What is your perception of a typical day for a pharmaceutical representative?SAMPLE ANSWER: I have an idea of what the day is like for a pharmaceutical representative and I think it parallels some of what my normal day is like. As a representative I would see as many of my assigned physicians as possible and sell them on why they should use my drug over the competition. I know some physicians are difficult to reach, so I would try to catch them early (6-7AM) in the hospital or after hours, like I have to do with some of my customers. Some days I would utilize a lunch to better impact difficult to see physicians. After 5:00 PM I would enter my calls in the computer (or after each call) and pick up e-mails. At night I would look over pre-call planning for my next day. I don’t know if you entertain physicians like I do with my customers currently but I would do some entertaining at night (restaurant) or on the weekends, (golf, hunting, fishing)-whatever it takes to beat my numbers. What do you think is the most challenging aspect of a pharmaceutical representative? SAMPLE ANSWER: Well number one, I think its probably getting quality time with the physician to impact prescribing behavior. Another challenge I think you would face is there are physicians that don’t see representatives. You have to be creative in finding a way to gain access to them. If you are currently in sales and face these obstacles in your present job, be sure to add this to your answer. You are given a territory and a list of physicians to call on. How would you organize and prioritize your call schedule? SAMPLE ANSWER: I would analyze my territory, and determine the accounts that have the greatest sales potential. I would quickly work to determine my most profitable 20 percent of my clients. Once they have been contacted and I feel comfortable with my relationship with these clients, I would then work the rest of my customers and develop new clients. Tell me about your last manager. Did you like him/her? If I was your manager, what is the best way to coach/mentor you to success? What qualities should a successful manager possess? Describe the relationship that should exist between the supervisor and those reporting to him or her? SAMPLE ANSWER: I liked my manager and we had a positive working relationship. We had similar thought processes on how to run my territory and how to best manage me. The best way to manage me is to give me all the tools (training, funding) necessary to be successful. Then let me run my territory in a way to exceed expectations. I would like a manager who periodically rides 5. 4-should be smart. peers. I am going to have to start small and expand his usage (nibble away market share). But you would certainly like a helpful sort who equips you with all the tools and knowledge. I view my territory as my own business and take accountability for its performance. One who can add value to both your personal and career goals. I would determine what influences his behavior: reprints. What are the qualities of a medical representative? 1.to get the best out of you? Some pharmaceutical interview questions like this one are tricky. Some Additional Questions: 1. How would you like your ideal sales manager to be . who supports and believes in you. After this. honesty. I would NOT expect the physician to make a sudden change to my drug if he is happy with the drug he is currently prescribing. You need one who can assess your potential and set you realistic goals based on a well-analyzed sales plan. speaker programs. honest and who can use his knowledge and yours to bring about a synergistic result. How do you think you would get a Physician to switch to your drug? SAMPLE ANSWER: First. Successful sales . I would use a combination of the appropriate tools to gain physician agreement on my drug’s effectiveness. tips and other forms of support. openness. I would get him to notice the success on this patient when the patient comes back in for a follow up visit. etc. I feel the successful qualities in a manager are as follows: high expectations.with me so he/she can understand my account and provide open constructive criticism. One who can drive you. who is open.should have technical as well as practical knowledge. excellent communication skills and the ability to assist me in my career development and goal attainment.should be punctuality . After the physician has tried my drug on this patient type. Why did you decide pharmaceutical sales would be the right career for you? First tell them that you love selling and site examples where you have done this even if you haven’t been employed as a salesperson. One who actually sees you in action and tells you how to get the best strategy in place. When the physician admitted efficacy. 2. energetic. I would gain commitment from him to use the drug on a specific patient type. 3-should be ready to learn new things anytime anywhere.should be able to read the doctors mind. I would then gain commitment for use in other patient types. I want an open and candid relationship with my manager. and enthusiastic. This is comparable with my current business. and formularies. That is selling! Mention that you have always been highly motivated. Mention instances where you persuaded someone to “buy in” to your ideas. and the extra effort you have put forth to spend a day in the field to see for yourself what a pharmaceutical sales representative does will give you tremendous credibility. This is a good time to pull out the information that you have collected during your research.people have all of these qualities as well as being creative and resourceful. You will thrive on the daily challenges of performing a pharmaceutical sales representatives job. The