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200 Tough Interview Questions

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100% found this document useful (2 votes)

725 views

200 Tough Interview Questions

interview questions

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jockmystyle

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118

118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

MUST HAVE information for the

Great
serious pharmaceutical sales jobseeker!

A
With job winning advice from two pharmaceutical industry experts, this
book tells exactly what to expect during the interview and gives specific,
impressive, answers that help nail the interviews. 118 Great Answers
to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions gives the actual
interview questions and GREAT answers before the interview...suddenly,
no question is too tough and the reader has all the insight to answer with

NSWERS
an unfair advantage over the competition.
Also includes:
• Answers to tricky behavioral questions • Pharmaceutical industry career paths
• Situational questions: What to say • T he interview process from start to finish

to TOUGH
• How to answer in STAR format •P hone interviews: What to expect and
• Rules to answer by how to succeed
•B est way to sell something during your • How to close your interviewer
interview • Tips and tricks that impress
• What are they looking for anyway? • Brag book musts
• What do you need to know? • Resume keywords that land interviews

pharmaceutical
Pharmaceutical Sales is one of the most sought-after careers in America.
Competition for these coveted jobs is fierce and performing well
during the interviews is the key to breaking in.

Questions
Don’t go to your pharmaceutical sales interview
without having read this book! sales interview
Posegate & Lane
About the Authors:
Please provide 1 sentence about each...
Drug Careers, Inc.

Published by Drug Careers, Inc., Clarksburg, NJ

Cover and book design: 1106 Design $19.95 U.S. Anne Posegate and Lisa Lane
118
Great
A NSWERS
to TOUGH
pharmaceutical

Questions
sales interview

Anne Posegate and Lisa Lane

Drug Careers, Inc.

Clarksburg, NJ.
118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions
by Anne Posegate and Lisa Lane

Copyright © 2009 Drug Careers Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any

form whatsoever without permission from its publisher.

Published by Drug Careers, Inc.

P.O. Box 543
Clarksburg NJ 08510

ISBN: 978-0-9717785-6-6

Cover and interior design by 1106 Design

Printed in the United States of America

DEDICATION

To my husband, Bret Posegate: Your encouragement and

confidence in me has made this book possible. I love you!
To my parents, Tom and Viola Barnard: You taught me the
importance of prayer and determination, and instilled in me
a strong work ethic. I’m so proud to be your daughter.
—AP

This book is dedicated to my husband, Jeff

and my children, Lauren and Jake.
Jeff, you have always supported me in all that I do. Your “go
for it” advice has made all of this possible. You’re the best!
Lauren and Jake, you two are the reason that I do what I do!
You make every day fun, and you mean the world to me.
—LL
TABLE OF CONTENTS
The Key to Success..........................................................................7
Introduction....................................................................................9
Skills Needed for Pharmaceutical Sales........................................... 11
Answering in STAR Format (to help WOW your interviewer!)......12
Section 1:
The Most Important Question of All.............................................15
Teamwork Questions and GREAT Answers.............................17–26
Section 2:
Coach ability and Loyalty Questions and GREAT Answers..... 27–36
Section 3:
Attitude, Behavior, and Leadership Questions and
GREAT Answers................................................................ 37–66
How to Make a Friend of Your Interviewer....................................45
Typical Day in Pharma Sales..........................................................52
Career Paths..................................................................................58
90 Day Plan of Action....................................................................63
Section 4:
Are You a Good Fit for Pharma Questions and
GREAT Answers.............................................................. 67–106
Brag Book Musts...........................................................................70
Baby Boomers...............................................................................78
Adding Benchmarks to Your Résumé............................................88
The 80/20 Rule.............................................................................93

5
118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

Section 5:
Industry and Job Knowledge Questions and GREAT Answers.........
107–132
The Happy Go Lucky Interviewer............................................... 118
Objectives....................................................................................124
Leave a Lasting Impression...........................................................127
Résumé Tips That Land Interviews.............................................. 131
Section 6:
Questions That Showcase Your Company Knowledge and
GREAT Answers............................................................ 133–140
Pros and Cons of Small vs. Big Pharma........................................ 137
Section 7:
Problem Solving and Creative Solutions Questions and
GREAT Answers............................................................. 141–160
Bad Credit?.................................................................................. 145
How to Look the Part.................................................................. 147
The Importance of Keywords on Your Résumé............................150
Think Twice When Sending a Résumé........................................154
Section 8:
Interview Questions and GREAT Answers
That Show Your Sales Skills.............................................. 161–193
Role Playing to Impress............................................................... 168
The Trial Close........................................................................... 173
Situational Questions................................................................... 174
Preceptorship Anyone?................................................................. 177
The Phone Interview Screening Questions................................... 178
Do Your Homework.................................................................... 181
Before and During the Interview................................................. 183
Smart Questions to Ask............................................................... 185
Questions Asked of Recent Grads................................................ 189
Pharma Sales Resources............................................................... 193
Index........................................................................................... 197

6
One important key to success is self confidence. An
important key to self confidence is preparation.
—Arthur Ashe

7
Introduction to 118 Great Answers to Tough
Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

W e leave no stone unturned as we pose 118 questions that are rou-

tinely asked in real pharmaceutical sales interviews. This is your
inside track—it’s almost like cheating on a test. Armed with the infor-
mation in this book, you will already know the questions before you
step into the interview chair! We don’t really think of this as cheating.
Rather, we like to call it “working smart.”
You now have a huge edge over other candidates. As you read on, not
only will you learn what to expect, you will also gain valuable insight
into the world of pharmaceutical sales. Study these questions and learn
how to give “knock-their-socks-off ” answers. Your goal is to land that
dream job in pharmaceutical sales. This book will help you achieve your
goal. Go ahead ... close your eyes and imagine yourself with that com-
mission check in hand. If you like what you envision, read on!
This book gives you access to the most commonly asked questions—
but don’t just read the questions. Take the time to fill in the responses
with your own answers, and practice with a partner. Next … practice,
practice, practice! Why? It’s simple—if you’ve rehearsed your answers
until your delivery is smooth, you’ll be able to focus on the interviewer

9
118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

and read his or her body language. These nonverbal cues will provide
you with insight as to how well the interview is progressing and will also
give you hints as to whether your answers are hitting your interviewer’s
hot buttons. When you are well prepared, it will show. Not having to
worry about your answers will allow you to focus on the other factors
that contribute to a successful interview. You will be more relaxed
and able to let your true personality show. You will find yourself in
the “interviewing zone”, meaning that you can go into the interview
with confidence, fully prepared to eliminate your competition. Why?
Because you will have adequately prepared in a way that 99.9 percent
of candidates are unwilling to do.
Pharmaceutical sales is one of the most sought-after careers in the
United States. The competition is fierce. If you have landed an interview,
you have what it takes on paper; but that alone isn’t enough. Your résumé
may have gotten noticed and may have been pulled from those of over
500 applicants, but you may still be one of 30 or so candidates going for
one opening. In that case, it’s show time. Show your potential employers
that you have done your homework, that you want to work for them,
and that you have what it takes to be a successful pharmaceutical sales
rep. This book is designed to help you do just that.

Put your thinking cap on

Before you delve into the actual interview questions and answers,
it’s important to think about what pharmaceutical sales managers will
be looking for in a great sales rep. What type of person do they want to
add to their team? Your answers to their interview questions need to
show them that you are the perfect fit for the job. Here’s what they will
be looking for in the ideal rep:

10
Introduction

• Communication skills. Show them that you are adept in both

verbal and nonverbal communication skills, that you are an
exceptional listener, and that you are willing to work to under-
stand the physician and his or her needs. Prove that you are an
excellent rapport builder and that you have the ability to connect
with others to build friendships and alliances.
• Organization skills. Convince them that you keep good records
of activities performed. Demonstrate that you know how to pri-
oritize and plan for the next day by knowing which physicians
you’ll see and what incremental goal you’ll focus on with each of
them. Tell them that you are flexible enough to take advantage
of opportunities when they arise and that you have the ability to
prioritize and to make the most of your opportunities.
• Openness to guidance and constructive criticism as an
opportunity to learn. Convince them that you are coachable
and are eager to listen to helpful advice.
• Loyalty. You will stand by your company despite issues and never
speak critically about the company.
• Ability to take ownership of territory. You will view your
territory as your own business and provide leadership to others
when necessary.
• Problem solver/opportunity creator. You can help your physi-
cian solve his or her patient problems and address patient needs.
• Good negotiation and persuasive selling skills. You can
anticipate prescriber’s customers needs and wants through ques-
tioning techniques, rapport building, and patient population
analysis. You provide exceptional customer service and act as a
partner in serving the physician’s patients.

11
118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

• Ability to present information in a clear, concise manner.

Demonstrate proving your assertions through “show and tell”
and effective application of analogies and comparisons.
• Ability to memorize and comprehend large amounts of
technical scientific and medical information.
• Determination and competitive attitude. You will work extra
hours as needed and focus on goals until you achieve them. You
have a drive to succeed and be the best. You exhibit a “get what
you put into it” mentality in terms of time, energy, and effort.
• Teamwork skills. Demonstrate your ability to work toward a
common goal and to motivate and inspire others.
• Positive, enthusiastic attitude. You’ll maintain a positive
attitude no matter what and despite setbacks.
• Professional appearance and conduct. You will represent the
company well.
• Confidence and motivation to be a self-starter. You do
not wait for others to teach you what you need to know. Your
“whatever it takes” attitude is obvious.

STAR Answer Format

(to help you wow your interviewer!)
If you really want to impress, develop a STAR response for every
bulleted skill or quality listed above. This will enable you to prove
during the interview that you possess those skills or qualities. STAR is
always a good answer format to use, but it is particularly effective when
answering situational questions.

12
Introduction

Here’s how to answer effectively in STAR format:

S = Situation (State the situation you were in.)
T = Task (Explain the task you needed to complete.)
A = Action (Talk about the action you took.)
R = Result (Recount the results of your actions.)

Rules to answer by
(Keep these important rules in the back of your mind as you answer
each question during an interview.)
• Always back your answer up with personal, real-life examples.
• Don’t just say, “I can do this and I can do that.” For every skill
you mention, recall an incident when you successfully applied
that skill.
• Don’t just say, “Yes I can!” Explain how you will do it and why
you will be good at it.
• Your answers to interview questions should always answer the
question, “But how?” For example, don’t just say, “Yes, I abso-
lutely can increase sales! I just know that I have what it takes to
make it in this business!”
• Show them how you can do it.

NOW … on to the Index of

Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions!

13
Before we begin...
Before we get into the categorized questions, let’s talk about a very
important question—the question you will more than likely be asked
first when you walk into an interview, the question that sets the tone for
the interview and allows you to make or break your first impression.
Let’s call it “Question 1A.” (It’s probably the most important question you can
answer, so pay close attention and practice a great answer!)

1A. Tell me about yourself. (You must be

able to answer this one. It’s a definite!)

What They’re Really Trying to Determine: Your interviewers want

to know if you will make an appropriate addition to their team. You
will need to show that you are a leader, achiever, and extrovert with a
history of successes. The bottom line is that they want to know if you
have what it takes to succeed in pharmaceutical sales. They want to see
what type of person you are, and they are looking for personality with
this answer.

What Not to Do: Don’t ramble and talk about too many details or talk
about a time in your life that the interviewer could care less about.

15
118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

Your Plan/Great Answer: The best way to begin is to ask them where
they would like you to begin. If they are interested only in informa-
tion about your time with your current employer, why start out talking
about college? Once you find out where to begin, make a short, orga-
nized statement of your achievements and goals. Give a brief overview
of your résumé. As you talk about your skills and achievements, relate
their relevance to a successful pharmaceutical sales career.

Your Response:____________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

16
Section 1

Teamwork

I f you have done your research about how most pharma sales forces
are structured, you know that as a rep, you are always part of a team.
Managers will be looking to hire individuals who can get along well as
a part of the sales district and, if necessary, as a part of a team that sells
together to meet territory goals. Your goal in answering these questions
is to prove that you will make an excellent addition to the team.

What is “teamwork”?
Teamwork involves the following:

• Team members understand, support, and defend each other’s

actions.
• Team members commit to a team goal that overrides individual
goals.
• Individual efforts create synergy; that is, the results of the team
are greater than the sum of the parts.
• Team members help develop other team members.

17
118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

• Team members accept accountability, taking ownership of success

or defeat.
• Team members try to learn and improve, continually developing
themselves.
• Team members have specific roles.
• Team members provide support and encouragement to each
other.

Interview questions and GREAT answers

that showcase your Teamwork Beliefs and Abilities

1. Have you ever had to make up for the shortcomings

of an incompetent boss? Why, and what did you do?

What They’re Really Trying to Determine: Are you a team player? Are
you loyal?

What Not to Do: Never say anything negative about past managers or
companies you’ve worked with. No matter how right you may be, this
is not the time for such discussion.

Your Plan: Even if you’ve had 20 horrible managers, focus on one man
ager from whom you learned something positive. Also, try to corre-
late the skill you learned with a skill required in pharmaceutical sales.
Finally, focus on a result of having learned that specific skill.

Great Answer: “I’ve had the great fortune of working for a number of
gifted managers. For example, one manager was especially adept in
helping me understand the importance of prioritizing and organiza-
tion (key requirements of pharma sales jobs). Because my job was so

18
Section 1: Teamwork

fast-paced, I needed an organization system for prioritizing my key

customers and following through on the goals I had set for each client
(hmmm … sounds similar to those used in pharma sales). This man-
ager opened my eyes to the lasting benefits of following a plan, priori-
tizing, and diligently recording customer data. As a result, my sales
increased by 67 percent in the three months following my implemen-
tation of her organization system.”

Your Response: ___________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

2. hat is more important to you, being a team

W
player or thriving on competition and winning?
Do you prefer to work individually or as part of a team?

What They’re Really Trying to Determine: How much of a team player

are you? Are you so interested in winning that you’ll run over your
teammates to do so? If so, they’ll want to weed you out right away
because such an attitude simply will not make for a cohesive team.
Managers know that competitiveness is part of being a good sales-
person, especially since reps are ranked, recognized, and rewarded
individually. But teamwork is also an important aspect of the job.

What Not to Do: Saying that you have to win at all costs and that
it doesn’t matter whose toes you have to step on is a bad, bad move.
Appearing overly competitive and aggressive will not win you the job.

19
118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

Your Plan: Show your understanding that you need both a competitive
spirit and teamwork mentality to succeed in pharmaceutical sales jobs.

Great Answer: “To be honest, I enjoy both. No person works entirely

as an individual, an island, unless he or she owns a business and is the
sole employee. In pharmaceutical sales, I’m responsible for my own suc
cess or failure; yet as a member of a team, I can also gain support from
others and gain comfort from the fact that we are all working toward
the common goal of extending and enhancing human lives through
the products we sell. Yes, I have a great deal of competitive spirit, and
it has spurred my success. But I also know that in a team environment,
we can share ideas, knowledge, and techniques with each other and
everyone (individually) benefits. If one team member has a fantastic
relationship with a physician that others find difficult to access, why
not draw upon that rep’s knowledge and techniques for the benefit of
all? In addition, teamwork inspires each member to grow in ability and
knowledge. What happens, then, when all members are inspired to
reach their full potential? It raises the bar and adds to the competitive
spirit that must be present for each individual to succeed. In a climate
that is both supportive and competitive, each individual will strive to
reach his or her maximum potential.”

20
Section 1: Teamwork

3. Have you ever worked in

a team-selling environment?

What They’re Really Trying to Determine: Have you had to work in

an environment where everyone must contribute in order for the team
to succeed? If you performed successfully in this type of an environment,
the manager will be confident you will be successful as a pharma rep.

What Not to Do: Stating that you’ve never worked in this type of envi-
ronment is not a choice. It simply will not gain you the job; nor is it
entirely true.

Your Plan: Show how you’ve worked in a team-selling environment,

even if this experience was not associated with a specific job. You must
examine every job you’ve worked, sports you’ve played or coached,
schools you’ve attended, volunteer experience or family responsibili-
ties you’ve had, and so on. At one point in your life, you must have had
to work for the good of a team … so start thinking! And, you don’t
have to limit yourself to those experiences in which you sold a product.
Rather, you may have team-sold an idea or a solution to a problem.

Great Answer: “As a member of my college volleyball team, I worked as

part of a team to accomplish a larger goal. In particular, we were always
looking for ways to earn money for our volleyball program. As team
captain, I created and organized a number of fundraisers, including
silent auctions, sales of T-shirts and candy bars, and summer volleyball
training camps for children. Although the ultimate reward was creating
funding for the volleyball department, we were a competitive bunch.
So we began competing against each other to see who could raise the
largest sum of money. Because we had all played sports together, we

21
118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

knew it would take great individual efforts to accomplish team success.

Although many of these fundraisers cut into our limited recreational
time, we placed the good of the team above our own interests. Due
to our incredible teamwork and determination, our fundraisers were
a huge success. In one year, we raised more money for the volleyball
department than had previously been raised in the previous five. Little
did we realize that we were learning important selling and teamwork
skills, because it was so much fun!”

PFIZER! PFIZER! PFIZER!

A Pfizer manager asked an interviewee: “Do you work
better as an individual or as a team?”
The interviewee answered with: “I work well as an
individual or as a part of a team.”
The manager replied with: “Choose one.”
My customer answered with: “As an individual.”
The manager replied with: “We work in teams here.”

22
Section 1: Teamwork

4. What is synergy, and how can it be

applied to pharmaceutical sales?

What They’re Really Trying to Determine: Your general beliefs and

knowledge of how teamwork can accomplish goals. They’re also
testing your industry and pharma sales knowledge regarding the syn-
ergy of drugs.

Your Plan: Demonstrate your knowledge of the effects of drug syn-

ergy as well as the effectiveness of synergy within a sales organization
and between two different sales organizations with shared goals and
strategies.

Great Answer: “With reference to drug synergy, “synergy” means the

combined action of two or more drugs working together more effec-
tively than either drug working alone. With reference to synergy within
pharmaceutical sales organizations, synergy is created when everyone
works together as a sales team rather than everyone working entirely
independently and without regard for other team members. This type
of synergy is necessary for organizational survival and success. Synergy
may also refer to the effects of co-promotion, in which two different
companies enter into an agreement to promote the same product. By
coordinating the efforts of two sales forces with a common goal and
strategy, synergy is created and profits are greatly increased.”

23
118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

5. I magine you’re on a team with FIVE other sales

professionals. For the two months, you’ve done all
the planning (creating team goals for the new quarter,
completing team assignments from the district
manager, and so on) and accomplished all other team
tasks entirely on your own. You feel your teammates
are relying on you too much and that they’re not
doing their fair share. What would you do?

What They’re Really Trying to Determine: How well do you work

in teams? Can you handle the “people problems” that arise in a team
environment?

What Not to Do: Don’t respond that you would take the problem
immediately to your manager; that approach shows a lack of problem-
solving skills.

Your Plan: Have a detailed plan of action, and show your willingness
to creatively work through “people issues”.

Great Answer: “First, I’d ‘suck it up’ for a while. It might be that per
sonal issues are affecting my teammates’ performance, and I’m assuming
that we’ve developed a relationship that involves picking up the slack
for each other when that is needed. That’s what an effective and cohe-
sive team does. If the situation continues long enough to cause damage
to our team, our district, and/or our customers, however, then I would
bring my concern to the attention of my teammates. Maybe they’re
having a tough time with family issues that prevent them from doing
their job in its entirety, or maybe they have additional job responsibili-
ties that I was unaware of. Perhaps all I would need to do is alert them to

24
Section 1: Teamwork

the issue and they would rectify it. In the end, if the issue isn’t rectified,
I would ask the advice of my manager as to how to proceed. I might
also need to remind myself that just because I set such high expecta-
tions for myself doesn’t mean that others do, as well. Many times I may
have to be the leader and do much more of the work than the others
simply because I have the desire and means to do so.”

Talking and eloquence are not the same: To speak, and to speak well,
are two things. A fool may talk, but a wise man speaks.
—Ben Jonson

25
Section 2

Interview Questions
and GREAT Answers that Show
Your Coachability and Loyalty

M anagers want to know that you are willing to learn, to follow,

and to be led.
By asking these questions, they are seeking answers that will prove
whether you are a good fit with their management style.

6. Does your current manager provide help

and leadership to you in your position?

What They’re Really Trying to Determine: What is your relationship

with management? Do you display negativity toward authority or lead-
ership? Are you coachable and willing to learn from others?

What Not to Do: Do not criticize your current manager or any pre
vious managers.

27
118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

Your Plan: Answer this question in a positive manner. Think of all the
positives you can with regard to management traits and styles.

Great Answer: “I appreciate my manager’s constructive criticism

because I know it has helped me further hone my sales techniques. When
a knowledgeable professional takes the time to offer constructive criti
cism, I make it a priority to sit down and listen … and then swiftly to put
that advice into action. I also appreciate my manager’s (utilize any of the
following and provide examples)
a. direction and support, with a fair amount of freedom to accom-
plish goals.
b. motivational and positive attitude.
c. creation of a supportive work environment that encourages
creativity.
d. creation of a work environment that rewards exceptional results.
e. fair treatment of subordinates.
f. patience and ability to teach and coach others to success.
g. team-building skills that inspire us to work for the good of the
team.
h. ability to hire talented professionals who work as a cohesive team.
i. keen ability to recognize each individual’s strengths.”

28
Section 2: GREAT Answers that Show Coachability and Loyalty

7. Who was the best boss you’ve ever had, and why?

What They’re Trying to Determine: Are you teachable? What sort of

management style do you like and work best under?

What Not to Do: Stating “I haven’t really had any good bosses …”
is not a good idea. Nor is it good to list the negatives of a former boss
without specifically being asked to. Highlight only the positives.

Your Plan: Highlight the positive traits of a previous manager that

relate well to what is expected in pharma sales jobs.

Great Answer: “My first boss had a way of guiding and mentoring her
reps, without making us feel like we were being ‘managed’. This
inspired us to be more creative and better problem solvers because we
felt she had given us everything we needed—the tools to be successful
on our own. In addition, she was there to listen and advise whenever
called upon. She also insisted on a healthy work/life balance. I believe
we experienced great results partly due to those aspects of her manage-
ment style.”

29
118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

8. Can you handle criticism? How do you react to it?

What They’re Really Trying to Determine: Can you handle construc-

tive criticism? Are you coachable, or do you reject authority?

What Not to Do: Do not show that you are a loose cannon or that
you are so sensitive that any type of criticism deeply wounds you. Dis-
playing a negative reaction to this question will also hurt you.

Your Plan: In your answer, you must show that you are eager to learn
from managers, acknowledging that their experience and knowledge
is far greater than yours. You must demonstrate that your goal is to
develop into a better sales professional and that you appreciate con-
structive criticism because it helps you reach that goal more swiftly.

Great Answer: “I appreciate it when those who are more knowledge-

able and experienced than myself offer constructive criticism. Although
it may not always be easy to hear (showing your human side is good), it
is always appreciated because it helps me become a more competent
professional. Once I’m provided with constructive feedback about a
mistake, I make a conscious attempt to not make that error ever again.
Learning is an important part of my professional development, and I’m
grateful when professionals take time out of their busy days to provide
constructive assessment of my job performance. In addition, learning
new methods and acquiring new knowledge is exciting to me and keeps
me motivated to go to work every day. I am open to input and dedi-
cated to improvement; therefore, I am able to benefit from constructive
criticism.”

30
Section 2: GREAT Answers that Show Coachability and Loyalty

9. What would you change about your current

manager’s style of management?

What They’re Really Trying to Determine: Your perception of manage

ment in general. Are you a team player? Are you a positive and loyal
employee?

