A CAREER IN MEDICAL OR HEALTH INDUSTRY SALES AND MARKETING
Medical sales representatives work on behalf of drug and medical supply companies to market their products and services to hospitals, clinics, and doctors. Medical sales representatives are responsible for developing and maintaining relationships with customers in the health industries to maximise sales. Much of the medical sales representatives work will be in communicating with customers, either in person, over the phone, or by email.
Medical sales representatives will:- provide information about their products and services
- determine customer needs
- take orders
- monitor orders
- keep records
Medical sales representatives will need to stay up to date with new developments so they can provide accurate and competitive information to their clients.
Opportunities:
Medical sales representatives are employed by pharmaceutical and medical companies. They will often be responsible for a set territory. Extensive travel may be required within that territory. Some reps will work for just one company, and others may work for several companies and offer a range of products.
Medical sales representatives are usually paid on a base salary, with extra commission on sales.
Risks and challenges:
In general, there has maintained a fairly stable demand for medical sales representatives, however some companies during the recession have cut staff to reduce expenditure.
With the advent of the internet, some companies are relying more heavily on internet marketing and are therefore using marketing sales representatives less.
Medical sales representatives have had a slightly negative reputation in the past, due to the idea of doctors being “bribed” to use a particularly companies medical supplies. It is important to maintain quality, high integrity relationships with clients.
The medical sales representatives schedule may be hectic at times, and require after hour and long work hours at times. To be successful you will need to develop good time management and organisation skills.
How to become a Medical Sales Representative:
There are no qualification requirements to become a medical sales representative, however it is preferred to have some general education in medical terminology, health science, marketing, communication, and customer service. This can be obtained either through a University degree, or a combination of vocational training and experience in a role that utilises some of the necessary skills. Most companies will provide in depth training in relation to their specific products.
A medical sales representative will need to develop their skills to a level where they have a sound understanding of health sciences, and an ability to effectively communicate scientific material.
The medical Sales representative will need to be well-presented and have good communication and interpersonal skills to gain rapport with their clients. They will also need to develop good sales closing skills.
CHOOSING A COLLEGE
Every college offers something different.
- They all have different tutors, with varying qualifications and experiences.
- Some have higher course fees; but that could be because they offer more extensive support; while others may charge less but provide less services. Some may offer different payment plans to others.
- The style of teaching and learning; as well as the emphasis upon assessment and the way work is assessed can vary from one college to the next.
The best school for one person might not necessarily be the best for the next. You need to look closely not only at what you want to study; but the people and services you will be working with; and then choose something you think will work for you.