Professional MSR, CVRM Johannesburg East(Far East) at AstraZeneca

Typical accountabilities will include:

• Medical sales representative can cope with standard problems/common situations, are competent at day-to-day application of the capabilities and are able to apply and explain concepts, information and solutions.
• Contribute value in many of their role activities.
• Takes a proactive approach to learning and skill development to help achieve success in role activities.
• May need consistent guidance and direction on more complex or challenging role tasks.
• Demonstrate broad competence in all areas of the capability framework.
• May need incremental coaching and development support to make progress in some capability areas to reach a full professional level of role proficiency Professional.
• Medical sales representative can cope with unusual/non-standard problems and issues, are aware of alternative options and approaches to situations, can guide or advise others in this skill and are able to look ahead and anticipate requirements. The medical sales representative takes responsibility for providing feedback to improve methodology etc.
• Contribute full business value in most of their role activities.
• Takes a proactive approach to learning and skill development to meet and exceed role activities.
• Perform their role with little or no guidance needed, other than in exceptional circumstances.
•  Can focus on broad role issues and identify opportunities to improve, create alternative options and approaches to situations.
•  Might be recognized as a resource or benchmark for others in some role capability areas.
• Copes easily with unusual non-standard problems and challenges.
• Role model some capabilities core competencies
•  Self-motivation, development & awareness
•  Shows clear understanding of his / her own strength and areas for development.
•  Sets goals for own personal development.
• Proactively seeks and implements feedback and advice from others.
• Makes observable efforts to bring a positive energy to the team and colleagues.
• Demonstrates an open mind and embraces change.
• Individual& interpersonal effectiveness
• Recognizes and modifies own communication approach when working with colleagues and customers.
• Demonstrates versatility when working with a variety of contacts within the customer organization.
• Works cross-functionally, sharing information that will help address the needs of individual accounts and decision makers.
• Is innovative in the generation of new ideas and solutions to problems.
• Can influence complex decision-making processes.

Selling skills

• Develop a deep understanding of the customer/account.
• Derives insights from understanding how both the wider and local healthcare environment influences decision making.
• Demonstrates an understanding of the patient journey, disease progression and impact upon the patient of different treatment choices.
• Understands and gathers insights regarding the customer’s role in the decision-making unit, their personal style, preferences and situation.
• Can articulate how the call fits within a series of calls to achieve a commercial objective, and captures this in a pre-call plan. Establishes the unmet need.
• Opens the call with impact, articulating the insight for single brand or portfolio in alignment with customer agenda and brand strategy, linking back appropriately to previous calls.
• Establishes and aligns with the customer on an unmet need relating to specific patients or groups of patients.
• Creates positive tension by appropriately challenging customers’ current views based on high levels of insight. Listens and drill down on all feedback.
• Demonstrates active listening skills, to enable greater understanding of the customers values and viewpoints.
• Uses a range of questioning techniques to elicit information relating to the unmet need and treatment options and to maintain positive tension.
• Seeks and confirms partial agreements. Personalizes the message and handles objections.
• Delivers a compelling personalized message to highlight how the clinical benefits of the AZ brand or portfolio will address the unmet need.
• Leverages a high level of brand and disease area knowledge relevant to brand or portfolio.
• Acknowledges, clarifies and handles objections and evaluates the customer’s response (ACHE) closes with actions
• Seeks commitment and actions in line with commercial objectives for single brand or portfolio and with needs of customer and patients.
• Updates appropriate records and profile information and communicates relevant information to cross-functional team.

Results Driven

• Effectively prioritizes accounts using data and tools available.
• Sets SMART customer objectives.
• Effectively determines the key stakeholders in the account.
• Sets SMART account objectives.
• Identifies opportunities and strategies to improve positioning of AZ's specialist portfolio.
• Drives cross-functional and cross-regional collaboration to fully leverage AZ's account management capabilities.
• Shares information, insight and expertise with sales team members.

Drives the Business

• Builds and adapts sales plans to ensure business impact and goal achievement in a timely manner.
• Takes decisions and actions to adapt current approach in response to market changes.
• Seeks to identify opportunities and actions that will help to achieve more strategic objectives.
• Drives sales performance by ensuring sales targets are met or exceeded and budgets are managed.
• Drives successful implementation of key account strategies and business plans.
• Drives a process that pulls on cross-functional resources to deliver the targeted account insight and outcome.

Business Acumen

• Understands the wider business environment and incorporates this into their territory action plans.
• Applies knowledge of business principles e.g. SWOT analysis, to support sales efforts.
• Analyses appropriate internal/external data to develop their sales strategy.
• Positions relevant market access solutions in the context of AZ's value proposition (including where appropriate cost of diagnostic testing).
• Demonstrates detailed knowledge of the issues stakeholders & accounts face with reimbursement and budgeting, in the interconnected specialist ecosystem.

Knowledge: Healthcare Environment

• Shows detailed knowledge of their healthcare ecosystem for their therapeutic area.
• Understand how broader healthcare issues / trends will affect their customer decision making.
• Keeps abreast of the latest developments in the industry and new regulations.
• If appropriate, understands the Diagnostic environment, i.e., companion diagnostics, and potential barriers to effective treatment.

Customer

• Understands the local healthcare environment, patient pathway and individual HCPs role and situation.
• Understands individuals within the decision-making unit and their key drivers and objections.
• Understands customer's personal profile, style and attitude.
• Develops and manages long-term external relationships, focusing on relevant senior stakeholders within high-value accounts.
• Credibly engages influential stakeholders across the broader specialist ecosystem to collaboratively develop win-win-win solutions.
• At private sector may be required to handle basic managed healthcare (medical aid scheme) discussions at the doctor’s practice
• At state sector may be required to call on Academic State Institutions for certain product lines like Oncology, Diabetes, Respiratory, respiratory to detail Head of departs on the products that are on state buy-out.

Compliance

• Follows correct procedures and SOPs for all activities and planned meetings.
• Behaves in an ethical manner in response to requests or challenging situations.
• Ensures AZ's products meet with national and local guidelines and the product license.
• Ensures compliance with the AZ Code of Conduct, Global External Interactions Policy and Standards, and Privacy Policy and standards.
• Disease, Science, Therapy, Product, & Competitors
• Demonstrates solid scientific and disease area knowledge in their therapeutic area
• Continually builds their scientific and disease area knowledge.
• Possesses detailed knowledge of relevant clinical trials and data.
• Demonstrates extensive understanding of their product portfolio and relevant competitor product

Essential

•  Bsc. Degree in Life Sciences
• >3 yrs as a Sales Representative within the Pharmaceutical environment.
• Previous experience and knowledge of Diabetes therapeutic area in a multinational organization
• Experience in Johannesburg East (Far East) area with country trips to Nelspruit – Mpumalanga.
• Proven sales and customer success record
• Territory knowledge & trustful relationships with key HCPs
• Strong analytical ability
• Strong presentation skills
• Excellent communication skills: clear and concise messaging
• High learnability (incl. complex theory/science),
• Ability to work closely in collaboration with cross functional business areas.
• Valid driver’s license
• Computer Knowledge (at least Intermediate)
• Team Player
• Integrity and assertiveness
• Organized
• Results orientated
• Negotiation skills
• System thinking and acting in a consistent way