What Not to Do: Do not give negative responses. The manager will
think that if you were hired and someday were looking for a position
outside the company, you would speak negatively of him or her. A neg
ative attitude also speaks volumes about your lack of loyalty.

Your Plan: Concentrate on your manager’s strengths and positive attri

butes. Minimize weaknesses, even if there are many. Select only a fairly
minor weakness to discuss. Also, utilize the sandwich technique: begin
with a positive, insert the negative into the middle of the response, and
end with a positive. This works for any negatively oriented interview ques
tion. In addition, utilizing the pronoun “we” helps deflect a little of the
negativity, as if you’re taking some responsibility for the problem. This
shows that you are loyal and a great team player.

Great Answer: “My current boss is an exceptional leader who has

gained the respect of his team and motivates us to perform to our best
potential. The only ‘weakness’ I have witnessed is his inability to know

31
118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

when to stop coaching (in other words, when to give up) and just allow
someone to fail because of their own incompetence. On one occasion,
we lost focus of the big picture, and it began to drain many of our
resources. On the other hand, I think it’s a commendable quality to be
willing to give of oneself to help someone grow professionally and per-
sonally. His ‘never say die’ attitude has enabled each of us to surpass goals
that we may never have reached on our own.”

10. oes your current manager motivate you to

D
perform your job to the maximum of your
potential? How are you motivated?

What They’re Trying to Determine: How are you empowered to per

form to the best of your capabilities? This helps the manager know if
you’ll succeed under his or her management style.

What Not to Do: Don’t list the negative qualities of your manager;
concentrate only on the positive. If, for example, your manager is not a
technical person, you may want to comment on his exceptional people
skills. Also, don’t list any motivating qualities that you’re confident the
hiring manager does not have. This will only count against you and
make the manager feel inferior.

32
Section 2: GREAT Answers that Show Coachability and Loyalty

Your Plan: Make a list of all qualities you like (and are motivated by)
in a manager. Now, from the list, pick the two or three qualities that
you’ve realized (through research with other employees or during the
course of the interview) this manager has. Don’t just list qualities,
however. You should also explain why those qualities motivate you
and give an example of a success that can be attributed to your man-
ager’s specific attribute.

Great Answer: (Let’s assume you made your list of qualities that moti
vate you. During the conversation with the hiring manager, you notice
that this manager has given several examples of how he or she leads by
example, so you reply as follows.) “My current manager is a great leader.
Because he leads by example and has such a positive attitude, we all
respect him and are inspired to succeed. As a result of this, I’ve felt
empowered to take risks—within the boundaries of company guide
lines—and push myself out of my comfort zone in order to reach and
surpass the aggressive goals he has set for me. For example, I created
and developed a new marketing plan based on a previous companywide
marketing plan … but with a few new twists. I aggressively targeted
realtors—who had previously been left out of the marketing equa-
tion—and experienced little success, at first. After contacting 35 to 40
realtors, I finally hit ‘pay dirt’. I negotiated a lucrative deal with one of
the oldest and best known realtors in our town. Then, I utilized his
endorsement and influence to win over many of the realtors I had orig-
inally prospected. ( Just like pharma reps do when they win over an “opinion
leader physician”.) This success resulted in allowing me to hit my goals,
only five months into the year. Had I not had a manager to back me up,
I probably wouldn’t have had the resolve to go after a new market. It

33
118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

was a risky move that could have eaten up a lot of my time, without
good results. However, my manager’s ‘nothing ventured, nothing
gained’ philosophy really resonated with me and I believe ensures my
success today.” (Meaning that you’ll not work like that only at your old job, but
you’ll succeed no matter where you work or whom you work with!)

The worst mistake a boss can make is not to say “well done”.
—John Ashcroft

11. Describe your relationship with your

last three supervisors.

What They’re Trying to Determine: Similar to the earlier questions:

How do you deal with authority? Are you coachable?

What Not to Do: Do not describe three “perfect” managers and the
“perfect” relationship you had with each of them. This would just not
be a realistic picture, and the manager would doubt your honesty.

Your Plan: Describe two of the three managers as “good,” and describe
their qualities and the positive relationships you had with them. Describe
the third as someone with whom you had some differences of opinion
but from whom you still learned a great deal. Provide examples of what
you’ve learned.

34
Section 2: GREAT Answers that Show Coachability and Loyalty

Great Answer: “Two of my last three managers were exceptional.

They both understood how to lead by example and empower their
people. They also felt confident enough to ask questions and learn
from their people. We had a great partnership and learned volumes
from each other. My managers viewed me as a competent partner, not
a subordinate that had to be monitored every second of the day. That
really inspired me to gain an ‘entrepreneurial mindset’ and enabled me
to be in charge of my own sales territory for which I, alone, deter-
mined the success or failure (just like a pharmaceutical sales rep must do). I
began to take real ownership of my responsibilities, and I immediately
noticed greater results. The third manager was a great salesperson, but
he seemed to have difficulties establishing and growing relationships
with his people. Although we frequently held differences of opinion,
we both respected each other. In fact, once his decision was made on a
controversial issue, I always backed it, and he always valued that.

12. ell me about a time when your honesty

T
and/or integrity caused a problem for
you and what you did to resolve it.

What They’re Trying to Determine: Are you an ethical person who

makes good judgments based upon the situation? Do you follow through
on your promises?

35
118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

What Not to Do: Don’t focus on a large problem. And don’t intimate
that you’re difficult to work with or that the problem caused a rift in a
relationship with a coworker, manager, or customer.

Your Plan: Focus on a small, relatively insignificant problem that had

a positive outcome.

Great Answer: “As a former baseball coach, I occasionally had to take

disciplinary action when players chose to make poor decisions regarding
their free time. Sometimes my disciplinary action was not well received
by some of the more fanatical parents who didn’t appreciate their son sit
ting out a game. Regardless of the parental outcry, I had to treat inappro
priate behavior in a consistent and fair manner. Although some parents
initially were agitated and made it a point to let me know it, I always
was able to minimize the problems by responding to them in a direct
and open manner, no matter how busy I was. As a result, the misbe-
havior decreased among my players as they witnessed the consistency of
rules and discipline. In addition, the parents came to expect and respect
my integrity … in that I always did what I said I would do and never
wavered when faced with outside pressure.”

36
Section 3

Interview Questions with

GREAT Answers that
Showcase and Assess Your
Goal-Driven Attitude, Behavior,
and Leadership Qualities

13. What are your career goals?

What They’re Trying to Determine: Are you goal oriented? Do your

career goals match what the company has to offer?

What Not to Do: Do not mention goals that you know the organiza-
tion cannot help you attain.

Your Plan: Make sure to sound clear and definite when discussing
your career goals, but also base your answer on what you know about

37
118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

the organization. Mention only those goals that you feel the organiza-
tion can help you achieve. Consider the experience you hope to gain
and the expertise you hope to develop. Leave the impression that your
desire to grow as a professional is realistic, just as your promotion and
salary expectations are.

Great Answer: “I feel that I have an excellent background with excep

tional accomplishments, notable communication skills, and a large
repertoire of sales skills (express your current skills). Working in pharma-
ceutical sales will allow me to further hone those skills (express your
desire to learn more). Pharmaceutical sales is considered the ultimate
sales job. I’m really looking for a good challenge and a position in
which I can grow my sales skills and be totally responsible for my own
success—putting some cash in my pocket while also providing tre-
mendous profitability for the company. Knowing that I’m an essential
part of a pharmaceutical company’s success is very motivating in that
I’ll play a role in extending and enhancing people’s lives. That’s pow-
erful. In looking at my interview portfolio, you’ll note that I have a
career goals summary. (Show the applicable page in your brag book, and
state your career goals, including timelines.)”

38
Section 3: GREAT Answers that Showcase and Assess Goal-Driven Attitude

14. How do you handle rejection?

What They’re Trying to Determine: Pharmaceutical reps are faced

with rejection on a daily basis. The interviewer wants to be assured
that you can persevere in these situations.

What Not to Do: Don’t say that you don’t handle rejection well.

Your Plan: Show that you have handled rejection in the past and explain
what you may have learned from the experience.

Great Answer: “I realize that rejection is a part of sales, and I do not

take rejection personally. In my current position, I deal with rejection
frequently. I analyze every situation and try to grow from it. I try to
figure out why they rejected my offer and come up with a new plan
for my next visit. In my opinion, rejection is an opportunity to sell. If
every call was easy, with every person on every call being willing to
give me 100 percent of their business, that would take the fun and
challenge out of selling. I thrive on overcoming rejection and ulti-
mately making the sale.”

39
118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

15. What do you think determines a person’s

progress with a good company?

What They’re Trying to Determine: Your work values and your com
mitment to them.

What Not to Do: Don’t focus on other people; rather, state what you
can do, personally, to ensure success.

Your Plan: Respond positively with common work values. Make sure
you can provide examples of where and how you’ve exhibited those
values within the workplace.

Great Answer: “I think determination and hard work, integrity, intelli

gence, excellent communication skills, and the ability to sell ideas and
get results are what determine your progress. In my past sales job, I was
promoted twice to positions of more responsibility due to my dedica-
tion to the job and always going the extra mile. In addition to the quali-
ties an employee should exhibit, I believe that a company should have
competitive products, effective management, a commitment to its cus-
tomers, and a reward program to recognize employees’ exceptional
performance.”

40
Section 3: GREAT Answers that Showcase and Assess Goal-Driven Attitude

Never Lie on Your Résumé

Years ago, you may have been able to “fudge” some
of the information on your résumé and get away with
it. Today, don’t even think about trying it. All companies
verify the details on applicants’ résumés.

16. What personal, non-job-related goals

have you set for yourself?

What They’re Trying to Determine: Are you a thoughtful person?

Have you taken the time to consider your life goals—both job-related
and non-work-related goals? Are you committed to personal growth?

What Not to Do: Don’t give your interviewer the idea that you live for
your work. All managers realize the value of a well-rounded employee
who values his or her personal time. If you show that you’re a worka-
holic, they’ll fear you’ll be at risk for burnout.

Your Plan: Goals related to your family are always acceptable, and some
times preferred, because they demonstrate stability. In addition, anything
related to personal growth, such as taking night classes, setting physical
fitness goals, learning a foreign language, and so on, is a good answer.

Great Answer: “Some of my goals relate to my personal development.

For example, I want to get my MBA within the next couple of years. I
will take Saturday classes to accomplish that because gaining an advanced
degree is something I’ve always wanted to do. Although this is a personal
goal, I know it will help me immensely in my professional life, as well.

41
118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

Some of my other personal goals are related to my family. I want to add

to my child’s academic development and spend quality time with him.
I’m learning Spanish with my four-year-old son—and he’s soaking it up
much faster than I am! I’m hoping I can learn from him (humor is good).
Also, with the coming New Year, I’ve renewed my physical fitness goals.
I’m currently training to run in the next Dam to Dam race. My ultimate
fitness goal is to compete in a marathon; to me, it would symbolize real
accomplishment in terms of mental attitude and physical performance.”

17. What have you done to increase

your personal development?

What They’re Really Trying to Determine: Similarly to the last ques

tion, they’re trying to determine if you are committed to growth on
both a personal and a professional level.

What Not to Do: As in the preceding question, don’t indicate that

you’re all work and no play. This makes for an unhappy employee who
performs average work.

Your Plan: Demonstrate your willingness to stretch yourself person-

ally and how this indirectly relates to your professional development.
Consider classes, professional clubs, special training or research, books
you’ve read, and so on.

42
Section 3: GREAT Answers that Showcase and Assess Goal-Driven Attitude

Great Answer: “I’m an avid reader, especially of books regarding sales

prospecting, question-based selling, and the art of closing. Some of my
favorite books are: Swim With the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive by
Harvey Mackay, and Secrets of Question-Based Selling, by Thomas Freese.
(Read them. They are invaluable for pharma sales.) As a former business
owner, I began reading these books and quickly realized how much I
enjoy them. As a result of this reading, I’ve developed into a more posi-
tive person with a ‘can-do’ attitude about every goal I set for myself. It
has helped me succeed both personally and professionally. I’m also a big
fan of public speaking, so I’ve been working on that skill as well. I’ve
been a member of our area Toastmasters Club for a little over two years.
It has helped me develop into a better communicator as well as a more
relaxed and confident salesperson. Little did I know that it would be a
great team-building experience, as well! As an elder member of the
club, I now teach my public speaking skills to new members, which I
thoroughly enjoy.”

18. What is the most important lesson you’ve

learned in the last TEN years?

What They’re Really Trying to Determine: Are you a person who is

retrospective, who looks behind—in addition to looking forward—to
learn from past mistakes and successes?

43
118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

What Not to Do: Don’t give any routine, cheesy answers about kind-
ness, love, caring, understanding, empathy, and so on. Although seem-
ingly unimportant, the answer to this question can tell a manager vol-
umes about how you choose to live your life.

Your Plan: Choose a lesson that relates to both your personal and your
professional life. This increases the value of the lesson learned.

Great Answer: “Because of my passion for reading books about sales

techniques, I’ve learned a valuable lesson: Sales skills help you succeed
in every area of life. My relationships with family, managers and
coworkers, friends, and clients have literally been transformed. Why?
Because the number-one rule in sales is to be a good listener and
uncover the other person’s needs and wants. Sounds like a great rela-
tionship builder, right? I find it especially revealing that Stephen Chan-
dler’s book, 50 Ways to Create Great Relationships, is most popular among
the demographic of women who love Dr. Phil and Oprah. Little do
they realize that it was first and foremost meant to be a how-to book for
salespeople. But once you read it, it reveals the parallel between everyday
relationships and the salesman/prospect/client relationship. I feel that
by being a student of sales methodology, I’ve become a more fulfilled
person in all aspects of my life—personal and professional.”

44
Section 3: GREAT Answers that Showcase and Assess Goal-Driven Attitude

Two Ways to Make a Friend

of Your Interviewer
1. Be sure to tell the person you interviewed with that you
would enjoy working with him or her. The manager will
definitely be looking to hire someone with whom they
can get along well.
2. Most people don’t send a handwritten note after an
interview, and that’s a mistake. You may even want to
prewrite a note. If the interview is at a hotel, you can
leave the note at the front desk for your interviewer.

19. hat are two qualities that help you succeed

W
and two qualities you must work on to
achieve your career goals?

What They’re Really Trying to Determine: How well do you know

yourself? Are you aware of your positives as well as the personal road-
blocks you must conquer in order to succeed?

What Not to Do: This question is not asking you to reveal negatives but
simply to discuss those skills you may need to improve upon to reach
your goals.

Your Plan: Back up the four qualities/skills with rich examples to sup
port your assertions. Lead with the qualities you need to improve upon,
and finish with the “good stuff.”

45
118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

Great Answer: “The two qualities I could improve upon really depend on
the goals I want to achieve. We all have things we must improve upon at
any given time. If we didn’t, how would we ever learn and grow? When I
opened my franchise, I probably would have succeeded more quickly if I
had set up a formal marketing system to advertise my business. I would say
that in my haste to start working and make money, I didn’t create a long-
term marketing strategy and later had to make major adjustments to com-
pensate for it. The other quality I must improve upon is taking the time to
evaluate what I’ve done, where I’m going, and what I can learn from the
past. I think that when you slow down and do this, you are able to accom-
plish goals more effectively and efficiently. Because of my high energy
and enthusiasm for my work, I tend not to take as much time as I should
to plan long-term strategies and to reflect/learn from the past. Regarding
my two positive qualities, my communication skills and goal-driven
determination have helped me succeed in all of my career endeavors.
Exceptional communication skills enabled me to run a successful business
that responded quickly to customer needs and wants and focused on rap-
port-building within the community as well as with my clients. When I
noted that sales were beginning to stagnate, I set new goals for myself and
was determined to double my sales volume from the previous year. This
is when I came up with my realtor referral program, which quickly sparked
sales and continued to do so for the entire time I owned the business.”

46
Section 3: GREAT Answers that Showcase and Assess Goal-Driven Attitude

20. How long will it take before you make

a positive contribution to our organization?

What They’re Really Trying to Determine: What do you know about

our company and our industry? Do you know enough to set realistic
goals for yourself?

What Not to Do: Don’t be unrealistic about the kind of contribution

you can make and the length of time it will take you to accomplish it.
This will count more against you than anything else; it will also show
your ignorance of the industry.

Your Plan: Reveal a positive, confident attitude, and show your knowl
edge of the duties of a pharmaceutical rep.

Great Answer: “I think my partner, my team, and you (the manager) will
notice my contribution right away. I’ve always been told that my excite
ment is contagious. My team-building skills, positive and determined
attitude, and unparalleled commitment to succeed are positive contribu
tions I’ll make immediately upon joining your team. Of course, I’ll
commit a lot of time and effort to training, learning the territory, and
becoming familiar with each medical facility’s guidelines. I believe it’s
realistic to expect that within six months the results of my exceptional
communication skills and ‘never say die’ attitude will show forth in my
increased access to physicians and increased volume of new scripts.”

47
118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

21. What is your greatest strength?

What They’re Really Trying to Determine: What’s your number-one

skill, asset, or strength? Can you analyze yourself? Is your number-one
skill, asset, or strength transferable to pharmaceutical sales?

What Not to Do: Don’t waiver. Be clear and concise with your answer.
Don’t use one-word answers, and remember to provide proof through
examples.

Your Plan: Going into the interview, you should have in mind several
strengths that directly relate to pharmaceutical sales. Begin with a
brief statement of one of those skills or abilities, and then provide a
clear example. Choosing a broad category, such as communication
skills, allows you to discuss several other important attributes that fall
under that category. In essence, you’ll be able to discuss many of your
strengths, instead of just one. It’s a nifty little trick that can be used
with great success!

Great Answer: “I believe that my communication skills are my greatest

strength. When people think of communication skills, they are often
unaware of all that goes into being a good communicator. For example,
a good communicator can engage a listener. A good communicator is
also an exceptional listener. Good communication involves presenta-
tion and negotiation skills as well as the ability to anticipate needs,
empathize, and influence. Because of my strong communication skills,
I’ve led my sales team for two years in a row and have blown out many
of my yearly sales goals within the first eight months. How have I

48
Section 3: GREAT Answers that Showcase and Assess Goal-Driven Attitude

accomplished this? (1) By being an exceptional listener—determining

my client’s wants and needs. (2) By becoming a partner to my client—
being a ‘knowledge source’ and presenting unique ideas about how to
implement my products and benefit his/her clients. (3) By utilizing a
repertoire of sales techniques—negotiation, empathy, influence, and
engagement. What’s the number-one reason for this success? Very
simply, it’s my strong communication skills.”

22. What are your THREE most

important career achievements?

What They’re Really Trying to Determine: Do the career successes you

choose to highlight naturally transfer to pharmaceutical sales jobs? Do
the successes you choose to highlight show that your interests and
values are a good match for pharmaceutical sales jobs?

What Not to Do: Do not choose successes that do not demonstrate

skills required in pharmaceutical sales jobs. Don’t ramble; take about
45 to 60 seconds to explain each accomplishment.

Your Plan: Utilize the STAR format—(situation•task•action•result)—

to explain your successes. Then choose the most important of your
achievements and explain how the skills involved mirrored the skills
needed for pharmaceutical sales.

49
118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

Great Answer: (First, provide a quick synopsis of the first two accomplishments.
Then end with something like the following.) “As an HR generalist in a com-
pany that was facing extreme budget constraints, I was asked to analyze
our HR vendor contracts and implement cost-saving measures. I rede-
signed the employee time-card system, researched the best vendor to
develop my system, and negotiated price concessions. I then imple
mented the system through employee training sessions—and accom
plished all of this within my six-month deadline. As a result, I saved the
company over $18,000 per year in vendor payouts for human resource
functions. This accomplishment required many of the same skills I’d
utilize as a pharmaceutical sales rep, such as:

1. The ability to come up with creative solutions to a budgetary

problem.
2. Exceptional presentation skills in communicating our needs
and wants to vendors, training employees, and presenting my
plan to company executives for approval.
3. Negotiation skills in gaining price concessions from outside
HR vendors.
4. Organization skills played a key role in this accomplishment.
Analyzing our current systems; keeping track of vendor proposals;
creating and following an aggressive, detailed timeline; establishing
a training system—all required exceptional organization skills.”

50
Section 3: GREAT Answers that Showcase and Assess Goal-Driven Attitude

Only undertake what you can do in an excellent fashion. There are

no prizes for average performance.
—Brian Tracy

24. Why have you decided to pursue a

career in pharmaceutical sales?

What They’re Trying to Determine: Have you thought this through?

Do your interests relate to aspects of pharmaceutical sales work? Are your
skills and experience related to pharmaceutical sales work?

What Not to Do: PUHHHLEASE don’t focus on benefits, salary,

bonuses, trips, and so forth.

Your Plan: Merge your interests, skills, and qualities with various
aspects of pharmaceutical sales jobs.

Great Answer: Most important, mention that you love to sell and that
you’ve been very successful in sales. (Even if you do not have typical sales
experience, you can provide examples of times when you’ve utilized sales skills to
negotiate, persuade, influence, and so on.) Provide specific, concrete exam-
ples of sales success.

You love the fact that the pharmaceutical sales industry offers both chal-
lenge and reward. The technical aspect of the science behind the prod-
ucts appeals to you. (Cite examples of how well you’ve performed in technical
courses or environments.) Also, you like the fact that you’re responsible and
rewarded for your own success, but that there’s also a team environ-
ment in which you work to sell your product. (Give examples of situations
in which you thrived on your own, and then provide examples of being a team

51
118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

player and achieving a goal.) To answer this question effectively, you must
know exactly what a pharmaceutical sales rep does on a daily basis.

Summary of a Typical Day

(For additional information and more detail, visit Anne’s website
at www.pharmaceutical-rep.com.)

• You start the night before by planning out your day and setting
your call objectives for each prescriber you plan to detail.
• You call on 4 to 6 prescribers in the morning to help ensure that
you complete your 8 to 10 calls by the end of the day. You also
enter post-call notes after each visit.
• Next, you attend a lunch and learn program at one of the offices
on your target list.
• In the afternoon, you complete seeing your scheduled offices
based on the routing schedule developed by your team.
• Finally, you end your busy day by attending a dinner program that
you or your team planned several months in advance. You will
be able to get feedback on the information the speaker presented
to attending prescribers the next time you call on them.

Next, show your knowledge of the industry. (It’s a growing industry

due to the fact that baby boomers are reaching retirement. This will result in an
increasing need for pharmaceuticals to enrich and extend lives.) Provide some
industry statistics to back up your statements. Most hiring managers
love statistics! Find information at www.phrma.org (PhRMA—for
Everything Pertaining to the Pharmaceutical Industry!).
Finally, show your knowledge of the pharmaceutical company (you’d
better have done some research!) and state that you will be very selective about

52
Section 3: GREAT Answers that Showcase and Assess Goal-Driven Attitude

the company you choose to work with. Obviously there needs to be a

good fit between the company and candidate in order for both to be suc
cessful. Provide specific reasons that the company is a good fit for you.

25. hich do you value more, monetary reward

W
for achievements or the feeling of knowing
you’re the best?

What They’re Trying to Determine: How are you motivated, extrinsic

ally (by money, awards, and so on) or intrinsically (by wanting to be the
best regardless of the external rewards)?

What Not to Do: Don’t focus on one form of motivation over the other.
Combine the two for the best answer.

Your Plan: Reflect on the fact that you’re motivated to be the best
but that you also appreciate money and awards as recognition for your
accomplishments.

