In recent times, the
landscape of the medical sales industry has changed dramatically
requiring pharmaceutical companies to adapt, or in some cases, completely
transform to help them to thrive.
Redefined workplace environments; the shift in healthcare sales delivery;
and innovative data advances are a few examples that are contributing to
unprecedented change.
However, amongst all of the changes,
successful medical sales reps
are still responsible for providing the critical link between
pharmaceutical companies and healthcare professionals. The past few years
have presented a host of challenges and medical reps have had to remodel
their methods to flourish.
Here, we've listed the top sales skills needed to have a successful medical sales representative career in 2021.
Building rapport in virtual meetings
The emergence of Covid-19 at the tail-end of 2019 hurtled the
pharma sales industry into a digital communications era. The pandemic has forced medical reps to navigate a new virtual world as
clients dramatically reduced or abandoned traditional face-to-face
meetings. Medical sales reps have traditionally built rapport with clients
through in-person meetings, so an element of adaptation is required to keep
up.
Many reps have disclosed that building rapport over a phone or video call
is significantly more difficult than via face-to-face meetings. So much of
communication is experienced through non-verbal cues and it’s much easier
to establish a positive relationship with someone when we’re close to and
facing that person.
That said, if you can master transferring your in-person skills into the
virtual world, then you can take a leap ahead of the competition and
accelerate your career in pharmaceutical sales.
Showing strong product and industry expertise
Rapid technological advances are the hallmark of the medical sales
industry. As we advance digitally, organisations will need to
keep pace with technological and industry change
and as a sales rep, it is imperative that you stay on top of the trends. As
a healthcare company releases new products, it’s essential that the rep
knows each and every aspect of the technology. Potential customers will
have questions about the product and it is the sales team’s job to be able
to provide in-depth answers and display their industry expertise.
Showing a detailed knowledge of the product you are selling enhances your
reputation and relationship with the client which can be the difference
between a successful and unsuccessful sale. Keeping up with medical trends
is a must and can propel a medical career to new heights.
Setting yourself up for success using data and AI
The
exponential growth of data
coupled with increasingly accurate analytics is transforming life sciences
in significant ways.
Although AI has been around for a few years now, we’re still unlocking its
full potential and it will continue to
transform healthcare throughout 2021
and in the years to come.
AI is changing the way medical sales representatives are engaging with
healthcare clients, enabling them to taper interactions based on more
detailed and targeted customer data. Sales reps are also using AI to taper
the content that they share with clients and to identify what the next
actionable steps are based on previous calls.
By taking advantage of the systems and data that is available, medical
sales reps can adapt their approach in line with customers’ evolving needs
and provide the best possible experiences. Ultimately, the use of data
helps reps increase the strength of their client relationships and enhances
the chance of a successful sales relationship.
Start a medical sales representative career with IQVIA
At IQVIA, we want to improve the healthcare environment by finding the best
candidates for medical sales jobs. By working with IQVIA, you will have
access to an enriching career and have an important role in helping our
clients find and implement new innovations for the healthcare industry. We
endeavour to find the best candidates for a range of pharmaceutical sales
jobs.
Browse our latest
medical representative jobs
and join us on our mission to change healthcare for the better.
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