Medical Sales Representative Job Description, Skills, and Salary
Get to know about the duties, responsibilities, qualifications, and skills requirements of a medical sales representative. Feel free to use our medical sales representative job description template to produce your own. We also provide you with information about the salary you can earn as a medical sales representative.
Who is a Medical Sales Representative?
Medical sales reps are people-oriented individuals who market medical items to the medical and healthcare industries, while also keeping an eye on competitors and the latest advancements in healthcare technology. Medical sales professionals, also known as pharmaceutical sales representatives, laboratory sales representatives, and biotechnology sales representatives, drive the industry of medical sales. The sector as a whole is strongly reliant on relationships and communication between manufacturers of medical supplies and pharmaceutical items and the hospitals, doctors, and laboratories that utilize them. Typically, a medical sales representative acts as a liaison between these institutions.
Medical sales representatives typically obtain a bachelor’s degree. The majority of representatives have a master’s degree in business administration (MBA), a bachelor’s degree in business administration or biology, or a bachelor’s degree in communication. Although the medical sales industry is competitive, it often provides opportunities for those with an interest in medicine, technology, business, or helping others. The majority of medical sales reps are specialists in a particular product, the field of medicine, or geographic region.
Typically, a pharmaceutical, biotechnology, or medical equipment business relies on its sales team to represent its product to hospitals, physicians, pharmacies, nurse practitioners, and other medical practices. In general, the representative is responsible for not only presenting the product but also for scheduling individual and group appointments to introduce the product. Appointments can be scheduled through existing contacts or cold calling. Additionally, representatives are often responsible for assessing the clinical data provided by the corporation before presenting it to medical specialists. They should normally be informed about the product they are offering, its uses, side effects, and benefits, to answer inquiries from the doctors, hospitals, and medical personnel with whom they work.
Another responsibility that is frequently involved in medical sales is the arranging of business conferences. This may require maintaining databases of attendees, managing conference finances, or devising innovative marketing methods. The representative’s objective, both at the conference and during private presentations, is normally to raise awareness of the product among prospective clients to secure their business.
The majority of MPs must possess a people-person personality. Additionally, it might be beneficial for a representative to monitor what competitors are doing with their products to develop a superior sales presentation. He or she must also keep abreast of current breakthroughs in the medical area.
A medical sales representative is often involved in one of two types of sales: pharmaceuticals or medical equipment. However, the primary objective remains the same: to sell medical supplies to individuals such as doctors, pharmacists, and scientists, as well as to organizations such as hospitals and clinics. Communication and interpersonal skills, as well as thorough product knowledge, are critical components of a medical sales representative’s employment.
Additionally, there are two sorts of medical sales: internal and outside sales. Inside salespeople typically work from a single location and deal with their clients mostly via telephone and e-mail, rather than in person. They typically contact their clients not just to offer the goods, but also to follow up and address any concerns the client may have.
Outside sales personnel typically meet with clients directly, such as doctors or pharmacists. A medical sales representative frequently travels significantly and is typically assigned a region or territory to work in. As they travel to meet with clients, sales reps are frequently responsible for presenting products. This can be accomplished through the use of informational presentations.
Along with scheduling and attending customer meetings, medical salespeople may organize conferences to advertise their products. In this instance, numerous clients are gathered in one location to learn about the products. Medical sales reps should possess a breadth of knowledge to deliver the greatest amount of information possible. Due to the medical nature of these items, it is critical to have a working grasp of medical language to communicate successfully with clients.
As a medical sales representative, you may also be required to contact prospective clients to expand the number of accounts and sales. After contacting a potential client, the representative is responsible for determining the client’s needs and then convincing the client that they require the particular product the representative sells. After persuading the client, the medical sales representative completes the transaction and follows up to ensure the client is satisfied. Generally, medical sales reps have weekly, monthly, or annual sales targets to meet.
