How to Prepare for a Clinical Sales Position Interview

Jobs in medical sales, clinical laboratory sales, biotechnology sales, clinical diagnostics sales, medical device sales, imaging revenue, hospital equipment sales, laboratory sales, and other healthcare sales are fairly competitive to get into (you’re going to have to put some effort into it), but worth it in terms of compensation, commissions, and extras.  Plus, it’s an exciting place to be if you have an interest in science or medicine (but not blood), technology, business, and helping people.

You’re going to got to go the extra mile (especially in this economy!) to land a job in healthcare sales, but there are several great ways to set yourself apart from the competition.  Doing all of them will definitely make you a standout candidate!  Here’s how to prepare for a sales job interview: 

1.  Research the company.  There is no substitute for doing your homework.  Know what the company does, what its current issues are, and what the future plans include.  Your job is to find out what you can do for them.  Your research gives you material to talk about during the interview and a way to custom-fit your answers to their specific questions. 

2.  Build a brag book.  Click the link for the clip and more explanation, but basically it’s a collection of awards, sales rankings, successful projects, letters from happy customers or managers, and so on.  When you present it during the interview, it showcases your presentation skills as well as your accomplishments.  Here’s a link to a podcast if you need it.

3.  Create a 30/60/90-day plan.  This kind of plan is a written demonstration of what you will do for the company in your first 3 months on the career opportunity–how you will get your training, how you will transition into being a contributing member of the sales team, and so on.  Here’s a link to a episode and a blog post that explains them in more detail, but if you need more help, you can download samples and a template with audio coaching from the Sales Headhunter.  This kind of plan will definitely get the attention of the hiring manager.

4.  Read my Tips on How to Ace Your Clinical laboratory Sales Interview.   Also, here’s an article on Sales Interview Queries for you.  Think of your interview as a revenue call, and behave accordingly. 

5.  Consider custom coaching from the Pharma Sales Recruiter.  Most people need no more than an hour.  Ask the queries you need in a intimate, one-on-one conversation to improve your personal situation.  I’ve been a clinical sales recruiter for over 10 years now, and I was in the clinical sales area before that as a sales rep, regional manager, and national accounts manager.  I can go over your RESUME with you, critique your answers to interview musings and prepare you for the interview, give you insider tips on the industry, help you get into medical sales if you’re new to it, teach you how to negotiate and recognize a fair offer, build your personal brand, or even decide between job offers.  Career coaching works.

Article courtesy of  Peggy McKee - Owner / Senior Recruiter at the nationally
recognized medical and pharma revenue recruiting team of PHC Consulting.
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How to Prepare for a Medical Sales Job Interview