Most pharmaceutical sales representatives start out in primary care sales positions, selling a variety of medications to a variety of physicians, with a high concentration of family practitioners and internists in their call cycles. When they look for an opportunity to advance, pharmaceutical reps are fortunate to be able to choose from several career paths. Opportunities often become available in field training, marketing, managed care or sales management, and many reps choose one of these paths. But for the type of sales representative who most enjoys face-to-face selling to physicians, a position as a specialty sales representative can often be the most appealing advancement option. Securing a specialty position is usually considered a promotion, and comes with an accompanying step up in salary and bonus potential. Perhaps advancement to a specialty position sounds right for you, but what does it take to land the position and then make it a success? If you are considering a move up to a specialty position, you must first determine what it takes to be successful, and then begin working toward developing and demonstrating the following key attributes.

Specialty reps possess advanced knowledge. Specialty sales representatives must possess in-depth knowledge of their products, competing products and the disease or diseases they are indicated to treat. According to Mike Yasick, head of Rochester, NY-based Celltech Pharmaceuticals’ Gastroenterology Division, this knowledge is an absolute must to be considered for a position as a specialty rep. “In a specialty position, there are far fewer customers to call on, so the rep needs this in-depth knowledge in order to keep the sales calls fresh and productive for the customer,” he says. Lauren Rubenstein, territory manager in the Urology Specialty Division of New York-based Sanofi-Synthelabo, agrees that specialty reps must be a cut above. “Physicians look to you for the latest and greatest information. You are expected to know more about the disease state, medications and resources available.” In order to prepare yourself for a specialty role, begin working now to increase your knowledge of the disease states and products involved in the area of specialization you have your eye on. Go beyond company-provided information and seek out more in-depth analyses of the issues. Find a local medical library, search the Internet or make a mentor out of one of your physicians who has specialized knowledge. These activities will help to prepare you for a specialty position on another level as well. “A good specialty rep is a good analyst,” says Yasick. “They can dig up and apply information that the company doesn’t provide.”

Specialty reps have a proven track record of success and achievement. If you are a primary care rep seeking advancement to a specialty position, you must be able to demonstrate a consistent history of sales success and increasing responsibility. “I was chosen to make the move from primary care to specialty rep because of my proven track record and my experience as a field trainer,” says Rubenstein. But it’s not enough to simply possess a successful track record; you must be able to demonstrate your specific areas of achievement, no matter how insignificant you think they might be. “Only 10% of the sales force wins President’s Club,” says Yasick. “There are still a lot of good salespeople who did not reach the top step. They should be able to point to the specific successes they have had.” Begin building a file of your achievements that is as detailed and specific as possible. Make a note of specific actions you have taken that have resulted in a successful outcome for a customer, your territory, your district or the company as a whole. Maintain detailed records of your sales success, including market share, market share growth and prescriptions generated in your territory. Keep all feedback sheets from ride-alongs, as well as performance evaluation reports. When a specialty sales opportunity comes along, it will be important for you to establish a long and consistent track record of success that you can clearly demonstrate and support.

Specialty reps exceed expectations on a regular basis. For a specialty rep, exceeding expectations becomes the expectation. “Specialty reps exceed expectations as a normal part of the job,” says Yasick. Specialty reps are expected to develop and implement their own ideas for increasing business, their own solutions to customer issues and their own answers to objections without waiting for a manager or supervisor to tell them what should be done. “Initiative is a requirement of the job,” says Yasick. “It is not a ‘nice to have.’” Specialty reps are also expected to provide a higher level of service to their customers than primary care reps. “Specialty reps give more service because their products require it,” says Tim Matthew, a cardiologist who practices in Rochester, NY. “Specialty products involve more people in the office, and therefore more service.” Specialty reps must also bring an element of creativity to the job in order to be successful in continually capturing the attention of their smaller, more knowledgeable base of customers. “The customers that specialty reps call on generally have more knowledge, with a higher academic standing,” says Yasick. “How to get the message through to these customers is the challenge of the specialty rep.” Increasing your own knowledge and developing your own unique and creative methods for getting and keeping the physician’s attention is one way you can successfully meet this challenge.

How to get there

Now that you have gained some insight into the key attributes of specialty reps, and if joining the ranks of a specialty sales force is an important career goal for you, don’t wait until an announcement for an open position arrives in your weekly mail. Begin preparing yourself today by following these suggestions:

Take nothing for granted. Sure, you have been successful in your current position, and you may even have been recognized nationally for your achievements a couple of years back. But don’t fool yourself into thinking that this makes you a shoe-in for any future openings. The truth of the matter is that you need to continually demonstrate and be able to articulate how you are making an impact in your current position. Competition for specialty rep positions can be fierce. Don’t lose sight of what you are paid to do today by spending too much time looking down the road at tomorrow.

Learn as much as you can. Going into an interview and asking for details about what you will be expected to do if you land the position may be a common approach for job seekers, but it does not show much initiative. Use your time now to learn as much as possible about the position you seek. Make it easy for the hiring manager to see how prepared you are, and that you will be able to make an impact quickly because you already know what will be expected once you assume your new role.