Rep finds sales in relationships

For Michael Dorfman, a pediatric sales specialist with Wilmington, MA-based Ascent Pediatrics Inc., the most rewarding part of his job is watching his professional relationships grow. "I enjoy the rapport with the doctors and the staff and seeing how, as the relationship develops, your sales increase as well," said Dorfman, who has been in pharmaceutical sales for over six years and spent the last three with Ascent.

Dorfman finds it easy to develop relationships with doctors and their staffs because of how much he enjoys being a pharmaceutical sales rep. "If you like what you do, you enter your sales call in a good mood to begin with," he said. "If you go in there in a great mood, it's kind of contagious and that allows the doctors and the staff to feel comfortable with you as a person, not just as a representative."

In developing relationships, Dorfman said most reps make the mistake of asking the doctor too many questions and not telling him or her anything about themselves. "Sometimes it's all right to share a little about yourself," he said. "This way the doctor remembers you as the person who traveled a lot or the person who had a great moment in their week last week or the person who just had a baby."

It's not surprising then that, with his respect for relationships, Dorfman uses them as a way to see no-see physicians. "The best advice if it is truly a no-see doctor is to go in every week and build rapport with the staff," he said. "Because if the staff likes you, eventually they will help you get in that office."