Another component of a medical sales representative’s job is to review data and do research on both their own and their competitors’ products. The more information a medical sales representative possesses, the stronger the foundation for closing a deal with a client. The majority of medical sales representatives are specialists in their field and create long-term relationships with their clients.
Medical Sales Representative Job Description
Below are the medical sales representative job description examples you can use to develop your resume or write a medical sales representative job description for your employee. Employers can also use it to sieve out job seekers when choosing candidates for interviews.
The duties and responsibilities of a medical sales representative include the following:
- Meeting with prospective and existing customers, including physicians, pharmacists, nurses, and other health care professionals.
- Presenting the company’s products and services to prospective and existing consumers and convincing them to make purchases.
- Recognizing client demands and making recommendations for corporate items that best meet those needs.
- Organizing medical professionals’ conferences and group events.
- Attending industry events, training sessions, company meetings, briefings, and educational courses regularly.
- Conducting competitive research on their products, price, and market success.
- Submitting purchase orders to the appropriate department on time.
- Preparation and submission of sales reports and territory analysis to management.
- Appointing scheduling with physicians, pharmacists, and hospital medical teams may involve pre-arranged appointments or routine ‘cold’ contacting.
- Organizing conferences for physicians and other medical personnel
- Developing and maintaining strong working relationships with medical personnel and assisting administrative personnel
- Maintaining meticulous records of all contacts
- Acquire new clients and maintain long-term ties with current ones
- Attending company meetings, technical data presentations, and briefings regularly
- Maintaining current knowledge of the company’s latest clinical data and interpreting, presenting, and discussing this data with health experts during presentations.
- Analyzing sales data to optimize performance and ensure that resources are utilized properly
- Keeping an eye on competition activities and items
- Keeping abreast of new developments in the NHS, forecast the business’s potential negative and positive implications, and adjust strategy accordingly
- Establishing plans to increase opportunities to meet and speak with contacts in the medical and healthcare sectors and to stay updated about health service activities in a particular location.
- Traveling to specific geographical areas to offer medical equipment.
- Making cold calls or door-to-door sales.
- Delivering presentations to doctors, practice employees, and nurses in primary care practices, hospital physicians, and retail pharmacists.
- Developing relationships with medical personnel.
Qualifications
- A high school diploma or a GED is required.
- It is preferred that you have a bachelor’s degree in marketing, communications, medical office administration, or a similar subject.
- Certification as a Certified Sales Professional (CSP) is useful.
- Driver’s license in good standing.
- Proven track record in medical sales.
- Medical terminology and legislation are well-understood.
- Proficiency with the entire suite of Microsoft Office applications.
- Outstanding organizational and consultative selling abilities.
- Communication and bargaining abilities that are effective.
- Outstanding customer service abilities.
Essential Skills
- Desire and Drive
When it comes to excellent characteristics, ambition is at the top of the list. Goal-oriented individuals are constantly working to reach their next objective and complete their next short. Medical sales representatives operate on a very tight financial budget. With strict budgets and sales objectives to reach, they must focus on closing the transaction and moving on to the next.
- Selling ability
Medical sales representatives must possess good selling abilities. They cannot meet work criteria unless they generate revenue. Candidates do not need prior experience in medical sales, but they must have sales ability or promise. This could be proved by prior success in retail or hospitality employment, or through workplace instances of successfully influencing others to their way of thinking.
- Organizational skills
A typical day in medical sales is jam-packed with deadlines, meeting reschedules, and customer contact. Candidates must be able to manage their time well and adapt swiftly to changing circumstances. Appropriate time management skills are necessary to guarantee that the rep arranges their day with rigorous attention to detail and the greatest possible cost-effectiveness.
- Authenticity
At the end of the day, the medical sales representative is responsible for selling products to a variety of healthcare professionals. Individuals will only spend money with those whom they believe are sincere, trustworthy, and genuinely interested in resolving their concerns. It is critical to treat individuals with respect and to be completely candid about the product’s limits. Inflated claims and outright fabrications are the quickest way to lose a consumer.
