HIRING A MARKETER You know that you need to get the word out about your store but you don’t have the time or desire to do it yourself. When you find yourself in this position it may be time to consider...
How to Hire a Marketer By Renee Moore
As seen in The Apothagram- June 2005
Apothagram- June 2005 I was recently visiting a couple of my married friends. While I was there, we began talking and they found out that I was single and not dating anyone. This is usually where things go wrong. The husband got really excited about one of his “boys” that I just had to meet. He told me he was tall, worked out and was just a great guy. Against my better judgment, I agreed to meet him. When I arrived at the date, I immediately noticed that he was not tall- he was 5’4; I am 5’9 in heels. (I am not about to give up my heels to date) He did workout but he didn’t work! And this great guy proceeded to tell me about every woman he had been with from the ages of 19-42. I started thinking, “I should end this date with a trip to the clinic to get him tested”. Needless to say things did not work out between us and I was not happy that my friend had not checked this guy out before setting us up on a date.
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That date got me thinking about a lot of things. Such as I should stay home and watch FOX on Saturday night rather than go out on blind dates! But more importantly, I started thinking about how imperative it is for the pharmacists to check out the marketer they are hiring and for the marketer to check out who they will be working for. Many pharmacists call and ask me what they should look for in a marketer. Should they hire a pharmacist or an ex -drug rep? I say neither of that is as important as if they are passionate about working for you. Are they willing to do the work necessary to make the business grow? Are they creative? Remember they will be doing more than just talking to doctors. They may have to design a flyer or brochure. They may have to set up a seminar. Or find another way to reach the docs and patients about compounding. Can they do public speaking? If not are they willing to learn? Are they life- long learners and readers? There is so much information out there on compounding and it seems to increase daily; they need to keep up with it. Are they willing to work before the store opens occasionally if you have a health fair or after hours if there is a seminar? Do they have a personality and do they like people? This may seem obvious but sometimes people hire technical reps who can’t relate to people on a personal level. And how much are you going to pay them? I advise people to go to www.salary.com to checkout how much a drug rep in their city is making and to go from there. Commission is an issue as well. Talk to the potential hire and find out their life situation. You may find that they are single without kids and they like working straight commission. On the flip side, the potential hire has some checking out to do as well. When the time comes to ask questions ask them – a lot of them. Find out about commission, benefits, and salary. Ask the pharmacist about his vision for the growth of the store. What if he only wants to grow to 20/day and is at 10/day now? You will be out of a job in a few months if you start selling. Do they have plans for growth? Find out about the relationships he has with docs. If and what type of marketing he has done in the past? Find out about the staff and if they are supportive of marketing. Is there something the pharmacy is known for? What other services do they offer? Are you going to be marketing those services as well? Finally, what does the pharmacist expect you to do? Growing the business is obvious but how does s/he expect that happen? Your experience in hiring someone or going to work as a marketer doesn’t have to be a like a bad blind date. It just takes a bit of time and a little willingness to check them out and make sure it is a good fit. If you need help with any aspect of your marketing just give me a call at 202-486-9962 or email me at rmoore@pccarx.com.
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How do I find a marketing person?
Newspaper Advertisement Professional Recruiting Firm People you know that may know someone that would be good Employee that already works for you Boomerangs: Former employees
I don’t even know where to begin looking for a marketing person. How do I find one?
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Employee that works somewhere and you have been impressed with the service they have provided you in the past Free employment Services: High schools, technical schools, colleges and universities, local government agencies Monster.com
You are the person who is ultimately going to be responsible for this person and their/ your success so you have to be person who will be the final decision maker in the recruitment of this sales/marketing person. You are not interested in just a warm body to fill a position. This person is going to be your face in the community and exemplify the professionalism of your pharmacy, so before going on a recruiting rampage, know what you are looking for. One of the things to remember is you will probably not find someone who fits all of your criteria.
What might a newspaper advertisement look like, what section of the paper should I run it in and what day of the week?
