Many articles have been written about the best way to engage with our customers in the NHS. How best to partner with this new breed, made up of payers, commissioners, and medicines management gurus. How best to tap into their agenda. In fact, many careers have been built on telling us just how to sell to our customers, and an awful lot of consultancy fees have been paid to experts so that we can all be scared to death about this ‘new’ customer group who we are told work hidden away, been firmly shut doors in an increasingly complex and confusing NHS maze.
In my simple world view, yes, of course we do need to speak the same language as our customers, but we also need to ensure that we are getting the balance right, to ensure that our customer partnerships are mutually beneficial. We need to be truly customer focused, but we also need to achieve the win:win equilibrium, to avoid promising the world in value added services for very little commercial return.
Over the last few years, Key Account Management has been the new pharma industry term that seems to be bandied about on a daily basis. It is used often and widely and it seems to mean different things to different people in different companies. Every hiring manager seems to be looking for the elusive KAM. Does it mean a hospital representative? Does it mean an NHS Liaison Manager? Is it a bit of both? Or is it just a very good salesperson with the right attitude, the right skills and the common sense to convince key influential customers to sit round a table, to weigh up the pros and cons, and to agree on decisions that will help them to achieve their desired outcomes, but that will also grow product sales for their company?
In many ways, Key Account Management is a philosophy; a way of thinking, rather than some magical process. Account plans and systems can of course help to keep business on track, but they cannot be the golden ticket on their own. People still, and always will, buy from people. Outstanding KAM’s need to be outstandingly talented sales people. In the ‘good old’ days, when sales people were autonomous, and they had full accountability for their results, the successful ones managed their own business and they managed it well. Naturally, they identified and involved all key stakeholders, naturally they engaged with clinicians, and non clinicians alike, and naturally they engaged the people who ultimately held the purse strings. They were unblocking the clinical and funding barriers that KAM’s and Market Access Manager’s do today, whilst always remembering to sell.
This breed are driven, competitive, innovative, competitive, hardworking, flexible responders to change and above all, as superb net workers and communicators, they can be relied upon to consistently achieve results.
At 20:20 Selection Limited, we know that recruitment agencies are mainly fishing from the same pond. The skill we use to catch the KAM’s is to recognise the specific species, and to know which bait to use.
Showing posts with label interview. Show all posts
Showing posts with label interview. Show all posts
Tuesday, 20 April 2010
Thursday, 4 February 2010
Interview Guidance
Interview Guidance
PRIOR TO the Interview
Research
Look committed and find out as much as possible about the company.
Visit their web site for more information on the company.
Find out who will your competitors be and as much as possible about the market/customers you will be selling to
Job Description
Make sure you are fully aware what the role is you are being interviewed for. Your consultant at 20:20 Selection Ltd will have fully briefed you on this.
Be confident that you are technically qualified to do the job. We would not have spoken to you about the role if we didn’t think your profile matched the client’s criteria!
Have examples from your previous roles to demonstrate your ability to do this job and evidence in your brag file to back this up
FOR THE INTERVIEW
Personal Presentation
Look your smartest and show your most professional side during the interview. A company is more likely to employ someone who is well presented and who will therefore best represent their company to customers.
Punctuality
Arrive to start the interview on time (be early if possible)
Obtain clear directions for the location of the interview and plan your journey, allowing plenty of time to arrive.
INTERVIEW DO’S
Introduce yourself courteously (first impressions last!)
Express yourself clearly.
Show tact, manners, courtesy, and maturity at every opportunity.
Be confident and maintain poise. The ability to handle your nerves during the interview will come across as confidence in your ability to handle the job.
Be prepared to show how your experience would benefit the company.
Ask questions concerning the company or products and the position for which you are being interviewed for. An interviewer will be impressed by an eager and inquisitive mind. You will also be able to demonstrate that you can contribute to the company or industry if you show an interest in its products and/or services.
Take time to think and construct your answers to questions to avoid rushing into a vague and senseless reply.
Demonstrate that you are sufficiently motivated to get the job done well and that you will fit in with the company's organisational structure and the team in which you will work.
Show willingness to start at the bottom and work up.
Anticipate questions you’re likely to be asked and have answers prepared in advance. Uncertainty and disorganisation show the interviewer that you are unprepared and unclear what your goals are.
Be assertive without being aggressive (ensure you close – remember you are a sales person & ‘you’ are your product)
Thank the interviewer for their time
Interview Don'ts
Be late for the interview. Tardiness is a sign of irresponsibility or disorganisation and the employer could take it as what to expect in the future.
Arrive unprepared for the interview.
Say unfavourable things about previous employers.
Make excuses for failings.
Give vague responses to questions.
Show lack of career planning - no goals or purpose could convey the impression you're merely shopping around or only want the job for a short time.
Show too much concern about rapid advancement.
Overemphasise money. Your interviewing goal is to sell yourself to the interviewer and to get an offer of employment. Salary discussion is secondary.
Show any reservations you may have about the role/company. You can always turn down second interviews and job offers after you have had time to appraise your concerns in the cold light of day.
