Greetings All,I believe many shy people who read the previous post on where they can begin to learn to sell have overcome the issue. If you're curious about the same thing, head over to the article and start digging.
In this article, however, something unusual had just crossed my mind, and I have to share it with you. It is particularly interesting because it is the real beginning for pharmaceutical sales representative job:
The job interview.
Truth to be told, it's something I seldom thought of, but it is actually essential when it comes to Pharma Sales job interview.
You've heard me wrote about Pharma Sales Job interview before but looking back, I missed this particular topic...
"How not to screw up your Pharma Job interview."
I didn't see the importance of this until recently...
A friend of mine, let's call him TP, got a job offer with Pharmalink (M). To those of you who are familiar with Pharmalink, this particular company sold 'in-line' products or specific products which have patent expiration and no longer being actively marketed by the parent company.
Maybe I can say they sold generic products (but not entirely)...
So, TP himself works for a generic company. In fact, it's one of the biggest generics company in the world--Ranbaxy. Ranbaxy became more significant after a protracted legal fight with Pfizer (currently the biggest Pharma company worldwide...maybe not for long) over generic Atorvastatin.
Storvas vs. Lipitor legal war:
Somebody got to win eventually and looks like both companies don't want to back up. Not just yet. With Norvasc patent already expired in a certain part of the world, and we're looking at government tender ended next year for our local Malaysian market, Pfizer may be desperate.
And there's no particular blockbuster product in sight (Exubera and Caduet might just be another hype).
Anyway...
Back to TP.
After days...err...weeks of delay, few interviews, and meetings, TP agreed to join Pharmalink.
I said agree because:
* He took the job contract back to be signed
* He negotiates his 'basic' salary--which Pharmalink concur to
* He loses his sleep...(maybe this got nothing to do to with anything)
And yesterday, he gave me a call and told me...
"No. I think I'm not joining because..."
What? You must be kidding me?! After all those 'delay' agonies, you said NO?
Heck...that was real. He's backing off for personal reason (which in my opinion is negotiable), and hey, it's his call.
His future is on the table.
Throughout our phone conversation, I only emphasized ONE point: You can forget about joining the company ever unless you can work a miracle.
TP was half-way through already. If he stuck during the interview process and flop tremendously, I could understand his reasoning. But with half-foot inside the new company...I don't know. If I'm a company, I'll be disappointed as well.
I might as well focus on other candidates; other passionate, eager, and motivated candidates.
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Sidebar: If you're a manager interviewing candidates for a position, read my opinion about talking successfully under 'Pharma Sales Job Interview' label.
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So, this is important...
If you're not serious about taking up a job post in any company, don't delay your backing off until the last minutes. Save your face. Your reputation is critical. Let there be good things to talk about you, and not otherwise.
P.S. I want to congratulate one of my friends (you know who you are) for getting that new job in the new company. I've told you that I didn't favor your new company's people, and you said that you 'slip-your-tongue' too many times during the interview but they still want you in.In a way, it shows how competent and GOOD you are.
In another way, it proves to me how DESPERATE they are ;-)
Go figure ...
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