From time to time, I meet people working in the healthcare field and end up talking about possible careers in medical sales since they often find out that I spend many years working for pharmaceutical companies. Recently, one such individual was a nurse I met at a public speaking meeting. Like others I met in her field, she was considering a career change and asked me whether her age would be a negative factor in getting hired for medical representative sales jobs. She was probably in her late thirties or early forties. She must have noticed that many of the medical representatives she sometimes see at her hospital are younger looking. I told her that people in all adult age groups can start new careers in medical sales.
Although it is true that many medical companies seem to like hiring young people for their sales forces, many firms also prefer more mature individuals. Some companies will hire people with a variety of ages to fill new medical representative sales positions in order to get a good mix. Some don’t even factor in ages as they focus solely on the sales potential of the individual.
So there is a lot of variance out there among hiring preferences of companies. The fact is that no matter what age you are, there is a company in the medical pharmaceutical industry who will be interested in you if you have excellent communications skills with the right aptitude for the sales world. As long as you are also trainable, companies will be willing to provide you with all the medical knowledge and selling skills required for the job. My cousin started her new medical representative sales job when she was already in her forties. Another former medical clinic assistant in her fifties also got hired.
I’ve worked for pharmaceutical companies with very wide age ranges in their sales forces. Some medical representatives were just out of college and university while others were near retirement age. Although I haven’t worked for one, I do know that many companies prefer to hire new graduates so they could train them from the very beginning of their medical selling careers. I’ve also worked for a specialty pharmaceutical company which preferred older and more mature representatives but several years down the road, they started to hire younger reps new to the industry just to get some new blood in its sales force. So hiring preferences can always change.
For the job seeker who wants to get a medical representative sales job, it’s a matter of finding out which companies seem to hire people in your own age range. Of course, if your skills are above average, you might as well try to contact other companies as well since they may make exceptions to their usual hiring style if you really impress them.
Monday, 23 February 2009
Thursday, 4 December 2008
Increasing Your Sales
Successful selling strategies are more important than ever. Start with boosting your confidence, your attitude, and time management skills. Then work on outside factors such as knowing your customer, competition, and your company. Here are some examples, or 10 tips to increase sales:1. Talk less, listen more. Ask questions. Listen for subtle cues as to what your customer wants. For example, when they say, "What I'm looking for is..." That's a buying signal. Listen and take notes verbatim. Put quotes around what they said so that when you talk or write to them again, you can use their exact words, provided your product or service meets their need. Nothing helped me more in becoming a top sales producer than the above mentioned tip to increase sales.2. Target those individuals who are your best prospects. Is there a commonality among those people who have purchased from you in the past? What were their needs, similar circumstances, and greatest challenges?3. Make yourself well-known as an expert in your field. Write articles. Post them online. Contact editors and get published in newspapers and magazines. Ask your clients for recommendation letters praising your services as a testament to your integrity, customer service and expertise. Nothing speaks louder than others singing your praises!4. Start with selling yourself. It's a fact: people buy from people they like. People buy from people considered trustworthy, credible, and honest. Present yourself professionally. Regarding attire, remember the 3 T's: tailored, tasteful, and traditional. Practice a positive attitude. Show up on time. Further educate yourself about your product, your competition, and any possible objections.5. Fail forward. When you don't make the sale, or you lose the business, find out why. What needs to be improved? What could be done differently? If you or your company made a mistake, admit it. Learn from it. Then move forward. Don't dwell on it and dig further into defeat.6. Communicate your competitive advantage. Like it or not, your potential customer is thinking, "What's in it for me?" And, "What am I going to get out of this?" Once you know their needs, mention both the features AND the benefits to them.7. Master and study your core competencies. You're only as strong as your weakest link. What areas do you need to improve? Do you need to improve time management? Do you need to improve technical skills? And, what areas must you absolutely master? For example, maybe you need to spend more time getting to the decision maker. So, work to improve your deficiencies, and master those areas you must excel at to increase sales.8. Ask for specific referrals. This is one of the biggest tips to increase sales. Once your client has complimented you on your product/service, ask them who else they know who could benefit. Tell them the kind of clients you're looking for and get specific names, phone numbers, and email addresses. See if they'll talk with that person or make a phone call on your behalf and introduce you.9. Practice professionalism and integrity to increase sales. Be a problem solver. If you don't know the answer to a question, admit it. When you lie you die. Let them know when you'll get back to them with the answer and do! People will look to see if you practice what you promise.10. Give samples. Give something away free to increase sales. Or, offer something extra as a value-added bonus. Outdistance your competitors.Above all else, ask for the order. And incorporate silence. Practicing silence while your potential client is deciding is often when they say yes! They're uncomfortable with the silence, and often end up talking and making a decision to fill the space. This is a technique I used frequently when I was honored as the number one sales producer in the history of the company breaking all previous records in the U.S. and Canada for a major Fortune 500 company. That technique...and a lot of patience, persistence, and diligence. Good luck!
