By Rick Fromme
Medical sales representatives have long enjoyed a reputation
of having careers that provide them with satisfying remuneration; flexible time
schedules; perks, bonuses, and allowances, and the prestige of working with
doctors and other VIPs in the medical profession. When someone says they work
for one of the top medical supply firms such as Medtronic, Pfizer, Amgen and
Cardinal Health, most of us sit up and take notice.
Good news: The number of medical sales jobs posted online is
currently increasing. There was a 16% increase in the number of medical sales
jobs posted online over the number posted in January 2013. In fact, though the
numbers fluctuated somewhat during the sequential months of the year, each
quarter averaged a higher job count than the previous one. Pharmaceutical
topped the list last year, followed by biotech jobs. Medical device sales did
take a small hit due to the rollout of the medical device excise tax, but the
number of open medical device sales and marketing jobs actually remained fairly
steady throughout 2013. As I stated in a previous blog, “Health Care Jobs
Outlook is Jammin’!” health care is still — and will remain for the next decade
— the fastest growing industry in the US. The medical device, biotech, and
pharmaceutical sectors are doing well. This is all favorable news for medical
sales professionals and especially for those hoping to find a new opportunity
in the industry. While there may be fluctuations in certain sub-sectors, the
outlook for the industry overall appears robust.
 |
| English: Modern Heart-Lung Machine עברית: מכונת לב-ריאה מודרנית (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Many medical sales
representatives, like health care workers, have science or allied health
degrees and/or may have had a background in the medical field before they
transitioned into sales. For some companies,
previous training in a medical
specialty is a prerequisite. In fact, depending upon the type of product you’re
representing, you’ll be required to go into the O.R. to help train and/or work
with doctors and other key medical personnel to teach them about or assist with
your products. In this
case, you may even by on call. Your success as a medical sales representative
will often depend upon your ability to adapt to the demands of the firm and
type of product(s) you’re selling.
Outside In
That being said, sometimes it isn’t necessary to have an
academic degree or previous sales experience in the medical or health care
industries. Some medical companies will look at B2B reps that have proven
themselves selling business office equipment such as copiers (i.e. Xerox,
Danka). Also, many companies will look for entry level salespersons that have sold
consumable goods for a Fortune 500 company (i.e., Nestlé, General Electric,
Apple, Caterpillar, etc.). These representatives get good training experience by
starting out their sales careers in these non-medical arenas. Another good way to break into medical sales
is to take an associate sales position within a company. While the remuneration isn’t the same as a
full-fledged representatives, this an excellent way to get your foot in the
door and prove yourself, especially if you don’t have any previous medical
sales experience. Another approach to
obtaining a job in medical sales is to work for a smaller medical distributor. This
way, you can gain valuable experience and build relationships with doctors and
clinicians before taking a direct sales job with a bigger firm.
Inside Out
If you hope to build a career in medical sales, there are a couple
of questions you should ask yourself:
What is/are the type of medical sales I’d like to pursue? What type of
sustained effort am I prepared to make to enter and — and ideally be successful
— in this, venerated, growing albeit highly competitive field?
There are several different types of medical sales. Some industry
professionals refer to them as “capital” and “non-capital” sales, while others use
the terms “consumable” and “non-consumable” sales. Take a moment to think about of anything a
doctor’s office, medical laboratory, clinic/doc-in-the-box or hospital may need
to purchase:
- Durable Equipment — surgical tools, imaging machines, hospital beds, laboratory equipment, robotic surgery equipment, etc.
- Implantable Devices — valves, sutures, screws, tubes and anything else that may be inserted into a patient’s body (permanently or temporarily)
- Consumables — laboratory reagents, wound care products, medical disposables, sharps, etc.
- IT Equipment — hardware, software and peripherals
- Ongoing Services — equipment maintenance, personnel recruitment, payroll assistance, employee health insurance
Initially lured by the prospect of bringing in a lucrative
paycheck, your first instinct might be to go after those jobs that offer the
highest commissions. However, the
competition for these positions is ostensibly keen. Before you consider going after that medical
equipment or software sales job, you should consider which type of medical
sales job is best suited to your personality. (Incidentally, MedMasters offers
several personality assessments for its members.) Just as in non-medical sales,
the handsome sales commissions usually require you to be concomitantly more competitive.
