Interviewing

Preparing to get the job 100% interview


1. BEFORE THE INTERVIEW

1. FIRST THINGS FIRST:
   Do you know what the job of a pharmaceutical sales representative or medical sales representative entails?
   If not, you MUST do some research prior to an interview.
   Talk to medical/ pharmaceutical sales reps about their job.
   Find out about the following:
   1. What do to they sell and to whom?
   2. What a typical day entails.
   3. What it takes to be successful.
   4. How are they evaluated by their company?
   5. What have they done (SPECIFICALLY) to be successful?
      
   Your goal is to have a clear understanding of what these successful sales professionals do on a daily basis, and how your background can translate into success in this industry.
   
   


2. COMPANY RESEARCH:
• Drugs/ Products (PDR research- print out DPI for each drug and review)
• Interview a Pharmacist and/or a Physician on the products/ procedures
• Who is the competition?
• what are their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats?
• How do they position themselves against the competition in various markets?
• Product pricing vs. competition
• Managed care strategy
• Reimbursement strategy
  
3. BRAG BOOK:
• How are you going to sell yourself?
  Why would this company want to hire you over all of the other people they are interviewing?
  The best way to prove that you will be successful in the future is to document a successful track record with a Brag Book.
• The Brag Book should be neatly bound and tabbed.
  It should contain the following:
1. Resume as first page
2. Sales numbers (year end % to goal, stack rankings in the District, Region and Nation). Always highlight your name for easy reading.
3. Awards
4. Annual Performance Evaluations
5. Field Contact Reports
6. Letters and/or positive emails
7. College transcripts
8. Last 2 years W2s
9. other: samples of business plans you have prepared in the past, business plan for the position you are interviewing for, programs you have organized in the past.

2. THE INTERVIEW

• Sell yourself/ First Impressions
  
  1. How are you going to convey an image of success?
  2. Conservative, neat attire (starched shirt, pressed pants/skirt and shined shoes).
  3. Never have too much jewelry, perfume or cologne.
  4. Plan to arrive at the interview site 20 minutes early. Do you have directions?
  5. Where are you to meet your interviewer at the location?
  6. Firm handshake and good eye contact.
  7. Body language: Be your professional self….smile, be confident. Good posture is very important.
  8. Personal organization: Portfolio with resume and Brag Book. No stray papers or clutter visible. Bring your daytimer/Palm Pilot to show how you keep track of items that need your attention.
  9. TURN OFF CELL PHONES/PAGERS.
  10. Let the interviewer set the tone and pace of the interview. Read their body language.
  11. Your interviewer gets a first impression of you in the first few minutes of the meeting….this is your time to impress them.
  12. Never interrupt your interviewer….Listening is critical. Treat this like any other sales presentation. You are selling yourself.
  13. Be specific when answering questions. Never speak in generalities. Companies and Managers don’t just look for people who have been successful, they look for people who know WHY they have been successful.
  14. When answering a question think about the who, what, when, where, why and how of a situation. Be concise. Be specific!
      REVIEW AND PREPARE LIST OF COMMON INTERVIEW QUESTIONS- Knock ‘em Dead 2002 has some good examples of common interview questions.
  15. Do you want this job?? If so, you must treat the interview like a sales call and ask for it.”
      A potential employer wants to know:
  • why do you want to work for their company?
  • what do you offer them?
  • are you able to close a deal?
  • will you be their next star performer?
    
  16. Once you’ve closed for the job make sure to get the interviewer’s card.

3. AFTER THE INTERVIEW
Send a follow-up thank you note. Include some of the things you discussed during the meeting, reiterate why you want to work for the company as well as what you have to offer them. Always format it as a professional letter—not just an informal text message on email.