It happens to us all – someone comes along that’s just better than you are. In this case, it’s at work – and it’s someone you hired. You want the very best candidates for your medical sales jobs openings, but what happens if they’re better at your job than you?
For starters, it’s important to understand that in the interest of self-preservation, the human instinct is to avoid any potential competition that could result in someone taking over your rank or position, but it’s often unavoidable. On top of that, we’re wired to be sensitive to things like this and coming to grips with that combined with the potential of losing position or rank can be quite damaging and even hurtful to one’s ego.
Before getting overly-defensive, it’s best to stop and understand why the sales rep you hired might be better than you. It’s also important to learn what you can do about it.
The Basics of Better
You can always get better at your job – that’s the good news. The bad news? The person you hired already has a head start. Facing an uphill battle is never easy, but, to survive in a competitive job marketplace like sales, you need to meet it.
“Better” candidates are ones that are typically at least one of the following: savvier when it comes to technology and understands how to locate resources digitally; more active within the sales community and have a lot more energy, or plainly more passionate about their work.
So how can you be better? The old saying, “If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em,” makes a lot of sense in this particular instance and can help you keep your job rather than potentially lose it to an upstart medical sales rep.
While an excellent medical sales rep could eventually become a sales manager and, yes, even take your job, you’ll want to know what steps you can take to avoid it and maintain your position. Let’s take a look at some of them.
Becoming Better
First things first, as a sales manager, you’ve got to start doing what the best reps do. Observe them and take note of what makes them so successful. As online commerce specialist, Handshake recommends, ask what skills and attributes make them an excellent salesperson. Also, when they face significant challenges, how do they respond? Are they resilient – can they turn negative experiences into positive ones? The chances are that these sales reps have winning attitudes as well as the persistence to turn bad situations into good ones.
Secondly, you need to demonstrate that you have the capacity to be an actual sales manager by taking on new tasks and responsibilities. Show that you can lead by volunteering to organize sales training events or even take on an open sales territory. Outside of actually selling supplies, demonstrate to executives and other bosses that you can also handle the organizational/administrative side of the business and that you care about the organization as a whole, rather than just sales figures. These demonstrations are an excellent way to separate yourself from just another effective salesperson.
Adding to the above point, become a leader. While that can mean many things, it’s important that you become a source of advice to others and the go-to mediator for any conflicts that arise. Mentor any newcomers on the team and share best practices. Remember, the more approachable you are, the more you’ll look like a leader (Handshake).
Speaking of the “team,” it’s crucial to be a team player. Of course, everyone is proud of their work. However, no one wants to work with a manager that has a big ego. Looking out for the good of the entire team should always be priority number one. Additionally, give credit where it’s due and help others without looking for something in return. If you can show that you care as much about collective success as your success, your bosses will most likely feel much more comfortable with you keeping your management role or may even recommend you move up in rank.
Those in the industry know that medical sales jobs aren’t necessarily for the faint of heart. It takes a lot to be a great sales rep and even more to move up to a manager position. For that exact reason, take comfort and pride and remember why you got your managerial role. At the same time, never stop learning and trying to better yourself, especially when you feel challenged by a sales rep that you hired.