Great Answer: “I’ve always had very high standards and have pushed
myself to be the very best, regardless of the rewards. I’m motivated
intrinsically to be the best, and I greatly enjoy the challenge as well as
the feeling of accomplishment that goes along with it. However, I’m
human, and like most other people, I’m also motivated by the promise
of external rewards such as money, awards, acknowledgement, trips,

53
118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

and opportunities to advance in my career. Therefore, I would say that

I value both and that both spur me to accomplish my goals. This is why
I believe that a pharmaceutical sales career is a good match for me—it
offers a generous supply of challenge, opportunity, and reward!”

26. How do you know you’ll succeed

in pharmaceutical sales?

What They’re Trying to Determine: Are you confident you’ll succeed?

If so, make us confident through this answer. Prove to us that you have
the knowledge, skills, and experience to be successful in this career.

What Not to Do: Don’t simply say “yes” without backing that up with
examples as proof. This will not inspire confidence.

Your Plan/Great Answer: List the key skills required to be successful

in pharmaceutical sales—good communication skills, tenacity and
determination, sales/teaching background, ability to understand and
present technical information, being coachable in terms of learning the
selling process and further developing your skills, being a team player,
competitive drive, entrepreneurial spirit, being a self-starter, and so on.
Then prov ide a simple example of how you possess each of these skills.
Also, provide examples of situations in which you’ve had to work on
your own (as is the case in pharma sales jobs), and describe how that’s

54
Section 3: GREAT Answers that Showcase and Assess Goal-Driven Attitude

been a successful and/or profitable experience.

27. What motivates you to go to work every day?

What They’re Trying to Determine: Can you handle working in a

team environment while at the same time being responsible for your-
self? Pharmaceutical sales managers do not have time to “baby-sit”
their reps.

What Not to Do: Don’t say that you’ve never had a job in which you’ve
had to work on your own or indicate that you’ve worked only with
micromanagers.

Your Plan/Great Answer: Discuss that your intrinsic motivation to be

the best at whatever you do is what motivates you to go to work every
day. Indicate that you don’t need a manager looking over your shoulder
and that your competitive spirit drives you to go above and beyond in
every task or job you take on. Emphasize that as a pharma rep, you’ll
have your own territory and will be responsible for your own success or
failure—and that this is very motivating to you. Provide an example of
how you’ve gone above and beyond normal duties and expectations in
your previous or current job.

Your Response:____________________________________________________

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118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

Vice presidents and personnel directors of the 100 largest corpora-

tions were asked to describe their most unusual experience interviewing
prospective employees. Here are some of their answers.
• A job applicant challenged the interviewer to an arm wrestle.
• The interviewee wore a Walkman, explaining that she could
listen to the interviewer and the music at the same time.
• The candidate fell and broke his arm during the interview.
• The candidate announced that she hadn't had lunch and proceeded
to eat a hamburger and French fries in the interviewer’s office.
• The candidate explained that her long-term goal was to replace
the interviewer.
• The candidate said he never finished high school because he was
kidnapped and kept in a closet in Mexico.
• A balding candidate excused himself and returned to the office
a few minutes later wearing a hairpiece.
• The applicant said that if he was hired he would demonstrate his
loyalty by having the corporate logo tattooed on his forearm.
• The applicant interrupted the interview to phone her therapist
for advice on how to answer specific interview questions.
• The candidate brought a large dog to the interview.

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Section 3: GREAT Answers that Showcase and Assess Goal-Driven Attitude

• The applicant refused to sit down, insisting on being interviewed

standing up.
• The candidate dozed off during the interview.

28. How long do you expect to work as a primary

care rep before being promoted?

What They’re Trying to Determine: Do you have realistic expecta-

tions? Are you knowledgeable enough about this industry to provide a
reasonable answer?

What Not to Do: Don’t be overconfident and say that you should be
able to be promoted within a year because you’re some sort of “sales
dynamo”. This is not a realistic expectation, and the interviewing
manager will think you lack maturity.

Your Plan/Great Answer: Simply state that you have mapped out a
career path for yourself, and from what you’ve determined (through
research with other reps and books), you feel it is realistic to be pro-
moted to a specialty position within two to three and a half years, con-
tingent upon exceptional success.

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118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

Pharmaceutical Sales Career Paths

Although pharma sales is one of the most sought
after and rewarding careers in the United States, many
reps stumble into it, having begun with little or no idea
of what a pharma career is all about. Nevertheless, many
successful executives began as territory reps. The following
are some career path options that pharma sales reps take.

Sales Opportunities
At most pharma companies, the sales team has
a hierarchical structure that consists of territory
representatives, specialty and hospital representatives,
district managers or regional sales directors, a regional
manager or area business manager, national account
managers, and regional account managers.

Sales Training and Development Opportunities

Sales training and development offers a wide variety of
career options for motivated representatives who are
ready for a new challenge. Sales training candidates tend
to be self-motivated, successful representatives who have
enjoyed their work in the field and would like to share
their ideas and experience with the sales force.

Marketing Opportunities
Marketing is all about teamwork—from working with
strategic therapeutic area teams and licensing/business
development to develop commercially viable products to
collaborating with sales, sales training, sales administration,

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Section 3: GREAT Answers that Showcase and Assess Goal-Driven Attitude

medical, law, and customer service to ensure that new

products are successfully brought to market.

Managed Care Opportunities

The responsibilities of an account executive are
multidimensional and exciting. Managed care account
executives apply the skills they developed as sales
representatives, such as multitasking and networking, to
increase and maintain formulary coverage in managed care
and alternative health care markets. They make calls on
business managers and other decision makers in managed
care organizations and long-term care facilities, state offices
impacting Medicaid, and state agencies and associations.

29. How stressed or pressured do you

feel about sales goals?

What They’re Trying to Determine: Can you handle the pressures

inherent in this job? Sales reps are expected to reach 100 percent of
their target, and if the particular product is especially strong, numbers
should extend past 100 percent. Pharma sales is a high-profile career,
and if you’re not making your numbers, there are plenty of other can-
didates ready and willing to take your place.

What Not to Do: This is not the time or place to discuss how ineffec-
tively you handle stress. Nor do you want to mention any mental, phys-
ical, or emotional problems triggered by stress. Your job is to appear
confident and capable.

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118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

Your Plan/Great Answer: “I do feel pressured by sales goals … but it’s a

good kind of pressure—the kind that brings out my tenaciousness and
challenges me to exceed expectations. The more pressured I feel, the
more organized I become. Knowing that a deadline or goal is near, I’m
better able to prioritize, act quickly on my feet, and engage more than
ever my determination to reach and surpass my goals. To be honest,
stress and pressure bring out my competitive spirit in full force. For
example … (provide an example, in STAR format, of a situation in which you
felt pressured or stressed and how you rose to the occasion).”

30. Are you willing to work past 5:00 p.m. or in

the evenings? Are you willing to relocate?

What They’re Trying to Determine: How committed are you to this

career and this company?

What Not to Do: An inflexible response will not demonstrate commit

ment to your career. At this point, the manager is basically asking if you’re
interested enough in the company to work overtime or make a move.
Rarely are people asked to relocate upon being hired by a company.

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Section 3: GREAT Answers that Showcase and Assess Goal-Driven Attitude

Great Answer (working late): “I am committed to working every day

until the job is done. I’m aware that pharma reps often have to work
early in the morning or on Saturdays at hospital displays or trade shows.
I’m also aware that team meetings, training, or speaker programs often
require working during the evening. I am willing to work as hard and
as long as is necessary to achieve and exceed my sales goals.” (Provide an
example of your determination and hard work in a previous position.)

Great Answer (willingness to relocate): Obviously, if you’re willing to

relocate, then say so; but if you’re not, don’t hurt yourself by saying
you’re unwilling to do so. Ninety-nine percent of new hires are never
asked to relocate—it really is extremely rare. Instead, try this: “I’m very
excited about working for your company because (give two facts you’ve
found through research). I definitely have an open mind about relocating,
if the opportunity is right. Please note, however, that in this particular
area I have a large network of physicians with whom I already have
established great relationships. Of course, I’ll keep an open mind about
great opportunities within this company, even if it means relocating.
That’s how strongly I feel about working for your company.”

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118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

31. If you are hired, where do you see yourself

in 6 months? and in years 5 and 10?

What They’re Trying to Determine: As in earlier questions, the man

ager is trying to determine how knowledgeable you are about this
career and how realistic you are about your career goals.

What Not to Do: Don’t be general or evasive; be specific in terms of

what you’re going to do and where you want your career to go. This
will show your in-depth industry knowledge and prove that you are
serious about your career choice.

Your Plan/Great Answer: A good way to begin to answer this question

would be to show the manager your 90-day plan (see below for a good
example). Next, explain what you will accomplish in the first 6 months
and what your career goals are for years 5 and 10. Qualify your asser-
tions of what you will be doing in years 5 and 10 by affirming your
awareness that attainment of these positions will be based upon your
determination to succeed and a history of success with exceptional
national rankings.

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Section 3: GREAT Answers that Showcase and Assess Goal-Driven Attitude

90-Day Plan of Action

GOAL 1:
Successfully complete training. EXCEED expectations.

GOAL 2:
Become familiar with established territory, and meet
with partners and managers.

GOAL 3:
Research the status of my territory.

GOAL 4:
Understand the local status of my products in hospitals
and doctors’ offices.

GOAL 5:
Understand and become familiar with the status of the formulary.

GOAL 6:
Know who my major customers are: Who are the 20 percent
who will give me 80 percent of my business?

GOAL 7:
Research my competition and my competing products.

GOAL 8:
Work with my counterparts. Join them in meetings and calls.

GOAL 9:
Develop a strategic plan of action, and set goals for my daily sales calls.

GOAL 10:
Act on my training and become a blockbuster sales representative!

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118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

32. Tell me about a time when you were selected

to be a leader. What happened?

What They’re Trying to Determine: Are you comfortable taking a

leadership role? Pharma sales is about each person being a leader because
each individual is responsible for his or her own territory. Therefore,
managers are looking for candidates with leadership experience.

What Not to Do: There is absolutely no excuse for not being able to
prov ide an example of leadership. Examples could be drawn from
activities related to church, school, sports, careers, community volun-
teerism, and so on.

Your Plan: Include a leadership experience in STAR format, choosing

one that requires activities similar to those of a pharma rep. Notice that the
italicized words in the following example relate to pharma job duties.

Great Answer: “In my last position, I was selected from twenty other
human resource representatives to administer our company’s insurance
education programs. This involved handling all the administrative
aspects of signing employees up for courses, distributing study mate-
rials, and testing employees. However, the most important role was
“selling” the coursework to our employees and encouraging them to
enhance and extend their insurance knowledge. To do so, I focused on the benefits
to the employees of obtaining advanced insurance certifications. For
example, I emphasized how advanced certifications usually result in more
promotions and higher salaries and also increase employees’ market-
ability for future jobs inside or outside the company. I also implemented
a rewards program for passing exams and gaining certifications. Many of
the rewards became so coveted by employees that they took the courses

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Section 3: GREAT Answers that Showcase and Assess Goal-Driven Attitude

simply for the rewards they offered. Regardless of the employee’s inten-
tions, the company’s Human Resource VP attributed higher employee
retention largely to my successful programs. In my first year in this
leadership role, we had a 30 percent increase in students, and by the
second year it was an increase of 60 percent. Equally important was the
fact that the marketing department attributed its increased efficiency to
the increasing number of reps taking the courses. In effect, our mar-
keting reps were better able to handle agent inquiries and problems due
to the advanced knowledge they obtained through these courses.”

33. How competitive are you?

Rate yourself on a scale of 1 to 10.

What They’re Trying to Determine: Obviously, if you’re not competi-

tive, this is not the job for you. So, how high do you rate yourself? And
can you back up your rating with an example that illustrates why you
chose that number?

What Not to Do: Any rating lower than a 7 is not good. This is no time
to be humble.

Your Plan: Using your brag book, illustrate how competitive you are by
showing excellent sales numbers and other data, referrals from customers
or clients, letters of recommendation, company awards, bonus checks,

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118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

exceptional grades, and so on. Also, make sure you mention that you
enjoy being part of a team. The manager may have had bad experiences
with “mavericks”, so be sure to focus part of your answer on teamwork.

Great Answer: “I would say that I’m a 10 as far as being competitive.

I push myself to be the best, regardless of the competition. I definitely
have an intrinsic motivation to be number one in whatever I do. This
extends to my career and to other parts of my life as well. In graduate
school, I was determined to get a 4.0 GPA. I worked hard, and because
of my tenacity, I persevered. Most of my courses were highly technical
in nature and graded on a curve, so the competition was fierce. Because I
had set that goal, I was determined to achieve it. Although it was difficult
because I also carried a full-time job, I maintained a 4.0 GPA throughout
grad school. (Show brag book transcripts.) However, just because I’m a fierce
competitor doesn’t mean I’m unaware of the importance of working
with team members to achieve a shared goal. I do that with determina-
tion as well. I love the challenge of learning new things every day. That’s
why I will always value the advice of management, partners, or other
team members. I feel confident enough to share my successful strategies
with partners and coworkers, and I know that in a team environment,
their success is my success. I am usually the motivating force behind a
team’s success. Because I’m so competitive, I strive to be number one on
a personal level and on a team level, as well.”

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Section 4

Interview Questions
and GREAT Answers
that Showcase Your Qualifications
and Fit for Pharmaceutical Sales

34. What is your current occupation?

What They’re Trying to Determine: How do the required skills and

duties in your current position relate to those needed in pharmaceutical
sales jobs?

What Not to Do: Failing to align your present position’s required skills,
abilities, and duties to those needed in pharmaceutical sales is a big, big
mistake.

Your Plan/Great Answer: Very simply, your mission is to highlight

the aspects of your current and previous positions that directly relate

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118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

to pharmaceutical sales. Does your job include these skills? Deter-

mine which skills are required in your present job, and then provide an
example of how you would utilize each of those skills to successfully
perform the duties of a pharmaceutical sales rep. Here are some possible
examples:

• Understanding and presenting technical information in an easy-

to-understand manner
• Negotiating, persuading, selling, relationship selling, solution
selling
• Good listening and communication skills
• Ability to analyze needs and provide solutions
• Presentation skills
• Rapport building
• Tenacity and determination
• Minimal need for supervision
• Outside sales, teaching experience
• Problem solving
• Extensive product knowledge

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Section 4: GREAT Answers that Showcase Your Qualifications and Fit

35. What kind of rating did you receive on

your last performance appraisal?

What They’re Trying to Determine: How does your performance rate

in relation to the goals and objectives established in your current posi
tion? Regardless of your position, do you strive to be the best at what-
ever you do? Are you a strong performer, and do you constantly push
yourself to be better and do more?

What Not to Do: Don’t concentrate on problem areas or areas with low
scores. Highlight those exceptional areas (skills/abilities/duties) that relate
directly to pharmaceutical sales.

Your Plan: Highlight the skills, qualities, and experiences (those that
relate specifically to pharma sales) for which you’ve received high ratings,
and provide examples that demonstrate why you received those high
marks. (You should have your last couple of performance appraisals in your
brag book.)

Great Answer: “I’ve consistently received high ratings in my teaching

job. In all of my performance appraisals, my principal has noted that I
have garnered the respect of students, teachers, administrators, and par-
ents. I believe this is due to always being honest and operating my class-
room with integrity and respect. In addition, I constantly encourage students’
questions, employ active listening skills to determine their needs, and then design
lesson plans based upon the information gained. Teaching biology, I have to
be able to present information to my students in an easy-to-understand manner.
My most recent performance appraisal stated that my presentation skills
were exceptional as was my ability to bring the information ‘down or up to the
level of the listener’. My desire for continuous improvement has always been

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118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

noted in my performance appraisals, as has my willingness to share novel

teaching strategies. Administrators often remark that my high energy
and enthusiasm is a great sales tool, as it encourages students to buy into the
information I’m presenting. In fact, here’s a copy of my last performance
appraisal (show brag book).” (Notice how many of the skills in this answer relate to
pharmaceutical sales duties.)

You might want to know:

What is a Brag Book, and how do I make one?

What is a brag book?

A brag book is a must have for any face-to-face
pharmaceutical sales interview.
If you want to stand out from the competition and add
credibility to the claims you make in your résumé, you
should spend a little time putting a brag book together.
A brag book is a sales aid, and no true salesperson
should interview without one. Just as salespeople rely on
a sales aid to sell the features and benefits of their service
or product, you should have a brag book to sell yourself
to your interviewer.

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Section 4: GREAT Answers that Showcase Your Qualifications and Fit

What is the purpose of a brag book?

A brag book, if well constructed and used properly in an
interview, can add life and credibility to your résumé. It
can also help your interviewer remember details about
you when the interview day is done.

What do I include in my brag book?

Take a look at your résumé. Make a list of all of your
accomplishments, and then think about how you can
document them in your brag book You want to include
tangible evidence of as many achievements as possible.
For some, this may be an easy task. For those of us who
tend not to save everything, it may take some digging and
a few phone calls to get this written information.

Some ideas of what to include in your brag book:

• Notes from company personnel congratulating you
on your most recent sales award
• Copy of the front of a wall plaque that documents
your sales achievements, if you have received one
• Performance reviews
• Ranking reports that show your performance
• For recent college grads, a college transcript (if your
GPA was 3.0 or higher)
• Letters of recommendation from previous employers,
professors, and so on
• Certificates of completion of any special courses you
have taken
• Photos of you accepting awards

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118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

• Pay stub that shows your outstanding commissions

with a previous employer
• Documented achievements that show your
leadership skills or positions held
• Business card that shows your previous job title
• President’s Club status notification
• Photos of yourself at the President’s Club trip

How do I assemble my brag book?

After collecting your documentation, take note of how
many pages you have. Go to a local office supply store
and purchase a sales binder with clear plastic insert
pages (a.k.a. a “pitch book”). Pitch books are sold with
varying numbers of pages, so choose the size that best
accommodates the quantity of your documents.
Before putting your pages into the book, highlight the
main points on each page in yellow marker. Assemble
the contents in reverse chronological order, with the
most recent first. You may also want to tab your pages
for quick access if you have a lot of information.

How do I use my brag book?

When a question about your accomplishments or
achievements comes up in your interview, answer the
question, and then refer to the sections of the brag book
that back up your claims. Use a pencil to point to the
highlighted points (you don’t want the interviewer to
have to read all of the information).

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Section 4: GREAT Answers that Showcase Your Qualifications and Fit

Practice using your brag book, and remember where

your information is located within the pages. The last
thing that you want to do is fumble around looking for
the information. Also, keep in mind that it is not necessary
to show all your information. Play it by ear; if the
interviewer is truly interested in seeing it all, by all means,
brag away! If the interviewer seems uninterested, don’t
continually refer to the book. The brag book is meant to
support your verbal answers to questions, not actually to
be those answers.

Ideas of what to include in my brag book:

1._____________________________________________________

2._____________________________________________________

3._____________________________________________________

4._____________________________________________________

5._____________________________________________________

6._____________________________________________________

7._____________________________________________________

8._____________________________________________________

9._____________________________________________________

10.___________________________________________________________

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118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

36. What is your greatest weakness?

What They’re Trying to Determine: Do you have enough self-awareness

to recognize weaknesses and to work to overcome them whenever pos
sible? Your willingness to better yourself, personally and professionally,
is a sign of maturity.

What Not to Do: Stating “I really can’t think of anything, right now” is
a big mistake. Such a response leads the interviewer not to view you as an
honest person and not to believe that you are a goal-oriented, deter
mined, or motivated worker. Also, do not say something like, “Well, I’m
not a paperwork person.” This response basically screams, “Hey, I’m not
a ‘detail person,’ so get over it!” and isn’t a good response, either. Even
though your primary duty will be sales, you will still need to push papers
to some extent. Guess what? Organizational skills are a key component
of pharmaceutical sales jobs, so don’t dismiss them as unimportant.

Your Plan/Great Answer: In crafting your response, think of a “weak

ness” that is fairly harmless—one that could possibly be considered a
positive trait. For example, you could say, “I’m a bit of a workaholic;
I’m often so focused on my goals that I develop tunnel vision …” Next,
tell how you’ve worked to overcome the “weakness”. Continuing
on from the response above, you might say, “But I’ve learned how to
better organize my time as well as to create more realistic short- and
long-term goals.” The next step is to provide an example of how you’ve
experienced professional success as a result of working to overcome
your weakness. “As a result, I’ve become much more efficient and
effective in reaching both professional and personal goals. For example,

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Section 4: GREAT Answers that Showcase Your Qualifications and Fit

I recently finished a successful project well within deadline but also

had extra time—because of my new organization system—to train for
a marathon and return to graduate school.” An example such as this
shows that you are a creative problem solver. You’ve turned a negative
into a positive! Finally, indicate that you still struggle with your weak-
ness from time to time. Note: If you state that you’ve overcome this
weakness completely, then it’s no longer a weakness. As a result, the
manager could request that you describe a current weakness. You don’t
want that to happen, do you? Then do as we say, and you’ll only have to
answer the question once!

37. Tell me about a time when you had to make

a quick decision. What was the result?

What They’re Trying to Determine: Can you think on your feet? Are
you a fast thinker? Pharma reps constantly have to make decisions when
faced with a variety of unforeseen situations in their territory. Will you
be able to act quickly and come up with positive solutions to problems?

What Not to Do: Don’t give an example of a time when you had to
choose between french fries and mashed potatoes.

Your Plan/Great Answer: Make sure that your answer clearly demon
strates the ability to think quickly and produce favorable results. Provide

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118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

the answer in STAR format, and make sure that the result is powerful.
Also, relate something of the process you used in making your decision.
What specific factors influenced you to make the decision you did? Then
link your decision-making process to how a pharma rep often must think
on his or her feet. When a doctor is not available to speak with a rep, for
instance, a decision must be made. Does he or she wait or go on to the
next clinic?

Your Response:

S___________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
T___________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
A___________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
R___________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

38. Tell me which pharmaceutical sales

duty you’d like the least?

What They’re Trying to Determine: Is the aspect you’d like the least an
important part of pharmaceutical sales? If it is, this career is probably
not a good match for you. Also, this question seeks to reveal your
knowledge of the job. Do you know the essential duties well enough to
even answer this question?

What Not to Do: If you don’t pick at least one aspect, it will seem that
you are ungenuine and unrealistic.

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Section 4: GREAT Answers that Showcase Your Qualifications and Fit

Your Plan: Pick a fairly unimportant duty to comment on as your

“least” favorable aspect of pharmaceutical sales. But don’t stop there…
turn it into a positive for you.

Great Answer: “At first glance, I would say the least favorite part of this
job for me might be the large amount of “wait time” in clinics—waiting
to speak with prescribers. Because I’m so energetic and motivated to
get out there and speak with physicians, this could be difficult for me.
After careful thought, however, I’ve come up with a number of ways to
further my skills during my wait time. For example, I could use it as an
opportunity to increase my product knowledge by reading recent
studies or journal articles. That would make me a more effective con-
sultant to my prescribers. Also, I could use the time to build my rela-
tionships with the gatekeeper and other office staff, which is important
to the success of my products as well.”

You might like to know:

Successful pharmaceutical sales representatives are
almost religious in their enthusiasm for their work. If
challenges, competition, and hard work give you a rush,
you will love this job!

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118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

39. Why do you wish to leave your current career?

What They’re Trying to Determine: This question is often used to

incur a slew of negative responses. Any negative responses during the
interview process can quickly put an end to your chances of progressing
further. Of course, the interviewer is also interested in why you are
choosing to enter pharma sales.

What Not to Do: Don’t blast your current manager or colleagues, or

even your company in general.

