Term
| What do you like about pharmaceutical sales? |
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Definition
| Pharmaceutical sales gives me the feeling of owning a small business by managing a territory. I like to interact with educated people, and influence them by conveying how the positive aspects of my company's product satisfies the needs of their patients for effective, safe, convenient and affordable medication. |
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Term
| What do you think is the most challenging aspect of pharmaceutical sales? |
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Definition
| Getting sufficient quality time with the physician. |
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Term
How would you overcome the challenge of limited quality time with a physician? |
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Definition
I would first book several lunch appointments well in advance. Next, I would do my homework and find out all I could about the physician's personality style and "hot buttons" ; then I would tailor an initial approach that fit with his personality, and what was important to him. Assuming I gained agreement with an initial meeting, I would ask him to try the product and follow up on the results in my next lunch meeting. |
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Term
| How do you deal with a "no-see" physician? |
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Definition
I would learn as much about the physician as I could through other doctors, reps, and research.
I would then try to bring some information that the physician appreciates, for instance something relating to his specialty or his hobby and hand it to the doctor personally as they were getting to or leaving the office, or at the local hospital on rounds. |
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Term
| How would you get a doctor to switch to yours? |
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Definition
This is like the question "how do you eat an elephant?"..."one bite at a time". (laugh) I would tailor my approach to the doctor's style and "hot buttons" and try to get agreement that my company's drug is effective or advantageous on a particular patient type. I would then ask for a trial on that patient type, and after the doctor gains confidence through clinical use, use the same approach to expand use to patient types that were less specific, unless the indication was very narrow. |
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Term
| How would you handle a doctor who tried your drug, and had a bad experience with it? |
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Definition
I had an experience like that once. I arranged a lunch meeting, and brought the doctor's favorite meal, to soften the doctor's resistance. I then asked the doctor to tell me all the details of his experience before I said anything. I empathized with him and made sure he knew that I knew how he felt personally and professionally by prescribing a drug that had a side effect. Then I asked if he would like to hear what I knew about it. I went over the side effect profile in detail and made sure he understood that the side effect was very rare. By the end of the lunch his guard was down and I asked him if had enough confidence in what I had presented to try the drug again. He did, and later went on to become a valued prescriber. |
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Term
| How do you get past the gatekeepers? |
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Definition
First, I greet everyone with a smile, and treat them with respect, no matter how they treat me.
Second, I try to engage them in conversation by asking about things we might have in common.
Third, I try to build rapport through a shared interest, and let them see my "non-sales" side. Over time, I've found that I can usually get into the office, even when other reps can't. |
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Term
Why should we hire you, instead of someone else? |
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Definition
First, I think that my track record is evidence that
my success has not been a stroke of luck, but
the result of a consistent effort. I take pride in doing well, and do what it takes to succeed.
Second, I think my experience enables me to be more efficient, and effective. I manage my time well, and have learned how to sell to many different personality types as well as specialties. I've worked through many of the more common problems reps face.
Third, I am teachable, and always striving for improvement in all areas of my career. |
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Term
| What is your approach with a thought leader? |
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Definition
Experience has shown me that it doesn't do any good to try to impress thought leaders with what I think (laugh)
For me, the best approach has been to use a clinical reprint or journal study as a basis to phrase a question about my drug which can only be answered positively. I try to engage them in conversation by asking them their opinion. |
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Term
| What important trends do you see in the pharmaceutical industry? |
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Definition
| Increasing costs of R&D, as well as marketing, coupled with shareholder and public pressure to contain those costs is forcing the industry to streamline its procedures. New models rely more on collaborative agreements with biotechs for r&d, and agreements between companies to share sales forces. Personally, I think there will be more emphasis on specialty sales, with decreasing emphasis on primary care. |
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Term
What career goals haven't you accomplished?
