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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 but doctors don’t
need to see them.
During my interview process for my first pharmaceutical
sales position, I conducted 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, he 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 may be need to tone up, then start an exercise and
nutrition program with my other book Bodybuilding a
Realistic Approach.
