Healthcare sales jobs or pharma jobs

Well I’ve interviewed a lot of people over the last 6 years, and of the population who arrive to look at healthcare sales jobs, probably greater than 50% are there for the wrong reasons, maybe as many of 25% don’t really know what they want, they just want a change, leaving less than 25% who actually know what healthcare sales is all about and are there for the right reasons.

Let’s consider those presently in pharmaceutical jobs and looking to move into healthcare sales. There are some very clear differences here. A Medical sales rep in pharmaceuticals is likely to be a larger, more structured and more beaurocratic organisation. This is, of course, a sweeping generalisation which will have exceptions. However, pharma jobs can be typified by tight management of your every move.

One of the reasons for this is that sales measurement is very much more difficult than in healthcare sales. Pharma jobs sales data (Regional Sales analysis RSA) arrives 2 months late, and is generalised to postcode bricks. In addition, there may be several medical reps contributing to the sales figures on a given territory. All in all it can be difficult to establish cause and effect with regard to sales. That is, it can be difficult to attribute highs and lows to particular activities, and indeed particular people, great if you’re not particularly good, but not so great if your one of life’s winners.

Healthcare sales jobs are usually very different in this respect, usually sales require deals or contracts to be physically signed, so you know exactly when you’ve sold and how much you’ve sold. Seeing who is best at the end of the month is a somewhat obvious affair, a straight forward totting up of units sold and pounds made. I think it’s likely this feature of healthcare jobs which means it is often a little less formally managed than with pharma jobs. If someone is clearly piling up the cash each month, there’ little need to be monitoring their every move.

Healthcare sales companies are usually flatter structures, perhaps medical reps, their managers and then one national sales managers. One could say form this that there is less opportunity to progress as the company structures are simply less complex. However, this means there is less political tom foolery (very common to pharma jobs), and also everybody knows every body, leading to a more ‘personal’ environment.

This may sound obvious, but if you’re not ‘that’ good at selling, stick to pharma, healthcare sales will reveal all in a very short space of time. No matter what people say, pharma is, at present (it’s changing), a much softer sales environment. There’s no pressure to get a signature at the end of each call! You can present very smartly, and detail your products very well to a Dr, without being particularly strong at closing a deal. If you are one of 4 pharma reps on patch, you’ll be just fine. Move to healthcare sales jobs where it’s just you and you may be feeling the heat before you know it.

To summarise, have a good think before you go for healthcare sales jobs, don’t do it for one of these

You don’t like your manager and you want a change

Your fed up with pharma jobs and fancy a change of scenery

You’ve heard the bonus is big in healthcare sales…it may be true but only if you are good!

You can’t be bothered to do the ABPI

Healthcare sales is a more transparent environment that pharma sales, if you are good at selling you will thrive and enjoy it. However, think twice if you’re ambitious, company structures tend to be very flat with limited opportunities to progress. For me, if you’re good at selling, and you’re a career salesperson, you will find healthcare sales more rewarding and fulfilling than pharma jobs. If on the other hand you’re

ambitious and happy to put up with endless management structures and tight processes to get up the pole, pharma is definitely your best bet.

One final comment, it’s not that difficult to move between the two industries, so if you do get it wrong, you can always move back.

Good luck