A Career in Medical Device Sales: Strategies and Pitfalls

While securing a pharmaceutical sales job, or a medical device sales job is indeed a huge carrot to seek, and can be a very lucrative and professionally rewarding career move, these jobs are extremely competitive to land, and prospective candidates for medical sales jobs need to spend a significant amount of time preparing to seek these medical sales jobs. Simply possessing a college degree, and thinking that a career in medical device sales seems interesting, is certainly not enough!

Medical Device Sales by Job Boards

gorillamedicalsales.com is the leading online job board specializing in medical device sales jobs, medical sales jobs, medical sales representative jobs and pharmaceutical sales jobs. Find jobs from leading companies like Eli Lilly, Johnston & Johnson, etc.

In general, most medical equipment sales jobs, and their more lucrative cousins, medical device sales jobs and medical implant sales positions, require previous experience selling medical equipment, selling medical devices, or selling medical implants. So, how does an individual gain the needed experience to secure a medical sales job when the companies seem to want only experienced medical sales representatives?

The good news for those seeking to enter the medical sales representative field is that many companies look to hire entry level sales people, thus giving those without previous medical sales experience an entry point to this exciting industry. In particular, many pharmaceutical sales representative jobs require no previous medical sales experience. In addition, there are dozens of medical companies who will consider individuals who possess no previous medical sales representative experience.

There are many web sites dedicated to listing medical device sales, medical equipment sales, and pharmaceutical sales jobs. These sites, commonly referred to as “medical sales job boards”, allow medical products companies, as well as medical sales recruiters to post their current medical sales jobs, by location, on these job boards. Some boards are free for job seekers to register and view the medical sales jobs posted. One such board, Gorilla Medical Sales lists medical sales jobs, including entry level medical sales jobs, as well as pharmaceutical sales representative positions, posted exclusively by the leading medical sales recruiters in the nation. Since this board is currently free for candidates to register, Gorilla Medical Sales is an excellent place for entry level medical sales positions to be accessed by interested individuals.

Other medical sales job boards charge a fee for job seekers to register and view job postings. These fees vary greatly, and can range from $15 - $30 a month, to simply a one-time annual fee of $40 - $50 for one year of unlimited access. Regardless, these fees are very modest when one compares them to the fees charged by the large generalist job boards, none of which specialize in medical product sales. It is much more practical and targeted to spend your money accessing one of the medical sales job boards such as Gorilla Medical Sales rather than wasting your time on the large job boards.

But, these job boards are very specific in their recommended work background for candidates without previous medical device sales, or pharmaceutical sales experience. The candidates who will stand the greatest chance to secure an entry level medical sales position all share a common work history. Here are some of the desired work experiences needed to break into medical device sales, or pharmaceutical sales:

• At least two years of sales experience selling a tangible product

• A four-year college degree

• A documented record of achieving quota in your sales job(s)

You may ask, what is an example of a “tangible product”? Medical products companies love to hire individuals who have demonstrated in their previous sales jobs that they can “close the sale”. Therefore, your ability to sell tangible product, to obtain a signed purchase order from your customer to buy that product, and to close the deal in a competitive selling environment is essential to most hiring medical products companies. Some examples of tangible products that medical products companies love in your previous sales experience are items such as office equipment, office forms, printing, credit-card processing, communications, and copiers.

But, it is not always enough that you have sold a tangible product before. For many medical products companies, you must show them documentation that you were highly successful in your selling efforts. Remember, medical equipment sales jobs are among the most coveted sales jobs in the world. So, these companies want to hire only the best-of-the-best! And, they have the luxury of doing so!

Another key term which is important in discussing the qualifications and experiences necessary to secure an entry level medical sales position is the phrase “business-to-business sales experience” (sometimes referred to as B2B sales experience). This is a general term used to describe an individual who sells a product produced by his company to an individual at another company. B2B sales does not always involve selling a tangible product, but can also involve selling a service. The critical factor which makes a B2B experienced sales representative an attractive hire for a medical products company is the fact that the sales is closed by the representative, an order is taken, and the selling environment is competitive. Thus, a B2B experience level, even without selling a tangible product, is an attractive background for hiring medical products companies, and pharmaceutical sales companies.

