So, you are doing good.
Wait til you are 40 and get downsized for missing quota.
Good luck getting back in the game.
Also, doesn't it suck to have to kiss all that ass, to doctors all day. Sure the pay is good, but its almost like you are a loser because of all the ass you have to kiss in sales.
Why do so many non-pharma sales jobs state in the job listing "Pharma reps need not apply?"
There's a damn good reason for that but "Mr. Sales" will never grasp the concept. I don't kow why it's so damn important to him.
You really are misinformed...For entry level device sales yes this is what a device rep makes.
My base alone falls somewhere between those two numbers you listed as the total range of compensation.
You are probably looking at monster.com with jobs that list what the starting and total compensation is. Here is a hint for you, most high end device jobs are not flown on a website. You get a call from a random recruiter because the competition has asked them to contact you.
This happened last week to me. I said to the recruiter "I need a 120k base with another 100 in realistic commission to even do the phone screen"....pause....she responds..."based on your qualifications that is completely within the scope of what they are willing to pay."
Clown-remember you were talking to a recruiter. Recruiter, one step below used car salesman.
Very moronic statement. There are some very good headhunters out there. Maybe you haven't worked with one because you aren't worth calling?
Touchy-touchy. Head hunters and recruiters are no longer needed. Sure they call, but they represent every job listed on the average board. Yes, maybe for high end CEO's or scientist, but not for your general medical sales jobs. They are no longer needed.
Place an ad in any internet or mass media market and you will have 1000 resumes by day 5.
Hire a high school kid and give the the parameters to sort through the resumes.
Take the top 100 out of 1000 - whittle it down to 10 and set up interviews - done.
Recruiters are about as beneficial as the cheesy real estate agent. Insert picture on business card and you are in business.
"Hey! how are you?" "Say, I have a great opportunity with a diagnostic company."
Would it be Quest? Yes, how did you know? It is the same job that comes open every 8-12 months on Monster. Sure, the world needs recruiters in this market.
Take a look at linkedin there are a 1000 proven med reps from good companies that have been out of work for months. You hardly need a recruiter to find good people.
Most hiring mangers can assemble a great pool of candidates from current team referrals.
You are not going to get a job from a recruiter in this market. The only way you will land a job is if a close peer vouches for you. Period.
Great post!
Its funny to see so many pharma reps that think they have made it in life because they work as a pharmaceutical sales person.
Cracks me up.
Hey, cheesewhiz.... nothing wrong with it. I just retired after 31 years with the same company.... made a fortune! 401-k went into 7 figures over a decade ago, and stayed there even through the last couple of years. Company retirees get medical benefits and dental until age 65, plus continued life insurance. Down side? Mmmm, let me think..... I had to finally buy a car (my old company one). And get a new computer. That's about it. I am ready to relax and not have to set the alarm in the morning. Or go call on 11 more offices tomorrow.
There's a damn good reason for that but "Mr. Sales" will never grasp the concept. I don't kow why it's so damn important to him.
One could more appropriately ask why it's so important to you to falsely claim that it's not sales, when it clearly is. But don't let the facts get in your way. Oh, did you hear? The sky isn't really blue either!
One could more appropriately ask why it's so important to you to falsely claim that it's not sales, when it clearly is. But don't let the facts get in your way. Oh, did you hear? The sky isn't really blue either!
I'll give you that it is sales in the sense that you are judged on a quota, etc.
It isn't traditional sales on the flip side. Your skills most likely would be found to be useless for a company looking to sell a tangible product.
Which is fine. You are stuck in pharma. Not a great place to be but not bad either.
Dude, if you're judged on a quota of product sales, then it's sales. PERIOD.
Yes, it is indirect, speciality sales, but it is sales.
Pharma sales skills would not most likely be found useless. You would just need the proper skill set to augment them. Yes, you would have to learn how to close harder, just as people from more traditional sales areas have to learn that is the kiss of death in pharma.
Look, I'm not overly impressed or enthralled by what we do in pharma sales. But think about it, we attempt to sell highly complex, sometimes quite dangerous, products to extremely highly educated professionals with huge egos who have people catering to them constantly because of their position and power. That is not an easy thing to do.
Lots of traditional sales people couldn't do it. Most pharma reps could move into other areas if they had to. Might take some time, might not be easy for them initially, but they could do it. Selling is persuasion. If you can persuade a customer as described above, then persuading the rest of the population if you are a good pharma rep isn't all that tough. And frankly neither is badgering someone to "sign on the dotted line". Something I have done, so I know all about it.
Been doing this 15 years and it isn't even close to sales. You regurgitate the company message when you can and if you have a me too drug, docs may prescribe a little more because they like you. That is not sales. It's marketing. Most pharma reps would drown in device and that's exactly why device won't look at pharma reps after a certain number of years in.
For the MBA, why in the hell did you go into pharma after getting an MBA? This is a good paying gig but it's a dead end job. Nobody in pharma will give two shits you have an MBA. Rethink your career plans son.
Its the dumbing down of America when an MBA doesn't count for anything in a corporate job, right?
Pharmaceuticals is sales, when done correctly. If you don't think so, then you are an idiot.
As for device rep guy, your job is not much different, so don't think you guys and gals work so hard, etc. First, you have good products that people need. Second, you have a huge budget to work with and buy the doctors or decision makers. Third, the cold calling is very warm...
