Research Summary. Below we've compiled a list of the most important skills for a pharmaceutical sales representative. We ranked the top skills based on the percentage of pharmaceutical sales representative resumes they appeared on. For example, 21.1% of pharmaceutical sales representative resumes contained patients as a skill. Let's find out what skills a pharmaceutical sales representative actually needs in order to be successful in the workplace.

  • The most common hard skill for a pharmaceutical sales representative is patients. 21.1% pharmaceutical sales representatives have this skill on their resume.
  • The second most common hard skill for a pharmaceutical sales representative is pharmaceutical products appearing on 7.5% of resumes. The third most common is develop strong relationships on 6.0% of resumes.
  • Three common soft skills for a pharmaceutical sales representative are customer-service skills, interpersonal skills and physical stamina.

Below we've compiled a list of the most important skills for a pharmaceutical sales representative. We ranked the top skills based on the percentage of pharmaceutical sales representative resumes they appeared on. For example, 21.1% of pharmaceutical sales representative resumes contained patients as a skill. Let's find out what skills a pharmaceutical sales representative actually needs in order to be successful in the workplace.

15 Essential Pharmaceutical Sales Representative Skills For Your Resume And Career

1. Patients

Here's how patients is used on pharmaceutical sales representative resumes:
  • Engaged in dialogue about clinical evidence, approved indications, and product efficacy/safety profiles to support prescribing for appropriate patients.
  • Orchestrated Medical Education Programs for physicians, and established screening programs for patients, positively impacting product line awareness.
  • Provided comprehensive marketing literature, patient education and promotional tools for distribution to physicians and practice staff and patients.
  • Established new sales of several prescription medications indicated for hormone replacement therapy and weight loss treatment for patients.
  • Understand internal and competitive products to effectively position portfolio and competitively sale against competition for appropriate patients.

2. Pharmaceutical Products

Here's how pharmaceutical products is used on pharmaceutical sales representative resumes:
  • Manage territory leading pharmaceutical products to cardiologists, endocrinologists and primary care physicians for the metro, north and central territory.
  • Promoted and marketed a variety of pharmaceutical products throughout Maryland via personal persuasion, evidence-based advocacy, and relationship-based selling techniques.
  • Promoted specialized pharmaceutical products targeting the needs of Psychiatrists, Psychologists, Pharmacists, individual clinicians, hospitals and teaching institutes.
  • Educated and marketed to medical professionals pharmaceutical products in the Savage line; maintained and serviced pharmacy and wholesaler accounts.
  • Developed and managed business relationships with targeted physicians and customers focusing on the promotion of BMS and BI pharmaceutical products.

3. Develop Strong Relationships

Here's how develop strong relationships is used on pharmaceutical sales representative resumes:
  • Manage and develop strong relationships with new accounts while maintaining existing accounts with physicians offices and sleep labs.
  • Educate and develop strong relationships with hcps and their staff consistently.

And if you’re looking for a job, here are the five top employers hiring now:

  1. Bristol-Myers Squibb Jobs (117)
  2. Eli Lilly and Company Jobs (438)
  3. Novartis Jobs (205)
  4. Bayer Jobs (70)
  5. Boehringer Ingelheim Jobs (206)

4. Territory Management

Here's how territory management is used on pharmaceutical sales representative resumes:
  • Utilized a strategic and targeted approach for territory management while demonstrating supreme product knowledge and social skills resulting in consistent growth.
  • Implemented aggressive territory management strategies selling three promoted products with accountability for boosting sales, securing speakers and educating medical professionals.
  • Develop and execute sales efforts including territory management, inventory management, and relationship building strategies and marketing material disbursement.
  • Established territory management for Pittsburgh Central and Pittsburgh East territories identifying growth targets and using strategically planned territory management.
  • Developed and maintained a customer call list and territory management plan, ensuring efficient coverage/call frequency and accurate reporting.

5. FDA

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is a division of the US Department of Health and Human Services that regulates the production and sale of food, pharmaceutical products, medical equipment, and other consumer goods, as well as veterinary medicine. The FDA is now in charge of overseeing the manufacture of products like vaccines, allergy treatments, and beauty products.

Here's how fda is used on pharmaceutical sales representative resumes:
  • Completed daily territory administrative duties and maintained sample inventory for company records and FDA reporting.
  • Educated veterinary professionals on the Novartis companion animal FDA approved product portfolio.
  • Worked within the parameters of managed care guidelines, and supplied superior ethical service by ensuring compliance with FDA regulations.
  • Conduct meetings to provide the new and updated FDA guidelines and inform doctors of changing protocols within the industry.
  • Led sales, marketing and sales force training, as well as new product development and FDA clinical trials.