Why? |
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Definition
| My personal goal is to be thought of as a true resource and consultant by all the medical professionals I call on. I started that process as a specialty rep, but it was interrupted when my company was re-structured and I was asked to go back into primary care sales. I want to eventually fulfill my goal with a specialty sales position at a company that has products which fill a real therapeutic void. |
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Term
| Tell me about a time when you postponed action on a goal? Why? |
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Definition
We had a minimum requirement of 8-10 calls a day, and I always wanted to have the best call avg. in the district, with 11-12 calls per day. A
top prescribers office called saying that a customer had been told by a pharmacy that my product was unavailable. I responded by going to the pharmacy that reported the problem, as well as 2 others in the area to verify that it was on the shelf. It was at all three, and I reported that back to the office. They appreciated my quick response and communicated how quickly I responded to the doctor. The doctor was pleased, and continued to be one of my top prescribers. |
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Term
| Tell me about a time when you had trouble working with a colleague...how did you handle it? |
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Definition
| When I was a specialty rep, I had shared targets with the primary care sales team. I left a voicemail for one of the primary care reps, saying who the top targets were that she should be calling on regularly. She called me and said she didn't appreciate being told how to run her territory. I explained that I wasn't trying to tell her how to run her territory, but merely who I thought the important targets were based on my experience. I suggested that we meet early one morning to work out a call schedule between us that would work for both of us. We did and the face to face conversation eliminated any problems between us. The result was a more effective call routing for both of us, as well as increased cooperation. |
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Term
| What motivates you more...money or acknowledgement? |
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Definition
| I think it's a little of both, but I think I'm more motivated to be the best I can be, whether it's number one in the district, region, or nation, and knowing that the money will follow. |
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Term
| How do balance your competitive spirit with a team mentality? |
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Definition
I have found that as reps, we all face similar problems and obstacles, and by keeping a focus on solutions, and sharing successes in overcoming problems, the team wins, and my teamwork is usually recognized. |
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Term
| How do handle intimidating physicians? |
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Definition
I've found that physicians can be intimidating if they're having a bad day or if they want to establish their power over you. I've handled these types with courtesy and empathy , or a combination of both. If you remind yourself that they're human, and are not intimidated yourself, it usually works out with time. |
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Term
| How do you create value when your product is the same or very similar to a competitor's? |
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Definition
By finding out what the doctor's needs are. Obviously, you have to really study and know your product and the differences it has with the competition. Then, by finding out what the doctor's needs are, you can match your product's distinct differences to the needs of the doctor.
You can also create value as a rep by being a better source of information, or by providing a level of service that is better than your competitor. |
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Term
| What is your most significant career accomplishment and why? |
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Definition
| I think that winning President's Club in 2004, was most significant, even though it was my second President's Club. What made it the most significant is that when I was promoted to specialty, my territory was dead last, and in fifteen months, I elevated the territory rank to #3 nationally. |
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Term
| Tell me about a time when you took a risk? |
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Definition
| Once my mgr. was on vacation and I had to arrange a dinner program by picking an appropriate venue within budget. I knew from prior conversations with my important doctors that once particular restaurant was a favorite, but over budget. I booked the restaurant, on the basis that the increased draw factor of the restaurant would result in increased attendance, and eventually increased return on investment. I sent my mgr. and email explaining the situation and asking if he would be able to approve the restaurant. When he returned from vacation he approved it, with the condition that I do all I could to maximize attendance. I did, and the program was a success,with the result being several doctors writing the product who had not done so before. |
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Term
| Tell me about a sales situation in which you were not successful. What happened and why? |
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Definition
| One doctor I called on was a loyal prescriber of one of my products, but always used the competitor to my other product. Whenever I even mentioned that he should try my other product, he clammed up and said he wouldn't discuss it, and that he was perfectly happy with my competitor's product. After a few months of trying different approaches, I started asking other reps that were calling on him what they knew about him. Eventually I learned that he was a contracted speaker for my competitor's product, so he had a vested interest in using it. |
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Term
| Have you ever had a difficult manager? How did you handle it? |
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Definition
I've had managers that for one reason or another had to be micro managers , or that gave the reps a lot of assignments, but I've never had a manager that I couldn't get along with, and that didn't treat me with respect, once they got to know me and that I work hard to attain my goals.