Wednesday, 3 December 2008
Direct Sales Role
Sales representatives sell their company's products or services to customers. They could be selling cleaning or food products, ICT or electronics components, medicines and pharmaceuticals, vehicles, cosmetics - in fact almost any kind of product or service. Their customers may be individuals, businesses, factories or retail outlets.
Direct sales representatives sell directly to individuals in their homes, demonstrating products or leaving catalogues for customers to choose from. Technical sales representatives and sales engineers work in the industrial, engineering or ICT sectors, selling industrial, specialised or high-tech equipment, materials and components.
Working hours can be long and irregular, and usually depend on meeting targets for appointments or for sales. Sales representatives visit customers at their homes, offices or factories, which requires a lot of driving. If they cover a large area, they may spend most of the week travelling and staying in hotels.
Salaries range from around £15,000 to £50,000 or more a year.
A sales representative should be:
enthusiastic, ambitious and self-confident
a natural extrovert and good at networking
persuasive and good at negotiating
able to take rejection
knowledgeable about the company's products and those of their competitors
interested in meeting new people.
Sales representatives work for manufacturers and wholesale distributors in every sector. About 14 per cent of representatives are self-employed or work freelance, often on a commission-only basis. There is always a need for skilled sales representatives and there are opportunities throughout the UK and abroad.
There are no set entry qualifications for sales representatives, although most employers do ask for a minimum of GCSEs/S grades (A-C/1-3) in English and maths, or the equivalent. An increasing number of applicants have higher qualifications, and a degree or an HNC/HND in a related subject may be useful.
New sales representatives usually work with experienced sales staff until they become familiar with the product and the area they will cover. Most companies provide training on their products, organisation and the sales methods they use. They may also take a range of courses and qualifications in sales, including the City & Guilds International Vocational Qualification (IVQ) in Sales and Marketing.
Promotion possibilities for sales representatives depend on their sales results. Progression may involve taking on responsibility for a larger area or moving into sales management. Some sales representatives become national account managers, working closely with one or more large organisations and businesses. Technical sales representatives sometimes move into product development, research and production.
Direct sales representatives sell directly to individuals in their homes, demonstrating products or leaving catalogues for customers to choose from. Technical sales representatives and sales engineers work in the industrial, engineering or ICT sectors, selling industrial, specialised or high-tech equipment, materials and components.
Working hours can be long and irregular, and usually depend on meeting targets for appointments or for sales. Sales representatives visit customers at their homes, offices or factories, which requires a lot of driving. If they cover a large area, they may spend most of the week travelling and staying in hotels.
Salaries range from around £15,000 to £50,000 or more a year.
A sales representative should be:
enthusiastic, ambitious and self-confident
a natural extrovert and good at networking
persuasive and good at negotiating
able to take rejection
knowledgeable about the company's products and those of their competitors
interested in meeting new people.
Sales representatives work for manufacturers and wholesale distributors in every sector. About 14 per cent of representatives are self-employed or work freelance, often on a commission-only basis. There is always a need for skilled sales representatives and there are opportunities throughout the UK and abroad.
There are no set entry qualifications for sales representatives, although most employers do ask for a minimum of GCSEs/S grades (A-C/1-3) in English and maths, or the equivalent. An increasing number of applicants have higher qualifications, and a degree or an HNC/HND in a related subject may be useful.
