3 Sure-Fire Ways to Ace Your Medical Sales Interview: Prep, Technique, and Follow Up

There are so many details involved in a successful job interview, and every one of them is more critical than the last. Hiring you is a big, expensive risk for the company. (If they put in the money to train you, pay you, and give you health care benefits, are you going to make it worthwhile for them?) It's up to you to take care of every single detail to put their minds at ease and be excited to hire you. But if you boil down those details to the 3 most basic parts that make up a successful health care sales interview, you're going to get to (1) preparation, (2) interview techniques, and (3) follow up.

1. Prepare, prepare, prepare. Interview preparation is so critical, I can't emphasize it enough. The more you do, the better. The closer you appear to being able to walk right in and hit the ground running, the more they'll be able to see you in the job--which brings them one step closer to hiring you. Google the company, check out their corporate website, read the company's LinkedIn page as well as the pages of high-level executives there, and then scope out their place in the market. What are their biggest challenges and goals?

Then, research the job. If you're transitioning in or are a new graduate, consider riding along with a sales rep for a day to get a better grip on the details. Think about what you've done in your background that will lend itself to your success at this job. Pick out stories in your job history that illustrate the qualities they're looking for.

All of this preparation should go into the development of your 30/60/90-day plan. This plan is a written outline for what you intend to do your first 3 months on the job--from how you'll learn the ropes to how you'll begin to stand on your own two feet and make your own contributions to the company. It does take significant effort to create this plan, but hiring managers are so impressed by them, the results are worth it.

2. Sharpen your interview skills by hiring an interview coach. It's the fastest, most efficient way to find out how you're coming across to a potential employer. Get the coach to role-play interview questions with you and evaluate your answers. Get a critique on how you're dressed, your body language, your overall style and general job interview etiquette. You'll almost certainly be surprised at something you're doing that you shouldn't be; or at some small thing you can improve that will lead you to exponentially greater results.

3. Follow up. Don't underestimate the power of the follow up. You can do more than just send a thank you note, although you'll already stand out if you do because most people don't. Revamp your 30/60/90-day plan with the input you got from the interview, and resend it with your note (that mentions points you missed or need to expand on). You'll communicate that you can take constructive criticism, that you're adaptable and flexible, that you can think strategically, and that you are really interested in this job.