- Listening skills
Customers no longer desire slick sales patter and rote selling. They require persuasion from a real person who listens to their concerns and understands their difficulties. This necessitates effective communication abilities. That is why the best salespeople develop their listening skills. They ask pertinent inquiries to ascertain the true nature of the healthcare professional’s problem – and then propose customized solutions that the customer finds difficult to resist.
- Stamina and Persistence
Medical sales positions need a great deal of effort. They entail working long, often unpredictable hours and traveling extensively. Meetings can be rescheduled numerous times to coincide with early or late clinic openings or when patients have left. The top medical sales representatives are incessantly tenacious and have an excellent work ethic. Ascertain that your health sector recruitment efforts are directed at hardworking candidates.
How to Become a Medical Sales Representative
- Pursue an educational endeavor
Medical sales representatives must possess a minimum of high school education or its equivalent, but the majority hold bachelor’s degrees. A Master’s of Business Administration will position you as an attractive prospect in this competitive field. Your major may influence your area of specialization. For instance, a representative of a pharmaceutical company may major in pharmacology. According to MedReps, 98 percent of pharmaceutical sales representatives hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. Business, marketing, pharmacology, and pharmaceutical business degrees are in high demand.
- Consider getting certifications.
Along with a degree, you can boost your work prospects by earning certification from the National Association of Medical Sales Representatives or the Independent Medical Distributors Association.
To become a Certified National Pharmaceutical Representative or CNPR, you must contact the National Association of Pharmaceutical Sales Representatives. This will provide you with the necessary background in medical terminology. The certification exam lasts two hours and requires a passing score of at least 80%.
- Decide on a specialty
To begin, determine your area of interest. If you have an interest in mental health, a pharmaceutical sales position may be a good fit. If you’re interested in sports medicine, medical device sales may be the career route for you. You should have a personal and professional interest in your topic of study, as well as a strong enthusiasm for it. If you pursue your passion and do what you love, you have the potential for an extremely satisfying career.
- Acquire practical experience
Once you’ve chosen a specialty, seek out opportunities to get related experience. If you’re considering a career in psychiatric pharmaceutical sales, you can consider volunteering with the National Alliance on Mental Illness. If possible, shadow a medical sales representative in your niche or apply for an internship with a medical sales organization. Volunteering in a hospital or doctor’s office can also be quite beneficial.
- Successful completion of training
Before you begin training, determine your preferred method of learning. If you like to learn by experience, sitting in a classroom is not the ideal approach to acquiring knowledge. If you learn best through lectures, then on-the-job training is not for you. Locate a medical sales training program that is a good fit for your schedule. While in-person learning offers the benefit of networking, online learning offers greater scheduling flexibility.
Employers would want you to be able to sell during your first week, regardless of which options you choose, so you must be able to quickly absorb and comprehend a big quantity of information. As a result, experience in this field will assist you in acquiring your first medical sales job. You can obtain training by enrolling in MedReps, which will notify you of available positions. Other options include enrolling in courses offered by MedSalesCareer or Sales Momentum. Additionally, you should become familiar with the acronyms associated with your niche, which can be accomplished through internet research. Finally, keep abreast of technological advancements.
- Network
Professional networking is critical in any area, but it is particularly critical in medical sales. While in college, you can begin networking by getting to know your professors, working in relevant professions, requesting recommendations from your employers, attending networking events, and creating online professional profiles. You should seek out opportunities to meet new people and network whenever possible.
- Expand your online presence
According to MedReps, 76% of recruiters check prospects online before deciding whether or not to contact a prospect, therefore it is critical to have a good online presence. You should have professional social media profiles and a personal website to demonstrate to recruiters your industry commitment.
Where to Work as a Medical Sales Representative
Medical sales representatives are mostly employed by the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries. These businesses develop and manufacture pharmaceutical goods and products, which may include medications, medical devices, and equipment.
Medical Sales Representative Salary Scale
In the United States, the national average salary for a Medical Sales Representative is $54,287 per year.