Other factors can be very important when seeking a medical device sales position. Many medical products companies prefer to hire a candidate who has been an officer in the military. Military officers are very disciplined by training, and some medical companies believe that this discipline will help them manage their medical sales territory. In addition, former military officers are experienced at leading, managing, training, and delegating to subordinates. For this reason, they often make excellent sales mangers following their successful selling career, and are deemed very promotable by these companies.

Another factor which many medical equipment sales companies value when filling their medical sales jobs is previous job stability. In our fast-paced world of today, where frequent job changes are commonplace, many medical products companies place a high value on job stability. Candidates who previous job history is stable, with only one or two different jobs following college, demonstrate the desired commitment and loyalty relished by many of the medical products companies. Contrarily, a resume showing frequent “job-hopping” is a turn-off to many hiring managers.

In addition, candidates who have been promoted by their employer in a previous job are viewed very highly by hiring managers. Companies understand that only the best workers get promoted, and having a job history showing promotions is a valuable asset on a candidates’ resume.

Finally, in an age where liability plays an important factor for all companies, all candidates seeking an entry level medical devices sales job, medical equipment sales job, or pharmaceutical sales job, must be able to pass a background check and have a clean driving record before most medical products companies will hire them. Since sales involves many miles driven calling on customers, often in an automobile provided by the company, things like DUI’s, excessive traffic tickets, and accidents all provide an obstacle to becoming hired. Likewise, previous drug arrests are usually a knock-out factor to being hired.

Securing an entry level medical sales job is much sought-after commodity. And, the qualifications and prior job experiences are narrow. However, the rewarding career of selling medical products makes the search worthwhile for many.

Special Thanks to Dillarius for hitting the nail on the head!

Fire Protection Systems and Business

This article leans towards my career based expertise but relates to any business with assets that need protection from catastrophic fire loss.

Choosing the "best" fire suppression technology is not a simple task. A good starting point is to discuss your risks and operations with your insurance carrier. The large insurance companies have consulting engineers available who will have direct experience with the various systems. Your insurance carrier has a vested interest in getting you the best possible advice.

The fire department's primary concern is life safety, not contents. Their interest in your suppression system relates to safe exit of staff and visitors. It must protect the structure from collapse, which would endanger the lives of the fire fighters. Protecting the contents is therefore the responsibility of the owner.

The starting point for choosing a fire suppression system is a risk analysis to reduce the potential for a fire. Many hazards can be eliminated or reduced. The second objective is to mitigate the damage and to facilitate the recovery effort associated with the type of suppressant used. Regardless of which system is chosen, quality of installation and maintenance is critical. Your insurance carrier can also assist with testing and maintenance procedures. The following is an overview of the common suppression systems:

Wet pipe - A well-designed system will include flow monitors and pressure gauges to monitor the pressure on both sides of the valves when closed. Once the pipe flange seals set after installation and the system is monitored and maintained, it is highly reliable. There are probably more wet pipe systems than any others. They have an excellent track record and of course fast response. As long as it is not a deluge system, heads release as needed at a predetermined temperature as the fire progresses. Wet pipe systems should be discharged monthly (to the outside through an external valve), and pumps, valves, pressure gauges and alarms verified at that time.

Dry pipe and pre-actioned dry pipe and combinations thereof are considered to require more maintenance than wet pipe. Corrosion is a problem in systems with air or nitrogen in the pipes. However, they do have a place in freezing environments. There is a slight delay before water gets to the head at the rated volume and pressure. As with wet pipe, flow and pressure monitoring will alert you to problems. The pre-actioned systems are activated by sensors, and water release can be total or zonal with the heads releasing from the heat of the fire. Pre-action systems rely on smoke detection to get the water into the pipes. If the detection monitoring fails, the system is not activated. Both dry and wet pipe require that water be shut off manually.

