Blog 3: building your professional network
Building your network is essential for breaking into medical sales, however, this is a skill you will utilize and need throughout your career. There will undoubtedly be times in your career when you will need your network for help and in turn someone from your network will need you. I have people in my network that I have worked with from the earliest in my career, people that I worked alongside for an incredibly short period of time, people I have never met but connected with through social media, and people that I have become lifelong friends with. Your network will surprise you and step up for you when you need it! Your network can be about far more than just breaking into the industry!
Think about it, you will likely decide at some point in your career that you want to make a job change. Perhaps, someone in your network works at the company you are interested in. The rules don’t change once you break into the industry!
· Approximately 70-85% of medical sales jobs are filled through networking, which aligns with the general trend observed across various industries. (IQVIA Medical Sales Careers)( https://rb.gy/bbat91)
Above is just one reference point, but I can share my own experience with 20+ years in Medical Sales, 7 of my 9 jobs in Medical Sales were a direct result of my networking efforts. Each scenario looked a little different. In a few instances, someone approached me about an opening at their company. There were times that I proactively reached out to someone in my network about a job opening at their company. And then there were times that I had to do cold outreach about an opening and develop trust and rapport to get an internal referral.
Below are a few coaching tips to start building your network:
· Create a LinkedIn profile. Connect with me first, then send at least 5 connection requests daily. Focus on industry recruiters, hiring managers, and reps at your target companies.
· Build your brand on LinkedIn. Comment on industry-specific content, and re-post relevant articles with your thoughts.
· Join the many LinkedIn groups that have people with similar goals. Look for top contributors in that group and send them a connection request.
· Follow companies of interest on LinkedIn. this is a great way to hear about their pipeline (this could lead to job creation).
· Attend local in-person networking events. Make sure you share your goals or elevator pitch with everyone you interact with. They may not be in the right industry but they might know someone who is.
· Talk to visiting reps. If you work in healthcare, learn from the reps who visit your office. Ask about their products, call points, and daily routines (then connect with them on LinkedIn).
· Hire a Coach. Someone like me has built a network over the length of my career. An important part of my job as a coach is to network and connect with people. Coaches can provide industry insights, provide recruiter suggestions, and connect you with relevant people.
In sales, networking never stops. Once you break into the field, you may find that there is someone in your network who can make an introduction to a difficult-to-see physician or account.
I understand networking can be difficult for some people (including introverts—like me). But the sooner you start the faster your network builds and believe it or not the easier it gets. Networking shouldn’t be robotic or scripted, you need to be authentic and genuine. Finally, ALWAYS give back as much as you take.
Thanks for taking a moment to read my latest blog! Reach out through my contacts page if you have any suggestions for future blog ideas.
Elisa
Elisa Perkins Career Coaching and Mentoring
