Pharmaceutical Sales Mock Interview
Practice 40 Pharmaceutical Sales interview questions covering territory management, clinical knowledge, and relationship building.
Question 22 of 40
A doctor is resistant to try a new product you are presenting to them. What do you do in that situation?
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Ryan Brunner has over ten years of experience recruiting, interviewing, and hiring candidates in the healthcare, public service, and private manufacturing/distribution industries.
Pharmaceutical companies are continuously bringing new and innovative products to the market and, at times, the physicians you work with will be hesitant to try them initially. In posting this question, your interviewer needs to be assured that you would have the gumption to get beyond that initial answer of no and persist in making the sale down the road using your best techniques.
"Bringing new products to the market can always cause some hesitancy among prescribing providers, and this is only natural. In this situation, I switch modes to an educator and ensure that the physician has all the materials and resources possible to read about the drug and its benefits. I would enable them time to ask any questions of me while we're face to face, as well as leaving the door wide open once I leave. From there, I make sure I'm not pushy and give them time to think it over and then follow up in a week by phone."
Active listening and a little bit of persistence will typically be what the doctor ordered in your role as a pharmaceutical sales rep. Tell the interviewer that you will actively listen to ensure you understand what the physician is looking for and what their concerns are about your product. Some things you want to mention are that you will leave the physician with all the educational materials you can, including throwing in some samples. If you have been in a similar situation in the past, tell the interviewer what you did and how it worked out.
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I would ask the doctor where his/her hesitancy lies and try to answer their questions in this regard. I would leave some samples for the doctor as well as information and research regarding the product and ask them to look at it and think about any other questions that they may have. I would follow up with the doctor at a later time.
Amanda's Feedback
You've clearly outlined how you would work to overcome the physician's objections.
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