New sales representatives usually work with experienced sales staff until they become familiar with the product and the area they will cover. Most companies provide training on their products, organisation and the sales methods they use. They may also take a range of courses and qualifications in sales, including the City & Guilds International Vocational Qualification (IVQ) in Sales and Marketing.
Promotion possibilities for sales representatives depend on their sales results. Progression may involve taking on responsibility for a larger area or moving into sales management. Some sales representatives become national account managers, working closely with one or more large organisations and businesses. Technical sales representatives sometimes move into product development, research and production.
Tuesday, 18 November 2008
Medical Jobs
Although today's economy may be somewhat struggling to get a strong grasp, there are many employment opportunities still available that are essential to human health. Medical jobs are some of the most important jobs because at one time or another, everyone requires medical assistance.
Hospitals are a major source for employment opportunities. They employ surgeons, practitioners, doctors, radiologists, and receptionists just to name a few. However nursing jobs are probably some of the most important and most widely spread. Nurses are very important to assist doctors and take care of patients during times of hardship.
The current government, compared to other governments, seems to have some issues with providing healthcare to all individuals. Since this is a concern, many politicians have come to realize that it is important to strive for free healthcare for everyone. If this were to actually happen, there would probably be an explosion of people seeking medical aid and a large increase in healthcare jobs.
Newspapers and job search websites are filled with opportunities of employment in the many fields. Secondary education institutions are also doing a good job of bringing new students into their medical programs. This will help to ensure that there is a constancy in the practicing of intelligent medicine and helping to protect the world from the dangers of diseases, viruses, and other maladies.
After many years of college and post-graduate education, a future medical assistant must search job listings. It should not be hard for the recent grads to land good work since so many jobs exist. There's also a rather high turnover of people within this particular field. Particularly with the baby boomers now entering the retirement stages, many new options will open up very soon for medical jobs.
Even though the economy is tough right now, recent medical graduates are having no problem finding good medical jobs. Dedicated doctors, nurses, and support staff are so critical to human life and well-being that such talented and caring people will always be in demand, no matter the state of the economy.
Hospitals are a major source for employment opportunities. They employ surgeons, practitioners, doctors, radiologists, and receptionists just to name a few. However nursing jobs are probably some of the most important and most widely spread. Nurses are very important to assist doctors and take care of patients during times of hardship.
The current government, compared to other governments, seems to have some issues with providing healthcare to all individuals. Since this is a concern, many politicians have come to realize that it is important to strive for free healthcare for everyone. If this were to actually happen, there would probably be an explosion of people seeking medical aid and a large increase in healthcare jobs.
Newspapers and job search websites are filled with opportunities of employment in the many fields. Secondary education institutions are also doing a good job of bringing new students into their medical programs. This will help to ensure that there is a constancy in the practicing of intelligent medicine and helping to protect the world from the dangers of diseases, viruses, and other maladies.
After many years of college and post-graduate education, a future medical assistant must search job listings. It should not be hard for the recent grads to land good work since so many jobs exist. There's also a rather high turnover of people within this particular field. Particularly with the baby boomers now entering the retirement stages, many new options will open up very soon for medical jobs.
Even though the economy is tough right now, recent medical graduates are having no problem finding good medical jobs. Dedicated doctors, nurses, and support staff are so critical to human life and well-being that such talented and caring people will always be in demand, no matter the state of the economy.
Medical billing
Today medical billing careers and jobs are very exciting and are in great demand allover the world. A medical billing career is the right option for service minded job seekers who wish to help patients. Top colleges and universities with medical billing career training programs offer you challenging jobs in medical billing careers. With the advent of modern technology, there has been a great demand for work from home medical billing careers.
Medical billing and coding specialists are generally employed in clinics, hospitals, insurance companies, consulting firms, medical coding and billing services firms, governmental agencies and computer software companies. The basic function of a medical billing and coding specialist is to assign codes to diagnoses and procedures. This ensures correct transformation of information between the insurance and the medical facilities.
