What do you REALLY wear in the field?

I think of it this way.

The main reason MSL positions usually require a Doctorate is not because that gives up permission to talk off label, or that the FDA says so. It's because KOLs will (more likely) take us seriously. At least until we say something stupid.

If a physician wears a suit to work (office, hospital, wherever), the first thing he does when he gets there is take of the jacket and put on a lab coat, but he still has on a tie. So, I wear a dress shirt and tie but no jacket.

The added benefit is that when I'm walking through a hospital I look like a physician or an administrator and not a sales rep.

Oh, and the "dress one level above your customer" dogma has always been the format for SALES. I AM NOT S SALES REP!

Not a sales rep , eh?? Guess again, Einstein.

"would you like chips or potato salad with your sandwich?"

<laughing my ass off at you worthless fucksticks>
 




I'd like your help. I have been wearing suits to KOL visits for the past few months because that is what the company said was the dress code. I have always felt like I am fighting the sales rep image dressed in a suit. Do you really wear suits or are sport coats and ties the norm?
Tanx
SP

As an MSL, it is appropriate to wear clothes with your brand's colors or color scheme. You need to show your support for your commercial colleagues.
 




LOL.. Matching colored brand name and logo tatoos are a great idea too. Only my opinion but, as an MSL, if your expectation is to be perceived differently from sales and to have a different level of relationship than sales, then you should act and dress differently from your sales colleagues, and not wear branded or like colored clothing. Way too transparent.
 




I'd like your help. I have been wearing suits to KOL visits for the past few months because that is what the company said was the dress code. I have always felt like I am fighting the sales rep image dressed in a suit. Do you really wear suits or are sport coats and ties the norm?
Tanx
SP

I usually go commando. Once the doc starts droning on and on about managed care coverage, annoying reps, etc, I just play some pocket pool. Ladies, you doing the same?
 
















And do you close your call with an impactful sales message?

I could. If I know my one of my sales reps is having a problem with my OL, I'll challenge that OLs thinking so that he'll consider the sales rep message. So in the end, my goal, in that case, is have my sales rep wins. And...I win too, cause maybe I've positively modified OL thinking and perhaps even got them to consider participating in a study, or advisory board or something that would have not done before due to negative biases/opinions. And perhaps maybe i've strenghten that OLs relationship with the sales rep or view of the the therapeutic/company. So...yeah..maybe indirectly...i leave with a sales message aligned to the medical strategy! Maybe just maybe..I've done my FREAKING job...in a professional suit and tie!

Again..boys, or chimps, wear shirts with open collars to OL visits.
 




I'd like your help. I have been wearing suits to KOL visits for the past few months because that is what the company said was the dress code. I have always felt like I am fighting the sales rep image dressed in a suit. Do you really wear suits or are sport coats and ties the norm?
Tanx
SP

Purple Speedo!
 




I could. If I know my one of my sales reps is having a problem with my OL, I'll challenge that OLs thinking so that he'll consider the sales rep message. So in the end, my goal, in that case, is have my sales rep wins. And...I win too, cause maybe I've positively modified OL thinking and perhaps even got them to consider participating in a study, or advisory board or something that would have not done before due to negative biases/opinions. And perhaps maybe i've strenghten that OLs relationship with the sales rep or view of the the therapeutic/company. So...yeah..maybe indirectly...i leave with a sales message aligned to the medical strategy! Maybe just maybe..I've done my FREAKING job...in a professional suit and tie!

Again..boys, or chimps, wear shirts with open collars to OL visits.

DO you work for GSK, JnJ or Pfizer? your a supersales rep
 
















I could. If I know my one of my sales reps is having a problem with my OL, I'll challenge that OLs thinking so that he'll consider the sales rep message. So in the end, my goal, in that case, is have my sales rep wins. And...I win too, cause maybe I've positively modified OL thinking and perhaps even got them to consider participating in a study, or advisory board or something that would have not done before due to negative biases/opinions. And perhaps maybe i've strenghten that OLs relationship with the sales rep or view of the the therapeutic/company. So...yeah..maybe indirectly...i leave with a sales message aligned to the medical strategy! Maybe just maybe..I've done my FREAKING job...in a professional suit and tie!

Again..boys, or chimps, wear shirts with open collars to OL visits.

This is why you are still in the bottom 10% of pay. Surprised you got past the no spam question.
 




Maybe just maybe..I've done my FREAKING job...in a professional suit and tie!

Again..boys, or chimps, wear shirts with open collars to OL visits.

Style over substance, huh?

I guess if you dont have enough brains, presence and personality to get the job done, a suit probably does help out.

But you might not want to tell an OL who wears a shirt with an open collar (shudder! How gauche! Mummy - we must keep note of that abomination!) that he's a boy or a chimp.
 




















I know this is old, and I will not see the relies, if any (perhaps I may). I am a former Military Enlisted. I am now in sales.

I have worked blue collar and now white collar. I am also very big on appearance. Perhaps military persons will notice this more, but we care not so much about what you wear, but how you wear it. personally if you are in sales, the KEY think i look for , is clean pressed SHARP clothes. whether its a dress shirt and slacks, or a polo. any wrinkles are bad. (aside from the daily drive slight wrinkles in the back) but overall (and especially early morning) there should be none. USE STARCH PEOPLE. another thing. creases. military creases but civilians use them too occasionally.

if you have your dry cleaners press your clothes, then you DEF should have no reason not to have them (cost a few bucks extra) AT THE VERY LEAST PRESS THE SLEEVES. have that crisp sharp edge on your sleeves.

better to have the three in the rear as well. but that's just me.

If you have that attention to detail, it shows. WOW he took the extra time JUST to crease his shirt . (watch out for double creasing though. that looks worse than not having creases at all)

that said as well. Fit is more important that the actual clothes. if you have a baggy shirt that poofs out in the back or sides (or folds over on the sides) it doesn't matter if the shirt was 10 dollars or 500 dollars. it looks like you don't care about image, it looks like you are wearing cheap clothes, and looks unprofessional (unacceptable in my book) even relatively cheap clothes that fit perfectly look like their worth so much more. fit really does go such a long way.

you have NO idea until you change that just how much of an effect it really has. shoes being shined etc.

as for what to wear when you go in. most people know you are in a different position than them. most professionals also understand that generally in sales you make commissions, and that tends to relate to better money. going WAY to much and coming in driving a Ferrari, wearing 5K suit and a 50K watch, yeah that may be ok on wall street, but if you sell to people who make tops of 50K a year, that is just too much. that said, the "acceptable" range I believe is actually quite larger than most believe. because its industry based.

if you sell to one industry you wear a step above,. the reason you wear above and not the same or below, is the same reason we are discussing this.


it comes out to say "look at him he makes enough doing this to wear that or to look like that" he must be good at what he does.

its about your attitude more than what you wear. you can come off super nice wearing really nice clothes and people will like you. wear crappy clothes, and be a complete asshole then they won't and don't be "fake" if you prefer something over someone else like a football team, dont just agree with them, be like "nah i prefer so and so" it creates a friendly joking banter that allows you to talk" don't take it too far though. stay away from politics and religion etc.