Express strong prejudices or any personal intolerance.
Leave your mobile phone on during the interview.
These are general tips that can be applied to any interview situation. Part of the service we offer at 20:20 Selection Ltd is to help you prepare for specific client interviews. We have key account managers specifically working with clients & members of the team who come from a pharmaceutical sales management background so you will get personalised expert advice relating to your interview! To find out more about 20:20 Selection Ltd visit www.2020selection.co.uk
PRIOR TO the Interview
Research
Look committed and find out as much as possible about the company.
Visit their web site for more information on the company.
Find out who will your competitors be and as much as possible about the market/customers you will be selling to
Job Description
Make sure you are fully aware what the role is you are being interviewed for. Your consultant at 20:20 Selection Ltd will have fully briefed you on this.
Be confident that you are technically qualified to do the job. We would not have spoken to you about the role if we didn’t think your profile matched the client’s criteria!
Have examples from your previous roles to demonstrate your ability to do this job and evidence in your brag file to back this up
FOR THE INTERVIEW
Personal Presentation
Look your smartest and show your most professional side during the interview. A company is more likely to employ someone who is well presented and who will therefore best represent their company to customers.
Punctuality
Arrive to start the interview on time (be early if possible)
Obtain clear directions for the location of the interview and plan your journey, allowing plenty of time to arrive.
INTERVIEW DO’S
Introduce yourself courteously (first impressions last!)
Express yourself clearly.
Show tact, manners, courtesy, and maturity at every opportunity.
Be confident and maintain poise. The ability to handle your nerves during the interview will come across as confidence in your ability to handle the job.
Be prepared to show how your experience would benefit the company.
Ask questions concerning the company or products and the position for which you are being interviewed for. An interviewer will be impressed by an eager and inquisitive mind. You will also be able to demonstrate that you can contribute to the company or industry if you show an interest in its products and/or services.
Take time to think and construct your answers to questions to avoid rushing into a vague and senseless reply.
Demonstrate that you are sufficiently motivated to get the job done well and that you will fit in with the company's organisational structure and the team in which you will work.
Show willingness to start at the bottom and work up.
Anticipate questions you’re likely to be asked and have answers prepared in advance. Uncertainty and disorganisation show the interviewer that you are unprepared and unclear what your goals are.
Be assertive without being aggressive (ensure you close – remember you are a sales person & ‘you’ are your product)
Thank the interviewer for their time
Interview Don'ts
Be late for the interview. Tardiness is a sign of irresponsibility or disorganisation and the employer could take it as what to expect in the future.
Arrive unprepared for the interview.
Say unfavourable things about previous employers.
Make excuses for failings.
Give vague responses to questions.
Show lack of career planning - no goals or purpose could convey the impression you're merely shopping around or only want the job for a short time.
Show too much concern about rapid advancement.
Overemphasise money. Your interviewing goal is to sell yourself to the interviewer and to get an offer of employment. Salary discussion is secondary.
Show any reservations you may have about the role/company. You can always turn down second interviews and job offers after you have had time to appraise your concerns in the cold light of day.
Express strong prejudices or any personal intolerance.
Leave your mobile phone on during the interview.
These are general tips that can be applied to any interview situation. Part of the service we offer at 20:20 Selection Ltd is to help you prepare for specific client interviews. We have key account managers specifically working with clients & members of the team who come from a pharmaceutical sales management background so you will get personalised expert advice relating to your interview! To find out more about 20:20 Selection Ltd visit www.2020selection.co.uk
Tuesday, 17 November 2009
Redundancy: How to make this an opportunity
Redundancy in the pharmaceutical industry has been a recurring theme in November and December for the past three years or so; not the best time of year to be told you have no job. Yes the current global economic crisis has compounded matters but the affects we are seeing are more driven by the changing NHS, market access challenges, product pipelines and the drive for profitability.
So what do you need to do if you are told you are ‘on consultation’ or are actually redundant? Firstly do not panic. Then try not to take the news as personal, remember it is the job that is redundant, even if you feel unhappy about selection criteria for redundancy your HR Department will be ensuring that the process is fair and lawful.
It is normal to go through a whole raft of emotions which may include anger, relief, frustration, even sadness. The difficult aspects are often related to the fact that one day you had an interesting, respectable, well paid job with company car to suddenly being unemployed. Once you have digested this, and dealt with any immediate personal or financial implications, then please be positive so you use the situation as the opportunity it is to review your career goals and aspirations.
We know there are fewer jobs in medical/pharmaceutical sales than in the boom of 1995 – 2005 but the positive news is that roles are evolving, becoming more account management focused and often more specialist in nature presenting superb opportunities for strong sales professional to further develop their skills. It is fair to say that some people may see redundancy as a chance to move out of the sector, we are well trained by pharmaceutical companies and your transferable skills are marketable if you decide to explore that route.
