Friday, August 9, 2013

Pharmaceutical Sales Careers

Pharmaceutical sales teams market new products to healthcare providers.


Pharmaceutical sales professionals introduce new products and provide health and medical information to physicians and health care providers. While salespeople market products and information at no charge to the doctors and providers they call upon in the field, pharmaceutical trainers prepare the salespeople to discuss medicines and products in great detail. Pharmaceutical sales managers develop marketing strategies and direct the sales force.


Pharmaceutical Field Sales


College graduates interested in pharmaceutical field sales should investigate internship opportunities with major pharmaceutical firms. Many entry level field sales positions require one to two years' previous experience in pharmaceutical or chemical sales. Competition for pharmaceutical sales jobs is intense, with compensation ranging from $50,000 to over $100,000 per year . Some sales representatives also receive a company car and other attractive perks.


Understanding biology, chemistry and biochemistry when marketing pharmaceutical products provides the foundation for developing relationships with physicians and healthcare providers across many settings. Established salespeople earn the opportunity to call on hospitals and other institutions, and to transact larger volume agreements with these customers. Experienced salespeople also become pharmaceutical sales trainers and managers.


The National Association of Pharmaceutical Representatives, NAPRx, offers the CNPR (R) certification to pharmaceutical salespeople. NAPRx recommends certification to those interested in working as pharmaceutical salespeople as a competitive distinguishing qualification.


Pharmaceutical Sales Trainers


Whether rolling out a new product or detailing an existing one, pharmaceutical sales trainers provide salespeople and their managers with the facts, figures and competitive data needed to position products in the marketplace. Sales trainers usually have at least five years prior experience in pharmaceutical sales. They support the sales force in the classroom and in the field. Large pharmaceutical companies typically maintain a training team that includes both national and regional training professionals.


Pharmaceutical Sales Managers


Pharmaceutical sales managers direct and deploy the field sales force. Team, district, regional and national sales managers work directly with the sales representatives to identify marketing opportunities. They usually have at least five years' experience in pharmaceutical sales positions before training to enter a management role. Sales managers for large pharmaceutical companies enjoy excellent compensation and benefits, sometimes exceeding $100,000 annually, according to Payscale.com.







Tags: experience pharmaceutical, Pharmaceutical sales, sales force, experience pharmaceutical sales, field sales, five years