6. Business Plan

Here's how business plan is used on pharmaceutical sales representative resumes:
  • Ensured optimum territory sales strategy execution by leveraging annual territory business plan, regional business plan, and call activity reports.
  • Executed territory business plans to identify key decision-makers to help influence the benefits of the products to other medical professionals.
  • Defined strategy for and developed, executed, and managed comprehensive business plan designed to penetrate and grow targeted markets.
  • Designed business planning template that was later presented to management nationally and adopted as the standard for representative business planning.
  • Achieved 111% sales quota by developing and implementing personal business plans involving specific strategies on growing business within territory.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Pharmaceutical Sales Representative Resume templates

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7. Persistence

Here's how persistence is used on pharmaceutical sales representative resumes:
  • Recognized leader within the team for customer planning and selling as well as resilience and persistence.
  • Awarded by management with the Persistence and Passion Regional Award first year in the field.
  • Accessed no-see physicians with resourceful approaches, persistence and genuine rapport building resulting in 4th highest Alrex market share in nation.
  • Accessed "no see" physicians through resourceful approaches, persistence and rapport building.
  • Demonstrate initiative, passion, and persistence to get results with one on one dinners and gaining access to key offices.

8. Persuasion

Here's how persuasion is used on pharmaceutical sales representative resumes:
  • Increased sales by direct education, needs assessment, and persuasion skills with psychiatrists, neurologist, and family practitioners.
  • Demonstrated success in Persuasion, Influence and Negotiation with healthcare practitioners, and proved ability to apply technical/scientific knowledge.
  • Demonstrated success in persuasion, influence and negotiation skills, while establishing positive relationships with physicians and staff.

9. Work Ethic

Here's how work ethic is used on pharmaceutical sales representative resumes:
  • Achieved the 2008 Living the Mission Award for team work and personal work ethic.
  • Maintained a high level of work ethic, accountability, and winning attitude.
  • Recognized continually for my work ethic.
  • Recognized and celebrated as a "Living Legend" for exemplary performance and work ethic at ten year anniversary.
  • Demonstrated over-the-top positive attitude on regular basis along with strong work ethics

10. Market Share Growth

Market share growth is defined as the continuous growth of a company's product or service in a specific market. When a company's market share is growing it indicates that the company is growing its revenue faster than its competitors. Market share is a percentage of the market that is controlled by a company's products and services. For example, Apple phone sales make up 41% of the overall smartphone market in the US. It means that Apple's market share in the US is 41%.

Here's how market share growth is used on pharmaceutical sales representative resumes:
  • Increase market share with specifically assigned products by providing detailed information to physicians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners.
  • Worked directly with physicians' offices to effectively sustain and increase market share growth of respiratory medications in my territory.
  • Developed and implemented strategic plans to increase market share of primary products and persuaded Ophthalmologists to alter current prescribing habits.
  • Maintained a territory which included a database of approximately 300 physicians while profiling potential targets to increase market share.
  • Coordinated efforts with territory partners to develop and execute promotional strategies to maximize sales opportunities and increase market share.

11. Product Knowledge

Product knowledge is the skill of having better information and knowledge about the product you are selling. Product knowledge is essential for the employees of the companies so they can communicate and inform the customers about the product. Having great product knowledge is essential for a better sales pitch and to give the customer a better and complete idea of the product that will influence him to buy the product eventually.

Here's how product knowledge is used on pharmaceutical sales representative resumes:
  • Nurtured customer loyalty by proactively addressing customer needs and providing timely education on new products; recognized for excellent product knowledge.
  • Utilize effective selling skills and product knowledge to influence targeted health care professionals in Dermatology to prescribe company pharmaceutical promoted products.
  • Introduced new product, promotions and utilized comprehensive product knowledge and enthusiastic personality to gain rapport with key decision makers.
  • Generated high volume sales and brand loyalty by utilizing customer-focused selling techniques and exceptional disease state and product knowledge.
  • Earned promotion to Assistant Regional Sales Trainer in 2001 by exhibiting outstanding product knowledge and demonstrating extraordinary selling skills.

12. Neurology

Neurology is one of the branches of medical science that deals with the study, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases and other disorders in the nervous system of a person. This system plays an important role in keeping the brain functional and coordinated very well. The main areas of neurology include the central, autonomic, and peripheral nervous system.

Here's how neurology is used on pharmaceutical sales representative resumes:
  • Managed and established relationships within specialty urology and neurology markets to drive new and existing therapies.
  • Performed in-service presentations to different hospital departments including Cardiology, Neurology, Psychiatry and the pharmacy.
  • Promoted six GSK products in various therapeutic areas including neurology, cardiovascular, and urology.
  • Consult with physicians on various products ranging from cardiovascular to neurology.
  • Specialized in Primary Care, Neurology, Psychiatry, Podiatry, Urgent Care Clinics and Hospitals to RI physicians.

