| Here is an interesting pharmaceutical sales jobs | | | | So the pharmaceutical sales reps went into their sales |
| scenario involving the very competitive | | | | calls and got the acknowledgement that there was |
| antihypertensive market (blood pressure lowering | | | | indeed a major weakness with the newer |
| agents). | | | | antihypertensive agents. The doctors admitted that |
| This is a market where new antihypertensive drugs | | | | the big blockbusters just couldn't handle the severe |
| are received quite well by many physicians as | | | | cases on single drug therapy. |
| pharmaceutical companies who market them tend to | | | | The reps quickly offered the ideal solution which was |
| aggressively promote the additional cardiovascular | | | | to use their older drug which was specifically indicated |
| benefits of their products besides just saying that | | | | for this tougher group of patients. They stressed |
| they simply lower blood pressure. | | | | that the cost of treatment with their product would |
| Not surprising, the most popular drugs on the market | | | | be significantly lower than compared to combining a |
| tend to be the fairly newer ones. It is extremely | | | | few of the newer agents together. |
| difficult to market an older blood pressure drug | | | | They even gave out a pocket sized price comparison |
| against the top blockbusters widely used today. But | | | | card which listed the cost of treatments using the |
| one company was actually successful in doing just | | | | different antihypertensive drugs on the market. The |
| that. This pharmaceutical company had marketing | | | | doctors loved this piece as it was a handy reference |
| rights to an older but unique alpha-beta blocker | | | | tool for them. |
| antihypertensive that was not widely used, even | | | | Although this company was not able to make any |
| when it was first launched in the market many years | | | | major dents in the sales of the market leaders with |
| ago by another company. | | | | its older product, it wasn't the expectation. By sliding |
| When the pharmaceutical sales reps with this | | | | in the older drug for a specific group of patients that |
| company asked doctors what they used for their | | | | the newer medications weren't able to address very |
| hypertensive patients, the newer drugs were usually | | | | well, the pharmaceutical sales reps were able to |
| mentioned. This was of no surprise. Most of these | | | | carve out a healthy niche for themselves in this |
| doctors showed little interest in using an older drug | | | | competitive market as sales for their product went |
| like an alpha-beta blocker. So the company had to | | | | up quite nicely. |
| find a workable niche. | | | | The Lesson |
| It turned out that all of the top market leaders in the | | | | The lesson from this particular case is that |
| antihypertensive market were officially indicated for | | | | sometimes it is possible to successfully sell an older |
| mild to moderate hypertension. This meant that they | | | | drug against the new blockbusters. It's a matter of |
| were all very effective in lowering blood pressure | | | | finding weaknesses that the new products had. The |
| that was not too severely high. | | | | pharmaceutical sales reps for this small company |
| But when it came to patients with severe | | | | promoted their older drug as a solution for the |
| hypertension, the newer drugs did not do a very | | | | problems doctors had with their patients with severe |
| good job at lowering blood pressure adequately. | | | | hypertension. These reps identified and successfully |
| Doctors often had to combine two and sometimes | | | | went after that niche. |
| three or more of the different new drugs to control | | | | Incidentally, I was the product manager who |
| blood pressure for these severe cases. | | | | developed this selling strategy for the drug discussed |
| This would result in a high cost of treatment for the | | | | in this case. It was a great feeling to watch the |
| patients. After all, we are taking about taking a | | | | pharma reps in my company succeed in selling this |
| number of these new costly drugs every single day. | | | | older product in such a competitive market. |
| Meanwhile, the official indication for this company's | | | | Helping customers with their problems is part of |
| older drug was in fact for moderate to severe | | | | successful selling and showing that you understand |
| hypertension. This was a drug that was specifically | | | | this concept during your interviews would help you |
| designed to handle tougher cases of high blood | | | | come across as a high potential candidate for |
| pressure. And as a bonus, this older drug was not | | | | pharmaceutical sales rep jobs. It's up to you to show |
| expensive compared to the newer agents. | | | | companies how you can help with their sales. |