As a medical representative to regional Manager to become?

On the steps of the career ladder in the pharmaceutical industry will certainly be interested in this article not just those who are already building their careers, but applicants. What qualities and knowledge required for this?

in order to begin to develop in the pharmaceutical business in sales must pass the competitive selection for the vacancy of medical representative. But, what happens when you work in the office of representative more than 1.5 years?

our statistics show that the amount of experience the employee has a need to be further developed. As career and professional. Who can become a medical representative of a pharmaceutical company? Next step senior medical representative, but in some companies this position is not just in staffing. And then the employee gets a choice, to be a Manager for the key account or regional Manager, be responsible for your result or the result of a command?

In the next article I will tell how to take up the post of Key Account Manager. Today, more talk about how to become a regional Manager of a pharmaceutical company?!

first, let’s analyze, who is the regional Manager decides which tasks and which decisions. Just want to warn you that the analysis was conducted only on the basis of open information for big pharmaceutical companies of the TOP 15 Global Pharma.

so, the regional Manager – a Manager who manages a team of medical representatives in a particular city or region, with the aim of achieving the targets of the company.

the Main responsibilities on this position:

• Manage team, which includes: recruitment, motivation, coaching, evaluation;
• Monitoring of performance of medical representatives planned indicators;
• ensuring the availability of a full range of products from distributors and pharmacies;
• Planning, forecasting of sales;
• Analysis of the pharmaceutical market in the region, competitors;
• maintaining a database of key partners in the region;
• Control of budget execution;
• Preparation of monthly reports for the region.

of Course, to the candidate for the position of regional Manager must meet certain requirements as to the experience and profile of competences: the skills and personal characteristics.

Requirements:

• Higher pharmaceutical/medical education (in recent years, increasingly considered candidates with other higher education, as priority is given to relevant experience)
• Experience of managing a team of medical representatives minimum 1.5 years;
• Understanding of promotion of pharmaceuticals in Russia;
• Completion of all basic training for medical representatives (sales skills, presentations, etc.)

Personal qualities:

• interpersonal Skills
• Stress tolerance
• Leadership skills
• Responsibility
• Persistence in achieving goals;
• Focus on results
• Flexibility.

Skills:

• Sales (advanced level);
• negotiation (advanced level);
• Planning and organization of work;
• decision Making
• Setting objectives and targets, monitoring and evaluating their performance;
• Ability to work in a team;
• Effective management of team;
• Strategic vision
• Analytical skills
• valid driving license category b; driving experience of at least 2 years;
• computer Knowledge at user level;

Personal qualities and skills may vary depending on the tasks that will solve regional Manager.

Medical representative it is important to understand the degree of responsibility that awaited him. Continue to evaluate your delnost for the entire period of work in the company, namely the most important factor – implementation of sales plan, availability and the steady increase in the number of customers of the company. Because, to talk about the promotion only if you have good work results. Of course, everyone understands that the current regional Manager often is not going to leave the company or go on maternity leave, also hope that everybody understands that any promotion must be ethical.

If the head has developed a good professional relationship, you can talk to him, Express their desire to grow and develop further. To contract out part of the tasks of the regional Manager, i.e. the Manager will simply be delegated some tasks of the medical representative, for example, coaching of new employees. Or just ask: what do I need to do, which skills to improve to get a promotion?

In large companies there is the concept of a personnel reserve or it is also called «gold reserve». To become a member of the «gold reserve» that the acting Manager is applying, and in conjunction with the Department of personnel and training Department is assigned a specific development plan representative. The company in turn carries out several times a year coaching sessions for the «Golden reserve», which are tasks that the representative performs in the workplace under the supervision of the Manager. And during the vacation period, the regional Manager, medical representative replaces him, which already uses the acquired knowledge and develops skills to work with the team. Especially for self-motivated members, it is important not to miss the opportunity of moving to another region, if within the company there is a job opening.
There are companies where managerial positions, invite candidates, arguing that the company has no time to wait, and the result is required here and now. But in most cases still are considered internal employees.

In companies where growth is not assumed, it is important to take the highest position possible. For example, senior medical representative, because the higher the position, the more opportunities to interest a future employer during the review process summary. It is important to establish itself as a professional employee. In my practice there were several cases when the regional Manager called and reported that in their company there is no growth, but his team has a professional medical representative who has all the necessary qualities and skills to work with regional and gave a positive recommendation.

to Summarize, to become a good/effective as a regional Manager, you must perform current tasks better than 100%, to be the best in the business and his team. Continuous self-development, maybe even get additional education (MBA), to read educational books. Always get feedback from senior colleagues and their work. And, of course, do not go out of my way to my goals!

Julia Ekimova

Office Manager

Recruitment company AVICONN