Why is getting a job in pharmaceutical sales sometimes so difficult?

[Justins]

Why is getting a job in pharmaceutical sales sometimes so difficult and competitive.

 

[thE3nigma]

Not sure why difficult but as for competitive, most pharmaceutical sales and profits depends on the sales and marketing department/team. You can read any biographical book on a pharmaceutical/biotech company and will understand automatically what I mean.

The sales people are the ones who go out and convince the doctors why their product is better for the doctors' patients than some other older one. They also tend to be the ones who educate the doctors on the latest new products that have come out and any studies that have been done on the product - such as clinical trials. Now in this case, pharmaceuticals will obviously look for the best of the best in new hires. I hope that sort of explained your question.

 

[lax1113]

Well,
Many people may insist that I am talking out of my arse, but I know 3 pharm reps. and of the 3, only 1 has much of a clue what they are talking about. That is abit unfair, but what i really mean is, 1 of them is selling the medicine, the other two are mostly selling themselves. One of them is a very attractive young lady, who barely finished a degree in pre med, the other was a D1 football player. No offense to any pharm reps here, but like all other sales jobs, knowing the product, and even having the superior product isn't always what it is about.

 

[thE3nigma]

Well,
No offense to any pharm reps here, but like all other sales jobs, knowing the product, and even having the superior product isn't always what it is about.

This is very true. In order to sell anything well, you must be able to communicate clearly and able to make your point about something before it will sell.