Pharmaceutical sales requires many levels of detailing, educating, and promoting of certain medications. The sales call typically consists of a company produced sales piece that focuses on specific clinical research or product features and benefits. The sales consultant calls on physicians who may prescribe their particular medication. There is usually no cold calling involved and the representative spends time dropping samples and hosting lunch or dinner programs. They are perceived as an educator or ‘expert’ on their particular medication. They provide physicians with research articles and other clinical literature to support the efficacy and superiority of the drug. Because the physicians are very busy seeing patients, scheduling lunch and dinner education programs are a good way to get their attention. These sales representatives enjoy the social aspect of the job and the relationships they nurture and establish. They also like being the educator or product expert.

Pharmaceutical sales is different than other types of sales careers, including medical sales. The pharmaceutical sales process does not typically have a close or end to the sale, there are no contracts to sign, and no direct payment for closing a sale. Sales consultants who love the thrill of the close and are money oriented, do not typically like pharmaceutical sales. The public relations and education style of promoting is the cornerstone the sales process. This type of sales process helps to influence the physician’s prescribing patterns. Pharmaceutical sales representatives are usually paid higher base salaries and are compensated for increasing the numbers of prescriptions in their territory. Because there is no close or end of the sale: many medical device manufactures may not be as interested hiring people with pharmaceutical sales experience. One of their biggest shortcomings is their lack of closing experience

The reasons that some people like pharmaceutical sales, the education and product promotion, is also the reason that many people get frustrated with this type of sales. They have difficulty enduring the long wait times in the physician offices and the non-productive lunch meetings. Some pharmaceutical sales representatives feel like high paid educators, they have little time with doctors and feel like they are not really selling anything. Many pharmaceutical companies also hire sales reps in for a product launch or to fulfill a target promotion. Unknowing sales consultants may be led to believe that have a promising sales career ahead of them only to be laid off when the launch or promotion is over. The industry may be flooded with reps that had a similar experience, making getting re-employed rather challenging. 

Medical sales is divided into other subcategories: devices, equipment, biotechnology, and services. There are so many terms used in the industry: medical devices, consumables or disposables, capital equipment, etc. Generally medical sales consultants are money hungry, enjoy the thrill of the deal and closing is the end goal. High achieving medical sales representatives make more money than their pharmaceutical counterparts. Medical sales representatives make cold calls, do product demonstrations, win over customers, sign contracts, and like to close the deal. They like to follow the sales process to the end and see the fruits of their labor in a bonus commission. There is a big opportunity to make high income with high sales.

There are so many different types of medical products and services as well as types of medical sales positions. Medical device sales positions usually require a higher level of complexity and sales experience. They involve products that may be implanted in a patient or used during a patient procedure in the operating room. Medical device jobs involve calling on surgeons or other medical specialist and the sales consultant might be on pager call for a surgical procedure. Medical sales positions can sell medical consumable (or disposable) products or medical equipment. Medical consumable product are typically used once and then discarded, they could be anything from latex-free gloves to surgical masks. Medical capital equipment used to be an area of very high compensation, but things have changed over the years with many companies reducing bonus compensation. Even with these reductions, motivated sales reps can still yield significant dividends. Medical equipment sales consists of products that make up the instrumentation or machinery in the hospital and are part of the hospital’s capital assets. They usually last some time and are purchased every so many years. An example would be anesthesia machines for the operating room.

When making a decision on what type of sales is right for you, it is good to understand the fundamental differences between medical and pharmaceutical sales. If you are highly competitive and have a desire to work hard to make money, than medical sales is the best career choice for you. People with that competitive money-hungry drive usually find pharmaceutical sales boring and less rewarding in many ways. The lack closing sales and limited bonus payouts in pharmaceutical sales are the key deterrent for the highly competitive rep. If you like public relations and being an educator, than a pharmaceutical job may be for you. The high base pay, special perks and a structured commission plan may provide you the stability and consistency you need. It is important to really identify your type of sales personality and investigate the career options thoroughly. The most important strategy to implement is to do your homework.