Water mist systems are highly efficient but the technology is expensive. Small diameter piping is a plus and the use of a mist reduces damage to materials stored.

Fast response systems respond at an early stage of a fire. There are numerous types (release controls and heads) in this class of system.

Gas flooding systems are activated by temperature and smoke detection sensors. The gas is released under tremendous pressure. Statistics Canada is reported to have damaged certain records (shredded them) that were stored adjacent to the discharge nozzle. In computer rooms gas pressure is reported to have sent heavy floor tiles flying. These systems require that the room be extremely well sealed (doors, windows, ducts, piping, etc.) to achieve and hold the required concentration of suppressant. If the detection system fails there is no gas release. Should there be an equipment failure and the tank is discharged, there is no back-up. This is a major problem if the fire restarts itself. The length of time to get a tank recharged is a period of complete vulnerability.

Clearly the most important aspect of fire suppression is the sensing technology and monitoring (both technology and human, in-house and external). The next most important aspect after design is installation and maintenance. Every aspect of installation must be carefully monitored and inspected.

In one project, water pressure to sprinklers in a large records storage room was supplied by two 750 gal/min. pumps. The seals on the pumps were not evenly tightened during routine maintenance, which damaged the seals and the shaft alignment after about two years. Parts and repairs took almost one month for each pump. When a pump was out of service, there would have been an inadequate water supply to fight a major fire but sufficient for a small blaze. With shafts out of alignment, the pump might not have lasted long enough to combat a fire.

The pump and valve room should be well secured to avoid sabotage. Main supply valves should be locked open to avoid sabotage. Pumps require back-up power supply - another vulnerability.

At the end of the day there are no perfect solutions. You wrestle with options, choose one and accept the vulnerabilities. The protection of your structure, materials and people is reliant on good monitoring technology and safeguards, routine and thorough maintenance and a disaster recovery plan.

Keep Them Coming Back!!

Personal selling is one of the most important aspects of almost any business career – because you're always selling, not just to customers, but to your boss, your peers and colleagues, even your friends. Persuading others, pitching your case – call it what you want, but understanding how to get someone else to do what you want them to do is one of the most basic skills of being human.

In terms of dealing directly with customers, my favorite advice would come from Dale Carnegie's classic book How to Win Friends and Influence People. You can read all of the current how-to books you want but you won't find better, more concise advice. Remember people's names. Ask about their feelings. Try to understand them and their own points of view. These are the building blocks not just for great salesmanship, but also for lasting friendships.

What if you lose a client? What this question really emphasizes is how important it is to make sure that we do it right the first time, because once we lose a customer, as is clearly the case here, we may never get a chance to be able to talk to that customer again. We know that, so what do we do now?

Whether this is a business-to-business (B2B) or business-to-customer (B2C) setting doesn’t really matter. If it is a B2C setting then it's going to be very hard to go to a particular customer and make everything alright. If it's a B2B setting, then it's worth investing some effort into going back to the customer and educating him about the new things we have, making it clear what we can offer him now and also emphasizing what's in it for him by at least reconsidering doing business with us. In the meantime, what we want to do is make sure that we are doing everything as well as we can and hope that word of mouth will reach that customer and he might give us another try.

What else can we try? Possibly a loyalty program if it’s appropriate for your business environment. You will know. With all of the changes, mostly negative, taking place in the world of customer loyalty programming - growth in private-label credit cards, finding the right mix of hard and soft benefits, building an extensive (and often expensive) multi-channel communication program, fixing value of loyalty rewards in customers' minds, dealing with difficulty in redeeming rewards, changes in qualification for rewards, ability to reward best customers, and on and on - I'm more inclined than ever to believe that the best loyalty programs are no loyalty programs at all. Not that suppliers aren't, and shouldn't be, focused on creating the highest levels of customer advocacy behavior possible, it's just that loyalty programs may not be the best vehicle for achieving that goal. In fact, because these programs are typically built to drive more frequent purchasing, rather than create a stronger and deeper emotional and relationship bond with the supplier on an individual customer basis, they can even be counterproductive as a strategic device. Loyalty programs ought not be used as a crutch or surrogate for creating stronger connections with customers, and they too often are just that.