Your Plan/Great Answer: State matter-of-factly that you wish to work

in a career that has upward mobility, a great deal of challenge, and
rewards for a job well done. Also, if applicable, you can say that you’ve
risen to the top of your department, overcome many challenges, and
are now ready for a new challenge. You also feel that it is important to
you that your career makes a difference in the world. The pharma sales
profession benefits society by extending and enhancing people’s lives.
Additionally, you may choose to mention how recession proof the
industry is, due to the large population of baby boomers nearing retire-
ment and the fact that as long as disease and sickness exist there will be
a need for pharmaceuticals. Finally, pharmaceutical sales is considered
an elite sales job because of its many challenges and rewards. “Because
I’m so competitive, I want to be among the best of the best, continu-
ously pushing myself to become a more capable and confident sales-
person. A career in pharmaceutical sales will help me do just that.”

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Section 4: GREAT Answers that Showcase Your Qualifications and Fit

The Baby Boomer Boom

WebMD Medical News:
Baby boomers are now set to revolutionize and
revitalize the pharmaceutical industry, much like they
did the diaper industry years ago, say antiaging experts
speaking at a symposium in New York City.
Born between 1946 and 1964, the 80 million baby
boomers change every market they enter, and the
pharmaceutical industry will be no different. By 2025, at
least 15 percent of all Americans will be older than 65,
and people older than 85 are the most rapidly growing
segment of the population.

40. What are your current job duties

and responsibilities?

What They’re Trying to Determine: Similarly to the previous question

about your current position, the manager is trying to determine if your
current job’s skills and duties are similar to those for pharmaceutical
sales jobs.

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118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

What Not to Do: Many times, candidates list their current job duties
without any regard to pharmaceutical sales or otherwise fail to show
the link between their current position’s responsibilities and those of
pharma sales. Don’t make that mistake!

Your Plan/Great Answer: Highlight only those skills and duties that
transfer directly to pharmaceutical sales jobs, and be sure always to
show your sales prowess. Haven’t you “sold” someone an idea or per-
suaded a colleague, friend, or relative to take a certain course of action?
Of course you have! Again, describe the links between a pharma sales
rep’s duties and responsibilities and those of your current position.

41. What will your references say about you?

What They’re Trying to Determine: Can you be objective about your ref
erences? Can you back up your assertions of experience and success with
proof from previous managers and colleagues (i.e., your references)?

What Not to Do: “Fluff ” responses such as “They’ll say I’m a great
people person” are not powerful enough to win you the job. Note: Never
use the term “people person”—managers hate it. Many managers have
told me that they grimace when they hear that term. Another reply

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Section 4: GREAT Answers that Showcase Your Qualifications and Fit

managers hate to hear is, “I just really like people!” That’s an inad-
equate reason for entering pharma sales.

Your Plan/Great Answer: Be specific and provide proof. Also, make

sure you have spoken with your references and that you know exactly
what they will say about you. Prior to your interview, provide your
references with a list of two or three skills and accompanying exam-
ples that prove you possess those skills. Make sure your skills list con-
tains the skills most directly related to pharma sales. For example,
“Ted Jones will provide exa mples of how my communication and
negotiation skills helped resolve many customer complaints and actu-
ally led to a 30 percent increase in current client sales. Angela Smith
will speak of my ability to build great rapport with my clients and to
act as a consultant, not just another salesperson. She spoke of that
quality in a performance review.”

42. You’ve switched jobs several times over the

last five years. Can you explain why?

What They’re Trying to Determine: Are you a job hopper? If we give

you this position, will you be leaving within a year or two, causing us
to waste money and time on training?

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118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

What Not to Do: Don’t get overly defensive or emotional; that would
look suspicious and cause doubt in the manager’s mind about hiring
you. Don’t give negative responses about former companies, managers,
or colleagues.

Your Plan/Great Answer: Your reasons for leaving each position must
be realistic and positive. Each jump should be cast as a move to a more
lucrative position or a position with increased responsibilities. You may
also want to mention that you switched jobs for a position that required
many of the same skills and duties that pharma sales jobs do. Try to link
each reason for leaving to a positive aspect of pharmaceutical sales jobs.
For instance, “In my former position as a physical therapist, I liked the
consultative relationship I developed with my patients, but I missed the sales
aspect of it. Patients came to me—I didn’t have to convince them to
buy my services. Because of my competitive spirit, I decided to pursue my
passion and obtain a more conventional sales position.” Notice how the
italicized words relate directly to pharmaceutical sales?

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Section 4: GREAT Answers that Showcase Your Qualifications and Fit

43. How does your job experience, both current and

former, compare to pharmaceutical sales?

What They’re Trying to Determine: Do you have a breadth of experi

ence with skills that are directly transferable to pharmaceutical sales?

What Not to Do: Don’t speak of any job responsibilities or duties that
do not directly relate to pharmaceutical sales. Focus only on the rele-
vant aspects of your previous positions with regard to the duties of a
pharmaceutical sales rep.

Your Plan/Great Answer: Detail your experience in negotiating, per

suading, consulting, understanding and presenting technical informa-
tion, closing clients, providing creative solutions, thinking outside of the
box, being responsible for yourself, working in a team environment, and
excelling on a consistent basis. Provide brief and specific examples of
each of these, based upon previous responsibilities or successes you’ve
experienced in your jobs to date.

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118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

You might like to know:

The number one complaint about interviewees is
their lack of preparation. An interview is just like a sales
call: you’re selling yourself to the prospective employer.
When it’s your turn to talk, say something as simple as
“In preparing for this interview, I …” (and then list what
you did). This will show the interviewer that you prepared
conscientiously for the interview. Here are some examples:
• “I read your last three corporate reports.”
• “I took one of your salespeople to breakfast.”
• “I spent an hour on your website to see how I fit into
your mission.”
• “I had an informational interview with one of your
customers about how you sell and service your
products.”
The point is to talk about your preparation. Sales
managers want to know that you’re willing to dig for
information. If you’re not willing to do that to get a job,
then why would you be willing to do it to land a sale once
on the job?

44. Have you interviewed with other

pharmaceutical companies?

What They’re Trying to Determine: Are other companies interested in

you, and if not, why not? If other companies are not currently interviewing
you, the manager will wonder if you’re really someone worth pursuing.

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Section 4: GREAT Answers that Showcase Your Qualifications and Fit

What Not to Do: Don’t be specific, because it is not in your best interest
to “tell all.” If you divulge too much information, the manager may
later use this private information against you. Do not reveal specifically
who you’re interviewing with. We have personally witnessed managers
sabotage their candidate’s other opportunities (with competing pharma
companies) when armed with this knowledge.

Your Plan: Very simply, your answer should convey the following:
• I am a candidate worth considering.
• I’m interested in your company, first and foremost.
• I’m serious about this career and want to make sure I align myself
with the best company for me.

Great Answer: State that you’re not taking this career path lightly. For
example, “After careful research and consideration, I am exploring
my options with a number of pharmaceutical companies. Obvi-
ously, I need to make sure that there’s a good fit between us before I
proceed further in the interview process. Based on what I’ve found
through research online and information from your reps in the field,
in addition to what I’ve witnessed in this interview thus far, I’d say
that your company is my first choice because …” (Name four or five
specific facts you discovered about the company that convinced you it’s the right
one for you.)

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118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

45. What attracted you to the college major you chose?

What They’re Trying to Determine: Are your interests and goals

aligned with this job? Is your education and experience transferable to
pharmaceutical sales?

What Not to Do: Failing to link your college major and pharmaceu-
tical sales in some way limits your chances of moving on to the next
step. Managers want to know that your college coursework, in addition
to your experience, prepared you for this position.

Your Plan/Great Answer: Show that your college major provided a

backg round that directly relates to pharmaceutical sales jobs. How
do you do that? If you were a music major, for instance, bring out
the fact that you like creating rapport with your audience; you have
presentation skills; and in order to connect with the audience, you have
to sell your knowledge of music as well as possess the ability to present
your music in an entertaining manner that holds people’s attention.
You’ve also been in many plays and musicals. You’ve enjoyed competing
for top parts and the challenge of learning and memorizing a large
amount of information in a short amount of time. (See how it’s similar to
pharmaceutical sales?) Rapport building, presentation skills, selling your
subject knowledge, dealing with competition, communication skills,
and ability to learn and present information—all are essential aspects
of pharma sales jobs.

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Section 4: GREAT Answers that Showcase Your Qualifications and Fit

46. How do you rank in comparison to

others in your same position?

What They’re Trying to Determine: Do you have a history of excel

lence and success? Have you been placed in positions of leadership due
to your consistent record of success?

What Not to Do: Failing to provide any sort of benchmark or corrobo

rating statements from managers and colleagues with which to measure
your success will make your statements appear questionable and invalid.

Your Plan/Great Answer: In this answer, managers are looking for

achievements that can be quantified with numbers and proof. Provide
ranking information, performance appraisals, sales data, and client
recommendations. If none of this is available, consider presenting state-
ments of recommendation from previous managers or colleagues that
refer to your exceptional abilities and prove that you are a standout.
Make sure that all this information is in your brag book.

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118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

Helpful Hint for Using Benchmarks

Whenever possible, use benchmarks to prove your
success. Don’t just state: “I improved my sales by 20
percent.” (Think of this from a manager’s point of view;
he or she may be thinking, “So what?”) If you add a
benchmark to your answers, you are bound to impress.
Let’s look at that statement again, this time adding a
benchmark. “I increased my sales by 20 percent compared
to a company average of 3 percent.” (This is much more
impressive, wouldn’t you agree?) Here’s another example:
Don’t just say: “I was the third-best best salesperson in
the country.” Rather, say: “I was the third-best rep in the
country out of 250.” (Do you see how benchmarks can
better prove your abilities?) Use them, and use them often!

47. o you currently have to prepare reports

D
or utilize record-keeping software in
your position?

What They’re Trying to Determine: Do you have basic-level computer

skills? Pharmaceutical reps must record pre-call objectives, call details,
and post-call analysis. There will also be various projects assigned to
your team that will require a fair amount of computer work. In addi-
tion, there are numerous online training courses you’ll be expected
to take on a routine basis. Remember, they’re not asking you to be a
computer genius … just to possess basic computer abilities.

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Section 4: GREAT Answers that Showcase Your Qualifications and Fit

What Not to Do: Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you should
be able to speak intelligently about this subject. This is not the time or
place to say that you and your computer just don’t get along.

Your Plan/Great Answer: Provide specific examples of how you utilize

the computer for recording data, analyzing data, finding new informa
tion, creating solutions, communicating with others, following up, and
generating reports. Also, state that you realize the use of computers is a
valuable and necessary component of any job, and you feel certain you
will be able to learn the company’s software systems.

48. How do you balance career and family?

What They’re Trying to Determine: Can you handle this challenging

career in addition to your family responsibilities? Similar to the “how
do you handle stress” question, this one aims to elicit information about
how you stay organized and in control.

What Not to Do: Don’t divulge any information about your family
that you don’t need to. It would not be helpful, for instance, to state that
your child or husband has a behavioral or health issue that takes a lot of
your time.

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118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

Your Plan/Great Answer: Explain how your great organizational skills

set you apart from others. Tell how your daily to-do lists and prioritizing
help you maintain a firm grasp of your goals and responsibilities, and the
steps to accomplish them, in your career and family life. (At this point,
you may wish to take out your planner or organizer and show your task lists, appoint-
ment calendar, and any other organization systems you are using.) State that you
employ stress-management techniques, such as exercising and reading,
to de-stress your life. You may also mention additional elements (spe-
cifically related to pharmaceutical sales jobs) that help you achieve bal-
ance. For example, having a high degree of autonomy in your job and
supportive relationships both inside and outside of work helps achieve
that balance as well.

49. What is your current salary?

What They’re Trying to Determine: Should we waste our time inter

viewing you if your current salary is far beyond what we’re prepared to
offer a new rep? Surprisingly enough, this is the one question that can
eliminate a candidate on the spot. If you are making a substantial salary

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Section 4: GREAT Answers that Showcase Your Qualifications and Fit

now and are willing to take a significant pay cut to enter pharmaceutical
sales, most managers will need to have a convincing answer as to why.

What Not to Do: Don’t say anything that could ruin your chances of
landing the job. You don’t want the manager to think he or she can’t
afford you, nor do you want the manager to think you’re desperate if
you indicate a lower-than-expected salary. Don’t disclose informa-
tion about your current salary, as you may be eliminated before you
have the opportunity to sell yourself. Don’t discuss specific numbers
until you’ve been formally offered the job. You also don’t want to
say that you are willing to accept a lower salary to work in a poorly
performing territory because you know that you will be able to turn
the territory around in no time and then make up for the difference.
The reality is that poorly performing territories take work and a lot
of time to turn around.

Your Plan /Great Answer: “I’ve done quite a bit of research on begin
ning pharmaceutical sales salaries. (You may want to mention only
your base salary with your current position.) I have a base salary that is
very comparable to that of a pharmaceutical rep. I’d be looking for an
opportunity to be within the $45k–$62k base range.”

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118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

50. How are you evaluated in your current profession?

What They’re Trying to Determine: Are you evaluated in a way that

is similar to how pharmaceutical sales reps are evaluated? If so, this
will show the manager that you are familiar with the expectations and
requirements of pharma sales work.

What Not to Do: Don’t comment, even if it’s true, that there isn’t any
formal evaluation system in your current position, as it would discredit
all your accomplishments in that position.

Your Plan/Great Answer: Show the similarities between how you’re

currently evaluated and how a pharm rep is evaluated. For example, are
you evaluated on your contributions to a team? Do you have to grow a
certain percentage of the business or hit a specific number? Are you pro
vided a bonus or higher rankings among peers based on your ability to
bring in more money or expand the customer base? Are you evaluated
based on how many customer sales calls you average per day? Are you
evaluated in terms of your ability to prioritize and focus on the 80/20
rule (80 percent of your business comes from the top 20 percent of prescribers/
buyers)? Are you evaluated in terms of your ability to build rapport with
your customers and clients? Are you evaluated on your ability to reach
or exceed predefined goals set by you and/or your manager? In sum-
mary, link the criteria by which you’re currently evaluated (not just on a
formal basis but also on an everyday basis) to the criteria by which pharma
reps are evaluated. If you can highlight the similarities between the
two jobs’ evaluation systems, your status as a good candidate will rise
significantly.

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Section 4: GREAT Answers that Showcase Your Qualifications and Fit

More about the 80/20 rule

Pareto’s Principle, the 80/20 rule, should serve as a daily
reminder to focus 80 percent of your time and energy
on the 20 percent of your work that is really important.
Eighty percent of your business will come from 20 percent
of your customers. Don’t just work smart—work smart on
the right things.

51. Are you more analytical or more creative?

What They’re Trying to Determine: How do you describe yourself? If

the manager is more creative than analytical, he or she may wish you
to be that way as well, and vice versa. However, most managers believe
that pharmaceutical sales jobs require a large portion of both analytical
and creative skills.

What Not to Do: Don’t paint yourself into a corner; don’t choose one
characteristic over the other.

Your Plan/Great Answer: “I have a pretty equal amount of analytical

and creative skills. Of course, different situations require different skill

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118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

sets. I have the ability both to analyze complicated situations and data and
to create out-of-the-box solutions to problems.” (Next, state an example of
a situation in which you utilized both skill sets to create a particular success.)

Your Response:

52. What skills do you have that make you qualified

to work in pharmaceutical sales?

What They’re Trying to Determine: Can you sell yourself into this
position? Do you know enough about this career, based upon your
knowledge of the required skill sets and experience, to sell yourself?

What Not to Do: Stating that you have great communication skills and
sales experience is not enough.

Your Plan/Great Answer:

1. First, make a list of the essential skills and abilities required in
pharmaceutical sales jobs.
2. For every skill or quality listed in Step 1, devise a STAR response—
a real-life example illustrating how you possess the skill or ability

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Section 4: GREAT Answers that Showcase Your Qualifications and Fit

in the STAR format. Write down and then practice the descrip-
tion of the best example for every skill or quality on your list.
Don’t forget: you should also point to applicable “proof pages”
within your brag book.
3. Rehearse your answers until your delivery is smooth and
confident.

At the end of this answer, follow up with a trial close: “Based on the
information I’ve just provided and proven with my brag book, do you
believe that I’m qualified to work in pharmaceutical sales and that I’ll
be a successful rep?” If the manager says “no” or hesitates, ask what
areas you could address that would prove your qualifications. Once a
“yes” is obtained, utilize that “yes” in your close at the end of the inter-
view. “Earlier you stated that I am qualified to work in pharmaceutical
sales and that you believe I will make a successful rep. That having been
said, may I gain a commitment from you that I will be asked back for
another interview?” (Smooth, very smooth!)

Your Response:
Communication Skills: Active Listening/Presentation Skills, Rapport Building

S—situation (background)_________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
T—task (problem)_________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
A—action (what you did)__________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
R—result_________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

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118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

Organization/Prioritization/Needs Assessment
S_ ________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
T_________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
A_________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
R_________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

Integrity/Honesty/Trustworthiness/Loyalty
S_ ________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
T_________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
A_________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
R_________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

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Section 4: GREAT Answers that Showcase Your Qualifications and Fit

Determination/Tenacity
S_ ________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
T_________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
A_________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
R_________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

Goal-Driven Attitude/Leadership

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118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

Sales Success/Skills: Persuading/Negotiating/Closing

Problem Solver/Creative Thinker

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Section 4: GREAT Answers that Showcase Your Qualifications and Fit

Ability to Understand Technical/Difficult Information

53. How do you feel about paperwork?

What They’re Trying to Determine: Can you handle a job that requires
a good amount of paperwork for record keeping and reports?

What Not to Do: Don’t say that you feel that paperwork is a “necessary
evil”. You should not mention anything negative related to pharma
ceutical sales jobs.

Your Plan/Great Answer: State that paperwork has its uses. It would
be difficult to achieve success in any job without record keeping, goal
planning, and analysis, all of which requires organized documentation.
Mention that you are used to doing paperwork in your current position
and that you are very diligent in getting it done on time. (The biggest
pet peeve of many a manager is late or poorly done paperwork. If reports are late
getting to managers or are incomplete or inaccurate, the managers in turn cannot
complete their work.)

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118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

Your Response:

54. What is your ability to learn technical information?

What They’re Trying to Determine: Can you learn the highly scientific
and technical information you need to know to accurately sell our prod-
ucts? What proof do you have that you can learn this information?

What Not to Do: Don’t think that this is all about your ability to pass
science classes in school.

Your Plan/Great Answer: Utilize a variety of examples to prove your

ability to learn and present technical information. Have you come to
know your current company’s products inside and out, and are you able
to speak intelligently about them? Have you learned extensive details
and become highly knowledgeable about a particular industry or com-
puter program? Are there particular subject areas that you have learned

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Section 4: GREAT Answers that Showcase Your Qualifications and Fit

about through extensive research? In answering this question, consider

this: What is your expertise? Also, you should refer to a number of dif-
ficult technical courses you took in high school and college, and to the
good grades you received in those technical classes, as proof of your
ability to learn and synthesize technical information. (Make sure your
transcripts are in your brag book.)

On a Side Note
There are some online companies that sell medical
technology courses, claiming that if you study their
materials, you will have an edge over your competition
in interviews. Don’t buy or study this material prior to
interviewing. You have enough to know going into
an interview without also having to learn medical
terminology. All of the medical terminology and science
that you need to know for selling will be taught in your
initial training.

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118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

55. In the work environment, would you

rather be right or win?

What They’re Trying to Determine: Are you concerned more with

ethical and knowledgeable behavior or with beating the competition?

What Not to Do: Don’t try to pick one preference or the other because
you have no idea which the manager prefers.

Your Plan/Great Answer: Provide your own interpretation of the

question so that you can choose both aspects. For example, you could
say, “Well, if you’re defining ‘right’ by exhibiting ethical and honest
behavior and also by making sure that the information I provide is fac-
tually correct, then I do strive to be ‘right’. But, if you’re asking if I
always have to be right, then no … I don’t. When you start thinking in
that manner, you stop striving to learn and better yourself … and that
would be a big roadblock to success. Because I’m such a competitive
person, however, I equally want to win in every goal and task that I
pursue. I think that, to be successful, you have to be ‘right’ in the sense
of being honest and behaving ethically in your relationships as well as
being knowledgeable about your products.

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Section 4: GREAT Answers that Showcase Your Qualifications and Fit

Are you too old to be

a pharmaceutical sales rep?
The question that often comes up is this: “I have great
outside sales experience, dress well, am very motivated,
and keep in-shape. I am 45, but people always tell me
that I don’t look a day over 30. Do I have a shot at pharma
sales? I have heard that they like to hire kids in their 20s.
Answer: Yes, you do. Although it is true that many
pharma reps are in their 20s, there are also many reps
in their 30s, 40s, and older. If you were to attend a
national sales meeting, you would notice that the group
in attendance includes people from all age groups. To
discriminate against a candidate for his or her age would
be breaking the law. If you are older, dress for the times,
make a good impression, and you will have as good a shot
at the job as anyone.

56. Why should we hire you over another candidate?

What They’re Trying to Determine: Can you summarize your skills

and abilities and sell yourself?

What Not to Do: Don’t answer this question without pointing to proof
in your brag book.

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118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

Your Plan/Great Answer: Summarize the key skills, abilities, and expe
rience required in pharmaceutical sales jobs. For each skill or ability,
provide a brief STAR response to prove that you possess that skill or
ability. Follow that up with a statement of how passionate you are about
the industry in general and the company in particular. Regarding the
company, give three specific reasons, backed up by research. Show your
enthusiasm by being passionate when you answer this question. Lean
forward in your chair, smile as you give your answer, and let the excite
ment show in your eyes!

Want another idea? “I have a proven track record in business and education
that demonstrates that I’ve consistently met and exceeded goals. (Give
examples.) I am a dedicated, determined candidate who does not accept
mediocrity in my work. And I care deeply about furthering your mis-
sion.” (State the company’s mission.) Immediately close with: “Based on the
proof I’ve just provided, how confident are you that I’ll make a successful
rep?” If the manager doesn’t provide a positive answer or seems uncon-
vinced, probe to uncover the problem areas, and then provide examples
as proof that he or she does not need to be concerned with those areas.
Ask the “will I make a successful rep” question again, until the manager
gives a positive response. Your closing statement can be something like
this: “Great. When should I expect your call to set up the next step?”

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57. What is selling to you? How would you describe it?

What They’re Trying to Determine: Are your ideas about selling

aligned with the pharmaceutical sales industry’s definition? Do you
progress through a series of stages when you sell?

What Not to Do: Don’t gloss over this question. It is an important one,
especially if you do not have prior sales experience. It’s meant to test
your sales knowledge.

Your Plan/Great Answer: You must answer by concisely defining your

step-by-step selling method. For example: “Selling involves knowing
your product inside and out, prioritizing your accounts with the 80/20
rule, incremental goal setting, follow through and post-call analysis,
building good rapport with customers, employing active listening
techniques to determine customers’ needs and wants, positioning your
products according to those needs and wants, and following up with
“fanatical” customer service that separates your products and services
from those of the competition.

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Section 5

Interview Questions and

GREAT Answers that
Showcase Your Pharmaceutical
Sales Industry and Pharmaceutical
Sales Job Knowledge

58. What are your income expectations for your

first year in pharmaceutical sales?

What They’re Trying to Determine: Are you realistic and knowledge-

able about what a new pharma rep typically makes in the first year?

What Not to Do: Don’t pad the figures in hopes of gaining more
money. This would actually stop you from proceeding further in the
interview process.