I try to remember that my manager has a "manager" too, and sometimes has to do what they have to do to meet their manager's expectations. |
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Term
| Why do you want to work for ______ |
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Definition
| My goal is to work for a company in which I can use my past knowledge of the therapeutic area, as well as leverage the relationships I've established in the area. This job would allow me to do that. Additionally, I have a vested interest in pain management because my wife is a chronic pain patient, and I know first hand how chronic pain can affect a person's life. |
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Term
| What would a typical day as a rep look like for you? |
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Definition
I get up at 6:30, have coffee while I check my email. At 7, I go for a short jog, then shower, dress, mix a coffee/protein shake and go to work by 8, with the goal of bein in territory by 9. Then I'll make calls until the offices are closed for lunch. It's typical that I have a lunch arranged for an office anyway. I then resume calls for the afternoon, and double back on any calls where I was unable to get in when I stopped there.
I'll keep looking for offices to call on until 5 and then I drive home. I'll go to the gym several times a week, then home to fix dinner. After dinner I do any paperwork, and plan for the next day. |
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Term
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Definition
| I'm a seasoned, successful pharmaceutical rep with 9 yrs. in primary care sales, and 4 yrs. in neuro/psych and pain specialty sales. I've always been able to deliver results in the top 25% and have received sales awards almost yearly, including two President's Club Awards. |
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Term
| What makes you so successful? |
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Definition
| It comes from an inner drive to be the best that I can be, as well as incentives like sales contests and bonuses. I take pride in all my work, and do what it takes to succeed, even if it means sacrificing some personal time to do so. |
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Term
| Did you ever co-promote a drug? What did you do to make your team successful? |
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Definition
I co-promoted a skin cream which was a Glaxo product. I learned all I could
about the product, as well as the competition, but there was little difference between our product and the competitor. I found that our product (a steroid based skin creme)dissolved quickly into the skin, and incorporated this feature into my presentations, asking the doctor "If you were the patient, wouldn't you prefer to use a cream that dissolved quickly, and didn't feel greasy?" The result was that I got more doctors to prescribe based on this simple difference, and I exceeded my goal for the product. |
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Term
| Have you been in a selling pod? What did you do to make your pod successuful? |
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Definition
| I was not in a pod, per se, but did have overlapping targets with primary care reps. What I did was communicate with both reps and coordinate our call routing so that each shared target was called on every week by either myself or the primary care rep. The result was that all of us met our call requirements, and maximized our coverage with our shared targets. |
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Term
| Tell me how you have modified your behavior in order to accomplish a goal |
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Definition
| I try to modify my approach to every doctor individually based on their personality, hot buttons, etc. My ability to adapt to , and adopt their conversational style, has given me an advantage in being able to develop rapport and communicate better with doctors. |
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Term
| Tell me about a time when you disagree with your manager. How did you handle it. |
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Definition
Once I had a manager who was new to the company, and he demanded a lot of paperwork, especially on targeting. I had been working the territory for 2 years and felt I knew who the most important doctors were, and that I didn't need to do the targeting exercises to know who to call on. I completed the exercise anyway, mainly because he asked everyone to do it, and secondly because I try to keep in mind that he has a boss too, and that perhaps the paperwork had to do with an assignment his boss had given him. I try to keep in mind that managers have
a more difficult job than reps. |
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Term
| What would you do if a colleague could not pull their weight due to a serious illness? |
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Definition
| I would have a talk with the manager to let the team know of the situation and to ask the whole team for extra effort, to pull up the slack. |
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Term
| Tell me about a time when you decided to leave the field early? |
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Definition
| Although it's embarassing to recount, once I had diarrhea, and had an accident. I went into Walmart and bought some underwear and changed after cleaning up in the bathroom, hoping I could continue to make calls. Soon after I realized that I was only going to continue to have trouble, and called my manager to explain that I was leaving the field and why. He was very understanding and only concerned that I feel better. |
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Term
| Have you ever spoken out against corporate policies or were unhappy with a senior management decision? |
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Definition
