I was copied on the following thank you note after an interview last week. Here are a few reasons I enjoy it so much:
So you want to be in medical device sales? Really?
Almost every candidate who applies for a medical device sales position says that they’ve always wanted to be in medical device sales. Over time, it’s possible to become rather skeptical of this statement.
One hiring manager said to me, “People sometimes get this idea that medical device sales is a glamorous job. This job is about pushing video carts across slushy parking lots in the middle of winter.”
Breaking into medical device sales is not like hitting the lottery. Don’t expect to coast. Expect to work hard and be challenged to grow professionally like never before.
If you really want to be in medical device sales, are you prepared to…
Are you polished enough for medical device sales?
One of the reasons people often give me for wanting to pursue medical device sales is that they want to work with a more professional clientele. In order to do so successfully, a certain level of professional polish is required. You need to be prepared to deal with highly educated and intelligent people such as surgeons, hospital administration and many other members of the hospital staff.
Hiring managers often tell me when they sit in front of a candidate during an interview, they ask themselves if they can imagine doctors in their territory wanting to do business with the person. If the person is arrogant rather than humble, the answer is usually an immediate “No.”
Trouble in the OR
I received this great question and enlisted the input of some experienced OR sales reps for answers.
“In the med device industry, while in the OR and working with surgeons, what is the best approach to tell a surgeon they are making a mistake or doing something wrong without losing their business and them going ballistic on you?”
While it is not necessarily true that a surgeon will go ballistic if corrected, situations like this need to be handled tactfully, especially during moments of stress. Here are three different responses, each with useful thoughts on addressing this challenging scenario in the operating room.
How surgery is like a football game
It’s sometimes hard to explain the role that a surgical sales representative plays in the operating room to those from outside the medical device industry.
I used to say that the rep was like the quarterback, but I now think it would be better to say that the sales rep is like the coach, calling plays from the sidelines. The surgeon is like the quarterback, executing the plays. The first assist or surgical tech is like the center, and the instruments are like the football being passed to the surgeon-quarterback.
Input overload
I love social media. LinkedIn, Twitter, blogging… count me in.
The challenge is becoming managing all the traffic it generates. I get regular requests for job search, career advice and requests about non-existent job openings and to review resumés. Although I encourage people to stay connected with me thru LinkedIn, they want to send me their resumé to keep on file for future opportunities — which means I have to handle it somehow. Sorry, but sometimes that way is *delete*.
I just simply do not have enough time in my day to read/file/process every resume that is sent to me. Boohoo, I am sure you feel really sorry for me right now.
Performing at a higher level
I’ve been reading “Talent is Overrated: What Really Separates World-Class Performers from Everybody Else” by Geoff Colvin. It’s a terrific read, engaging and chock full of great ideas for salespeople.
One of the central ideas of the book is that people who are great at what they do are not born with innate talent. Colvin suggests that great performers work very hard to develop their skills and abilities in a particular way, through “deliberate practice.” This type of improvement effort is specific, uncomfortable, tiring and requires a lot of repetition. In order to improve, an expert teacher is often required to design learning exercises to work on discrete skills and provide immediate feedback.
The power of listening
At a national sales meeting a few years ago, one very successful rep described how he’d grown his territory. He talked a lot about the importance of listening to his customers’ needs, rather that pushing products on them.
“Let your competitors be the ones to ‘Show up and throw up,'” he said. The room erupted in laughter. I’m sure it struck everyone as funny not only because of the image, but also because it’s something everyone in the room had been guilty of at one time or another.
Most sales reps grasp the idea of asking probing, open-ended questions pretty readily. It’s not too hard to figure out a good list of stock questions that will help to uncover a prospect’s needs and pain. But becoming a good listener — now there’s the real challenge.
How to have a great conversation with just about anyone
Salespeople rely on conversation in many forms to advance their objectives: Build rapport with prospects, discover information and move the sales process forward. Although the gift of gab comes naturally to many who are drawn to sales, there are always areas for improvement.
Having a great conversation is really about listening. When you demonstrate that you are interested and engaged, rather than just waiting your turn to speak, the other person in the conversation opens up.
Here are 13 ideas for making your next conversation a great one:
Medical device sales: It’s not a sprint…
As if 26.2 miles wasn’t enough. Now there are ultra-marathons of twice the distance. Or if an Ironman isn’t enough for you, why not take part in the Ultraman, a 3-day, 320-mile endurance event?
These days, the definition of competition keeps getting stretched farther and farther. In order to compete successfully, in sales or athletics, it often seems necessary to push through super-human limits of endurance.
A few years ago, my sister and I did a half-Ironman team triathlon. Fortunately, I was able to bamboozle my little sis into doing the bike and the swim. I only had to run a half-marathon.
Failure to close
The dynamics of closing a customer or closing an interview are very similar. If you are interviewing for a sales position, your ability to close well at the end of the interview is considered a strong indication of your sales ability.
I’ve seen many ways and reasons that people fail to close. It happens to both early career salespeople and veteran sales managers.