Based on our experience there are some key tips which will be crucial in securing the right next position; you don’t want to jump in to a job if it’s not right. We do see too many people coming in six months post redundancy saying “I took my current job as I was redundant but realise now I took it because it was a job”; this doesn’t look good on a CV.
Ensure you have all the data/evidence you need to sell yourself at your next interview. Too many candidates claim the information has been lost or still on the company PC which has now gone back. If you are competing against someone else with a good Brag File you could miss out on that perfect job. Find all your sales data, business plans, appraisals, field visit report, examples of additional projects, formulary letters etc
Refer to this information when you are updating your CV; you need to have your CV as achievement focused as possible, these should be specific. Contact us (20:20 Selection Ltd) for advice
Find an agency that understands the industry and how best to sell your skills
Do not log your CV as open access on recruitment websites as you need to retain control of your personal information
Do keep a log of where you have sent your CV and track progress of your applications.
Consider how a Recruitment Consultant can help you prepare for interviews i.e. interview practice, presentations, attending assessment centres or just a sounding board
Be open to roles and companies you may not have heard of; there some interesting positions available.
Ensure you attend interviews you have committed to as it is a very small world.
Before an interview ensure you fully research the company and therapy area/products; the manager will expect you have done this as well as expect you can sell yourself for her/his specific position
Be prepared to work on feedback after an interview as it will help at second stage or if unsuccessful help for your next interview.
This is not an exhaustive list of tips but hopefully it may give you some help and/or inspiration. Getting the right job does take a lot of time but things can happen for a reason, even though you may not know the reason at this moment!
To discuss your own situation in more details contact our team on 0845 026 2020 or visit the website to view a selection of our current nationwide opportunities http://www.2020selection.co.uk/
So what do you need to do if you are told you are ‘on consultation’ or are actually redundant? Firstly do not panic. Then try not to take the news as personal, remember it is the job that is redundant, even if you feel unhappy about selection criteria for redundancy your HR Department will be ensuring that the process is fair and lawful.
It is normal to go through a whole raft of emotions which may include anger, relief, frustration, even sadness. The difficult aspects are often related to the fact that one day you had an interesting, respectable, well paid job with company car to suddenly being unemployed. Once you have digested this, and dealt with any immediate personal or financial implications, then please be positive so you use the situation as the opportunity it is to review your career goals and aspirations.
We know there are fewer jobs in medical/pharmaceutical sales than in the boom of 1995 – 2005 but the positive news is that roles are evolving, becoming more account management focused and often more specialist in nature presenting superb opportunities for strong sales professional to further develop their skills. It is fair to say that some people may see redundancy as a chance to move out of the sector, we are well trained by pharmaceutical companies and your transferable skills are marketable if you decide to explore that route.
Based on our experience there are some key tips which will be crucial in securing the right next position; you don’t want to jump in to a job if it’s not right. We do see too many people coming in six months post redundancy saying “I took my current job as I was redundant but realise now I took it because it was a job”; this doesn’t look good on a CV.
Ensure you have all the data/evidence you need to sell yourself at your next interview. Too many candidates claim the information has been lost or still on the company PC which has now gone back. If you are competing against someone else with a good Brag File you could miss out on that perfect job. Find all your sales data, business plans, appraisals, field visit report, examples of additional projects, formulary letters etc
Refer to this information when you are updating your CV; you need to have your CV as achievement focused as possible, these should be specific. Contact us (20:20 Selection Ltd) for advice
Find an agency that understands the industry and how best to sell your skills
Do not log your CV as open access on recruitment websites as you need to retain control of your personal information
Do keep a log of where you have sent your CV and track progress of your applications.
Consider how a Recruitment Consultant can help you prepare for interviews i.e. interview practice, presentations, attending assessment centres or just a sounding board
Be open to roles and companies you may not have heard of; there some interesting positions available.
Ensure you attend interviews you have committed to as it is a very small world.
Before an interview ensure you fully research the company and therapy area/products; the manager will expect you have done this as well as expect you can sell yourself for her/his specific position
Be prepared to work on feedback after an interview as it will help at second stage or if unsuccessful help for your next interview.
This is not an exhaustive list of tips but hopefully it may give you some help and/or inspiration. Getting the right job does take a lot of time but things can happen for a reason, even though you may not know the reason at this moment!
To discuss your own situation in more details contact our team on 0845 026 2020 or visit the website to view a selection of our current nationwide opportunities http://www.2020selection.co.uk/
Friday, 5 June 2009
New Service at 2020 Selection Ltd
2009 sees the introduction of WebCam technology at 20:20 Selection Ltd making interviewing and coaching more convenient for you!
Our new building offers many sophisticated facilities such as a state of the art Conference and Meeting room complete with an interaction video link from which clients can communicate and maximise their busy working schedules.
We feel the benefits of video link is endless, it offers clients in the field, the opportunity to attend important board meetings in real time, and allows prospective candidates the opportunity of having direct dialogue with our consultants when they are unable to travel to our offices for interview.
Contact us on 0845 026 2020 to learn more about how we coach our candidates and the latest vacancies in the medical industry.
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