If you opt for a rewarding career in medical billing, there are numerous online institutions, formal vocational schools, and colleges that can prepare you for the online medical billing field. Your education will include training in communication skills, office management, billing, coding, insurance coding, insurance law, computer science and more.
Medical billing careers are on the rise these days. Medical billing claims due to erroneous billing cost hospitals a lot of money and they are actively searching for medical billing specialists. Billing specialists are badly wanted to solve the problem of errors in billing and relieve the physician of this time-consuming task
There are a number of fields in the medical career for you to choose from. Medical billing is a thriving career among them. Throughout the medical billing career, a billing specialist has to train himself constantly to upgrade his skill levels. A good temperament is an important quality that a medical billing professional ought to have. It helps him better interact with patients, their relatives, medical representatives, medical professionals, colleagues, doctors, and other office personnel.
Medical billing and coding specialists are generally employed in clinics, hospitals, insurance companies, consulting firms, medical coding and billing services firms, governmental agencies and computer software companies. The basic function of a medical billing and coding specialist is to assign codes to diagnoses and procedures. This ensures correct transformation of information between the insurance and the medical facilities.
If you opt for a rewarding career in medical billing, there are numerous online institutions, formal vocational schools, and colleges that can prepare you for the online medical billing field. Your education will include training in communication skills, office management, billing, coding, insurance coding, insurance law, computer science and more.
Medical billing careers are on the rise these days. Medical billing claims due to erroneous billing cost hospitals a lot of money and they are actively searching for medical billing specialists. Billing specialists are badly wanted to solve the problem of errors in billing and relieve the physician of this time-consuming task
There are a number of fields in the medical career for you to choose from. Medical billing is a thriving career among them. Throughout the medical billing career, a billing specialist has to train himself constantly to upgrade his skill levels. A good temperament is an important quality that a medical billing professional ought to have. It helps him better interact with patients, their relatives, medical representatives, medical professionals, colleagues, doctors, and other office personnel.
Medical Sales
A career in pharmaceutical sales does not necessarily require a medical background. A four year college degree of any discipline is sufficient. What does matter though is the kind of efforts you take to secure a good job in pharmaceutical sales, and, once in, how hard you work at making a success of it.
The first step that you need to take is to prepare your resume tailored to the requirements of the pharmaceutical industry. Once your resume is ready it is imperative that you initiate and maintain the right kind of networking to see that your resume reaches the places that matter in the area of pharmaceutical sales. It is advisable to be well versed in relevant details about the industry in general and certain companies in particular.
One of the main appealing factors about a career in pharmaceutical sales is that any kind of work experience or background is acceptable. What is required is desire and willingness to learn the ropes and put in hard work. It is relatively easy to land an entry level pharmaceutical job. Hard work and diligence ensures that you stick on and scale greater heights in the area of pharmaceutical sales.
Those who look for higher jobs in this area are people who already have some amount of experience in pharmaceutical sales. Such people need to equip themselves with relevant information that will give them an edge over the competition. Pharmaceutical industry trends; latest happenings in the industry; an in depth knowledge of the targeted company's profile - like history, products and pipelines, is the kind of homework that must be done.
It is no secret that those who manage to get into pharmaceutical sales jobs are people who would have done exceedingly well in their interviews. Interviews for pharmaceutical sales jobs entail having to face several industry specific questions. There are no shortcuts here, those who do their home work well, succeed.
Go to www.salesrecruitmentjobsite.com for jobs in sales
The first step that you need to take is to prepare your resume tailored to the requirements of the pharmaceutical industry. Once your resume is ready it is imperative that you initiate and maintain the right kind of networking to see that your resume reaches the places that matter in the area of pharmaceutical sales. It is advisable to be well versed in relevant details about the industry in general and certain companies in particular.
One of the main appealing factors about a career in pharmaceutical sales is that any kind of work experience or background is acceptable. What is required is desire and willingness to learn the ropes and put in hard work. It is relatively easy to land an entry level pharmaceutical job. Hard work and diligence ensures that you stick on and scale greater heights in the area of pharmaceutical sales.