13. Sales Performance

Here's how sales performance is used on pharmaceutical sales representative resumes:
  • Maintained sales performance ranking within top 25% nationwide for entire portfolio by maximizing planning and gathering vital competitive intelligence.
  • Delivered consistent sales performance while systematically dismantling competitive strongholds and building key relationships with leadership in physician's offices.
  • Analyzed product performance across territory and developed plans that ensured sales performance objectives were met.
  • Recognized by franchise Vice President for exceptional sales performance.
  • Managed data analysis and reporting of sales performance metrics.

14. Medical Sales

Here's how medical sales is used on pharmaceutical sales representative resumes:
  • Completed a rigorous professional medical sales training course.
  • Close for the business and hold providers accountable to meet and exceed medical sales goals in the Cincinnati/Dayton Ohio territory.
  • Exceeded twice, team sales goals by 150% and was awarded as the Medical Sales Representative of the Region.
  • Recognized for the effort and assigned to train and mentor other medical sales reps on product characteristics/benefits and managing objections.
  • Use customer needs assessment, as well as pharmaceutical market and managed care contracting knowledge to achieve medical sales.

15. Cardiology

Cardiology refers to the medical scientific field which researches and treats various issues, developments, diseases, and other afflictions within or related to the human heart and, by extension, some of the circulatory systems within the body, too. Some of the afflictions of the heart include the following: cardiac arrest, hypertension, and various forms of cardiomyopathy. This branch of medicine deals with everything from diagnosis to treatment, whether by way of medical procedures or drug or physical therapy, to post-procedure and further check-ups.

Here's how cardiology is used on pharmaceutical sales representative resumes:
  • Managed Santa Rosa/San Francisco territories, marketing and selling respiratory, urology, cardiology to pharmacies and primary care physicians.
  • Presented significant medical information in the cardiology field to physicians, physician assistants and nurse practitioners.
  • Accepted a position with this small specialty pharmaceutical company to sell diabetic and cardiology medicines.
  • Targeted cardiology and primary care physicians to drive market share and utilization.
  • Attended Osteopathic and Cardiology hospital symposiums and grands rounds within territory.
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The eight most common skills based on Pharmaceutical Sales Representative resumes in 2023.

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List Of Skills To Add To Your Pharmaceutical Sales Representative Resume

According to recent trends, the most relevant pharmaceutical sales representative Resume Keywords for your resume are:

  • Patients
  • Pharmaceutical Products
  • Develop Strong Relationships
  • Territory Management
  • FDA
  • Business Plan
  • Persistence
  • Persuasion
  • Work Ethic
  • Market Share Growth
  • Product Knowledge
  • Neurology
  • Sales Performance
  • Medical Sales
  • Cardiology
  • Disease State
  • Call Planning
  • Diabetes
  • Internal Medicine
  • Pharmaceutical Industry
  • Sales Territory
  • Psychiatry
  • Sales Presentations
  • Gastroenterology
  • Dermatology
  • Pediatrics
  • Endocrinology
  • Pain Management
  • Family Practice
  • Sales Results
  • Sales Growth
  • Sales Strategies
  • Medical Professionals
  • CNS
  • Educational Programs
  • GI
  • Gross Profit
  • Hypertension
  • Pharmacists
  • Product Launch
  • Product Portfolio
  • OBGYN
  • Sales Quota
  • Product Line
  • Clinical Data
  • Pulmonologists
  • Q4
  • Antibiotics
  • Rheumatologists

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Online Courses For Pharmaceutical Sales Representatives

One of the best ways to acquire the skills needed to be a pharmaceutical sales representative is to take an online course. We've identified some online courses from Udemy and Coursera that will help you advance in your career. Since pharmaceutical sales representatives benefit from having skills like patients, pharmaceutical products, and develop strong relationships, we found courses that will help you improve these skills.

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This course presents basic principles of cancer survivorship to primary-care physicians. Developed by a team of experts in caring for cancer survivors, and narrated by a primary-care physician, this course provides practical tips and tools that can be easily integrated into medical practice. You will learn about the complex physical and psychosocial needs and concerns of the growing number of cancer survivors, along with the key role that primary care physicians have in guiding these patients...

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Whether you're completely new to sales and looking to start a new career, or you want to grow in your current sales role, this five-course career training program from the inbound sales experts at HubSpot can help you reach your career goals.\n\nYou’ll start by learning the basics of sales enablement and how sales and marketing teams can collaborate to create and keep relationships with their targeted buyers. You’ll develop data-driven sales goals and influential content to enable you to...

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