Although there are successful loyalty programs, to be sure, the most effective ways of creating the highest customer lifetime value are a) effective, continuously improved customer-related processes, including messaging and experience management, b) leveraging methods for assuring stakeholder engagement, continuity and productivity, especially among customer-touching employees, c) creating a customer-driven culture, building customer centricity into the DNA of the organization, and d) having a customer information system and database that is as detailed, real-time and actionable as possible, down to the specific customer and experience (i.e., divisible) level.

Prioritize Strategies: Sales & Marketing

Business owners who are concerned about their sales and marketing capabilities could begin to see improvement by breaking down the term sales as it relates to marketing, into manageable elements. You end up with a checklist that can be reviewed in order to prioritize areas needing improvement

1) MARKETS: How much do you really know about your current markets or future market? Why do your customers buy from you? What could you offer that would attract more non-customers? How can you sell to more of the profitable customers? If you add features or services, will people pay more for them or will they attract more customers? Are there bulk, institutional, industrial, or corporate markets beyond normal retail that you are ignoring?

2) COMPETITION: Who are they and why are they after you? What is the overall market trend and how are you holding up in terms of market share and profit position? How do you really rank against competitors? What substitutes are there to your products and how much of a threat are they?

3) DISTRIBUTION: How can you get your products/services out to new outlets profitably? Are there unbranded opportunities? Can you bundle in your products with someone else's?

4) SUPPLY CHAIN: Are you at the mercy of wholesalers for your raw materials or product components? How can you manage suppliers and gain more buying power over them? Can you simplify your products and reduce your supply needs? Can you buy in bulk and store them somewhere in a cost effective manner? Can you buy some things pre-fabricated cheaper than doing it yourself (or vice versa)?

5) POSITIONING: Where do your products/services fall in relation to the total market? Is this truly the position you want? Are you "all things to all people," or should you move more toward a high-end position (charging a premium for a differentiated service), or a low-cost position (undercutting others' prices but at a profit, due to high efficiency)? If you are truly "in the middle," you should examine how well you're doing regularly (with the help of a good accounting system).

6) PROMOTION: Feel invisible? How can you change this? What promotion tools make the most sense to promote your products yet are consistent with the marketing image you want to project? How do you know if they pay off? Are you promoting on the Internet effectively?

7) PRICING: What is your pricing strategy? Does variable pricing make sense for different markets, perishable products, or time-based sales processes, or various customer types? Are you charging for everything you do?

8) SERVICE DELIVERY: How well and how consistently are you delivering/producing your products/services? What people problems must be addressed? Do you really train people in their overall role and mission, not just the mechanics of their job? How do you know your customer service is satisfactory? How can you use disservice situations to build customer loyalty?

9) FINANCING: What is your capital structure? That is, what are the proportions of cash, bank borrowing, other borrowing, invested funds, and net income to your operation? Do you produce an annual financial report and a monthly cash report? Are there other sources of capital you should look at? Are there cheaper sources for say, bank loans?

10) STRATEGY: How can you build customer loyalty? How can you increase sales to existing customers (more frequent use or buys, selling a broader product line to them) or new customers (existing and new products)? How can you penetrate into new areas profitably? What new substitute products are successful at Wal-Mart or other outlets that you have sniffed at as not being part of your traditional business? What costs can be removed without affecting the value equation?

11) MANAGEMENT: What risks exist today and which are on the horizon? What is the likelihood and impact of each? How can you reduce both? Are there alliances that make sense? Are there trade groups you should be in? Are there natural ties that no one is exploiting-- like a video store letting people order a video with a choice of pizza from the next-door pizza shop for a specific time? Or letting customers return their videos to a local Starbucks they stop at in the morning?

12) INFORMATION: What information is your accounting system giving you about profitable lines, costs, and margins? If "none," why not fix it and start making better decisions? What advice can you get from a trade group or local retail association?