district manager will attempt to ascertain whether you are a dependable person and whether you do indeed really want a career that offers upward mobility. He must be convinced that you will stay and work smart. What is your current occupation? Give an honest answer. Were you responsible for marketing a product or idea to others? Have you analyzed a “buyer” to determine that buyer’s potential? Do you have daily contact with physicians or other medical personnel in your day-to-day activities? These are excellent job responsibility areas to compare with pharmaceutical sales job responsibilities. Next. Always expect to be asked to prove any statement that you make! 1. Also let them know that you realize the opportunities for personal and professional growth are tremendous with pharmaceutical sales companies. and one where the opportunity to help thousands of people is a reality.” Training and educating pharmaceutical sales representatives is very timeconsuming and expensive. State that this would give you tremendous job satisfaction. (This would be a great time to mention the “field preceptorship” and how much you enjoyed your day in the representative’s territory!) The research you have done on their company and the industry. Be careful not to make a negative statement. This would be a good time to show the “Career Comparison” information that you have placed in your Personal Presentation Binder. If you have changed positions in order to increase the challenge of your job and allow upward mobility. how exciting it would be to be part of such a dynamic field. but highlight any area of responsibility that you may have which would be seen as a benefit for someone in pharmaceutical sales. A bad choice would yield an ineffective pharmaceutical sales representative and one that would potentially leave the job “undone” because that person has again decided to do something else. You can explain how stable the industry is. then that is an excellent reason for . You will be viewed as a serious candidate! 1. I see you have held several different positions over the last five years? Can you explain why? The obvious objective in this question is to determine whether you are a “jobhopper. You will have already compared your job responsibilities to that of a pharmaceutical sales representative. expound upon why pharmaceutical sales would be right for you. Be prepared to cite examples where you displayed these behavioral characteristics. Then supply proof for your statement. that you believe this a perfect career for you. You have the opportunity to make yourself look good with the right answer. That’s a good reason to decline. career path. 1. Career transitions or job transitions made to increase compensation for your work is another good reason. six months or more. Why should we hire you over other candidates? Here is a list of the top ten interview questions. 5. then you need to present yourself as a tenacious person who never gives up because you are absolutely certain that you are the right person for the job. on paper and in person. jobs and position held and any relevant highlights and achievements. it’s because you are impressive. Pharmaceutical sales is a perfect match for your personality and work experience. Tell us about yourself and what you have done so far in your career? Briefly describe your education. How long having you been seeking employment in the pharmaceutical sales industry? Your answer here will be important. Have you interviewed with other companies? 6.changing jobs. Then you must explain why it is perfect for you. When did you decide to pursue a pharmaceutical sales career position? You might reply that after your extensive research into this career field including actually going on a field preceptorship. being part of winning teams or doing some original work. 1. How do you feel about working on your own most of the time? 7. What was your rating on your last Performance Management Review? 3. If you have been looking for a position for a long time. How would you describe “selling?” 4. How does your current or former job experience compare to pharmaceutical sales? 2. 1. Substantiate the content in your resume (instead of repeating what it says) such as giving examples of leadership situations. 1. Perhaps you turned a position down because of location. If you’ve just started looking for a pharmaceutical sales position and you’ve already gained interviews. . if you didn’t gain an interview that means you failed the first sales test. because the district manager will wonder why you didn’t gain the position if you interviewed. Name five reasons why you believe you would be a good pharmaceutical sales representative. On the other hand. Whether you have been granted interviews will matter. It is perfect because you thrive on the type of challenges faced by pharmaceutical sales representatives! You want to make a difference at a job you are certain you will love. Do not get stuck in how bad the organization was etc. turnover. If you can qualify these with quantifiable records you have achieved in previous jobs or assignments. There is no one way. it adds credibility. State how how you counter them. 3. 5. 8. 