Which traits do successful salespeople need to thrive in Medical Sales?

Whether you’re a salesperson or a recruiter, knowing how to sell things is hugely advantageous when it comes to making a success out of your job. Sales is challenging: finding potential leads, tracking them down and making the sale can be hugely rewarding, and is part of the reason that the vocation is such an attractive job prospect for many: but how successful you are depends hugely on how you approach the job and interact with potential leads.

With 80% of sales being made by only 20% of the salesforce, it’s clear that if you want to thrive in the job then you need to have, or invest time in developing, a certain set of traits in order to connect with potential customers and clinch that deal. If you’re thinking of making a career in a competitive industry like Medical Sales, then here’s what you need to know.  

Sales people are good communicators

Good interpersonal skills are vital when it comes to being a great salesperson. Being able to connect with your customers can make all the difference when it comes to nurturing leads and then getting them to buy: the ability to establish a rapport with others, put people at ease and, most importantly, make them feel like they’re not being sold to, are all important traits to have. Good performers should be able to ask questions rather than just talk, and identify what their customer needs and how their product can help them. Clearly, communication is not just about what you say but it’s dependent on your emotional intelligence – one of the most highly demanded skills in 2020 and beyond.

They’re focused

Given that 80% of sales require at least five follow-ups after initial contact, it’s easy to see that selling is a job that requires representatives to put in a lot of hard work. It’s a common misconception about a medical sales representative career that the products sell themselves, when in fact it takes someone with focus. These individuals are driven to reach their goals and often stay motivated until they can enjoy that feeling of achievement. For obvious reasons, they make the best salespeople: they do their work, get it in on time, service customers and pursue new leads until they get an answer.  

You need to be goal-focussed if you want to do well: set goals out for yourself and assign timelines and deadlines to them to help you stay driven and hit targets.

They care about their customers

If you want to connect with your customers, you need to make them feel like you empathise with them and care about the product that you’re selling to them. What’s more, over 80% of CEOs reveal that empathy is an essential skill for today’s workforce. Nobody likes being made to feel like they’re only being sold something for the sake of it, so take the time to listen to what the customer has to say: what complaints they have about the product they’re using at the moment, the problems they might have with buying your products, and whether what you’re selling will genuinely help them out. This is even more important when it comes to Medical Sales, where the products and devices that you’ll be selling can make all the difference to a patient’s quality of care.

Good salespeople will remember their customers’ likes and dislikes, and make an effort to establish a healthy, friendly relationship with them. This is just one of the five reasons to love working in medical sales. 

They provide insight

To sell their product effectively, salespeople need to be able to answer any questions that clients and customers put to them. Not only should a good salesperson know everything about the product that they’re selling, but they should also be able to inform their clients about the state of the market, how this product is new and differs from previous offerings, and what developments are in the pipeline.

This is important when establishing leads and maintaining client relationships, too: salespeople need to be adept at analysing the state of the market and evaluate the ways they can make connections and who might be best to sell their products to before proceeding. A good salesperson should make well-informed decisions, tapping into AI technology and using their knowledge of the market to guide their sales strategies.

They are optimistic

The average sales rep spends 25 hours a month leaving voicemail messages, so it’s not hard to see how taxing a medical sales representative job might be. Especially when you start, you’ll receive knock-backs and people who might choose to buy from competitors rather than from you.

It’s important to be optimistic- and persistent- if you want to thrive. Many salespeople often use the rejection they receive the first time around as an incentive to work even harder and clinch the deal the next time. These people have initiative, the ability to focus on solutions, and keep moving forward. More than anything else, optimism - and a refusal to give up - are key to being a great salesperson who can perform to the best of their ability no matter the situation and demonstrate how you can become a medical sales representative with no experience. 

Flex your sales skills with IQVIA

At IQVIA, we take pride in matching the best salespeople to the best jobs in Medical Sales. Whether you’re new to the scene or have years of sales experience behind you we could have the job opportunity for you. Browse our medical sales representatives jobs or for more insight, find out how technology is changing the modern workforce.