Why PhDs In Sales Are Destined To Succeed

Join Isaiah as he explains why PhDs in sales positions make perfect sense for any type of business in industry.

Here’s a quick rundown of this week’s episode…

• First, Isaiah dismisses the idea that PhDs are overqualified or ill-suited for sales roles
• Next, he examines the skills and strengths that make PhDs in sales positions so successful
• Finally, Isaiah explains that you don’t need any additional training – you already have all the skills you need to succeed in this in-demand career

From This Week’s Show…

You Don’t Need Sales Experience To Succeed In Sales

Once upon a time, many companies were hesitant to hire PhDs for sales positions. But this is no longer the case.

That’s because products, particularly in the medical and biotech fields, are increasingly more complex.

This means companies are in greater need of people with technical expertise. After all, how is someone supposed to sell something they don’t understand?

That’s why PhDs are particularly well-suited to sell drugs, reagents treatments, software, instruments, and other equipment and devices.

PhDs In Sales Only Need To Believe In The Product They’re Selling To Excel

The most important part of being an effective sales professional is believing in what you are selling. If you don’t believe in the product or the company’s mission, you’re not going to be able to convince someone else that they should believe in it.

So, when applying for sales positions, make sure that you believe in the company’s products and believe in their mission as a whole.

Being in sales at the PhD level is not like being a used car salesman. Most of the products you’d be supporting would be ones that other PhDs and MDs would be using.

As such, PhDs in sales positions are those who can communicate effectively, stay organized and build long-term professional relationships.

What makes a PhD successful in a sales role more than anything else is the ability to help other people solve their problems.

You Don’t Need To Be An Extrovert – You Need To Be An Analyst

You don’t need to be an extrovert to succeed. In fact, as a sales professional, you’ll spend much of your time working from home or on the road.

At the same time, you’ll be working be working closely with the company’s sales and marketing teams.

You’ll also have to meet with salespeople, product managers, and those in upper level management to discuss your progress.

But your primary job is to be an analyst – to gather and respond to customer feedback from the field.

The good news is, as a PhD, you already have plenty of experience doing both of those things.

The truth is, you don’t have to be a unicorn PhD to sell in industry.

You just have to be a problem-solver – and that’s something every PhD already is.

** for the full podcast, check out the audio player above.

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