a colleague, or a manager you didn’t directly work for but who knows your work.

But it’s not just job titles that come into play when choosing a reference that will make you look good.  You have to choose someone you know thinks a lot of you, someone who knows about the job you’re going for so that they can speak to your strengths, and someone who can express himself or herself well.

If you’ve got a lineup of good references, you need to know some job-reference etiquette:  (1)  Keep your references updated with regular e-mails about your career and pass on things that might be helpful to them, just like you do with the rest of your network;   (2)  give them a heads-up when they are about to be called for a reference, and use that time to tell them about the job and what skills they might focus on; and (3) be sure to thank them for helping you out.