| Two years ago our company had a 50% layoff and a resulting restructuring or re-alignment of territories. At the time I was a specialty rep, and I was told that they valued me and wanted me to stay, but that due to the restructuring of the territories, they needed me to fill a primary care position. Initially I was disappointed, as I felt like it was a demotion, but after reflecting on it, was happy that I still had a job, and that the company valued my contributions enough to keep me. I also came to look at it as a new challenge, and it actually motivated me to succeed. |
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Term
| Do you think healthcare is headed in the right direction and should be controlled by the government? |
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Definition
| Although I'm sympathetic to the plight of people who can't afford health insurance, I believe that free enterprise is the best way to stimulate competition which results in benefits to the insured. |
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Term
| What were some situations in which you worked under pressure or met deadlines? |
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Definition
| There have been times when I had several paperwork assignments for my mgr.to complete and it almost seemed overwhelming, but by breaking them down into smaller daily goals, I managed to stay on track and complete them without too much stress. |
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Term
| Why haven't you found a new position after so many months? |
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Definition
| After I was laied off in 09, there was a glut of layoffs, with thousands of good reps out of work. After trying for many months, I was offered a job in home health. Even though it was a departure from pharmaceuticals, I needed a job. I was successful because of the office relationships I had created, and was able to maintain many of those relationships through different types of medical rep jobs. Since I've been independent, I've applied for quite a few pharma jobs, but they were usually specialty positions in areas where I had no experience, and no relationships. I'm sure the reps with the relationships got the job. |
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Term
| Tell me about a time your work was criticized. What was your biggest business mistake? |
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Definition
| The criticism I've received has always been from my manager, and it's always been constructively delivered. I receive it that way too, because I realize that I cannot objectively see the way my presentations appear, and because I know that we're on the same side, and striving for the same goals. |
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Term
| What can you offer us that other candidates cannot? |
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Definition
| Not knowing the qualifications of the other candidates makes answering this question difficult, but I can tell you that my greatest strength is my commitment to excellence in all my endeavors, which has enabled me to consistently put forth the effort to deliver consistent top results. |
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Term
| Why a career in home health vs. pharmaceuticals. |
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Definition
| Pharmaceutical sales have been very rewarding, but the industry is very volatile now, and layoffs are commonplace. I want to continue to make a difference in peoples lives by working in healthcare, but an area that is stable and in growth mode, to reduce the likelihood of being laid off in the future, and also to provide me with a secure environment which allows me to concentrate on doing the best job possible. |
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Term
| What is your greatest weakness |
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Definition
Sometimes I get so wrapped up in results, that I forget about trying to enjoy the process. I've learned that if
I stay in the moment and enjoy the process, I have better interactions with my customers, which usually lead to better results. |
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Term
| Tell about the time when you had to sale a product to someone who didn't know you. |
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Definition
| When I worked with King Pharmaceuticals, we had a territory re-alignment, and I had some new doctors added to my territory. My first goal was to develop some intitial level of rapport, because no one will buy your product if they don't like or trust you, so I scheduled some lunch and learns with them, and focused on asking them what they liked and what was important to them, as well as their hobbies and interests. I also talked to the the rep who previously called on those doctors to find out their best call times, and other approach information that could help me sell to them. The result was that I increased my lead product goal attainment from 86% to 108% in 8 months. |
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Term
| Of all the tools you are provided with, which are most important to help you reinforce your message to the doctor? What % of time on your calls do you use the following tools: Visual Aid, clinical studies, any detail aids that are on your computer? |
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Definition
| It's important for me to try to use a visual aid on every call, but I would use something that I think would influence the doctor based on the doctor's opinion on clinical vs. sales aid credibility. Sometimes you can re-emphasize the same message by using different visual aids, to keep it interesting |
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Term
| How would you handle a situation where a doctor cancels last second before a lunch and learn? |
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Definition
| If there was time to cancel with the vendor, I would re-schedule. If not, I would use the time to develop rapport with key staff members who have influence with the doctor, as well as educating them on how my product would result in better patient outcomes, which would mean fewer callbacks for them. |