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118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

Your Plan/Great Answer: State that you’ve found through research and
networking that most first-year reps make between $50k–$85k in total
compensation. “Obviously, I’m aware that my compensation depends
upon my sales numbers, and that is very motivating to me; I love the
challenge associated with that aspect of pharmaceutical sales. In addi-
tion, I’m sure that once we’ve both determined that we’re a good fit
for each other, we’ll be able to engage in a reasonable dialogue about
compensation.”

59. What do you think are the duties and

responsibilities of a pharmaceutical rep?

What They’re Trying to Determine: Do you know what you’re get-

ting yourself in for? Are you aware of the rigorous demands of this
job? Are you knowledgeable about the essential duties and responsi-
bilities of this job?

What Not to Do: Don’t be flippant about the “awesome” responsibili-

ties of this job. Show respect for the job and all that it entails.

Your Plan/Great Answer: “I believe that a pharmaceutical rep’s job

consists of strong territory management, developing in-depth product
knowledge and effective selling models, working with team members

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to further the company’s mission, establishing a consultative relationship

with prescribers, selling the company’s products, and representing the
company in a professional and ethical manner at all times.”

60. What part of the job do you think is the

greatest challenge to a pharmaceutical rep?

What They’re Trying to Determine: Do you know what the biggest

challenges inherent in this job are? The last thing the manager wants is
for you to work for 30 days and then quit because you didn’t realize
what this job was all about. Did you know that each new hire in phar-
maceutical sales costs the company anywhere from $80,000 to $95,000?
This is why hiring managers drill you with these types of interview
questions.

What Not to Do: Don’t state the challenge without addressing how
you would attack it.

Your Plan/Great Answer: “Based upon my research and previous ride-

along experience with a pharmaceutical rep, I believe one of the most
difficult aspects of the job is gaining access to ‘no-see’ or ‘rep-unfriendly’
clinics. Obviously, it takes a creative salesperson to find a way to gain
access to those facilities. Some of the creative sales strategies I have suc-

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118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

cessfully employed are … (provide examples of previous situations in which

you were creative in obtaining a sale). Another difficult aspect of the job is
gaining significant ‘face time’ with physicians, especially since face time
has substantially decreased over the last 10 years. According to some
of my Internet research, the amount of time spent with sales reps by
the average U.S. physician decreased from 12 minutes to 7 minutes per
day. And, each detail with a doctor lasts an average of only 2.5 minutes.
Obviously it’s difficult to get your product message across in such a short
amount of time. That’s why I will always pre-plan every physician call.
Knowing my goals and how I plan to reach them will help me utilize
the face time with the physician in the best possible manner.”

61. harmaceutical reps are always time-challenged.

P
There’s a lot to be done with little time to do it.
How would you stay organized and complete projects
within deadlines?

What They’re Trying to Determine: Can you handle the organiza-

tional demands of this job? And (as in similar questions) are you knowl-
edgeable about the key responsibilities of the job?

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Section 5: GREAT Answers that Showcase Your Pharmaceutical Sales Knowledge

What Not to Do: Don’t brush off this question lightly. Organization is
a key skill, and managers want proof that you’ll have a plan for putting
it into practice upon getting the job.

Your Plan/Great Answer: “Pharmaceutical companies usually provide

computers to their reps for business use. Entering my call notes into
the computer after each sales call will allow me to detail the important
events of the call in an accurate manner. Then when I get home, I’ll
only need to log in and download the information. I will also spend an
hour or so the night before a sales call completing my pre-call planning
and loading my vehicle with samples. This will allow me to be the first
rep to arrive at many of my prescribers’ offices, which will decrease my
downtime and keep my sales-calls-per-day average up. The pre-call
planning will allow me to be as effective and efficient as possible in
incrementally moving my prescribers toward my goals. My file of arti-
cles, reprints, and sales pieces will be with me at all times to ensure that
I continue to brush up on my product-knowledge whenever downtime
in waiting rooms occurs. By doing all of this, I will have the extra time
to complete projects on a timely basis. In summary, by being orga-
nized on a daily basis and creating good habits, I will be able to take
on additional responsibilities, projects, and training as needed, thereby
increasing my effectiveness as a rep.”

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118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

You might like to know …

Physicians are perhaps the most important players in
pharmaceutical sales. They write the prescriptions that
determine which drugs will be used by their patients.
Influencing the physician is key to pharmaceutical sales.
Historically, this was done with large pharmaceutical
sales forces. A medium-sized pharmaceutical company
might have had a sales force of 1,000 representatives.
The largest companies had tens of thousands of
representatives. Currently, there are approximately
100,000 pharmaceutical sales reps in the United States
pursuing some 120,000 pharmaceutical prescribers.
Drug companies spend over $5 billion annually sending
representatives to physicians’ offices.

62. How will you find the time to stay current

in your product and disease-state knowledge?

What They’re Trying to Determine: Can you handle the demands

of this job and in addition stay on top of your product knowledge—
reviewing old information and learning new information about your
products?

What Not to Do: Don’t be vague in your answer; tell exactly what you
will do to advance your product knowledge. This will also help show
your knowledge of the job.

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Section 5: GREAT Answers that Showcase Your Pharmaceutical Sales Knowledge

Your Plan/Great Answer: “Pharmaceutical reps must exhibit a fair

amount of flexibility in meeting with prescribers. When forced to wait
in a clinic, I will use this to my advantage and brush up on product
knowledge through journal articles, company sales pieces, and addi-
tional company-provided literature. I will make it a personal objective
to be a knowledgeable consultant for my prescribers. I’m also aware
that companies offer tapes and compact discs that outline product and
selling models in detail. I’ll be eager to listen to them while driving
in my car. And in speaking with other reps, I’ve discovered that phar-
maceutical companies also offer continuous training in product and
disease-state knowledge. I will look forward to advancing my product
knowledge in many of these ways.”

63. What is a realistic number of office calls that a

rep can be expected to complete each day?

What They’re Trying to Determine: Are you knowledgeable about the

expectations of this job?

What Not to Do: Don’t state a specific number—by giving a range,

you will have a better chance of including the specific number of calls
per day that the company requires.

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118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

Your Plan/Great Answer: “I would say that the average daily number
of calls would be between 8 and 10 calls per day. Obviously I will have
days in which I will be able to make clinic appointments, and on those
days, I may conduct 12 to 14 calls. And then on other days I may not
have quite as many appointments because I will be making more cold
calls. But I would expect the average number of calls to be between
8 to 10 calls per day.”

64. What do you know about managed care?

How will you sell in a managed care environment?

What They’re Trying to Determine: Managed care formularies are an

important, and oftentimes difficult to understand, aspect of the pharma
ceutical sales rep’s job. Are you aware of the significance of managed
care in trying to sell your products to prescribers?

What Not to Do: Not knowing about managed care and formularies
is not the end of the world, but if you are able to answer this question
intelligently, you can easily jump ahead of the other candidates. They
won’t have a clue about it because they weren’t as smart as you were in
buying this book!

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Your Plan/Great Answer: “As I understand from my research, man-

aged care companies create formularies to indicate which drugs are
covered through insurance and in what amounts. A formulary is a
select list of brand-name and generic drugs that have been found to
offer a clinical or economic advantage when compared to other similar
drugs for the same medical conditions. Formularies are commonly
used by health maintenance organizations and health insurance com-
panies to help ensure safe, cost-effective health care. They are usually
organized in tiers, where Tier I includes generics, Tier II includes pre-
ferred branded medications, and Tier III includes branded medications
that are somewhat more costly for the patient. Selected covered drugs
(thru co-insurance or co-payment) may also be subject to dispensing
limits, prior authorization, step therapy, or dose optimization require-
ments. Knowledge of various managed care formularies and where my
products fit within the tiers is important in selling and positioning the
products when detailing my prescribers.”

65. escribe “lunch and learn” and “in-service”

D
programs. How are they utilized to the
company’s benefit?

What They’re Trying to Determine: How can you best leverage your
time with prescribers?

What Not to Do: Don’t leave out the details provided in the Great
Answer below. It is imperative that you show the manager that you
know what these programs and lunches accomplish and how to utilize
them to your advantage.

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118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

Your Plan/Great Answer:

Lunch and learns. “At least once a week, I will schedule a lunch and
learn for a specific medical office. This is probably the best opportunity
to get quality face-to-face time with the physicians, because most feel
somewhat obligated to give you quality time in exchange for feeding
their office staff. This can be a great time to dive into what makes my
physicians tick. At the end of my detail presentation, I will ask them to
commit to a specific action—perhaps writing three new prescriptions
for a specific patient population or agreeing to talk with me further
about a specific point.
“Lunch and learns are also a great opportunity to build relationships
with the office staff, who are usually more than happy to answer ques-
tions about the doctors. In addition, they may provide information or
reasoning about their physicians’ prescribing habits that I may not have
had the opportunity to discover myself. I will pick the office staff mem-
bers’ brains every time I get the chance; it will help build relationships …
and we all know that selling is primarily about relationships!”
Don’t forget to mention the importance of working with your team-
mates to make the best use of the company’s lunch-and-learn budget.
Also, you will want to note that you are aware of the possibility of
co-promotion products with other companies, if that applies to your
situation. This shows the interviewer that you are knowledgeable about
working with other companies to promote a shared drug, and how

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sharing lunches and resources can maximize your efforts to gain more
business from physicians.
Dinner or speaker programs. Pharmaceutical sales companies allo-
cate specific dollars to bringing in trained speakers. These speakers
are physicians who have actually been trained by the pharmaceutical
company. The speaker program usually occurs at a restaurant, and the
trained speaker delivers a presentation about your specific drug.
The speaker programs are not only a great opportunity for your phy
sicians to get important clinical data on your drug—they also set up a
great opportunity for dialogue between you and your physicians. It is
critical that you build close relationships with your doctors as soon as
possible. The more they like and trust you, the more likely they will be
to attend your speaker programs. During the program, you can leverage
the positive opinions of influential doctors (opinion leaders) with other
prescribers who have not yet bought in.

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118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

Beware of the Happy-Go-Lucky Interviewer

If an interviewer seems overly friendly or jovial, you
may feel that the interview is going so well that you can
let your guard down. Don’t let this happen. It’s true that
you want to establish a feeling of camaraderie, but be
sure not to reveal things about yourself that are so honest
they could actually hurt your chances. The following are
three things not to say, even if your interviewer is your
instant best friend:
1. One of the reasons that I am pursuing a career in
pharma sales is that I want a job that is a bit less
taxing, hours-wise.
2. I have visions of retiring in the next five years.
3. My wife is interviewing for a job in Washington. I
don’t think she’ll get it, but if she does, it could affect
the amount of time I will be staying in this area.

66. ou don’t have any experience in sales.

Y
How do you plan on learning what you need
to know to be successful in selling?

What they’re trying to determine: Can you sell if given the opportunity?

What Not to Do: Don’t tell the interviewer that you will learn all that
you need to know in initial training.

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Your Plan: If you don’t have sales experience, it is essential that you
convince the interviewer that you have an understanding of the sales
process. Demonstrate that you have what it takes to make it in sales
(communication skills, leadership skills, and rapport-building skills).
Explain that all you need is the opportunity to prove yourself and that,
given the chance, you know you will excel. Tell the interviewer that
you know sales are based not only on the ability to persuade but also on
gaining trust and building rapport. You may want to give an example
of a time when you were able to persuade someone about something,
or perhaps cite the fact that you are great at building and maintaining
relationships with customers.

Great Answer: “Although I do not have sales experience, I am quick

to learn new tasks and have a good understanding of what it takes to
be successful when selling pharmaceuticals. I have the personality to
sell successfully and the ability to build long-lasting relationships with
office staff and physicians. I am personable, enthusiastic, and creative—
important personality traits for making it in sales. I cannot wait to show
you what I am capable of.”

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118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

67. When is it legal to trade samples with a rep

from another company?

What They’re Trying to Determine: How much do you know about

the legalities of working in this industry? Do you understand that drugs
are subject to tight regulations?

What Not to Do: Don’t be vague; be specific about what you can and
cannot do with samples.

Your Plan/Great Answer: “It is never legal to trade samples with a rep
from another company. Every company has specific and tight record-
keeping guidelines regarding the counting and sampling of products.
All samples must be accounted for at all times and may be left only for
physicians.”

68. Define a “sample drop”. Is it considered

a “sales call” in this industry?

What They’re Trying to Determine: Do you know the difference

between sample drops and sales calls?

What Not to Do: Don’t rely on what you’ve heard about the industry in
answering this question. Simply follow the plan stated below.

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Your Plan/Great Answer: “No, a sample drop is not considered a sales

call. A sample drop is simply leaving your samples at an office and
waiting for the prescriber to sign for the samples. As the sample pad is
signed, a good rep will take the opportunity to engage in some kind of
dialogue with the prescriber to possibly move the conversation into a
detail or to build rapport for later sales calls. During a sales call, on the
other hand, you take the opportunity to question the prescriber
regarding patient needs, provide at least one feature and benefit of your
products as related to the prescriber’s patients and practice, and gain a
commitment to move to the next step.”

69. ow do pharmaceutical reps interact with physicians?

H
Do they sell, or do they educate? The newest selling
environment is oriented more toward education
than toward selling. How do reps do this?

What They’re Trying to Determine: Have you researched the pharma

ceutical sales industry, and are you aware of the most current sales
models and ideologies?

What Not to Do: Don’t speak about educating only … selling skills are
still required as well, regardless of this shift.

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118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

Your Plan/Great Answer: “To partner with physicians and develop good
working relationships, I must always educate the physician by providing
useful, accurate, and important information—features, benefits, drug
interactions, side effects, and applicable patient profiles—to the physi-
cian during every call. How can I accomplish this every time? Through
pre-call planning that incrementally moves the physician toward our
goal. When the physician begins to trust that I always provide useful
information in a concise manner, he or she will be more willing to meet
with and listen to me. Also, if I provide supporting clinical study data
from trusted medical journals, the physician will learn to view me as a
consultative partner, because I’m backing up my claims with a credible
source. In summary, a rep in today’s industry must utilize selling skills
to sell the features and benefits of his or her products but must also serve
as an educator in providing accurate and important product knowledge
backed up by credible sources. This is why it is extremely important that
I continue to build my product knowledge and stay up to date with the
most current information about my products.”

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70. ow do you think the recent lawsuits against

H
pharmaceutical companies have affected the pharma
ceutical industry’s current selling environment?

What They’re Trying to Determine: Are you current in your knowl-

edge about the industry, and have you thought about the possible dif-
ficulties you may encounter in this job as a result of the lawsuits?

What Not to Do: Don’t focus on the lawsuits or the negative press; the
interviewing manager could be trying to trick you into being negative.

Your Plan/Great Answer: “I think it is important now, more than ever,

to act as a consultant and partner to physicians by presenting and edu
cating them with accurate and important product information. Reps
must also provide a variety of credible sources to back up the claims they
make to physicians. The lawsuits have created a greater need for reps who
are willing to learn their products and disease states backward and for-
ward. Reps must focus on being consultants to physicians and be viewed
as a benefit to physicians’ patients, rather than just as salespeople. I think
the current environment has also put more responsibility on the shoul-
ders of physicians and reps to report previously unidentified side effects
to the pharmaceutical companys’ medical departments and MSLs (med-
ical science liaisons) to avoid similar circumstances in the future.”

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118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

Does your rÉsumÉ have an objective?

A clearly stated objective is a must for all résumés.
If your résumé doesn’t have one, add it just below the
header. A pharma sales objective shows hiring managers
that you are looking for a pharma sales position—it
doesn’t leave them guessing. Indicate outright that you
want a pharma sales position, and use the body of the
résumé to tell them why they should hire you.

71. How do you gain quality time with a physician?

What They’re Trying to Determine: Do you know how to build rela

tionships with physicians (the key to success as a pharma rep)?

What Not to Do: Don’t simply state the obvious, but also try to dem
onstrate that you’re an “out of the box” thinker.

Your Plan/Great Answer: “First I would make sure to comply with all
the PhRMA code rules. (For information about the PhRMA code, refer to
the associated newsletter page on Anne’s website: www.pharmaceutical-rep.com.)
Then I would employ active listening skills to discover the physician’s
rules for contacting him or her, if such rules exist. Otherwise, I would
try any of the following methods:

• Leveraging referrals from his mentors or other well-respected

thought leaders in the community
• Developing great relationships with the physician’s staff and the
gatekeeper, in particular

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• Lunch and learn/in-service programs

• Speaker programs (for dinner or lunch)
• Hospital displays
• Medical education meetings
• Journal club meetings
• Golf course, basketball games, political rallies—according to the
interests of the physician
• Educational programs for the physician’s patients at his or her office
• Creating novel ways to gain time with the physician, focusing on
hot buttons

For example, if I knew that the physician was particularly interested

in a new treatment method, even if it is unrelated to my product, I might
find a current research article referencing it and leave it for him or her.
Once I’ve taken the initiative to do that type of thing over and over
again, the physician will realize that his or her interests are important
to me, which is a great rapport builder. We all like to speak with people
who share the same interests as we do. By building good rapport and
showing the physician that his or her interests are important to me,
I will establish a relationship with the physician, built upon mutual
interest. Once that relationship is established, I’ll be able to gain more
quality time with the physician and eventually build upon that trust to
leverage my product.”

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118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

72. How do you uncover a physician’s prescribing habits?

What They’re Trying to Determine: Do you have any idea of how to

obtain this important information? This is another question designed
to determine how much you know about the job of a pharma rep. If
you show that you know some about this, it’s a feather in your cap.

What Not to Do: Act thoughtful when you say this, like you’re
thinking of it right then … even though you already know what
you’re going to say.

Your Plan/Great Answer: “The best way to determine this is to be an

active listener—listening to what the physician says to get clues as to his
or her prescribing habits and the features/benefits he or she bases
prescribing decisions on. To further determine preferences, I would ask
probing questions about the physician’s patient population and what class
of drugs he or she uses to treat different disease states. In addition,
pharmacists and other medical personnel, such as charge nurses and
physician’s assistants, would be able to provide me with insight into the
physician’s prescribing habits. Finally, I would access key company
reports to verify and add to the information I’ve already discovered.”

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Leave a lasting impression

You should consider leaving a token of yourself
after your interview. Leave a pencil behind with a note
attached saying, “Call Joe Smith. He’s the sharpest one for
the job!” And leave your phone number behind. That’s
what pharmaceutical reps typically do in a doctor’s office.
So, it’s a nice tie-in to what you would do on the job, and
it leaves a lasting impression.
Former job candidate Barbara Carlson took this advice.
She had no sales experience and was going up against
about thirty other candidates. “I really needed to make an
impression,” she said. “At the end of the interview, I gave
the manager a small candle with a note attached. It said,
‘I can’t wait to IGNITE sales in your district. I am looking
forward to joining your sales team.’ I signed my name. It
worked! I landed the next interview and the job.”

73. nce hired, you’ll be provided with your territory’s

O
physician list and sales data that analyzes the
prescribing habits of those physicians. How will
you organize and prioritize that information?

What They’re Trying to Determine: Do you know how to organize,

prioritize, and act in a purposeful manner when provided with infor-
mation and little supervision or direction?

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118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

What Not to Do: Don’t state that you’ll wait for your manager or
partner to help you. You need to appear confident and show that you’ll
act like a leader.

Your Plan/Great Answer: “I’ll organize the information using the

80/20 rule (discussed in Question 50 and the feature following it) and prioritize
the top 20 percent of prescribers who actually account for 80 percent of
my business. These are accounts that I most need to maintain and con-
tinue to develop. Next, I’ll look at the physicians’ potential—that is, I’ll
determine which physicians potentially could write a large volume of
prescriptions for my class of product but are not currently doing so.
These physicians will be my next prime targets. Of course, I’ll then
prioritize the remaining physicians: medium-volume writers who do
or do not write for my product, and so on. Basically, I will go through
the list, organize it by levels of priority, and set goals based on current
writing volume and potential. Obviously, I’d also determine how often
I will call on each physician, based on the level of priority I have set for
him or her. By analyzing and prioritizing, I will achieve results in the
shortest time possible.”

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74. What is co-promotion or team selling, and how

does it benefit the pharmaceutical company?

What They’re Trying to Determine: How much do you know about

this industry and the various selling techniques we use?

What Not to Do: Being ignorant of the key terms utilized in pharma
ceutical sales jobs shows a lack of interest. So learn the terms!

Your Plan/Great Answer: “Co-promotion is a sales method in which

two companies’ sales forces work together to promote the same drug.
The companies share expenses (lunches, speaker programs, and so on)
and resources (access to journal articles, research, influential physicians
trained by the companies, and so on). In this way, efforts to gain more
business from physicians are maximized. Not only do you share expenses
and resources, but you can also increase your call frequency because of the
additional sales reps available to sell the product. (If you know that this
particular company utilizes this method with another company, refer-
ence the relationship and the product being co-promoted.) Most pharma
sales forces are set up to use team selling. You may have others on your
team or a specific partner who co-promotes the same products as you do.
Again, this maximizes efforts to gain more business with increased call
frequency and additional access to resources.”

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75. What aspects of pharmaceutical sales

are most vital to success?

What They’re Trying to Determine: Do you have the ability to priori

tize and anticipate what is most important to success in this job?

What Not to Do: This is not the time to discuss salary, benefits, or com
pensation as being essential to success.

Your Plan/Great Answer: “I firmly believe that if a candidate has the

following skills, he or she will be a successful rep: exceptional active
listening skills to determine physicians’ and patients’ wants and needs;
ability to master and present technical information; willingness to
become an expert in product and disease-state knowledge; ability to
build rapport and trusting relationships with physicians and to sell
the whole office on you, as a person, as well as your product; ability
to probe to determine writing habits; ability to effectively position a
product to meet the needs and wants of the physician and his or her
patients; and ability always to gain a commitment to advance the sale.
Now, would you like me to provide several examples as proof that I
have the specific skills and abilities needed to become a successful rep?”
(If so, provide STAR examples that directly prove you have each of these skill sets
and abilities.)

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Résumé Tip:
Résumés that land pharmaceutical sales interviews
use phrases that are to the point, full of quantifiable
achievements, and targeted. Describe your job duties with
short, bulleted points whenever possible, and avoid filling
your résumé with unnecessary fluff. Describe in succinct
phrases what you have achieved in each position. Don’t use
long, descriptive sentences just because they sound good.

76. ow do you plan to increase sales? How long do

H
you estimate that it will take you to make an
impact on sales in your territory?

What They’re Trying to Determine: Do you have a specific plan to

increase sales? Do you have an idea of what it takes to make it in this
business?

Your Plan: You need to answer in a way that shows your motivation and
dedication to increasing sales.

Great Answer: “Initially, my goal would be to excel in sales training

and product knowledge. Being well prepared and knowledgeable out
of the gate is a great start. From there, I would get organized and learn
my territory. I will use sales data to find potential prescribers and focus
on those customers with the most potential. Once I locate them, I will
do everything possible to find out what makes them tick. I want to
know why they prescribe what they prescribe. If they won’t see me, I

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will work every avenue to see them. I will try them before office hours,
after office hours, at the hospital—whatever it takes. I know that the
best way to increase sales is to get the message to the doctors and to
remind them as often as possible. I realize that building a territory takes
time. Relationships need to be built. I’m not looking to increase sales
in an unrealistic amount of time. I am here for the long haul. I know
that doctors don’t change their prescribing habits overnight. I think
that the key to increasing sales is being well prepared, working hard at
seeing customers, and getting to know customers and their prescribing
habits over time. Once I gain their trust, I can gain their commitment.
Increasing sales doesn’t just happen; it takes time, a great plan of action,
and dedication. Eventually, hard work pays off.”

