What matters to a Medical Sales Representative?

Working in sales isn't always plain sailing. It comes with it's challenges but also its own set of benefits that are attracting people to the role in ever-larger numbers. This counts doubly for the pharmaceuticals industry: in a sector that’s growing rapidly, both across the UK and worldwide, medical sales representatives are  more in demand than ever before. 

However, the sector is also changing. With Covid-19 sparking a string of new trends in customer behaviour, new sources of competition, and changing laws and regulations, the role of the medical sales representative is in a state of great flux. Now as the global medical device market is projected to have exceeded a value of $335 billion in 2021, and the pharmaceutical industry is expanding rapidly, what do medical sales representatives look for in their jobs?

Satisfaction 

Consider that the UK has one of the lowest job satisfaction rates in Europe, with just 64% of people stating that they're happy at work. This leaves one in three people unhappy and explains why satisfaction with your job and your career is so important. Why do few medical sales rep fall under this unhappy category?

High salaries have long been a driver of popularity within medical sales, of course - and though base salaries can be relatively low, you can supplement more than double your pay rate with performance-related bonuses and pay.

However, the chance to sell products that they believe in also plays a large part in driving happiness: after all, in medical sales, you have the chance to make a difference and sell medical products to people it can really benefit.

Benefits

However, what seems to be equally as important as pay for many sales reps is actually their desire for a work-life balance and a strong team ethic. In fact, following the obvious desire for a high salary and bonuses, many reps also seek things like a company car, reduced membership for gyms and stock shares when looking to take the next step in the medical sales career. This seems to be following a trend. Pre-pandemic, more and more millennials were making their way into the workforce, encouraging employers to think about how healthier working lifestyle and perks will help them to attract star hires.

While having a strong team might not be the first thing you think of when it comes to sales reps, especially as many of them spend the majority of their job on the road, it's becoming increasingly sought after. However, when you consider that these professionals have chosen a job that offers them a sociable working environment, it's not so surprising. Being given the opportunity to develop and grow, and to collaborate with employees is what matters to these ambitious reps.

What’s changing?

While there are many reasons to join the medical sales industry, there are some changes to take note of. The sector is becoming much more digitised, and this rapid increase in information is inevitably leading to a change in the role of the medical sales rep. While at first these changes might be faced with uncertainty, 64% of professionals agree they can see technology improving their job prospects. So why might that be the case for a sales rep?

Automation is helping reps streamline their sales process and freeing up more that can then be spent engaging with clients. As a result, reps are transitioning to an advisory role, being seen as a valuable source of information to their clients rather than an outright salesperson. This, combined with changing legislation and regulations about the status of the Pharmaceutical industry in the UK, is causing unease about the future, which may well linger until well into the 2020s.

Looking to the future

As we head into the post-pandemic world, it’s clear to see that the future is bright for medical sales representatives. With work-life balance moving to the forefront of their priorities - alongside training and team bonding - employers are more aware than ever of the need to work on their company culture if they want to keep attracting the best talent in the market. If you want to be a part of a company that is passionate about making a real difference, then browse our current medical sales rep jobs and learn join our growing network of talented professionals.