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Term
| What are your biggest weaknesses? |
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Definition
| I think my biggest weakness is that sometimes I get so wrapped up in results, I forget to try and enjoy the moment. I think that by focusing more on enjoying the interaction with the doctor, the presentation comes across better and is better received. I started meditating for 5 minutes when I get up, which helps me maintain a positive calm attitude, and come across to the doctors better. |
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Term
| What ethical dilemna have you experienced? |
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Definition
| I haven't personally experienced any, because I have always strived to be well within the boundaries of the ethical standards of the industry as put forth in law and as the PHARMA code. |
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Term
| If you were an animal, what one would it be and what characteristics/features of that animal would made you the perfect candidate for this job? |
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Definition
| I think that I would be a chameleon, based on my ability to adapt to different personality styles, and effectively communicate within that style. |
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Term
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Definition
| It was a 50% layoff, because the economy had collapsed, and I don't think performance was as important as reducing costs, and I had acquired a high base as a result of my successful selling efforts. |
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Term
| What areas in your life need more development? |
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Definition
| Personally, I'd like to make more time for exercise. Professionally, I need to learn the changes that have been made in the law with regard to compliance. |
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Term
| Tell my why you want to work here |
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Definition
| Because I see this position as an opportunity to leverae the skills I have honed during my pharmaceutical experience, as well as my knowledge of pain management, and the relationships I have developed with the doctors. |
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Term
| Tell me about a time you were able to overcome a challenging obstacle you faced |
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Definition
| When I was promoted to specialty rep, my territory ranked dead last. After using my call data for several weeks, I realized it was old, as many of the doctors had moved or retired. I contacted the rep who used to sell the drug and asked him to look at my target list and make suggestions. He suggested 4 to 5 good writers that weren't on the list. I asked my manager to help get those doctors approved to call on, and as a result of getting the addtional business, I was able to bring my territory rank up to # 3 in the nation after 1 year, winning President's club. |
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Term
| Tell me about a time you were put in a stressful situation, and how did you overcome it |
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Definition
| Once my manager was coming for a ride along, but let me know the night before he wanted to visit with the doctors with potential, but who weren't prescribing. I analyzed my target list to see who met the criteria and who was available the next day. I then devised the shortest route possible, which would enable us to see the most number of doctors. I also planned a goal for each doctor in terms of advancing the sale. I went over the goal with my manager before visiting each doctor and we knew how we were going to play the call. I was nervous but realized that he would use his influence as "manager" to gain the time and attention of the doc. He would flatter the doctor, and I would deliver the message, and close. Having my manager there in front of doctor increased the impact of the close, and I was able to get more prescriptions from those doctors from then on. |
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Term
| Tell me a time you utilized integrity in a situation when you didn't have to? |
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Definition
| When I worked for Transdermal Therapeutics, the compounding industry was not formally bound by the PHARMA code. Despite this, I abided by the guidelines in not overspending on a particular doctor, and always discussing product during lunch and learns. I believe that I was better respected as a result, and was able to succeed in a field of unscrupulous competitors. |
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Term
| Tell me about a situation where you went above and beyond the call of duty? |
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Definition
| When I was promoted to Senior Sales Rep, we had a rollout of a new SFA system, on a new mini laptop that enabled signature capture. Since I had good computer skills, I volunteered to be the point person for helping to train the district and resolving their problems in the field. I got a lot of calls initially with reps that had problems, but I was able to use that to forward suggestions for updates to my manager. My manager recognized my for my teamwork and service, and I came to know the reps on my team better, which enabled us to work better together. |
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Term
| Share with me an experience you had when you were unable to answer a customer's question or resolve the customer's concern |
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Definition
After a lunch and learn, I had convinced a doctor to try my product, based on it's low side effect profilce. He prescribed the following day, and the patient called the nurse, saying she had an allergic reaction.