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Section 6

Interview Questions and GREAT

Answers that Showcase
Your Company Knowledge
(Three Words of Advice:
DO YOUR HOMEWORK)

77. Why do you want to work for our company?

Your Plan/Great Answer: This answer should be based only on the

research you’ve done. This answer is not meant to reflect on you; it
should be centered solely on the company. Managers will be looking
for you to answer in a way that proves that you’ve done your home-
work. Come up with three or so positive points that relate specifically
to the company (not to pharma sales in general).

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118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

Point #1 __________________________________________________________

Point #2 __________________________________________________________

Point #3 __________________________________________________________

78. What do you expect from our company?

Great Answer: “I expect that I will be trained in product knowledge,

disease-state knowledge, and the particular selling models the com-
pany subscribes to. I expect that I will be rewarded when performing
exceptionally and supported when in need of assistance for situations
beyond my control. I expect the company to constantly strive to further
its mission of enhancing and extending people’s lives and (state some-
thing from their mission statement/guiding principles). I expect the company
to require ethical interactions between reps and physicians by adhering
to the PhRMA code. (Refer to Question 83 for more information about the
PhRMA code.) Finally, I expect the company to provide opportunities
for career advancement once I’ve proven myself to be a leader, sales
performer, and team player.”

79. What, specifically, can you offer our company?

Great Answer: “I have a competitive spirit, boundless energy, enthusiasm,

and a proven history of sales success. I also have a passion for continuous
learning that will lead your prescribers to perceive of me as a knowl-
edgeable source of information and a partner that wishes to benefit their
patients and their practice. I can also offer my tenacity and determination

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to always push to the next level of excellence; exceptional listening skills

that allow me to determine physicians’ needs; integrity, honesty, and
professionalism in that I’ll always do what I say I’m going to do; and ‘out-
side of the box’ thinking.” Next, provide examples in STAR format of
how you are competitive; have a history of sales success; possess an ability
to understand technical information plus a willingness to learn; and are
tenacious, determined, and a creative thinker. (Remember: this doesn’t mean
you need to have worked in a sales job. Selling is persuading people to buy a product
or service, or to buy in to your mode of thinking, or a plan of action.)

80. Explain diversity.

Great Answer: “Diversity refers to the different backgrounds and expe

riences people bring with them when working in a team environment.
Diversity of race, thinking, experience, skills, behavior, strengths,
and learning styles adds to the creativity and purposeful activity of a
great company. Such a company responds to its diverse clients through a
diverse sales force. Diversity may also refer to a company’s line of prod-
ucts—the company tries to diversify into a number of business areas to
decrease risk and increase opportunities for profit.”

81. ur company is (big pharma or small pharma).

O
Why would you rather work for us than for a
(big or small pharma)?

Great Answer if the company is small pharma: “From my research with

other reps and online sources, I’ve come to realize that a small-pharma
environment is a better choice for me because its spirit and culture seem

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118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

to be more entrepreneurial. It also seems to me that small-pharma

companies are made up of leaders and self-starters, people who are
willing to try things a new way and are not afraid to work hard—all of
which my references will say about me. Because you’re a small com-
pany, you must utilize your sales force and managers efficiently, which
basically means no “hand-holding” by managers. I’ve proven by pre-
vious examples (or give the examples now, if needed) that I’m a leader and
self-starter; I won’t need, nor do I desire, any sort of hand-holding.
That’s why I’m so positive that small pharma is right for me. However,
it’s not just about the size of the company; it’s also about the nature of
the company, itself. And, based on the facts that … (state the two or three
most important reasons you wish to work for this company, based upon your
research), I want to work for this small pharma company.”

Great Answer if the company is big pharma: “From my research with

other reps, as well as online information sources, I have come to realize
that big pharma is the better choice for me. One of the many reasons
I wish to enter this career is the stability associated with the pharma
industry. Obviously, big-pharma companies are more stable, due to
their diverse array of products. Also, big pharma often has greater access
to funds, meaning that a larger amount of money is invested in its own
R&D departments. This most often translates into a well-stocked, cut-
ting-edge, and diverse pipeline. In addition, I like the idea of having
a number of different career opportunities within the same company.
Being able to advance my career in any number of directions within the
company is very exciting and motivating to me! I also like the fact that
the training provided at big pharma is comprehensive, well utilized,
and effective, as proven over time. In addition, with big pharma, there

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is more name recognition and increased DTC (direct-to-consumer adver-

tising) spending, both of which help in product promotion—although
I certainly won’t rely on these advantages. However, it’s not just about
the size of the company; it’s about the nature of the company itself.
And, based on the facts that … (state the two or three most important reasons
you wish to work for this company, based upon your research), I want to work
for this big pharma company.”

The pros and cons of working at

a small pharmaceutical company
versus one of the biggies
There are a lot of advantages to working for a small
pharmaceutical company. First of all, a small company may
be more willing to take a chance on somebody with less
experience.
It is easier for you to shine and advance at small
pharmaceutical companies. Also, small pharmaceutical
companies can become big pharmaceutical companies
very rapidly. Small companies may offer stock options as
an incentive to stay with them long term. Small companies
often get acquired by larger companies, and the original
stockholders often get wealthy.
However, working for a small pharmaceutical company
is riskier than working for a big one. If your company has
a small stable of products, that means it has all its eggs in
one basket.

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Small pharmaceutical companies don’t provide big

expense accounts for entertaining clients, and you
don’t have as much marketing support, either. Also, the
territories are bigger, so you have to drive more. Instead
of working a territory that’s three hours end-to-end, your
territory might be an entire state.
Finally, the drugs you’d be selling at a small company
may not have the same level of formulary acceptance
as those sold by large companies. You could be the
best salesperson in world, but if your product is not on
formulary with insurance companies, it’s going to be
tougher to sell.
If you go to work for a small company, you have to be
able to handle change really well. There is a huge chance
your company will be taken over in the next few years.

82. hat do you know about our company? Do we

W
sell proprietary products, or are we licensees of
the products? Do we sell only branded products?

Your Plan/Great Answer: Find out about this through research on the
company website. “Proprietary products” refers to the fact that the com
pany does its own research and development and has created and tested
the product. If the company is a “licensee” of the product, it means that
the company did not create or test the product but retains the licenses
to it. Basically, licensees have all rights to the drug, including promo-
tion and sales. “Branded products” (as opposed to generic versions of

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Section 6: GREAT Answers that Showcase Your Company Knowledge

products) are manufactured by the company. A company may utilize a

combination of all three strategies—selling some proprietary products,
paying other companies for the licensing of some of their products, and
selling both branded and generic products.

The Unadvertised Job Market:

Food for Thought
There are currently over 100,000 pharmaceutical reps
in the United States, and most of these positions are filled
by word of mouth. It is estimated that approximately
75 percent of all openings are never advertised. For
information on how to locate unadvertised openings, visit
Lisa’s website at www.pharmaceuticalsalesinterviews.com.

83. What guidelines have been set up to govern

pharmaceutical sales reps’ interactions with doctors?

Your Plan/Great Answer: “Big pharma” companies generally have

signed the PhRMA code; smaller companies may choose not to, how-
ever, in order to “level the playing field”. These guidelines (referred to
as the “pharma code”), which cover pharmaceutical rep/doctor interac-
tions, were originated by the Pharmaceutical Research Manufacturers
of America (PhRMA) in 2002. The basic components of this mar-
keting code are as follows:

• General Interaction: Interaction should focus on informing the pre-

scriber about scientific and educational information to maximize
patient benefits.

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118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

• Entertainment: Interaction should not include entertainment and

should be at a place conducive to providing scientific or educa-
tional information. Specifically, this means no “dine and dash”.
no entertainment, and no recreational events (for example, no
sporting events, spa visits, or dancing ladies entertainment … get
my drift?).
• Educational and Health Care Practice–Related Items: Items may be
provided to prescribers, but they should be for the health care
benefit of patients and of less than substantial value ($100 or less).
Common pharma “leave behinds” include pens, note pads, and
inexpensive items relating to patient education. No items may be
given for the personal benefit of the physician. In short, nothing
should be provided that would interfere with the independence
of the physician’s prescribing practices.

140
Section 7

Interview Questions and GREAT

Answers that Showcase and Assess
Your Problem Solving Skills and
Ability to Generate Creative Solutions
(Remember: Pharmaceutical reps spend most of their time unsupervised and without
coworkers. If you want to impress the manager, you will need to prove that you can
think on your feet and make smart decisions on your own. Reps that are creative
think of ways to make it past the gatekeepers.)

84. Describe a problem in your current position

that you attempted to solve, but failed.

Suggestions for a Great Answer: This answer should be provided in

STAR format. Write down the steps and associated statements on the
lines provided under this explanation. Remember, because you do not
want to emphasize failure, you should choose a minor problem to talk
about—one that wasn’t that big of a deal. After finishing the STAR format

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118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

presentation, explain what you learned from the situation and what you
did from then on to guarantee that the “failure” wouldn’t happen again.

Your Response:

S_ ________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
T_________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
A_________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
R_________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
What you learned: ________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
How it changed your course of action from then on: _ _______________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

85. Describe a problem that you overcame.

Suggestions for a Great Answer: This should be a problem that you

encountered during your career, but if you can’t think of anything
career related, you could explain a personal situation … just make sure
it’s not so personal that it makes the interviewer uncomfortable. This
answer should be in STAR format, and it should be a powerful story
that shows your problem-solving and out-of-the-box thinking skills.

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Section 7: GREAT Answers that Showcase and Assess Your Problem Solving Skills

86. How have you dealt with a difficult colleague?

Suggestions for a Great Answer: If you haven’t had difficulty with a

business colleague, think of a college schoolmate, teammate, fellow
volunteer, or the like. Make sure the problem was a small-scale one that
you no longer feel emotional about. Otherwise, your negative feelings
will come through and reflect poorly on your objectivity and ability
to think rationally. Also, make sure the resolution was positive and
enabled you to work effectively with the colleague to accomplish great
things for your company, team, volunteer mission, and so on.

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118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

87. How will you be more successful than the myriad

of other reps calling on physicians?

Great Answer: “I’ll set myself apart by being an active listener—to dis
cern doctors’ hot buttons as well as their prescribing preferences and
habits. I’ll always be a source of interesting and useful information for
doctors, which will benefit both them and the patients in their prac-
tice. My willingness to work long hours and become a product and
disease-state expert will set my educating/selling methods apart from
those of other sales reps. (Provide an example of a previous position in which
you worked long hours, became knowledgeable about a product and industry, and
experienced great success.) I’ll also establish great rapport with physicians
by consistently showing my interest in their hot buttons and offering
to help their patients through patient ed programs whenever possible.
Finally, I’ll always ask for a comm itment … whether it’s to talk again
or to write three prescriptions in the next week for a specific patient
type. I will incrementally move physicians closer to my global goals.
(Provide an example of how you used a sales close to move your customer or client
closer to your shared goals.) I will always represent XYZ pharma in a posi-
tive manner, and physicians and office staff will be able to count on
my exemplary customer service and follow-through. Frankly, you will
not find a more enthusiastic, eager candidate who is more determined
to succeed.” (Provide a short explanation of when and how you’ve succeeded in
business due to your enthusiasm and determination.)

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Section 7: GREAT Answers that Showcase and Assess Your Problem Solving Skills

88. Describe a sales situation in which you

turned a negative into a positive.

Suggestions for a Great Answer: Make sure this situation showcases

your persuasion and negotiation skills and your ability to think cre-
atively about a viable solution and then carry it out. Think of your
biggest sales success that started with some negative aspect and turned
positive because of your ingenious and diligent efforts. Remember …
STAR format!

Bad Credit?
Pharmaceutical companies are known for doing
background checks and drug screening prior to making an
offer to potential employees. They will also, most often,
do a credit check. If you have bad credit, don’t lie about
it. It’s not the end of the world. The worst-case scenario
might be that you would not be given a company credit
card for your expenses and would be asked to use your
own credit card and then get reimbursed.

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118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

89. I f you have an appointment scheduled with a

physician but he or she isn’t ready to speak with
you, how long should you wait?

Great Answer: “When a physician’s nurse, or the prescriber him- or

herself, informs me that the prescriber will not be able to meet at the
scheduled time but will meet with me as soon as he or she is caught
up with a backlog of patients, it is decision time. Do I stay or do I go?
The first factor in deciding how long to wait is whether I have another
appointment (directly following this one) to keep and how long it
will take to get there. The next factor is how far I’ve traveled for this
appointment. If I’ve traveled 30 to 50 miles to meet this doctor, I will
probably wait as long as it takes … assuming that this is an important
doctor in my territory. I may not get another chance to make an impact
on this doctor for a long time, so it would make good business sense to
wait an hour or so to get face time with this doctor. No matter what the
situation is, it is always helpful to consult the doctor’s nurse to obtain a
realistic picture of how long my wait time may be. He or she may also
know whether the prescriber would rather reschedule. It is all about
quality time with my doctors. If I wait an hour, and then the doctor is in
no mood to talk, it probably would have been better just to reschedule
for the next available opening. It’s a matter of common sense, based on
the criteria I’ve described, as well as utilizing what I know about this
prescriber. My time is valuable, but if this is my big chance to make
an impact on a high-volume prescriber (HVP), it might well be worth
giving up a couple of calls to move market share with a prescriber who
can significantly affect numbers for me and my company.”

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Section 7: GREAT Answers that Showcase and Assess Your Problem Solving Skills

Dress to Impress!
Pharma sales managers like their reps to be immaculate,
well dressed, and clean cut. Before interviewing, make
sure that your hair has a new trim and your nails are
well manicured. If you are a man, you may also want
to consider shaving that moustache! Dress your best,
choosing something conservative. Dark blue is a favorite
among managers. The best advice would be to look
presidential.

90. How will you build rapport with your physicians?

What They’re Trying to Determine: Do you know how to get people

to like you, trust and respect you?

Great Answer: “I will build rapport with my physicians by developing

good relations with their office staff—enhancing my relationships with
the gatekeeper, the charge nurse, and other key players in the office. I
will employ active listening skills to discern the physicians’ hot buttons.
Once I know what those are, I will build upon them to build positive
relationships. People like to talk to others who share their interests, so
I will become knowledgeable about my physicians’ interests and use
them to build a bridge to important discussions about my products.
Of course, part of building good relationships with physicians involves
serving as a resource. By becoming well-versed in product and disease-
state knowledge, I will become an important source of information

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118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

for my physicians. This will ultimately lead to more detail opportuni-

ties and higher-quality relationships with my physicians—relationships
built upon trust, respect, and friendship”.

91. How will you get more face time

with busy physicians?

What They’re Trying to Determine: How will you set yourself apart
from the other reps?

Great Answer: “I’ll set myself apart by being an active listener—to

determine doctors’ hot buttons as well as their prescribing preferences
and habits. I’ll always be a source of interesting and useful informa-
tion for doctors, which will benefit both them and the patients in their
practice. My willingness to work long hours and become a product and
disease-state expert will set my educating/selling methods apart from
those of other sales reps. (Provide an example of a previous position in which
you worked long hours, became knowledgeable about the product and industry,
and experienced great success.) I’ll also establish a great rapport with the
physician by consistently showing my interest in his or her hot but-
tons and offering to help his or her patients through patient ed pro-
grams whenever possible. Finally, I’ll always ask for a commitment.
Whether it’s a commitment to talk again or to write three prescrip-
tions in the next week for a specific patient type, I will incrementally
move the physician closer to my global goals. (Provide an example of how
a sales close moved your customer or client closer to your shared goals.) I will

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Section 7: GREAT Answers that Showcase and Assess Your Problem Solving Skills

always represent XYZ Pharma in a positive manner, and physicians

and office staff will be able to count on my exemplary customer service
and follow-through. Frankly, you will not find a more enthusiastic,
eager candidate who is more determ ined to succeed. (Provide a short
explanation of when and how you’ve succeeded in business due to your enthu-
siasm and determination.) Of course, I’ll also set up lunch and learns and
speaker programs, go to continuing medical education courses, set up
hospital displays, and leverage physicians who are thought leaders and
current high prescribers of my products to influence other physicians’
prescribing habits.”

92. ow would you react if, after a visit to the sample

H
closet, you find that a competitor has moved
your samples and they can no longer be seen?

Great Answer: “If this happens for the first time, I would simply rear-
range the samples and casually mention the situation to the office staff
so that if it happens again, it will raise a red flag. If it happens a second
time, I would calmly show the staff person in charge of the sample
closet what has happened and express my concern from the perspective
of the physician and his or her patients. For example, I might say, ‘I’d
hate for Dr. Johnston to be unable to provide samples for her patients,
and looking at the way this sample closet is arranged, it would seem
that you only have samples for one drug.’ Then I would ask, ‘Is there
anything I could do to make sure this doesn’t happen again and ensure
that everyone gets equal space on the shelf?’”

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118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

Using Keywords in Your Résumé

The key to getting your résumé noticed is to load it
with as many pharmaceutical sales–related keywords as
possible. This is particularly true when you are applying
online. Look at the job listing, and use it to find the
keywords. Chances are good that the keywords used by
the HR rep to search the database will be right there in
the job description. Including even two or three more
relevant keywords than your competition—which could be
hundreds of people—can make the difference between
success and failure in securing an interview.

93. How will you turn gatekeepers into advocates?

Great Answer: “I will turn gatekeepers into advocates by selling the

whole office on my product and on myself from the moment I step
into the office. How? By respecting their time and offering to come
back when their office is not so busy. In addition, I will treat them with
respect and make it clear that I value what they have to say. Remem-
bering their names and personal things about them (‘Is your daughter
feeling better? I know you said she had the flu last week.’) or knowing
that they like a particular type of chocolate and surprising them with
it—will make them feel valued and respected. Asking their opinions
about office protocol and physician likes and dislikes will make them
feel that they’re a valuable source of information to me. Everyone likes
to feel valued and important, right?”

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Section 7: GREAT Answers that Showcase and Assess Your Problem Solving Skills

94. How would you deal with an irate physician

whose misplaced anger lands on you?

Great Answer: “The most important thing is that I wouldn’t take it per
sonally. Physicians have bad days, just like we all do. Recognizing and
affirming this can deflate the situation. Showing empathy toward the
physician—suggesting, for example, that I’d be happy to come back at
a time that would be more convenient—will show him or her that I’m
more interested in being helpful than in pressing the sale at that time.”

95. hat will you do when you’re told by gatekeepers

W
that their physicians are “no see”, meaning that
they don’t speak with reps?

Great Answer: “There are several methods I could utilize, but the most
important thing I can do is gain the respect of the staff first and then
utilize the staff to help me forge a relationship with the physician.
Other methods include:

• Having other, respected physicians recommend my products to

the “no see” physician.
• Depending on the physician’s practice, utilize my good relation-
ship with the specialist to whom he or she refers or to the general
practitioner that refers patients to him or her. I’ll ask the physician
with whom I have a good relationship to intervene and recom-
mend me as someone who can provide useful information and
good products.
• Inviting the physician to a speaker program, and utilizing a well-
respected speaker to influence him or her. If the thought leader writes

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118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

the product and recommends it, this could be enough to change

the “no see” physician’s mind. If the physician starts writing the
product, he or she will begin to want samples … and then I’m in!
• Gaining information from the physician’s office staff about his
or her main patient population and likes and dislikes.
• Consistently providing current and useful information (journal
articles, recent research findings, and so on) to the physician
through his or her staff.
• Asking the staff if there are any extenuating circumstances in
which the physician would agree to see reps. Once I gain the
support of the office staff, I’ll be well on my way.
• Building on the great rapport I have with the office staff, I’ll be
able to determine where the physician spends the majority of his
or her time. Whether it’s at a hospital, a satellite clinic, or a golf
course, I will try and meet the physician there.”

96. our physician continually and emphatically

Y
states that he or she has been writing a lot of
prescriptions for your product. Your reports show
that he hasn’t written any. What do you do?

Great Answer: “Most prescribers know that reps have very good data
on their writing habits. If a doctor tells me that he or she is writing, but
it isn’t showing up, it may be that many patients are going to pharma-
cies that don’t report their numbers (e.g., Wal-Mart or Sam’s Club). It
is usua lly considered taboo to confront a doctor with this data, espe-
cially if it is used to contradict him or her. The quickest way to kill my
relationship with any doctor is to insinuate that he or she is a liar. First,
I would consult with my teammates to see if this has happened to them

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Section 7: GREAT Answers that Showcase and Assess Your Problem Solving Skills

with the same doctor. If it has happened previously and the teammates
were able to remedy the situation, I could learn from them. However,
if my colleagues and I continue to experience similar reactions from
this physician, it would be best to consult with our manager. Touchy
situations like this call for wisdom, and what better source of wisdom
than my manager?”

97. After introducing yourself to a physician,

what will your next course of action be?

Great Answer: “I’ll start out by asking open-ended questions about the
physician and his or her practice, such as: How long have you been in
practice? Where did you go to school? Where are you from? Where did
you complete your residency? What has been your clinical experience
with this drug? What’s your first line of therapy choice for this specific
patient population?
“Everyone likes to talk about themselves, and doctors are no different.
I will find out what they like to do in their spare time and what their
hobbies are. I might ask if they are a fan of a state school or of a specific
professional sports team. Also, if I see pictures or other clues around the
office that he or she is married and/or has kids, I will ask about his or
her family.
“I will utilize the same questioning strategies with the rest of the
office and nursing staff. The better my relationships with them, the
easier it will be for me to obtain access to the physician. Each visit in
the beginning should focus on gathering intelligence. The more I know
about the physician, the easier it will be to extend the call, or to start
the conversation in a way that engages the doctor and increases my
chance of making an impact that day.

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118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

“I also plan to create a spreadsheet for each person in the office,

not just the doctor. I’ll enter notes about what the doctor and staff told
me that day. If I don’t write this valuable information down, I may
forget 90 percent of it before the next visit to that office. Once I have
acquired personal-interest information and really feel like I understand
the physician, I will be able to zero in on his or her prescribing habits
and philosophies. By utilizing questioning strategies, building trusting
relationships with the physicians and office staff, and keeping track of
all essential details, I will possess the valuable information necessary to
plan my approach with each prescriber.”

Think twice when sending a résumé

When e-mailing your résumé, always send two versions:
one in Word or another word-processed document, and
one that has been converted to ASCII. By sending two
documents, you cover your bases. If the recipient is unable
to open or read your Word file, he or she will be able to
read your ASCII version. Be sure to mention that you have
sent two versions for his or her convenience.

98. fter your product presentation, the physician states

A
that he or she is happy with your competition’s product
and won’t consider yours. What would you do?

Great Answer: “I would start out by telling the physician that I respect
his or her opinion. Then, I would probe to determine the specific

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Section 7: GREAT Answers that Showcase and Assess Your Problem Solving Skills

criter ia he or she is using to make the choice as well as the criteria for
determining whether the drug is successful. For example, does he or she
write based upon efficacy studies or by the percentage of patient com-
pliance? Based upon that information, I’ll know better how to position
my product so that it meets and exceeds the criteria for prescribing and
analyzing successful treatments.”

99. physician states that your product is more expensive

A
than your competitor’s and that’s why he or she
won’t consider a change. What do you do next?

Great Answer: “I would tell the physician that I understand cost is a

major issue, but I would also probe to determine what other factors are
important to him or her when treating this specific patient population
type. Based upon that information, I would be able to highlight the
aspects of my product that clearly are beneficial compared to those of
the competition. Also, if my drug has a more favorable price and favor-
able tier placement on other health care plans, I would present those
specific formulary coverages. And I would ask for a commitment to
try my drug with the next three patients who are on those particular
(cheaper, with better tier placement) health care plans. Once the physi-
cian sees the efficacy and benefits of my product, I can incrementally
move him or her closer to the goal of writing 100 percent for this spe-
cific patient population.”