If you concentrate on those areas which are most pertinent to your business structure and needs, it can only lead to a more focused resource management scheme. Stay consistent and maintain sight of your goals and just how close the business is towards meeting them. This model will naturally fall into a prized routine that can only spell SUCCESS! See you next time.

Plan a Winning Strategy

The key to effective sales planning is thinking and preparation. One of the keys to successful selling is having a written game plan. I won't say this is easy because it's not.

Because it's not easy to do it's easy to avoid doing - and that's huge mistake.

If you're ready to roll up your sleeves and get to work, let's begin.

Who are your existing customers? Prioritize these customers two ways. First prioritize your customer list based on sales revenue. Then prioritize your customer list based on sales potential.

Who are your prospects? Prioritize your list of prospects based on sales potential.

Develop a sales call plan based on anticipated sales call frequency. Determine how many times a year you want to visit your best customers. Determine how many times a year you want to visit your second-tier, or medium-size customers. Then determine how many times a year you want to visit your small-size customers.

Do the same thing for your sales prospects. Determine how many times a year you want to visit your large sales prospects, medium-size and smaller sales prospects.

Once you've completed this exercise you can begin to map out a sales call plan based on geography and sales potential. More on those specific topics to follow. Until then remember success equals sustained hard work and failure is just a tool to get there.

Winning the Customer Loyalty Battle

Knowledge is the key weapon to effective customer satisfaction. Know what your customers want, making sure your staff is well trained to provide the services offered. A great start towards successfully meeting customer expectations.

After that, service & product providers need to be well equipped with answers. For example, the multitude of vendors selling airline tickets and the frequent lack of communication leaves ground employees at a loss when trying to answer consumer questions. It is your responsibility to arm employees with knowledge so they can provide clear, helpful answers. If a client calls and your business consistently has the most helpful and appropriate answers you will win their trust and loyalty.

The key to good customer service, in any industry, is not winning a battle but winning the war, especially in a competitive business environment. For a business involved in sales, typically what is at stake when it comes to customer relations is time spent for services provided. Therefore, service providers need to determine how much time they can afford in the course of a month or year to expend for the sake of maintaining ongoing relationships. After all, service-oriented business (more than any industry) must follow the 80-20 business principle, whereby 80 percent of their business must come. You might not please everyone, but the clients that actually pay the bills will be in the loop consistently.

Give your customers a constant, active feedback process. Either online or via a rep, they should be able to, in an instant contact your company about any issues good or bad. Then make the return response as quickly as possible. Again this lets the customer know you care about their opinion and you are in a position to change and or augment a process to quell their worries. You can also communicate to them through newsletters, or regular blog posts. It's all about keeping in touch and making them feel your focus in on them and their satisfaction.

In summary product awareness, business particulars, expert sales staff, communication, and the efficient use of CRM will bring a bond that could carry your company through sale after sale from a customer that is truly satisfied you have a superior product or service and you’re willing to back it up.

The Sales Presentation Conundrum

Take a moment and think about how the typical conversation or meeting flows with a prospect? What does your presentation consist of? What do you talk about?

The basics - you may begin by giving some background on your company and who you are. You would probably talk about what it is you sell.

You may even discuss what your product or services are, or what you do and how it could benefit them. And if you have some time, you might share some technical data, a PowerPoint, or some marketing materials.

With all of these various topics to address, only one stands out as your core objective and the primary goal of delivering a presentation. Here are the most common responses I hear:

* To educate your prospect on who we are, the industry and the product I sell.
* To get the sale.
* To create rapport, build trust.
* To develop your competitive edge and become your prospects' vendor of choice.
* To give each prospect a good reason for buying from me.

While these objectives are critical to achieve during a well organized sales effort, none resemble the primary objective.

To illustrate this point, let me ask you a few questions. Based on the five objectives above and your approach when presenting during a meeting with a prospect, are you able to answer these nine questions after you present to a prospect?