The nurse called me, and I didn't know what could've caused it. I went through all the ingredients with the nurse and asked her to go over them with the patient. It turned out that the patient was allergic to one of the food colorings used. I scheduled another lunch, and after apologizing for the difficulty with the first patient, and listening intently to his complaint about it, and empathizing with him, I showed him the part of the PI that cautioned against allergies to any of the ingredients, explaining that it was an extremely rare event, and that he would probably not have that happen in the future. He agreed that it was a blanket contraindication, found on almost any PI, and It ended amiably, and he continued to prescribe. |
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Term
| How do you handle difficult customers? |
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Definition
| I try to not react personally, and be analytical to find out why they're difficult. Were they having a bad day? Are they habitually ignoring me? Are they overbooked? Usually there are some reasons that have nothing to do with me, and just demand continued selling under different circumstances. |
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Term
| What 3 adjectives define you |
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Definition
Personable
Articulate
Tenacious |
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Term
| Tell me a time when you have made a mistake in the work place, and how you went about fixing your mistake. |
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Definition
| My inventory reconciliation was off one month, so I talked with the person in charge, and she suggested some methods of finding where the error was. After finding the error, I set up a spreadsheet that automatically calculated remaining inventory, and every night I would enter the day's sample distributions in my spreadsheet to prevent the errors from occurring again. It worked, and I never had any further discrepancies. |
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Term
| Tell me about a time when your persistence paid off |
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Definition
| I was selling Sonata to a 2 doctor group. One doctor like it and wrote it, the other didn't. The other doctor liked a generic that was similar, but less expensive. After almost a year of trying to get him to write, I got him to agree that having samples to test tolerability (as well as building goodwill with patients) was a good reason to write. His first patient had an allergic reaction to one of the food colors in the capsule. I scheduled a lunch and learn with him and listened empathetically to him, then told him that the PI had a blanket contraindication on allergies to any of the ingredients and that it was extremely rare, and probably wouldn't happen again. He agreed and continued writing. |
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Term
| Tell me about the last time you went beyond your job requirements to accomplish a goal |
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Definition
When I was a Specialty Rep at King, I was one of 8 Senior Specialty Reps. The VP wanted to have a single resource for the reps to use in the field as a reference for competitive information. I volunteered to lead the group and had weekly conference calls in which the other members and I presented the competitive advantages of our products. Each person had an assignment of getting a PI, as well as a specific list of our product advantages over that product. It was compiled into a e-booklet that was emailed
to all the reps. By identifying what competitor a doc was writing, it was easy to look up and review the advantages over that product. The VP was appreciative, and I'm sure it helped many reps. |
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Term
| Describe the time you gained the most satisfaction from gaining support of a difficult customer |
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Definition
| When we sold Sonata, one rheumatologist in the area had tremendous potential. After his first Rx, a patient couldn't get it at the pharmacy, and he yelled at me the next visit. I told him I would personally canvas the pharmacies and get it stocked, as well as provide a list of pharmacies in the area that seemed to have it consistently. He was skeptical, but after doing it and giving him the list, he realized that I was willing to go above and beyond to minimize his callbacks and he became one of my biggest prescribers. |
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Term
| Tell me about a sale you recently lost and your strategy to get it back |
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Definition
| I was selling Metaxall to providers that I knew who used to like a past product, Skelaxin, that was the same. Most of the providers who used to prescribe it told me their patients didn't want to take another pill, so they couldn't give me any new starts. I asked them if they still had patients who were taking it and most said yes. I asked them to switch the patients who were on Skelaxin to Metaxall, on the basis of the company's offer to waive the copay if it was under $50 |
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Term
| Give me an example of when you most effectively listened to what a person was saying and acted accordingly to ensure you understood them |
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Definition
| I was selling Sonata to a 2 doctor group. One doctor like it and wrote it, the other didn't. The other doctor liked a generic that was similar, but less expensive. After almost a year of trying to get him to write, I got him to agree that having samples to test tolerability (as well as building goodwill with patients) was a good reason to write. His first patient had an allergic reaction to one of the food colors in the capsule. I scheduled a lunch and learn with him and listened empathetically to him, then told him that the PI had a blanket contraindication on allergies to any of the ingredients and that it was extremely rare, and probably wouldn't happen again. He agreed and continued writing. |
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Term
| Tell me about the time you faced the greatest challenge in maintaining your composure during a stressful situation |
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Definition