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118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

100. I f your product and your competitor’s

product cost the same, how would you
differentiate your product?

Your Plan: This is essentially the same as Question #99, so you can
answer it in much the same way.

Great Answer: “First, I would probe to understand the specific factors

that influence the physician in his or her prescribing behavior for the
specific patient population. If price is one of the factors, which it usually
is, I would state that I understand cost is a big issue—because respecting
the physician’s opinion is paramount. I would obtain knowledge of my
product’s formulary status in various leading health care plans, and I
would highlight those plans in which my product has a favorable for
mulary status. I would also highlight other factors the physician noted
as influencing his or her prescribing habits, showing for those factors
how my product clearly has more benefits to the physician and his or
her patients. For example, if the physician states that convenient, once-
daily dosing is important to his or her prescribing habits, and if my
product has once-daily dosing, I would highlight that particular fact.
“In addition, if I know that a physician is particularly close to a
specialist or highly respects another ‘thought leader’ who happens to be
a significant prescriber of mine, I might ask that physician to recom-
mend me and my product as well as to speak to the success his or her
patients have had with it.
“Finally, inviting the physician to a speaker program or providing a
number of company-approved journal articles might provide the proof the
physician needs to begin prescribing my products on a consistent basis.”

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Section 7: GREAT Answers that Showcase and Assess Your Problem Solving Skills

101. The physician will not try your product, nor will
he or she tell you why. What would you do?

Great Answer: “Probing for prescribing habits is very important. If the

physician is unwilling to speak with me about that, however, I would
need to focus on developing a better rapport with him or her. Pre-
suming that I have developed good relationships with the office staff, I
would utilize those relationships to build a better rapport with the
doctor as well as to get a window into his or her prescribing habits. I can
also discern from them the types of actions—speaker programs, journal
articles, lunch and learns, referrals from respected physicians, and so
on—that would most influence the physician.”

Steve, who was interviewing with

AstraZeneca, offered the following:
“With AstraZeneca, they really emphasize the
situational-type questions in the interview, and you have
to answer them in the STAR format. The STAR questions
took up about half of the time in the interviews that I had
with the company. They are not difficult, but you must
think quickly, be clear, not too verbose, and stick to the
format. A question I was asked was, ‘Give an example of
a time when you did something at work that your boss
didn’t like even though you thought that you had done a
good job on it. Explain what happened.’”
Can you think of a good answer for Steve?

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118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

102. our partner is not keeping up with his

Y
or her responsibilities, and this is affecting your
relationship with physicians. What do you do?
Great Answer: “The first thing I’d do is to have a conversation with my
partner and ask if there’s anything that’s affecting his or her ability to do
the job. Who knows … there could be health issues, family problems,
or the like. If nothing is accomplished or solved within a couple of
weeks, I’d be forced to speak with our manager about the issue. Obvi-
ously, I wouldn’t want to lose the momentum we’ve gained with our
doctors, and I wouldn’t want my partner’s conduct to reflect poorly on
our company. Therefore, I’d make sure that the physicians are getting
what they need and that I follow through on promises made.”

103. his job occasionally requires you to leave

T
the field for training. How do you prepare
your customers for this leave?
Great Answer: “By letting customers know when I’ll be gone and
when I’ll return as well as having a backup plan for their needs. I would
also assure customers that I will be checking phone messages, and fol-
lowing up with them, while I am away. Before leaving, I’d check in
with each customer personally, to make sure their sample supplies are
adequately stocked and to address any questions or needs.”

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104. eps often must work a display at local

R
medical conventions. How do you prepare,
and what should you do once there?
Great Answer: “The night before, I would attach the most influential
company-provided literature pieces to the company-supplied display
boards, so that they are as attractive as possible. I would arrive early
in the morning to find the best location, if it had not previously been
assigned, setting up displays in the area of highest traffic. I’d make sure
to greet the physicians and ask open-ended questions to engage them in
dialogue. I would continue the dialogue with questions that facilitate
discussions about the benefits of my product to the physicians’ patients
and medical practices.”

105. How will you establish credibility and

respect with physicians?

Great Answer: “If I am a regular source of information important to

physicians and I strive to become a product and disease-state expert,
physicians may actually look forward to engaging in intelligent conver-
sation with me! Also, if I provide as many proof sources as possible in a
manner that appears objective, physicians will learn to trust what I say.
Finally, if I learn physicians’ prescribing habits and become a consulta-
tive partner who adds value to their practice, physicians’ respect and trust
will follow.”

159
Section 8

Interview Questions
and GREAT Answers
that Showcase Your
Sales Skills (Prowess)
(Even if you haven’t held a sales position, your answers here
need to show that you understand the basics of selling and that
you possess the skills that are required to make sales.)

106. How would you describe “selling”?

Great Answer: “Selling starts with active listening to determine a

client’s needs and rapport building to gain trust. Once the needs are
uncovered, selling progresses to positioning products accordingly and
closing for a small, specific action. Those small, specific actions will
eventually lead toward the global goal of the physician’s utilizing my
product versus that of the competition in every applicable situation.”

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118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

Are You Sure That You Want

to Be a Pharma Rep?
An average rep during an average day spends
approximately 30 to 60 minutes making sales
presentations. The remainder of the day is spent
preparing for calls, driving to and from offices, making
small talk with office staff, stocking samples, and waiting
in waiting rooms.

107. What has been your greatest sales achievement?

What They’re Trying to Determine: Obviously, this question is asked

to uncover your priorities. Did the sales achievement generate a lot of
money for you or your company? Or was the result more intangible,
such as swaying opinion to take a specific course of action?

Your Plan/Great Answer: You must answer this question in STAR

format and be prepared to defend why it was your greatest sales achieve
ment. Whether the result was tangible or not, make sure to link it to some
sort of tangible result. For example, you may have presented detailed,
objective information that influenced the school board to “rethink”
the all-day kindergarten program and revert back to half days. As a
result, the district realized a 30 percent decrease in expenses, due to the
elimination of full-day kindergarten classes. (See how the “intangible”
became “tangible”?)

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Section 8: GREAT Answers that Showcase Your Sales Skills

108. What are some closing strategies you might

use with a physician?

A Few Great Answers:

A. “You’ve stated that cost and dosing schedules are important to
you in prescribing medication for your diabetic patients. With
the Tier II placement on Aetna health care and the once-daily
dosing to increase patient compliance, will you write product
X for your next five diabetic patients that have not had success
with prior medications?”
B. “You’ve stated that cost and dosing schedules are important to
you in prescribing medication for your diabetic patients. With
the Tier II placement on Aetna health care, which ensures cost
effectiveness, and the once-daily dosing to increase patient com-
pliance, will you write product X for your next five new diabetic
patients?”
C. “We’ve talked about cost and dosing schedules with product
X. Will you commit to speaking with me next time about this
journal article I’m leaving with you?”

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118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

D. “We’ve talked about cost and dosing schedules with product X,

but you’ve stated that efficacy studies are also important in your
prescribing decisions. With that being said, will you commit to
attending our speaker program to learn more about those studies
from our speaker, Dr. Reynolds?”
E. “You’ve stated that cost and dosing schedules are important to
you in prescribing medication for your diabetic patients. Product
X has Tier II placement on Aetna health care and once-daily
dosing to increase patient compliance. Plus, you’ve reported that
your last 10 patients on product X have had super results. With
that being said, will you agree to make product X your first line
of treatment for your diabetic patients?”

109. Tell me about a time when your sales method didn’t

work. What could you have done differently?

Your Plan/Great Answer: Make sure that the error you committed
wasn’t a big issue and nor was the poor result. Also, be sure to state what
you did to keep the error from happening again and how your new
method ensured successful results from then on. By utilizing the STAR
format, your response will contain all the necessary elements for a com-
plete answer that pleases the interviewer.

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Your “new method” for keeping it from happening again: ___________

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

Successful results by utilizing this new method: _____________________

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

110. Tell me about a time when you sold someone

an idea. What was your method?

Your Plan/Great Answer: Answering in the STAR format is essential,

as this is a behavioral question. It is designed to prove whether you can
sell an intangible product, which is really what pharmaceutical sales is
all about. Even though the products themselves are not intangible, you
are not selling them on the spot and you are not having your customers
sign by the X. Be sure to emphasize the method you used to sell the idea.
Highlight the relationship building skills, the active listening skills, and
the way you presented the information that led to your success.

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118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

111. Sell me something.

Your Plan/Great Answer: If the manager asks you to sell him or her
something, consider the following points:

• If you want to make a huge impact, and you have previously con-
ducted your research and created a product presentation binder,
why not go for it? Set yourself apart from other candidates by
selling one of the company’s actual products. Even if your detail
does not work perfectly, the manager still will give you big points
for having had the guts to try it.
• You could sell his or her own company to the manager. Take
information off the company’s website. Most companies have a
credo, key values, or mission statement with several key points
that could be sold to a client.
• Sell an object or concept that you know well so that your passion
and conviction shine through. Bring the item with you and keep
it in your bag … just in case.

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Example: You are selling a Microsoft Optical Computer Mouse. (Bring

the object with you or take a picture of it, if possible.)
1. Build rapport by asking a question that the customer would be
interested in, based upon your previously gained knowledge of
the customer.
2. Utilize open-ended questioning strategies that relate to your
product. For example, “When you’re deciding upon a computer
mouse to purchase, what factors are important to you?”
3. Features and Benefits
• R ibbed, clear, scrolling wheel that lights up when pressed—
ribbed design allows user to control the speed and allows for precise
navigation; lighted wheel alerts that the button has been pressed and
the scrolling mechanism is on.
Gain agreement: “Is that important to you?” Then “build
a bridge” to the next feature or benefit.
• Perfectly asymmetrical—ergonomically comfortable for both left-
and right-handed users.
Gain agreement again: “Is this of interest to you?” Then
“build a bridge” to the next feature or benefit.
• Customizable buttons—allow users to assign short keyboard
macros, thus saving time and repetition.
Gain agreement again: “Do customizable buttons matter to
you when choosing your computer mouse?”
4. Summarize and close. Gain agreement from the customer to
commit to a certain action, such as to try the Microsoft Optical
Computer Mouse the next time he or she is considering buying
a new mouse.

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118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

Role-playing during an interview

If you make it to the final round of interviews, you
can bet that you will be asked to role-play. You will need
to know the basic stages of the sales call. Usually the
interviewer poses as the doctor and you play the role of
the rep selling to the doctor. This is an exercise that is
dreaded by many candidates, especially those with limited
or no sales experience. By following a basic sales call
formula, however, anyone can learn to sell any product.
The key is to be familiar with the basic components of
a sales call (basic is just fine for interview purposes).

Anatomy of a simple sales call:

1. Introduce yourself.
For example: “Hello, Doctor Smith, it’s nice to see you
again. I’m Joe Smith, your Pharmacia rep. Today I would
like to tell you about a new product that I think you are
going to like a lot. Can I have a few minutes with you to
tell you about this pen?” Show the doctor the pen, but
don’t let him or her handle it.

2. Uncover your customer’s needs.

What is he or she looking for in a pen? A pen that writes
longer than any other pen? A Mont Blanc–type of pen
that portrays a successful, professional image?
Discover the customer’s needs, and you will then know
which of the pen’s features to emphasize. If you want to
talk about the great felt tip and the customer could care

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less about the felt tip, it would be a mistake to focus your

sales call on the felt tip. If you do, you will not sell any pens!
How do you uncover your customer’s needs? You ask
open-ended questions about them!
For example: “Doctor, before I begin to tell you about
this pen, I would like to find out about the pens that you
currently use. I know that there are other pens that you
use and like. What is it that makes you choose one pen
over another?”

3. Listen.
Listen to what the customer tells you because he or she
is telling you what his or her needs are. For example, a
customer might say, “I like a pen that has a nice grip, and
the ink color is really important to me.”

4. Use feature-and-benefit selling to show the customer

that your product meets his or her needs.
You have uncovered the customer’s needs, and you know
what he or she is looking for in a pen. Show via very basic
feature-and-benefit selling that your pen is one he or she
will like and should use.

What is a feature?
A feature is a physical component of the pen, such as:
• felt tip
• black ink
• comfortable grip
• size
• overall look

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118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

What is a benefit?
A benefit is always connected to a particular feature and
answers the question, “So what?”
For example: “This pen has a quick-dry tip (feature).
Because it has a quick-dry tip, you can rest assured that
all of the prescriptions you write will be smudgeproof,
eliminating calls from pharmacists who can’t make out
your writing (benefit).”
The interviewer may mention more than one need.
Cover each of them with feature-and-benefit selling.

5. Close.
Once you have demonstrated that your pen meets all of the
interviewer’s needs, ask him or her a question that gives
him or her the opportunity to raise an objection, if there is
one. If there’s no objection, close and ask for the business.
For example: “Doctor, you said that you are interested in
a pen that is smudgeproof and has a nice grip. Have I shown
you that this pen is smudgeproof and has a nice grip?”
If the interviewer has an objection, listen to it and
address the issue. If there is no further objection, close!
For example: “Doctor, it sounds to me like this pen
is one that you can really put to good use. Would you
agree? Would you be willing to give this pen a try?”
When the doctor agrees to try the pen, thank him or
her and state that you are looking forward to coming
back and getting his or her feedback.

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112. What do you see as the key skills in closing?

Great Answer: “Because of the nature of this business and the fact that
much of a rep’s time is spent trying to develop rapport with physicians,
many reps forget to close all their calls. My goal would be to close every
time. I think there are many skills that are important when it comes to
closing: developing rapport; employing active listening to determine cus
tomers’ needs; positioning the product to meet their needs; establishing
trusting/consultative relationships; utilizing trial closes throughout sales
calls; and asking for a commitment to talk again, to read a particular
study, or to prescribe my product for a specific patient type.”

113. escribe a situation in which you were part of a

D
team and things didn’t go well. Then tell me about
a situation in which you made things work in a team
environment.

Your Plan/Great Answer: Obviously, the first half of this question is

negative in nature and designed to make you reveal a fatal flaw. Don’t do
it! It doesn’t say that the example you choose must have had a negative
result … just that things did not go well. This could refer to challenges
along the way, not necessarily the end result.

First Question: Not going well at first … a couple of problems … but

the team obtained good results anyway

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118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

S_ ________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
T Don’t forget to mention how things were not going well or what the challenges
were along the way:__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
A_________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
R_________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

Second Question: Made things work in a team environment with good

results

For both questions, emphasize your rapport-building skills, listening

skills, ability to create consensus among colleagues, and ability to moti-
vate and inspire your teammates toward a common goal.

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114. hat usually is your role on a team—motivator,

W
leader, “get it done” person, “big picture”
person, or other?

Great Answer: “I think flexibility is an important characteristic of

a successful team member. The very nature of a team is constantly
changing based upon the different backgrounds and experiences of the
team members. Because of this, it’s important to take on differing roles,
as necessary. One day, I may be the motivator—the one who provides
positive feedback and encourages team members to keep going. The
next day, I may be the leader of a specific project because I have the
most expertise in the project area. And yet another day, I may be the
person who takes the list of ‘to do’s’ and gets to work without waiting
for others to help. When each member of a team is flexible (ready and
willing to do ‘whatever it takes’), the project is accomplished with
greater ease and extraordinary success!”

The “trial close”

Pharmaceutical sales, one of the hottest markets for job
seekers, requires the ability to “close”. The first and most
important opportunity to show potential employers how
effectively you can close a deal is during the interview.
A “trial close” to the interview follows the introduction
and questioning period. It occurs when the candidate asks
whether the interviewer approves of him or her for the job
or sees hurdles to his or her getting the position. A question
to ask might be: “Is that what you’re looking for?”

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118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

115. What do you like least about working as a

member of a team?

Great Answer: “I think there are so many great things about working as
part of a team—challenging each other, learning from each other, and
working toward a common goal. The only occasionally difficult thing
about working as a member of a team is that there can be a mix of per-
sonalities and pre-conceived notions about doing things a certain way.
This can make it difficult to achieve consensus of opinion about the
steps necessary to achieve a goal. Therefore, patience, understanding,
respect, flexibility, and good communication skills are imperative skills
when working as part of a team.”

116. How would you explain your job to a young child?

Great Answer: “I would say that I work with doctors to help them
know which medications will work best for people who are sick. The
reason it’s so important is that when doctors know which medicines
work the best, it helps people live longer and better.”

The dreaded, but not so bad, situational questions.

(What the heck are they anyway?)

Situational questions usually are asked at some point in the pharmaceutical sales
interview process. They usually are hypothetical in nature and are asked to see how
you would respond if you were in a particular situation. Managers like to ask these
questions to find out more about your character and personality.

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Great Answer to a Situational Question:

117. What would you do if a doctor asked you

a question that you couldn’t answer?

Great Answer: “I would acknowledge that I didn’t know the answer

and would try, while still in the doctor’s office, to find an answer. Per-
haps referring to the product’s package insert would help me out, or
I might have the answer with me in my documentation. If I couldn’t
find the answer while still there, I would make it a priority to find the
answer and to get back to the doctor within 24 hours. Returning to his
or her office the next day with an answer to the question would actu-
ally be a great excuse for a follow-up call. The last thing I would want
to do is attempt to answer a question that I actually didn’t know the
answer to. I’m building a relationship in that office and have a reputa-
tion to protect. I don’t want to ruin my credibility by answering incor-
rectly. I think it is reasonable to believe that customers don’t expect us
to know everything and that they respect us when we admit that we
can’t answer correctly at that given moment.”

The Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Process:

Step by Step
Just about all pharmaceutical sales interviews start with a phone inter-
view. Most of the time, your interview will end and you still won’t know
if you have made the cut for the next interview, the face-to-face. You
can ask for a face-to-face during the phone interview, but don’t expect
to get one on the spot.

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118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

The first face-to-face interview is usually with the district manager.

Depending on the manager, you may be one of thirty or one of three
being interviewed. Some managers love to interview; others prefer to
keep the candidate list to a minimum. Always ask for another interview
when the first face-to-face is over, but again—don’t expect to get one
right then and there.
A manager will often offer a second round of face-to-face interviews
to condense the candidate list. This interview can occur up two months
after the initial phone interview. Managers often travel a lot, and there
can be lag time between interviews. If there does turn out to be lag
time, be sure to keep in touch with the interviewing manager during
the interim. You don’t want him or her to forget about you, plus you
want to show your continued interest in the position.
The next step is usually a “ride with” (spending a day in the field
with one of the star reps in the district). At this point, the field has usu-
ally been narrowed to one or two other candidates. Keep in mind that
the rep you are riding with will be reporting back with blow-by-blow
details of your day together, so be on your best behavior. (Refer to the
tips below.)
Usually, the final step in the interview process is another meeting
with the district manager, this time also with the regional manager. This
interview is usually a formality to get the stamp of approval from the
regional manager. Unless you really goof up, you usually have the job in
the bag. An offer may or may not come during the interview. Sometimes
the offer is contingent upon passing drug and background checks.

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Tips for a “Ride With” Day, also

Known as a “Preceptorship”

• Smile a lot.
• Make a new friend!
• Dress your best (conservative dark suit).
• Don’t badmouth your current boss.
• Be positive and enthusiastic.
• Interact with the office staff when appropriate—say
hello, engage in small talk, and so on, but don’t
overdo it. You don’t want to be a distraction from
what the rep is there to do.
• Don’t ask questions like “What time do you cut out
of here on Friday afternoons?”
• Do ask some questions about the district manager.
The rep may be able to give you ideas about what
it will take to make the final cut. Find out what the
manager is looking for and who the competition is.
• Relax, be yourself, and have fun! Get as much
out of the experience as you can, and add this
preceptorship to your résumé as soon as you get
back home.
• Thank the rep in writing for his or her time and
information, sending the note as soon as possible
after the ride with.

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The Phone Interview

The phone interview may be your most difficult interview because

you will usually have a short amount of time to make a good impression.
You also don’t have the advantage of meeting the interviewer in person.
Sorry, but your good eye contact will not help over the phone!
With phone interviews, the best personality wins. If you got the call,
you have what it takes on paper. The caller is now in the screening pro-
cess and wants to find out if you can hold a conversation with someone.
The caller is also looking for energy and enthusiasm, so let it show in
your voice. Be prepared to answer questions and to let your personality
shine. Have fun, and relax!
Be sure to ask for a face-to-face interview before hanging up, and
save the caller’s phone number for follow-up.
There are so many pharmaceutical companies that it is difficult to
predict what questions may be asked during a phone interview. In some
instances, the manager is not the one who makes the phone call—some-
times, human resources personnel make the call (often the case if a
company is going through a major expansion). As a rule, however, you
can expect to be asked questions intended to screen out candidates and
to save the manager precious time.

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Screening questions that you may be asked

during the phone interview.
(Refer to the Great Answers section of the book
for specifics on how to answer.)

Why are you looking for a pharmaceutical sales position?

The caller is making sure you have a good idea of what the job entails
and that you are interested in pharmaceutical sales specifically. If you
answer that any sales job will do, you may lose your chance to continue
on in the interview process. Managers want to hire people who are eager
for pharmaceutical sales and only pharmaceutical sales.

What is your salary at your current job?

Surprisingly, this is the question that eliminates the majority of candi
dates over the phone. If you are making a substantial salary now and
are willing to take a pay cut to pursue a pharmaceutical sales career,
most managers, especially those in human resources, won’t allow you
to continue on in the interview process.
Many applicants have the misperception that they can start out with
a poorly performing territory and turn it into a big commission earner
in no time. The reality is that it takes time to turn a territory around.
Sometimes it can take up to a year to see the results of hard work.
Relationships have to be built with customers—and relationship building
takes time. Most managers prefer to hire someone with a salary that is
comparable to what they have to offer. It makes good business sense.

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Suggestion: If you are making a good salary in your current position

and you are asked what you are earning, give only your base salary
information. Tell the manager that you are well aware of what pharma-
ceutical reps make and that you are prepared to work for a similar salary.
(Starting salaries in pharmaceutical sales range from $40K–$60K plus
commissions and/or bonuses. Some companies offer higher salaries in
lieu of large commissions. Most companies pay quarterly commissions;
some offer an end-of-year bonus.)

Are you available for overnight travel?

If you want to work as a pharmaceutical representative, no matter what
the company, some overnight travel will be required. Smaller, more
urban territories usually require very little overnight travel. Regardless
of the geography of the territory, be prepared to spend some overnights
in hotels for district meetings, regional sales meetings, national sales
meetings, and sales training programs. Meetings are usually two to
three nights in duration—usually quarterly. Initial training can involve
several weeks at a time at the corporate headquarters.

Are you interviewing with any other companies?

I have gotten several emails from candidates verifying that this question
was asked during their phone interview and inquiring how they should
have answered the question. (Refer to the Great Answers section for
the best way to answer.)

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Actual Phone Interview Story

Carla, who interviewed with Innovex,
offered the following:
“My phone interview was with a person from an
outside company who was hired to do the phone
screening. The woman sounded like she had just
interviewed about 100 people. She was very matter of
fact and to the point … almost as if she couldn’t wait
for the day to end. Needless to say, it was tough to get a
conversation going with her. She told me I had 20 minutes
to answer six situational questions and that she would be
taking notes by hand. One of the questions I was asked
was: ‘What would you do if you encountered a doctor
who was annoyed that you were in his office because your
counterpart had been in just 10 minutes earlier promoting
the same products?’”

Doing your homework

(Hint: Do it before the phone interview!)

Research the company.

