 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
impression, it may be your last.
You ever notice that most pharmaceutical sales reps
are well-dressed?
If you are interviewing for a pharmaceutical sales job,
then dress to impress! I can't believe it when candidates
show up at a job fair or open house not wearing a suit.
Guys should wear a well-fitted, dark, three-button suit, a
white shirt, conservative tie (stripes are in) and be sure
to polish your shoes.
Women: To play it safe, always try to wear a dark suit
with pants. A skirt worn in good taste would be fine, but I
once interviewed a woman with a tear in her stocking.
Mini-skirts are definitely out of the question. Wearing
just pants and a shirt is not professional enough. I once
sent a candidate to my regional manager that showed
up wearing dark pants and a sleeveless shirt. The
interview was over before it even started.
And then there are candidates and reps that make me
laugh: kacky pants and a polo shirt, sloppy shirts
sticking out of their pants, flies open, stained shirts and
ties, torn shoes, and ill-fitting suits.
Doctors take notice of what you wear and how you
present yourself. They appreciate a professional look.
Men should always wear the jacket regardless of the
weather! Women should not wear clothing that exposes
tattoos. I have nothing against tattoos (I have three
myself), but doctors don’t need to see them.
During my interview process for my first pharmaceutical
sales position, I did a telephone interview with a doctor.
When I asked him what he looked for in a salesperson,
the first thing he mentioned was appearance. He told
me about a rep who had been a complete slob. His
greasy hair pressed down on his forehead; his fat
stomach bulged out of his coffee-stained shirt, revealing
his undershirt and bellybutton hairs; his suit, when he
did wear a jacket, looked as if he had just pulled it out of
the laundry basket. The doctor roared on the other end
of the phone as he told me the story and I roared with
him. He added that no other doctor in the office would
see the rep. He had agreed to see this rep only
because he was so fascinated by the man’s sloppiness.
Trust me—this is not how you want district managers or
doctors to remember you (excerpt from Pharmaceutical
Landing).
During a job fair one candidate walked in wearing a blue
tooth on his ear. I said, "Are you expecting a call?" Then
in a haste, removed his blue tooth. Out of respect for
people, I gave him about 5 minutes, but he was done
before the interview even started. If someone shows
that type of poor business judgement during an
interview, it is just a taste of poor future judgments.
Be Fit! If you want your clothes to fit nicely and you think
you maybe a little on the "heavy side," then start an
exercise and nutrition program with my other book
Bodybuilding a Realistic Approach.