| When we sold Sonata, one rheumatologist in the area had tremendous potential. After his first Rx, a patient couldn't get it at the pharmacy, and he yelled at me the next visit. I told him I would personally canvas the pharmacies and get it stocked, as well as provide a list of pharmacies in the area that seemed to have it consistently. He was skeptical, but after doing it and giving him the list, he realized that I was willing to go above and beyond to minimize his callbacks and he became one of my biggest prescribers. |
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Term
| Tell me about your biggest disappointment, how did you change? |
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Definition
| My biggest disappointment was in 08...the company had just laid off 50%, and all the territories were re-cut, and I was assigned to Primary Care. My salary stayed the same, but I thought of it as a demotion, especially after the success I had had. I realized that I was still valued, and that my role had only changed slightly. I decided to accept the challenge and used all my prior relationships to be the best I could be. I wound up in the top 15% nationally which I thought was pretty good, considering I had 2 new towns and many docs that I did not know. |
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Term
| Describe to me the day you had the most calls without a sale...how did you cope? |
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Definition
| I was assigned to cover a town that was new to me, and it was to become part of my territory. My first visit there was bad, as I didn't know anyone, access was limited, and the docs I did see didn't seem to listen. I made a decision to do all I could to turn it around, and after refining my targeting to the docs who could make the most impact, I made it a goal to get as much info as I could about the gatekeepers, nurses, docs in order to build rapport as quickly as possible. After a year, it produced more than another top five area. |
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Term
| Tell me about a time when you were most successful at prioritizing action steps to help meet team / company goals |
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Definition
When I was a Specialty Rep at King, I was one of 8 Senior Specialty Reps. The VP wanted to have a single resource for the reps to use in the field as a reference for competitive information. I volunteered to lead the group and had weekly conference calls in which the other members and I presented the competitive advantages of our products. Each person had an assignment of getting a PI, as well as a specific list of our product advantages over that product. It was compiled into a e-booklet that was emailed
to all the reps. By identifying what competitor a doc was writing, it was easy to look up and review the advantages over that product. The VP was appreciative, and I'm sure it helped many reps. |
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Term
| What is the most challenging goal you ever met..how did you do it? |
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Definition
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Term
| When were you most effective at anticipating a customer's need and responding accordingly |
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Definition
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Term
| Describe a time when you were most effective in developing a process or program to improve business |
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Definition
When I was a Specialty Rep at King, I was one of 8 Senior Specialty Reps. The VP wanted to have a single resource for the reps to use in the field as a reference for competitive information. I volunteered to lead the group and had weekly conference calls in which the other members and I presented the competitive advantages of our products. Each person had an assignment of getting a PI, as well as a specific list of our product advantages over that product. It was compiled into a e-booklet that was emailed
to all the reps. By identifying what competitor a doc was writing, it was easy to look up and review the advantages over that product. The VP was appreciative, and I'm sure it helped many reps. |
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Term
| How have you determined what constitutes top priorities for your time and what tools do you have to be effective |
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Definition
| Divide into 4 quadrants: Important-Urgent, Important-Non Urgent, Less important-Urgent, Less important-Non Urgent For example, planning calls for tomorrow would be Important-Urgent; Revising a call list would be Important-Non Urgent; Administrative paperwork would be Less Important-Urgent, and Organizing my files would be Less Important-Non Urgent. |
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Term
| Tell me about a time your were effective at learning new technical information and how you used it to your advantage. |
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Definition
| When we got a new SFA system on a new mini tablet, I studied the manuals so I would know my way around. I have good computer skills, so much was intuitive. Through using it for a few weeks, I found some shortcuts that made the process of recording call information quicker, and passed those on to the district through the manager. As a result, the district came up to speed faster and was able to meet their daily call goals with less frustration. |
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Term
| Tell me about a time when you looked at a problem in a different light and came up with a solution that wasn't obvious |
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Definition
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Term
| Tell me about the most compelling presentation you made. |
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Definition
| When we launched the product Avinza with King, we had our detail sheets, but I wanted to use more. With my manager's permission, I used some of the slides from the speaker deck and assembled my own presentation. I then practiced it until it was smooth and was able to bring my product attainment from 86% to 104% in 8 months. |
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Term
| Describe a situation in which you were persuasive in overcoming the resistance of others. |
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Definition
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Term
| Describe the best idea you used when selling a product. |
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Definition
| One doc was a no see, so I brought a birthday cake with my name on it, and said it was my birthday wish to speak with him for a few minutes. The staff loved the cake, and the break, and the doc was flattered and gave me 15 minutes, during which I gave him a convincing presentation. He started writing my product, and by coordinating with his staff, was able to meet with him quite a few times. |
