Grooming Class For Medical Sales Reps: Yes or No?

Do medical sales reps need lessons in grooming (like choosing the best color for their outfit)? What are the benefits they could gain from such classes? These are some of the questions that come up when we touch on the subject. I'm not giving the free lessons here, but I'll spill out what I think about them.

I want to touch on:

The importance of correct grooming

And a quick re-visit to these articles will keep up to speed:

• how to choose the right sleeve for medical rep
• how to choose the right pants for medical sales reps
• how to choose the right detailing bag for the rep's job

I remember interviewing a few candidates to replace one of my team members who transfer to her hometown. I called in 5 candidates.

Four of them were guys, and only one gal...

One of the guy candidates came in between his work travel. He dressed like he should: just like his customers. It's really appropriate, no doubt about that, but he missed the point that he's from different industry...

...and his future customers, if he's hired, are from different industry. There's a lot he needed to change before he stepped into the interview room that day.

The other three guys were just average...

Nothing was outstanding or attractive about how they present themselves. And of course, proper grooming was just part of the whole selection criteria.

But hey, if you create a favorable first impression during that four seconds in the interview, chances were high that you're going to proceed to the next level...

...like the gals candidate!

She portrayed herself as one of those well paid medical reps. I learned later that her elder sister was actually a rep in one of a multinational pharma company.

She could have observed one or two things about her sister, particularly on how the sister groom herself.

But there's no way to tell that I was right...

The main point is:

Project an image of a successful medical sales rep

And that got her advanced to the next stage, and eventually, she got the job.

What a happy ending ey?

And here's another story...

One of my team members, a female, quit the job and joined a different industry. She joined cosmetics. And what move her into that direction was passion.

She likes to see people become more confident with the help of a simple touch up.

Nothing fancy, just necessary, a simple touch up...

One day, she came up to my boss, and she asked for permission to run a simple one day workshop for ladies, on how to effectively use makeup.

Now, "effectively" might not be the right word, but you get the point, right?

Why she was so "passionate" to run the workshop?

Could it be because she had nothing else to do?

Could it be that she's using her old teammates as guinea pigs?

Could it be that she sees potential in what she wants to share?

Only she knew the real reason, but the workshop was really beneficial. And she told me later that, correct grooming has contributed a lot to her increased self-confidence and better performance...

...and that got the boss intrigued, actually, and win her the one day workshop.

Do you remember the movie "Ugly Betty," where one below average looking personal assistant transforms into a lady many blue-collar working guys are crazy for?

And what about Superman, Batman, Spiderman or all of the Superheroes?

They were normal until they change into their "super attire."

But that's just fictional...

My team member and gal candidate were not, though.

And that's my verdict to grooming classes for medical reps. The levels are going to be beneficial to alleviate their self-esteem, and that in turn, contribute towards better performance.

Yes, beauty in the eye of the beholder, but wearing clean shirts or dress combine with fitting slacks or skirts wouldn't hurt either.

If you look good and feel good, others do too. So, reach out for that grooming class soon :-)