To be honest, there are dozens of alternatives available for almost every type of medicine. But, how does your doctor prefers the same brand of medicine every time you go to him or her for getting prescribed? The answer to this question is rather simple and let Prepmycareer explain it to you in rather an amusing way.
Once upon a time, there was a famous doctor called Mr. Money. After spending a busy day at his clinic, he was approached by a stunning gentleman who introduced himself as Mr. Pharma. He was a sales executive of a leading pharmaceutical business organization and was there to promote, market, and sell the produce of his company. He gave an impressive demonstration of the medicines manufactured by the company and went on to explain how those were better and more effective than the other brands. After getting an understanding of the medicines, Mr. Money decided not to prescribe the medicines recommended by Mr. Pharma. However, Mr. Pharma was a seasoned campaigner, and soon took out an agreement that offered a few lucrative incentives to Mr. Money. Post this, he also gave a beautiful dinner set for his wife as a display of gratitude and respect.
The rest is history, and soon Mr. Money started prescribing the medicines manufactured by the company of Mr. Pharma that scaled new heights and became a prominent name in the sector.
This story covers everything from the primary job profile of a pharmaceutical salesperson to his need for the business organization. A pharmaceutical salesperson, an expert marketer of goods, gets a good salary and performance-based allowances. It is one of the most respectable business positions and its selection process is quite strict and tough. Thus, you are requested to always prepare hard and in a sincere manner, preferably by reading a lot of frequently asked interview questions.
21 Best Interview Questions To Study
1. What Is the Relevance of Fixing Quotas or Sales Targets?
In every sales job, you will find sales targets that need to be achieved on a monthly/quarterly/yearly basis. Answer this question in a positive manner.
Sample Answer
Sir, sales targets are fixed so as to get the best out of a sales executive and to keep him or her motivated all the time. Fixation of sales quotas and coupling them up with lucrative incentives, not only encourages the salespersons to perform but also motivates them to push their limits. These are really effective in enhancing the sales of the company.
2. This Role Requires Making Sales Calls To Target Customers. Are You Up For It? If Yes, How Many Calls Can You Make In A Day?
This question checks your viewpoints in regards to making the sales calls.
Sample Answer
Yes sir, I completely understand the relevance of this question. Calling is an essential part of marketing, and I am comfortable with it. I can make 20-25 calls of moderate durations in a single working day.
3. Name The Three Most Used Software For Managing The Pharmaceutical Sales.
Everything moves around technology nowadays, and thus, you must be aware of all the latest software that is used in your industry.
Sample Answer
Sure, sir, These are:
- Veeva CRM
- StayinFront
- Synergistix
4. What Is A Digital Asset, In The Context Of Marketing?
Sample Answer
5. Explain The Role Of Demography In Enhancing Sales Of A Company and Finding Our Target Market?
This question tests your knowledge and understanding of the target market.
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Sample Answer
Sir, the best way to analyze and find out the target market of any product depends upon the demographics of a place. For Example, There are two major territories in a particular region. The people residing in Territory 1 suffer from diarrhea due to the non-availability of fresh drinking water. On the other hand, people belonging to territory 2 are mostly rich people and develop migraine, depression, and anxiety as common diseases. The products must be relevant to the majority of the population and satisfy their needs and wants. This is the only way to enhance sales of the company.
6. Assume That You Are Sitting In Front Of A Doctor and Have To Sell Our New Medicine. Share Your Response In This Situation.
This is a situation-based interview question, which requires you to tell your interviewer, the direct approach that you will adopt in this situation.
Sample Answer
Sir, I would respond in the following manner:
Hello Sir! Good Morning! I am Mr. XYZ from ABC Pharmaceutical Company. I am here at your prestigious institution to share with you a fantastic product that our company has devised for all the high-blood-pressure patients. This product has already been a hit in the overseas market and is also showing up good sales figures in the domestic market as well. I would like you to have an understanding of the product and also recommend it to all your patients having high blood pressure as an illness.
7. Are You Aware Of Your Duties? If Yes, Please Share Them With Us.
This question tests your knowledge and understanding of your profession. In other words, how much you know about your role and the duties that you are supposed to perform.
Sample Answer
Yes sir. I am totally aware of all the duties that I am supposed to perform as a pharmaceutical sales executive. These are:
- Increase the sales of the company’s products using several different mediums, including but not limited to direct selling
- Call the target doctors and fix a meeting with them
- Understanding the requirements of the doctors and offering them appropriate opportunities
- Establishing business relationships with targeted doctors
8. How Can You Market Our Products Effectively? Do You Have Any Strategy In Your Mind?
As a pharmaceutical sales executive, your primary role would be to sell the product of the company to medical professionals and chemist shops. Thus, you need to have a proper strategy in your mind to market the products of the company.
Sample Answer
Sir, marketing is the very basic need for every business organization and in my opinion, it is the most important task. In order to market the products effectively, it is my strategy to firstly, understand the requirements of the market in which I am supposed to operate. Secondly, I always prefer to have complete knowledge about the product that I am supposed to demonstrate. After having a knowledge of the product as well as the target market, I am always in a better position to ell the products and develop an effective sales pitch.