Make no mistake about it: the more you know about a company and its
products, the more you will impress the interviewer and the better you
will do overall. Before your interview, you must do a comprehensive
company and industry search. Start out on a company’s website and

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118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

gather information about its products and financials, and employment

in general. Many of the websites have direct links to product advertise-
ments. Use this consumer-friendly information to get the basics. Don’t
bog yourself down with product details. A couple of features and benefits
should be all that you need for initial interviews. If you don’t do your
research, you will appear unmotivated to work for the company. In other
words, if you haven’t done your homework, don’t bother going to the
interview.
The following are some useful sites for additional research:
• Hoovers Online: (www.hoovers.com) Company and industry
profiles
• Bloomberg: (www.bloombergs.com) Industry and market data
• Edgar Database: (www.edgar-online.com) Electronic data gath-
ering, analysis, and retrieval system
• Morning Star: (www.morningstar.com) Stock information
• Web100: (www.w100.com) Largest American and global com-
panies based on revenue
• Thomas Regional: (www.thomasregional.com) Company
research by product and industry
• Working Mother Magazine (www.workingmother.com): 100
best companies for working mothers
• Employers of choice 500: (www.employersofchoice.com) From
BestJobsUSA.com
• Web MD (www.webmd.com) Consumer friendly information
about diseases, drugs, and so on
• Rx List (www.rxlist.com) Prescribing information for most
drugs that are approved in the United States

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What you need to know:

• Corporate headquarters location(s)
• Products—a basic knowledge of what you will be promoting
• Who the company’s customers are (family practitioners, pul-
monologists, ENTs, and so on)
• History
• Recent news
• Competitors (You won’t need to know too many details. A few
product brand names will be plenty.)
• Financial news

Tip: Bring a copy of the information you have compiled about the
company to the interview. Managers will be impressed that you are
well prepared. If you really want to impress your interviewer, bring
along some copies of the company’s current journal advertisements.
Find them in the New England Journal of Medicine and the Journal of the
American Medical Association ( JAMA). As well as impressing the managers
by having this information in hand, you will also be better prepared for
your interview. By looking at their journal ads, you will know which
products they are currently promoting and you will also see, in print,
their marketing messages.

Before the Interview

• Practice, practice, practice answers to common and more dif-
ficult questions.
• Prepare a list of questions to ask.

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118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

• Gather several copies of your résumé, a list of references, and a

professional-looking brag book (refer to the information about
brag books in this guidebook).
• Dress your absolute best.
• Dress conservatively (dark blue is always a good choice of color).
• Bring a pen and notepad to jot down information after the inter-
view—but don’t take notes during the interview.

During the Interview

(When all is said and done, the best personality wins!)
• You must be energetic, friendly, and enthusiastic! This is the most
important tip in this section. If you are not enthusiastic, no
matter how well you answer the questions, you will not land
the job. Enthusiasm sells!
• Shake hands firmly.
• Make eye contact.
• Establish rapport.
• Make a friend. (Your interviewer wants to find out if you are
someone he or she will enjoy working with.)
• Laugh and smile (when appropriate).
• Be a good listener.
• Convey your drive and dedication.
• Don’t lie.
• Don’t say anything negative about a previous employer.
• Don’t ask salary questions during the first interview.
• Be yourself. Have fun, and relax!

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Smart Questions to Ask Your Interviewer.

(You’re only half prepared for your interview
if you plan only to answer questions!)
Every great interviewee should go to an interview prepared to ask ques-
tions as well as to answer them. Your goal, when asked if you have any
questions, is to show genuine interest in the company, the job, and the
interviewer. Having nothing to ask makes you appear passive and not
interested in the position. Go prepared to ask a few smart questions, and
avoid looking like a deer in the headlights.

1. Ask about the competitive environment as well as the goals of

the organization and management.
2. Ask what skills the interviewer considers to be most important
for the position.
3. Ask the interviewer if he or she sees a gap in your skills. If a gap
is identified, this gives you an opportunity to identify skills you
possess that you haven’t already talked about in the interview.
4. Ask again about a gap in your skills. If the answer is no, close,
and ask for the next interview. Managers always like interviewees
to ask for another interview. Closing is what sales is all about!
Good closers make excellent salespeople.

Additional information you might like to gather

from your interviewer:
• Detailed description of position (if you don’t already know).
• Reason position is available.
• Territory status and history.
• Anticipated training program.

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118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

• Realistic earnings potential of successful salespeople. (Don’t bring

this up in your first interview.)
• Company growth plans, market share, and competitors.
• Why and when did the interviewer join the company?

Important: Don’t forget to ask for the interviewer’s card and e-mail
address, and follow up immediately with a thank-you note.

Breaking the Ice:

The key to starting your interview out well is to break the ice. Having
some good icebreaker questions to ask helps you make a good first
impression and sets the tone for the interview. Small talk gives the inter-
viewer an opportunity to get a feel for your personality and also gives
you an idea of his or her personality. Most importantly, it gives you time
to become acquainted and to ease any tension and anxiety you may be
feeling as you begin the interview. Furthermore, taking the time to break
the ice is important because it is a skill you will use all the time when
presenting to doctors. By showing your interviewer that you are good
at breaking the ice, they will be able to envision you doing the same as
you call on doctors. Be sure to ask only questions that the interviewer
will be happy to answer, and don’t ask all of them. Select those you feel
are the most appropriate for your situation, and ask only as many as you
see fit. You do want to get on to the interview, after all.

Some samples of ice breakers:

• What is your position at the company (if you don’t know)?
• How long have you been with the company?
• How long are you in town?

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• Have you had a chance to get out to any good restaurants or to

see any of the sites (if the interviewer is from out of town)?
• What do you think about this weather?
• What an easy trip. The directions were great! (Be positive. If
you got lost for an hour and thought that the directions were
horrific, don’t say so! Remember, you are behaving like the
sales rep of the century. Smile at all times, regardless of how
you really feel.)

Relax During the Interview. Be Yourself.

When interviewing for pharmaceutical sales positions, you want the
interview to be as conversational as possible. One of your main goals
while interviewing is to “be yourself ”. You want to answer questions in
a way that displays your enthusiasm for the job, your belief in yourself,
and your confidence about what you can offer the company.
The job candidate who is chosen isn’t necessarily the one with the
most experience. In sales, the interviewee with the best personality usu
ally lands the job. You want your personality to shine through during
the interview: Relax, and keep in mind that the person doing the inter-
viewing was probably in your shoes not so long ago. Think of the
interviewer as your peer, someone you are having a conversation with.
If you relax and believe in yourself, you will present yourself as the best
candidate for the job. With persistence, determination, and a little prac-
tice, almost anyone can learn to interview with confidence and
composure.
Come up with a general idea of how you might answer the common
questions asked in virtually all interviews. Practice your answers, but
don’t memorize them. Don’t be afraid to take a minute before answering

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118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

to gather your thoughts. A well-thought-out answer is better than an

off-the-cuff one. Take the time, a day or two before the interview, to
mentally review your accomplishments and the high points of your
résumé. You should be able to rattle off your qualifications, your aca-
demic credentials, and your successful career experiences as effortlessly
as reciting your name and phone number. There are literally hundreds
of interview questions that can be asked in an interview. It’s impossible
and unrealistic to attempt to practice answers to all of them. If you get
caught up in memorizing answers to questions, you will be doing yourself
a disservice. Memorized answers sound canned and unnatural.

Common Interview Questions

In this book, we have outlined some of the most common questions
asked in pharmaceutical sales interviews. That compilation of questions
is by no means comprehensive. Go to your interview prepared to answer
the following general most common questions as well. Study up!
• What are your strengths?
• Tell me about your last positions. Which ones did you enjoy
the most? the least?
• Are you happy with your career’s progress to date?
• Tell me about yourself.
• What do you expect to get out of your career?
• What is the most difficult situation you have ever faced?
• How do you define “success”?
• What were the three most important events (positive or nega-
tive) in your life?
• What do you consider your most significant accomplishment?
• What is your favorite book?

188
Section 8: GREAT Answers that Showcase Your Sales Skills

• What do you like and dislike about presentations, and why?

• Tell me about your last day at work.
• What are the things that motivate you?
• If money was no object and you wanted to work, what would
be your ideal position?
• What are your foreign language capabilities?
• What jobs have you enjoyed the most and the least, and why?
• What can you offer us that someone else can’t?
• Tell me about your education. Do you have plans for further
education?
• How has your schooling prepared you for this job?
• How would your current supervisor describe you?
• What are your primary activities outside of work?
• How do you handle people that you don’t get along with?
• What makes you think you can handle this position?
• What has been your greatest challenge?
• What do you look for in a job?
• What three adjectives would you say best describe you?

Questions Asked of Recent College Graduates

• What is your GPA? Do you feel it reflects your abilities?
• How has your educational experience prepared you for this
position?
• What was your favorite course in college, and why?
• Why did you decide to attend X College? Are you happy with
your choice?
• What factors did you consider in choosing your major?
• How did your college experience change you?

189
118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

Crucial Closing Questions That You

Should Ask Your Interviewer

Asking these questions will help you advance to the next step
in the interview process.
1. What additional information do you need regarding my
candidacy?
2. Can you please explain the rest of the interview process? Where
do I go from here?
3. Is there anything that is preventing me from continuing on in
the interview process?
4. How do I compare to my competition?
5. Can we set up the next interview now?

190
Section 8: GREAT Answers that Showcase Your Sales Skills

Thank You Letter

Your Name
Address
City, State, ZIP
Phone
E-mail address
Date of interview

Date

Mr./Ms. Manager Name

Title
Address
City, State, ZIP

Dear Mr./Ms. Manager,

It was a pleasure meeting with you earlier today. I enjoyed learning more about
ABC Pharmaceuticals.
I hope that I conveyed to you how excited I am about the prospect of
working for you. My internships and part-time jobs in medical areas have given
me a clear idea of what a pharmaceutical sales career would entail. I truly feel
a calling to this type of work.*
I know that you expect the search to last a few more weeks. In the mean-
time, please don’t hesitate to call me if you need further information.
Many thanks for your consideration. I am looking forward to hearing
from you.

Sincerely,
(signature)

Your Name

* You may also want to add a sentence or two about something specific that was discussed
during the interview.

Be sure to send this immediately following the interview.

191
118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

Resignation Letter
Your Name
Address
City, State, ZIP
Phone
E-mail address

Date

Name
Company
Street Address
City, State, Zip

Dear ___________________________:

Please accept this letter as my formal resignation from my position with (name
of company). I have accepted a position as (job title) with (name of company), and
my last date of employment will be (date).

Although I have enjoyed working with you and my coworkers at (name of

employer), I feel I could not pass up this opportunity to take my career in a new
and exciting direction.

In closing, I would like to express my deep gratitude for the training and guid-
ance you have given me over the years. I will always be appreciative.

Sincerely,
(signature)

Your name

192
Pharmaceutical Sales Websites:
www.pharmaceuticalsalesinterviews.com (Lisa’s website)
www.pharmaceutical-rep.com (Anne’s website)
www.pharmadiversity.com
www.coreynahman.com
www.biospace.com
www.cafepharma.com
www.hirerx.com
www.medzilla.com
www.pharmaceuticaljobsusa.com
www.pharmaopportunities.com
www.rxcareercenter.com

Diversity Websites:
www.pharmadiversity.com
www.latpro.com
www.hirediversity.com

193
About the Authors

Anne Posegate

Anne has a B.S. in Sociology and Education and

has enjoyed careers in human resource manage-
ment, public relations, education, and pharma-
ceutical sales recruiting/corporate training.
Since 2001, Anne has committed herself to
training others into their dream careers. As a
master résumé writer, Anne creates powerful,
attention-gaining résumés that reflect her in-
depth knowledge of the pharmaceutical sales
industry. As a Certified Employment Interview Coach, Anne’s interview
methodology focuses on empowering clients to market their unique
skills and talents effectively as well as to learn and implement innovative
interview strategies that have been proven to impress hiring managers
and win jobs.
Building on her pharmaceutical sales recruiting experience, Anne
created a pharmaceutical sales career website, www.pharmaceutical-rep.
com, dedicated to being an information source for aspiring pharma reps.
To that end, she has written and marketed a 236-page e-book system,
30 Days to Your First Pharmaceutical Sales Job, and continues to serve as the
résumé-writing and interview-coaching expert for pharmaceutical-rep.
com—working with clients from California to Australia.

194
Lisa Lane

Lisa Lane is the pharmaceutical sales industry’s

most visible author and consultant. She is cur-
rently president of Drug Careers, Inc., a leading
pharmaceutical sales career development company
that provides curricula for entry-level training
programs in university programs across the
United States. She is recognized as an authority
in her field and is the recipient of a Marketing
Destiny Award for creative sales programs. She
has worked for three pharmaceutical companies in sales, product mar-
keting, and sales training.
Lisa has served as a career expert for many pharmaceutical career
websites and the career sections of many newspapers and periodicals
including “Career Builder,” Sales and Marketing magazine, the LA Times,
the Baltimore Sun, the Miami Herald, the Chicago Tribune, and over 20
others. She maintains daily contact with professionals in all areas of
pharmaceutical sales, counsels her customers, and devotes much of her
time to staying current on pharmaceutical news and information. Since
1999, she has helped thousands break into pharmaceutical sales.
Lisa’s website is www.PharmaceuticalSalesInterviews.com.

195
INDEX
80/20 Rule, 92–3, 128 closing questions, during interview,
90-day plan of action, 62 185, 190
closing strategies, 163–4, 170–1, 173
abilities, relating to job, 16, 48–9, 51–5, “coachability,” 27–36
67–70, 79–80, 83, 94–5, 103–4
college majors, applicability of, 86
achievements, professional, 15–6,
commitment, demonstrating, 60–1,
49–50, 71–2, 87, 131, 162–3
108–9
account executives, 59
age, irrelevance of, 103 common interview questions, 188–9
aggressiveness, showing, 19–20. See also communication skills, 11, 46–7, 48–9,
competitiveness. 54, 68, 86, 119
analytical skills, vs. creativity, 93–4 company knowledge, 47, 52–3, 133–
appearance, personal, 12, 147 40, 181–3
appraisals, performance, 69–70, 92 compensation, expectations of, 90–1,
assets, personal; relating to job, 48–9 107–8, 179–80
attitude, positive, 12, 28, 31, 47 competitiveness
authority, attitude toward, 27–8 ethical behavior and, 102
showing, 12, 19–20, 54, 55, 65–6,
Baby Boomers, pharmaceutical 102, 134–5
industry and, 78–9 teamwork vs., 19–22
bad credit, handling, 145 competitors’ products, 149–50, 155–6
benchmarks, using, 87–8 computer skills, 88–9
bosses, past, 18–19, 80–1 confidence, showing, 12, 54–5
brag books, creating, 70–3 conflict, handling, 24–5, 143, 158
branded products, 138–9 constructive criticism, accepting, 11,
breaking the ice, 186–7 30–1
career achievements, 15–6, 49–50, conventions, working at, 159
71–2, 87, 131, 162–3 conversational skills, 187–8
career changes, explaining, 81–2 co-promotion, 23, 116–7, 129
career-family balance, addressing, credit checks, 145
89–90 creativity, vs. analytical skills, 94–3
career goals criticism, openness to, 11, 30–1
company’s fit with, 16, 37–8, 62, 86 current occupation
realistic, 47, 62 discussing, 67–70, 78–80, 83
challenges, of pharmaceutical sales, performance evaluations of, 69, 92
109–10 current salary, discussing, 90–1

197
118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

decision-making skills, 75–6 incremental, 11, 105, 111, 122, 144,

situational, 141–59 148, 155, 161
determination, showing, 12, 54, 61, 68 personal, 41–3, 45–6
disease-state knowledge, 112–3 realistic, 47, 62
diversity, 135 sales, 11, 17, 59–61
Internet resources for, 193 team, 21, 23, 24, 174
doctors territory, 17, 131–2
guidelines for interaction with, guidance, openness to, 11, 30–1
139–40
selling to, 112, 115–7, 121–2, 124– hand-written notes, post interview, 45
5, 126–8, 130–2, 139–40, 144, honesty, demonstrating, 35–6
146–9, 150–7, 163–4 ice-breaking questions, 186–7
dress, interview-appropriate, 147 income expectations, 90–1, 107–8,
drug synergy, 23 179–80
duties, of pharmaceutical reps, 108–11, incremental sales goals, 11, 105, 111,
113–4. See also pharmaceutical sales 122, 144, 148, 155, 161
jobs, knowledge of. individuality vs. teamwork, 19–20
information, presenting clearly, 12
entertainment, PhRMA code rules for,
integrity, personal, 35–6, 102
140
interests, personal
enthusiasm, importance of, 184–5
relating to job, 51–3
entrepreneurship, 54, 135–6
interview process, steps of, 175–90
ethics, personal, 35–6, 102. “interviewing zone,” 10
See also PhRMA code.
expectations, realistic, 57, 62, 113–4, job changes, explaining, 81–2
134
experience knowledge
relating to job, 48–9, 51–5, 67–70, of company, 47, 52–3, 133–40,
79–80, 83, 94–5, 103–4 181–3
lack of sales experience, 118–9 of pharmaceutical sales jobs, 47,
evaluations, performance; current 51–3, 57, 62–3, 76–7, 92, 94–5,
profession’s, 69, 92 108–32, 174, 179
of industry, demonstrating, 47, 52–
face-to-face interviews, 176 3, 57, 121–3, 129, 133–40, 181–3
failures, learning from, 141–2, 164–5,
171–2 lawsuits, against pharmaceutical
family-career balance, addressing, companies, 123
89–90 leadership
feature-and-benefit selling, 169–70 attitude toward, 27–8
demonstrating ability for, 64–5, 87,
former employers, discussing, 127–8
“leave behinds,” ethics of , 140
legalities, industry, 120
gatekeepers, physicians’, 77, 124, 147, licensed products, 138–9
150–4 life goals, 41–3
gifts, post-interview, 127 loyalty, to company, 11, 27–36
goals lunch and learns, 116–7
career, 16, 30, 37–8, 45–6, 62–3, 69,
74, 86 majors, college; applicability of, 86

198
Index

managed care, careers in, 59 personal qualities, 15, 45–6, 69

managed care environments, selling in, personal vs. work time, 89–90
114–5 personal traits, 45–6
management, fit with, 27–6 negative, 74–5
managers personality, importance of, 15, 178,
current, 27–8, 31–4 184, 187–8
past, 18–19, 27–9, 34–5, 80–1 pharmaceutical companies
marketing careers, 58–9 interviewing with other, 84–5
medical conventions, working at, 159 knowledge of, 47, 52–3, 133–40,
medical information, ability to process, 181–3
12, 100–1 lawsuits against, 123
medical technology courses, 101 sales-force size of, 112
mistakes, learning from, 43–4
small vs. large, 135–8
money, as motivation, 53–4
motivation, showing, 12, 32–3, 53–4, pharmaceutical industry
55–7, 127–8, 141 careers in, 58–9
multiple interviews, handling, 84–5 knowledge of, 47, 52–3, 57, 121–3,
129, 133–40, 181–3
negative personal traits, handling, selling skills for, 105, 114–5, 121–2
45–6, 74–5 pharmaceutical sales jobs, knowledge
negotiation skills, 11, 50, 51, 68, 83, of, 47, 51–3, 57, 62–3, 76–7, 92,
145 94–5, 108–32, 174, 179
nonverbal cues, reading, 10 phone interviews, 175, 178–81
nonverbal skills, 11 PhRMA code, 124, 134, 139–40
objectives, résumé, 124 physicians
office calls, numbers of, 113–4 guidelines for interaction with,
office staff, as gatekeepers, 77, 124, 147, 139–40
150–4 selling to, 112, 115–7, 121–2, 124–
opportunity creators, 11 5, 126–8, 130–2, 139–40, 144,
organization skills, demonstrating, 11, 146–9, 150–7, 163–4
74, 89, 99, 110–1, 127–8 post-interview
ownership of sales territory, taking, 11, gifts, 127
55, 63, 91, 108, 127, 131–2, 179–80 thank-you notes, 45, 186, 191
overnight travel, willingness for, 180 preceptorships, 176–7
overtime, willingness to work, 60–1 preparedness for interviews, 84, 181–4.
paperwork, ability to handle, 74, 99. See See also knowledge.
also record keeping skills. prescribers
Pareto’s Principle, 92–3, 128 guidelines for interaction with,
past jobs, skills from, 67–8, 83 139–40
past, lessons learned from, 43–4 selling to, 112, 115–7, 121–2, 124–
performance appraisals 5, 126–8, 130–2, 139–40, 144,
current profession’s, 92 146–9, 150–7, 163–4
ratings on, 69–70 prescribing habits, physicians’, 116,
persuasive selling skills, 11, 51, 68, 80, 126–8, 130, 132, 144, 148–9, 152,
83, 119, 135, 145 154, 156–7, 159
personal development, 41–4 priorities, setting, 11, 89–90, 127–8,
personal goals, 41–3, 45–6 130, 162

199
118 Great Answers to Tough Pharmaceutical Sales Interview Questions

problem-solving skills, 11 sales training and development

situational, 141–59 careers, 58
promotions, expectations of, 57 “sample drops,” 120–1
product knowledge, current, 112–3, samples
154–6, 181–3 in sample closet, 149
proprietary products, 138–9 “sample drops” and, 120–1
trading, 120
rapport, building, 11, 86, 119, 121, 125, scientific information, comprehending,
144, 147–8, 152, 153, 157, 161, 167, 12, 100–1
171 self-motivation, 12, 32–3, 53–4, 55–7,
recent college graduates, 189–90 127–8, 141
record-keeping skills situational questions, 141–59, 174–5
computer-based, 89, 111 STAR Answer Format for, 12–13
demonstrating, 11, 74, 99 skills, skill set; relating to job, 16, 48–9,
references, objectivity about, 80–1 51–5, 67–70, 79–80, 83, 94–5
rejection, handling, 39 small talk, icebreaking with, 186
relocation, willingness for, 59–60 speaker programs, 117, 156
research resources, 182, 193 STAR Answer Format, 12–13
resignation letter sample, 192 strengths, relating to job, 48–9
responsibilities, of sales reps, 108–11, stress, managing, 59–60
113–4. See also pharmaceutical sales success, record of, 15–6, 49–50, 71–2,
jobs, knowledge of. 87, 131, 162–3
résumés synergy, drug, 23
emailing, 154
employer verification of, 40 “teachability,” 27–9
keywords in, 150 team-selling environments, 21–2, 129,
objectives on, 124 171–4
specifics on, 131 teamwork skills, 12, 17–25, 171–4
“ride withs,” 176–7 technical information, processing, 12,
role-playing, during interview, 166–70 100–1
tenacity, showing, 12, 54, 61, 68
salary expectations, 90–1, 107–8, territory, sales; taking ownership of, 11,
179–80 55, 63, 91, 108, 127, 131–2, 179–80
sales, careers in, 58 thank-you notes, post-interview, 45,
sales goals, 11, 17, 59–61 186, 191
sales skills time management
lack of, 118–9 demonstrating skills in, 11, 110–1
persuasive, 11 work vs. personal time and, 89–90
industry-specific, 103–5, 114–5, training, leave for, 158
121–32, 139–40, 144, 146–9, trading samples, legality of, 120
150–7 “trial close,” 173
for managed care environments,
114–5 unadvertised positions, 139
sales strategies and, 161–2, 163–71, values, work, 40
173
sales partners, problems with, 158 weaknesses, handling, 45–6, 74–5
sales territory, “ownership” of, 11, 55, working late, willingness for, 60–1
63, 91, 108, 127, 131–2, 179–80 work valu es, 40

200

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SQP Eng 3
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Lesson 1
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Lesson 1
5 pages