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Term
| Tell me about a time when you questioned the efficiency of a process. |
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Definition
| When I was at Elan, we got data in a format that couldn't be sorted. I told the mgr.that if he could get me raw data, I could instruct the district how to easily sort by any parameter; TRx, Potential and Actual and other factors. He appreciated the extra effort and gave me an award for the work. |
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Term
| Tell me about a time when you had to be resourceful |
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Definition
| My inventory reconciliation was off one month, After finding the error, I set up a spreadsheet that automatically calculated remaining inventory, and every night I would enter the day's sample distributions in my spreadsheet to prevent the errors from occurring again. It worked, and I never had any further discrepancies. |
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Term
| Tell me about the toughest sell you ever had |
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Definition
| I was selling Sonata to a 2 doctor group. One doctor like it and wrote it, the other didn't. The other doctor liked a generic that was similar, but less expensive. After almost a year of trying to get him to write, I got him to agree that having samples to test tolerability (as well as building goodwill with patients) was a good reason to write. His first patient had an allergic reaction to one of the food colors in the capsule. I scheduled a lunch and learn with him and listened empathetically to him, then told him that the PI had a blanket contraindication on allergies to any of the ingredients and that it was extremely rare, and probably wouldn't happen again. He agreed and continued writing. |
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Term
| Tell me about a time when you won over a competitor. |
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Definition
When I was selling Skelaxin, the prevalent muscle relaxer was Flexeril, being marketed under the brand name Amrix. Skelaxin had a shorter half life and much less sedation than Flexeril, so I asked my
doctors to prescribe for patients in whom sedation might be a risk, such as single mothers,and those who work during the day.
Through persistent repetition of a low sedation message, and positive patient feedback, I was able to grow market share above Amrix, and in fact to 26%, wich was 13 points above the national average. |
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Term
| What has been your greatest accomplishment in the past few years? |
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Definition
| With Transdermal Therapeutics, I built my territory very quickly by building a speaker program with a local thought leader that I had known from my tenure with King Pharmaceuticals. My manager told me that I was one of the best reps he had in terms of sales volume, which was typically 65-75 per month. |
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Term
| Who are your three best friends and why |
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Definition
| My 3 best friends are friends from high school and college, and they are that because they have integrity, compassion, and can be counted on when help is needed. |
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Term
| How did you convince a co worker to do something your way |
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Definition
| When I was a specialty rep, I had shared targets with the primary care sales team. I left a voicemail for one of the primary care reps, saying who the top targets were that she should be calling on regularly. She called me and said she didn't appreciate being told how to run her territory. I explained that I wasn't trying to tell her how to run her territory, but merely who I thought the important targets were based on my experience. I suggested that we meet early one morning to work out a call schedule between us that would work for both of us. We did and the face to face conversation eliminated any problems between us. The result was a more effective call routing for both of us, as well as increased cooperation. |
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Term
| How do you motivate others |
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Definition
| by showing them that doing something is in their own best interests. |
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Term
| What did you like about your best manager? |
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Definition
| He was encouraging, and always eager to help with any problems I had. He knew I worked hard, and was effective, and only offered criticism when he thought I could benefit from it |
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Term
| What did you like and dislike about your last company? What would you change |
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Definition
| Transdermal Therapeutics was run by many ex pharma people. They knew the value of an expense budget in gaining access, as well as a thought leader program to influence other doctors. The only thing I would change would be that I would have continued the flat copay for Medicare patients, instead of doubling the price after a year, which of course the patients didn't like, and in turn the doctors, because they heard complaints from the patients. |
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Term
| Tell me of a time when you did something to improve something at the company. How was it implemented, and rolled out to the division? |
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Definition
When I was a Specialty Rep at King, I was one of 8 Senior Specialty Reps. The VP wanted to have a single resource for the reps to use in the field as a reference for competitive information. I volunteered to lead the group and had weekly conference calls in which the other members and I presented the competitive advantages of our products. Each person had an assignment of getting a PI, as well as a specific list of our product advantages over that product. It was compiled into a e-booklet that was emailed
to all the reps. By identifying what competitor a doc was writing, it was easy to look up and review the advantages over that product. The VP was appreciative, and I'm sure it helped many reps. |
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