Free guide · medical reps and managers
The Pharma Career Ladder
A free guide for medical reps, first-line managers and country managers, written from 20 years in the field. 300 short lessons in 26 steps, from planning your first territory to leading a country.
By Ahmed El Menshawy · 20 years in pharma, from medical rep to country manager in the UAE. Founder of RepPharma. LinkedIn
Season 1: The medical rep
Your territory, your numbers, the science, the visit, objections and your career.
Step 1 · full guidePlanning your territory12 lessons: Targeting is not a list, Segmenting by potential, not politeness…Step 2 · full guideYour numbers and forecast5 lessons: Reading your own sales report, Sell-in is not sell-out…Step 3 · full guideKnowing the science11 lessons: Learning the science properly, Reading a clinical paper…Step 4 · full guidePreparing the visit7 lessons: The call before the call, Preparing for the cycle meeting…Step 5 · full guideThe visit15 lessons: First thirty seconds, Opening without a pitch…Step 6 · full guideObjections and influence19 lessons: Handling "I am busy", The objection behind the objection…Step 7 · full guideAfter the visit7 lessons: Recording the call properly, The discipline of notes…Step 8 · full guideHabits and integrity13 lessons: The rep's morning, Energy, not hours…Step 9 · full guideGrowing your career11 lessons: Your first ninety days, Handing over a territory…
Season 2: The first-line manager
Field days, coaching, the team, performance and hiring.
Step 1 · full guideBecoming a manager5 lessons: From best rep to new manager, The first ninety days as a manager…Step 2 · full guideTargets, forecasts and numbers13 lessons: Setting a fair target, The forecast a rep believes…Step 3 · full guideThe field day16 lessons: How many days in the field, Planning a field day…Step 4 · full guideCoaching23 lessons: The 10-minute debrief, Ask before you tell…Step 5 · full guideMotivating and building the team19 lessons: The 70% manager, What actually motivates a rep…Step 6 · full guideManaging performance6 lessons: Underperformance, step one, The performance improvement plan…Step 7 · full guideHiring and onboarding12 lessons: Hiring for behaviour, not charm, The questions that predict…Step 8 · full guideManaging up and growing6 lessons: Saying no to your own manager, Managing up…
Season 3: The country manager
Strategy, pricing, market access, the organisation and leading leaders.
Step 1 · full guideSetting strategy16 lessons: Strategy is what you say no to, Where to play, how to win…Step 2 · full guideLaunches and the portfolio4 lessons: Launch sequencing, The first year of a launch…Step 3 · full guideMoney, pricing and forecast17 lessons: Sales, profit and cash, Reading a P&L as a commercial leader…Step 4 · full guideDistributors and market access17 lessons: Choosing a distributor, Managing a distributor…Step 5 · full guideBuilding the organisation17 lessons: Structure follows strategy, Field force size and structure…Step 6 · full guideWorking across functions3 lessons: Working with marketing, Working with medical affairs…Step 7 · full guideLeading the leadership team15 lessons: Leading managers, not reps, Task, team, individual…Step 8 · full guideExecution and the operating rhythm10 lessons: The meeting rhythm of a country, Strategy dies in execution…Step 9 · full guideLegacy1 lesson: What you leave behind…
A new step every week in the Pharma Career Ladder newsletter on LinkedIn.