9. What Is The Biggest Challenge That You Face As A Pharmaceutical Sales Executive?
This question checks your knowledge and understanding of the various tasks that you are supposed to perform as a sales executive engaged with a pharmaceutical company.
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Sample Answer
Sir, the role of a salesperson is quite challenging and every day we face new hurdles and new faces. In my humble opinion, the biggest challenge that a pharmaceutical sales executive faces at his or her workplace is the requirement to convince, or we can say persuade a doctor, to change his tested medicines and start prescribing the medicines that are produced by our company. A few doctors are quite skeptical and really do not switch over, which affects our overall prospects of target achievement.
10. As A Sales Executive, You Will Have To Talk and Talk, A Lot. Are You Up For It? Also, Rate Your Verbal Communication Skills On A Scale Of One To Five.
This question checks how confident you are, upon your communication skills and verbal ability.
Sample Answer
Sir, this statement is absolutely true. I completely agree that a sales executive is required to communicate a lot, so as to fulfill all his tasks and duties in a proper manner. I am completely ready for this challenge and have a developed speech as well as a good ability to generate ideas. My verbal communication skills have increased manifolds as I am working for the past 4 years in this field. Hence, I would love to rate myself a 4.8.
11. Describe Yourself In One Word?
This is a tricky interview question and you are required to summarize the whole of your personality into a single word. You are requested to choose the corporate-friendly words, that match your job description. Some of the most preferred words for this question are, hardworking, dedicated, loyal, committed, honest, etc.
12. The Role Of A Sales Executive Is Quite Challenging. How Do You Manage Your Stress Levels?
Stress at the workplace is a common problem and is faced by a large number of working professionals all around the globe. It is a common expectation of business organizations, that their employees must manage their stress levels using appropriate strategies. As an ideal response, just share a relevant stress management strategy.
13. What Are Your Major Weaknesses?
This is a common interview question and marks its appearance in almost all the interview sessions held across the world. This is a negative question, but you have no other option than to attempt it. The best way to answer this question is by referring to some weakness that doesn’t directly affect the requirements of the job.
14. Not All The Sales Targets Are Met. How Do You Handle Failure At Your Workplace?
This statement is absolutely true. Not all the sales targets are fulfilled and accomplished by the sales executives. This leads to failure, which might have a bearing upon your mind, and could affect your overall work. As an ideal response to this question, just share your own strategies that you adopt to cope with work-related failure.
15. Can You Work In Rotational Shifts and Travel To Far Off Places?
Both of these are the common requirements of the job and every business organization looks for candidates that are comfortable in working in rotational shifts as well as traveling to far-off places. Hence, answer this question in a positive manner.
16. We Will Assign You Several Business Tasks That Need To Be Performed In A Single Working Day. How Do You Prioritize?
This question requires you to state your prioritization technique using which you are able to rank or arrange your tasks in a meaningful order on a relevant basis.
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17. Describe Your Best Boss and Worst Boss?
We all work at different business organizations and meet a lot of bosses. Some are good and some are just not up to our expectations. The reason or the basis of the segregation is the primary requirement of this interview question.
18. What Motivates You To Work?
We all are motivated by a few factors that prompt us to work hard at our workplace. An interviewer is interested in knowing these factors for the purposes of evaluation and examination of your personality and approach.
19. When Can You Start Working With Us?
There is nothing technical in this interview question. The ideal response to this question would require you to share a date, on or after which you are available to work with the company.
20. Why Do You Chose Us?
This question intends to check your level of commitment as well as seriousness towards the business organization. The official website of the company is the best place to prepare for this interview question. Just note down all the relevant findings from the website and couple them up with your personal interests in the company.
21. Do You Have Any Questions For Us?
This question marks the end of your opportunity. This is the last question which is asked in an interview session and after attempting this you can certainly go home. Through this question, an interviewer wants to know about your apprehensions and doubts in regard to the business organization. You might be wondering about the anti-harassment policies of the company or the different shifts that are designed by the company for its employees. Whatever it is, this question is the best chance to clear all your doubts.
Model Questions
- What are the various work timings that are used by the company for its employees?
- This company offers training and developmental programs to its employees. What are these programs?
- Is it the policy of the company to give paid leaves to its employees, especially during the times of medical emergencies and maternity/paternity?
References
- https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12911-021-01573-z
- https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=KBYtEAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=Top+21+Pharmaceutical+Sales+Interview+Questions+in+2021+%5Bwith+Answers%5D+&ots=eDRuIXcHmq&sig=tV-m6I5kOLl-jUR4jSBCLtIxylA
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Sandeep Bhandari is the founder of PrepMyCareer.com website.
I am a full-time professional blogger, a digital marketer, and a trainer. I love anything related to the Web, and I try to learn new technologies every day.
All the team management, content creation, and monetization tasks are handled by me. Together with the team at PrepMyCareer, the aim is to provide useful and engaging content to our readers.