1. What are their objectives?
2. What are their needs?
3. Who is responsible for making this purchasing decision?
4. What information do they want to hear from you?
5. What are their expectations of the conversation with you?
6. What is their biggest concern that would prevent them from buying from you?
7. How do they make a purchasing decision? What's their process?
8. What criteria do they need to evaluate to make a decision?
9. Are they "sold" on you, your company and your product?

Unless you did a stellar job pre-qualifying them during your initial contact and this meeting or conversation is actually your second contact with the prospect, then the chance of you being able to accurately answer these questions simply by delivering your content rich presentation (or lack thereof) is pretty slim.

That's why the primary goal when delivering a presentation is different from what you might have imagined. The core objective of a presentation is to uncover the information you need (through questions) to determine if there's a fit and then refine your approach so that the solution you present is now customized to reflect the unique and specific needs of each prospect - zeroing-in on what is most important to them.

As a result, the prospect is now in the best position to make an educated (or impulsive) buying decision based on the selling atmosphere that you created or take action regarding the next step in your selling cycle (proposal, demo, next meeting and so on).

The information that a prospect wants to hear is not necessarily dependant upon the questions they ask, but more so on the questions that you ask. The only questions that you can control and ensure get addressed are the ones you ask. The nine questions I posed above are just a few essential discovery questions to ask during every sales call or presentation.

If you're asking better questions up front, you may have noticed a change in the flow and direction of your meetings and more specifically, in the information you are hearing as well as presenting. You may have also noticed that many of the prospects you met with in the past were the same prospects that you now realize were not a fit, would never be a fit and you had no business ever meeting with or spending the time following up on them in the first place.

The Hunt is On!

On top of almost everyone's list I've found is networking. Don't keep your job search to yourself. Tell friends, family and former colleagues about the type of position you're looking for. It's a tough proposition for those who might be timid or introverted, but it has to be done. According to all I've read out there, this vital conduit can not only land you a position but provide for potential customers/clients in that new position.

Another area often tossed out is temporary positions. Don't be so quick to say no to temporary positions. Those temporary positions often turn into full-time jobs. Even if they don't, working temporarily still bolsters your résumé. It also is a great way to avoid doing nothing!!

When I set out on my hunt, there wasn't a company with an opening that didn't have a copy of my resume. I didn't care or think to care that blindly applying for every position out there wasn't going to bolster my chances of successfully attaining my dream position. On the contrary, I may have burned a few bridges by using what I call, "The blanketing".

Instead of blindly sending out résumés to every help-wanted ad in your field I found that targeting companies and positions that are the right match would be a far better approach. I tailored my cover letters accordingly and adjusted my resume to reflect specific requirements of the company. Yes, it's a job in itself. But landing the right position is worth it in the end. By taking the time to specifically address the person in charge of hiring shows you've done your homework as an example. It shows you're interested in the job because you're aware of their history, growth and achievements--not just because you want any job.

If you do happen to get an interview, knowing about the company's mission, strategy and competitors goes a long ways. The interview should be a conversation. The candidate is interviewing the company just as much as the company is interviewing him or her. That means you should ask smart, relevant questions that demonstrate your knowledge of the company. When answering questions, use examples from your past work experience that demonstrate how you accomplished a goal.


If you've recently graduated from college and don't have much work history, utilize examples from committees you've served on or leadership positions you've held. After the interview, send a thank you note to everyone you met. Hand-written notes especially help candidates stand out from the crowd, since they're so rare in this electronic age. Anything that separates you will go a long way toward landing the job.

Just a note on resumes and formatting. Companies prefer resumes sent online, keep the formatting simple with a Microsoft Word document. Avoid fancy formatting and bullet points since that gets lost in the process. I can't count the hours I've spent trying to make my resume presentable in the myraid of site formatting standards out there. If you want something to stand out, bold fonts work just fine.

Well that's it for now. My first blog in the wide world of cyber job hunting practices. If no one happens to read it that's fine too. It's painting by numbers and I can count so it's all good! Happy hunting!