Pharmaceutical sales, one of the hottest markets for job seekers, requires the ability to close". The first and most important opportunity to show potential employers how effectively you can close a deal is during the interview. Candidates who close" the interview by asking for the next interview, or the job, are one-step ahead of their competition. A result-oriented approach and the skills needed to sell products are critical. In this article, Medzilla taps several experts for suggestions about how job seekers can better prepare for interviews, leave a lasting impression and help secure the next step in the process.
Marysville, WA (PRWEB) January 16, 2004 -- Pharmaceutical sales, one of the hottest markets for job seekers, requires the ability to close". The first and most important opportunity to show potential employers how effectively you can close a deal is during the interview.
You need to look at a pharmaceutical sales interview as your first sales call for the employer. Your goal should be to ‘close the transaction by going to the next step," says Frank Heasley, PhD, President and CEO of MedZilla.com, a leading Internet recruitment and professional community that targets job seekers and HR professionals in biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, healthcare and science.
When I was a recruiter, I would counsel job candidates that they shouldnt forget to ask for the job. You can think of it as simply asking for the sale," Dr. Heasley says.
Start with a mission to close
Closing an interview begins the minute you walk in the door, says Pat Riley, a recruiter specializing in pharmaceutical sales and author of Secrets of Breaking into Pharmaceutical Sales.
Go to the interview dressed appropriately and be prepared, according to Riley. Know your resume, your talents and skills, what you want and why you want it. Know more than just the basics of the company youre interviewing with. One trick I tell my candidates who are interviewing: read the companys latest press releases [on the web]," Riley says.
Riley coaches candidates that they should prepare for interview questions. Questions commonly asked during todays pharmaceutical sales interviews are situation-action-outcome type questions. Candidates should anticipate these and practice explaining challenging situations and how they solved them. Remember to talk the employers language, Riley says, as pharmaceutical companies generally think in terms of bottom line and profits.
Separate yourself from the crowd
Riley suggests that candidates consider starting their interviews by using a Power Point presentation to introduce themselves. The five-minute presentation might include a minute or so on key resume points, as well as why youre the right person for the job.
When you think about it, companies use Power Point presentations to close billion dollar deals -- why not use the same technique to close yourself?" he says.
The trial close"
According to Riley, a trial close" to the interview follows the introduction and questioning period. It occurs when the candidate asks whether the person doing the interview approves of him for the job or see hurdles to his getting the position. A question to ask might be: Is that what youre looking for?"
The question allows the candidate to go to the next step. If you uncover challenges to having the interviewer close the deal, (hire you, invite you for the next interview, etc.) you have the opportunity to address them and put them in better perspectives. Basically, youre trying to flush out what the interviewer is looking for and apply yourself to those needs," Riley says.
Lisa Lane, a pharmaceutical sales consultant and author of Three Days to a Pharmaceutical Sales Job Interview, suggests asking if there is anything preventing you from going forward in the process. Regardless of the response, you want to stay enthusiastic," she says.
Leave a lasting impression
Lane says that you should consider leaving a token of yourself after the interview. Leave a pencil behind, with a note attached saying, ‘Call Joe Smith. Hes the sharpest one for the job! And leave your phone number behind. Thats what pharmaceutical reps will typically do in a doctors office. So, its a kind of nice tie-in to what they would be doing on the job. It leaves a lasting impression. Thats a creative approach," Lane says.
Former job candidate Barbara Carlson took Lanes advice. She had no sales experience and was going up against about 30 other candidates. I really needed to make an impression," she wrote to Lane. At the end of the interview, I gave the manager a small candle with a note attached. It said, ‘I can't wait to IGNITE sales in your district. I am looking forward to joining your sales team. I signed my name. It worked! I landed the next interview and the job."
Ask for the job
In her book Insight into a Career into Pharmaceutical Sales, Anne Clayton writes that candidates should not leave the interview without asking for the job. This is your final statement," she says. When you touch the door knob or cross the threshold to exit the room, turn back to the interviewer and state … ‘Thank you for your time. I want to do the job for you. Use your own words but say it with conviction!"
Typically what I tell my candidates is that they should close with Ive enjoyed our time together. Your company is one that I see myself working for a long time. Based on what you said youre looking for, I strongly feel that I am that person. When do I start?" Riley says.
Make a friend
Make sure to tell the person you interviewed with that you would enjoy working with them, Lane says.
Maura Schreir-Fleming, president of Best@Selling and author of Real-World Selling for Out-of-this-world Results, says interviewees should follow up with a handwritten thank you note. Its good manners and leaves a better impression," she says.
Most people dont send a handwritten note after the interview and thats a mistake, Riley says. He even suggests prewriting a note, if the interview is at a hotel, and leaving it at the front desk, or having paper in the car so you can put it in the mail immediately.
For more information on the books mentioned in this press release, please visit the MedZilla Bookstore at http://www.medzilla.com/books.html.
About MedZilla.com
Established in mid 1994, MedZilla is the original web site to serve career and hiring needs for professionals and employers in biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, medicine, science and healthcare. MedZilla databases contain about 10,000 open positions, 13,000 resumes from candidates actively seeking new positions and 50,000 archived resumes.
Medzilla® is a Registered Trademark owned by Medzilla Inc. Copyright ©2004, MedZilla, Inc. Permission is granted to reproduce and distribute this text in its entirety, and if electronically, with a link to the URL www.medzilla.com. For permission to quote from or reproduce any portion of this message, please contact Michele Groutage, Director of Marketing and Development, MedZilla, Inc. Email: mgroutage@medzilla.com.
Press Inquiries:
Contact: Michele Groutage
Company: MedZilla, Inc.
Title: Director of Marketing & Development
Phone: 360-657-5681
Email: mgroutage@medzilla.com
URL: http://www.medzilla.com
# # #
|