Conversely, pharmaceutical or consumable sales representatives usually
cultivate skills that focus more on relationship building and education, rather
than driving hard towards the close. Distributor sales or device sales may be
for you if your personality is somewhere in the middle. Competent selling
techniques and relationship building skills are necessary as they require sales
reps to demonstrate how to use certain products and obtain refill orders.
While national firms such as Boston Scientific or Merck may
be the first to come to mind when you think of medical sales employment
options, there are thousands of medical companies that require motivated,
hard-working salespeople to get their products into the hands of the medical
community.
Generally speaking, there are two principle sub-categories
of medical companies. Manufacturers (such as Stryker and Medtronic) research,
develop, produce, and sell their own products. Distributors (such as PSS and Medline) sell products on behalf of
manufacturers. Distributors may have a broad catalogue of products or focus on
particular markets, such as spinal implants or cardio-thoracic equipment.
Actionable Interactions
Once you identify the type of medical sales you would like
to pursue, you should research companies that offer these products or services.
Visit their corporate websites; they may even have job openings posted online
to which you can apply. Research the company on MedMasters to see if you know
anyone (or know someone else who may know someone) who works for them.
MedMasters makes it easier to contact corporate recruiters because of its proprietary MedMatch software and MedMail feature. You can also research
medical sales staffing agencies online. Many medical agency recruiters have
public profiles on MedMasters and most are amenable to queries from potential
applicants who’ve done their homework and are intent on getting into the
medical sales industry.
Additional Activities
 |
| English: Description: Social Networking Source: own work Author: koreshky Date: 12/10/2007 (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Spend a day in the life with a sales representative ... or even
more time if her/his schedule is highly varied (i.e., sales appointments one
day, working with medical personnel in the O.R./ surgical training lab another).
Ask questions and take good notes. Inquire how to be successful and competitive
in their field. Make contacts with the facilities or doctors who are their
client base.
Work with your professional network. Set up a profile on
MedMasters if haven’t yet done so. Consider joining sales groups such as Sales
Café to increase contacts and gain sales knowledge.
Diversify and expand your networking efforts. According to
“Forbes,” up to 80% of all new hires are made without the job they apply
for ever being formally posted to the public. Changing and expanding your
networking efforts is critical.
Learn about and improve your sales skills. Read books,
search online, attend seminars and take courses (in person, online). Carefully
observe a good salesperson with whom you may be interacting.
Learn how to ace telephone interviews (see my previous blog,
“Topmost Tips for Terrific Telephony”). Many initial (or follow-up, post email)
contacts with recruiters and hiring managers are over the phone, so making a
strong first impression in a phone conversation/interview is important.
 |
| Picture taken during the GLAM-WIKI UK conference, November 2010, British Museum. The conference attendees at a tea break. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Attend a conference. Participating in a local, regional or national
conference in your field of choice will greatly facilitate your ability to
speak professionals, increase your network, and possibly provide you with
inside information about potential openings.
Despite some uncertainties — increasing pressure and stress
in medical sales jobs, new policies and regulations, managed care challenges,
and access to health care — will continue to affect medical sales. However, as
with other health care professions, the overall outlook for medical sales jobs
remains positive.
Rick Fromme combines entrepreneurial enthusiasm with an
insider's knowledge of the medical industry to co-found MedMasters.com.
Both his drive and perspective helps provide health care professionals with a
superior mechanism with which to communicate, network and market their
strengths. Prior to founding MedMasters.com,
Rick operated a highly successful medical device distributorship. Other
milestones in his 12-year career in the medical industry include a key position
at a medical device start-up company that was later sold to the
Ethicon Endo division of Johnson & Johnson. You may also reach Rick
by connecting with him on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn and YouTube.