4. A candid conversation with a friend helps in listing the same because an outsider can be more objective. Reel off the information you have gathered about the industry from the internet. Be in the range or even better. What are your career goals and where do you see yourself five years from now? Spare some thought for this because your prospective employer is interested in knowing how clear you are at this moment about what you want to achieve.2. convert it into a strength. knowledge and skills that will add value to the company. answers to which you must certainly know – job interview or otherwise. quote a range and leave it tactfully open for negotiations. reports etc to validate your statements. Better still. personally and socially. industry journals. research activities. what you bring to the organization such as personal qualities. What do you know about our organization and the industry? This should be easy if you have done your homework. Know lucidly. products. but prepare for all circumstances with tactful answers. The positive side of “taking time to work on a proposal” could be that you are “meticulous and produce quality results”. It obviously has mutual benefits. You must be familiar by now about the company’s main business areas. Why should we select you? Be prepared for this question because this answer will sell your story. What is your salary expectation? Research is important so you don’t quote too high or too less. profit etc. If you are aware of the latest developments state it to substantiate the fact that you are indeed abreast of industry trends and that you are a valuable asset to the company. What are your strengths and weaknesses? A good question. 6. 7. geographical presence. economically. Why did you leave your last job? Focus on the positives such as your career path and how you needed to further your career and long term interests. Acknowledge weaknesses and restrict them to professional traits. Focus on your strengths. that affect both you and the company in the short and long term. Why have you applied for this job? Be clear about the value the job adds to your career and the value that you bring to the job as well. For eg. leaving this answer . Why should I select you? There are n numbers of reasons but to be very specific my usp is "hard work and enough passionate to do work" which matches with your job profile. 14. instinct and sensitivity and in all circumstances keeping the organizations long term goals in view. 9. with a pleasing manner. What is marketing? Marketing is the creation of strategy for selling of products and service. 12. Collection of outstanding. Budgeting.out – open for negotiation later. 10. . creativity. 11. Stockiest management. Do you have any questions? Yes. Any question that you would like an answer for about the organization. Management of absence. Launch of new products. People recruitment. the job and related areas may be asked now. Vacant territory management. 13. feedback to medical reps. Apply your real life situation to the one cited in the example and address the problem using your experience.and highlight the extraordinary features of the product and tell about the offers and best price comparing with other products which he feels more advantageous. Sales forecast. What is the role of a frontline manager in pharmacy sales? Target achievement. How will you sell your product? Tell only the positive features. How do you handle a situation such as a conflict or management situation? Your real life experiences are your greatest teachers and it helps to draw lessons from similar experiences. Standard tour plan. sector it is much more time taken & money matter.mention the facts you've discovered • If you're asked a difficult question.Keep your answers concise and be confident • Tell me about a conflict you had with a coworker and how it resolved. So we can say overall MR is a owner of the product in his territory. What do you mean by pharmacy and fmcg? Ans : fmcg means fast moving consumer goods like biscuits . don't feel you have to answer immediately Take your time and think about your response . 18. Secondly as it is a never ending industry.5 percent.you need to make sure you can demonstrate your areas of expertise with live examples • Practise your technique and get feedback from friends . As per my knowledge the GDP of this industry is 14. And to get the prescription from the doctor to maintain the sales reports send it to higher officials. Why do you want to join pharmaceutical as a medical representative? First of all this is the best option to grow personality & interaction skill for the B. enthusiastic. And in this profession there is lot of openings instead of govt. sector. find out about it by reading newspapers and looking online • Try and anticipate the questions you may be asked and think about how you'll answer them • Have a few of your own questions ready to ask • Check the format of the interview . 16. natural and honest The key to a successful interview lies in preparation: • Find out as much as you can about the company before your interview • If you're new to the pharmaceutical sector. Give example of time where you turned a negative into a positive • .will there be any personality or skills testing? At the interview: • First impressions are vital .this will also help with the nerves • Think about your attitude . For the person of Pharma background. field is good option to learn & continuous growth of your knowledge & also improve the knowledge of drugs.make the most of them • Guide the interviewer towards a discussion of your strengths • Show you've done your research . 17. What are the functions of a body system? Keep in mind that every interview is based on three underlying questions: • What makes you the ideal candidate for the job? • What is it about the role that interests you? • Why do you want to work at our company? Tips and preparation: • Reread your CV before the interview .etc while pharmacy deals with medicines.15.Pharm Graduate and really it is the fast growing industry which is always untouched from recession. What is the role of a medical representative? Medical Representative’s role is convincing doctors and generating prescription in favour of the company’s products.be positive. And in govt.