Those who look for higher jobs in this area are people who already have some amount of experience in pharmaceutical sales. Such people need to equip themselves with relevant information that will give them an edge over the competition. Pharmaceutical industry trends; latest happenings in the industry; an in depth knowledge of the targeted company's profile - like history, products and pipelines, is the kind of homework that must be done.
It is no secret that those who manage to get into pharmaceutical sales jobs are people who would have done exceedingly well in their interviews. Interviews for pharmaceutical sales jobs entail having to face several industry specific questions. There are no shortcuts here, those who do their home work well, succeed.
Go to www.salesrecruitmentjobsite.com for jobs in sales
Medical sales to name but 1
As a fresh graduate interested in a career in sales, you almost have unlimited options as far as your career's future goes. You will likely come across a staggering amount of job opportunities and employment options for a career in sales, and you will find that your education, skills, and knowledge are high in demand.
While this is good news, it can also present somewhat of a challenge. With all these options, you may become overwhelmed and unsure about where to start. Too often, college graduates who received training specifically in sales can make assumptions and say, "well, I'll just start my career in sales and go find a sales-oriented job!"
However, it's not as simple as that. If you take some time to do some research and explore your post-graduate options, you will find yourself in front of a plethora of different sales career choices. The best way to get started on the right track with your sales career is to narrow down your focus from all the different sales career choices. The sales career choice you choose will depend on what interests you, and where your skills, knowledge, and expertise lie.
One of the biggest sectors for sales jobs is the financial sector. Here, you will find sales jobs in investment banking, insurance, real estate, and loan lending. Financial sales career choices are great options, if you like working with money, numbers, and policies, as well as with people. Further, there is generally a huge demand for these types of sales jobs, as there will always be customers in need of financial services. A job in sales in the financial sector can be very lucrative and rewarding, if you're successful and willing to put in the effort.
The service industry is another major area in which you can begin your sales career. Service sales representatives provide regular services and introduce new products and services to existing clients. Pharmaceutical and medical sectors are growing and are great areas in which to look for sales jobs.
Another great area for sales career choices is the high-end retails sales industry, if you don't mind working in retail. They may not be as glamorous as other sectors, but if you know what you're doing, work great with people, are friendly and helpful, this might be the perfect sales career choice for you. Other areas for sales jobs include collections and telemarketing, which can be great paying with other incentives and bonuses, but also quite challenging and frustrating.
Whatever you decide, the sky is the limit as far as sales career options go, and be prepared to change jobs, sectors, and industries several times before you find your "niche" and perfect fit.
While this is good news, it can also present somewhat of a challenge. With all these options, you may become overwhelmed and unsure about where to start. Too often, college graduates who received training specifically in sales can make assumptions and say, "well, I'll just start my career in sales and go find a sales-oriented job!"
However, it's not as simple as that. If you take some time to do some research and explore your post-graduate options, you will find yourself in front of a plethora of different sales career choices. The best way to get started on the right track with your sales career is to narrow down your focus from all the different sales career choices. The sales career choice you choose will depend on what interests you, and where your skills, knowledge, and expertise lie.
One of the biggest sectors for sales jobs is the financial sector. Here, you will find sales jobs in investment banking, insurance, real estate, and loan lending. Financial sales career choices are great options, if you like working with money, numbers, and policies, as well as with people. Further, there is generally a huge demand for these types of sales jobs, as there will always be customers in need of financial services. A job in sales in the financial sector can be very lucrative and rewarding, if you're successful and willing to put in the effort.
The service industry is another major area in which you can begin your sales career. Service sales representatives provide regular services and introduce new products and services to existing clients. Pharmaceutical and medical sectors are growing and are great areas in which to look for sales jobs.
Another great area for sales career choices is the high-end retails sales industry, if you don't mind working in retail. They may not be as glamorous as other sectors, but if you know what you're doing, work great with people, are friendly and helpful, this might be the perfect sales career choice for you. Other areas for sales jobs include collections and telemarketing, which can be great paying with other incentives and bonuses, but also quite challenging and frustrating.
Whatever you decide, the sky is the limit as far as sales career options go, and be prepared to change jobs, sectors, and industries several times before you find your "niche" and perfect fit.
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