Ad for Salesperson: Should go in Sunday Newspaper under Sales Positions Searching for a full-time marketing/salesperson for independent pharmacy compounding practice. Unique practice setting, room for growth, interesting and rewarding opportunity. Experience in the Medical Field preferred, but would consider individual with enthusiasm, ability to learn, and someone who can be passionate about good patient care alternatives. Salary + commission. Please fax resume and references to __________________.
Now that I know I want one how do I advertise to find a marketing person?
One of our members from Newington, CT (Pioneer Health Compounding Pharmacy) ran an ad on Monster.com. They got lots of really good candidates for the position and here is how it was worded : Job opening: Sales / Marketing / Education Specialist Pioneer Health Compounding Pharmacy is a specialty pharmacy preparing customized medications to meet individual needs. This approach differs significantly from conventional pharmacies which fit the patient to the available medication. We have the ability to compound medication in ways that reduce or eliminate potential side effects. We specialize in (BHRT) Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement Therapy, Hospice, Pain Management and Veterinary Medicine. In addition, Pioneer also offers BHRT and Nutritional consulting. It is our belief that through nutrition and balance we can both prevent chronic disease and regain optimal health. We carry only professional lines of nutritional products. Our future goal is to create a dynamic health center offering many alternative services to lead people to a healthier and happier life. Duties: Develop relationships with physicians and other healthcare providers. Educate MDs and staff on compounding and other services we provide. Develop ways to inform the public on what we do Evaluate and update marketing plan Set and review annual and long term goals Define and redefine trade area Set up seminars, in-services and trade shows. Work with Board members on a weekly basis. Training both on site and off-site will be required.
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We are looking for a highly motivated person who is health conscious and open minded. There is a great opportunity to enter a new dynamic business at ground level enabling a qualified individual to control his/her own future. We are open to all options of performance based compensation. Sales background preferred, healthcare or teaching background helpful. Fax resume to _____________. Or e-mail with references to __________________
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Character Traits that Reveal the Job Candidate with Winning Potential
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Honesty What single factor defines every successful salesperson? Credibility. The ability to get the prospect to believe whatever it is the salesperson is saying.
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Confidence. Look for salespeople who believe in themselves. However do not mistake arrogance for confidence. The arrogant salesperson can be insufferable.
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I’ve never hired a sales person before. What do I look for?
Perseverance Look for people who are persistent with purpose.
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Creativity Look for people who see problems as challenges.
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Ego Look for people whose egos are generous and so thoroughly ensnared with their careers, that they cannot abide loosing.
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Empathy You want people who are able to thoroughly understand the customer’s point of view and translate it to you.
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Industriousness Look for people who will work hard. Not someone that works long hours, but who thinks about and executes an intelligent approach to the job.
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How Do I Interview for a Sales Position? A checklist of points to cover: Make the interview more conversational and less like a question and answer period.
I think I have found some good candidates. What questions should I ask to find out if they are a good fit?
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Tell me about your last three sales positions.
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What was your annual sales quota?
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Walk me through an average work day in your last position.
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Tell me about the product or service you sold in your last sales position.
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What was the reporting and supervisory structure at your last position?
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Tell me a little about the customers you called on in your last position.
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What was the dollar value of an average sale with your last employer?
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What was your compensation package at your last job?
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If you were commissioned in your last position, how did that work?
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Did you supervise others in your last position?
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What do you know about our services?
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Explain about the position and the company, then as the candidate what else they would like to know about the position you are interviewing for.
Most of these questions are designed to get the candidate to do most of the talking, that’s exactly the idea. You can learn much more by listening than talking. In addition to the questions above, you can also give them an assignment like on The Apprentice. My suggestion is to design a project to see if they are able to get the message across to physicians before you even hire them.
The Assignment: Once you have chosen the person and interviewed them, set up a luncheon with a doctor who you have a pretty good relationship with. Let them know that you are interviewing someone and that you would like their help in selecting the person. After the lunch get their opinion on thier sales skills and presentation style.
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