Become a Medical Device Sales Representative
Medical device sales representatives are responsible for selling medical devices to healthcare specialists. In this position, you are expected to attract new clients and foster positive relationships with existing clients in the healthcare industry. You must be able to market your company’s devices to hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, and doctor’s offices. The competition can be high for a medical device sales rep position, but the pay is often lucrative, with a high level of job security and job growth. To become a medical device sales representative, you will need to get the necessary education, the required skill set, and obtain an entry-level position in the field.
Contents
Steps
Getting the Necessary Education
- Join a business club in high school. You can prepare for this career in high school by joining a business club at school or outside of school. You may also take business focused classes, if they are offered at your high school.
- You could join the social committee at school and volunteer to work on the finances or marketing for the committee. This will allow you to get used to talking with people and start learning how to sell or market ideas.
- Get an undergraduate degree in health sciences, sales, or business. Most companies that hire medical device sales reps will look for candidates that have a post-secondary degree from an accredited university. You should get an undergraduate degree in a field that relates to medical device sales, such as health sciences, sales, business, or life sciences.
- While in university, you should also take technical electives that relate to medical device sales. This could be electives in biomedical engineering or biotechnology.
- Do an internship while in school. You should refine your selling skills and your medical device knowledge while you are in university so you are better prepared for the industry when you graduate. You may do an internship in the surgery ward of a hospital so you are more familiar with surgical devices that are used currently in the industry or look for an internship with a sales company that focuses on medical devices.
- If you need a part time job while you are in school, you should consider working in a sales related position. This could be a retail sales job at your local mall or a door to door sales position. Taking on a basic sales job could improve your confidence and ability to sell products to clientele.
- Pursue a Masters of Business Administration (MBA). Due to rising competition in the field, many medical device sales representatives are going back to school to get their MBA, with a focus on health services management or sales management. This could help you get a leg up on the competition and increase your salary. However, you can still land an entry level position in medical device sales with an undergraduate degree.
- You may decide to pursue a Masters of Health Administration (MHA). This master’s degree could help you get a better understanding of the clinical system structure, which could then help you sell more effectively to your clientele.
Developing the Required Skills
- Take public speaking classes. If you struggle with public speaking, you may want to take public speaking classes at your local college or university. As a medical device sales rep, you will need to project confidence, expertise, and trust to your customers. You may end up presenting new products to high ranking executives or doing a presentation for a large group of medical experts. Your Improve-Public-Speaking-Skills will need to be rock solid to succeed in this position.
- You may also work on your public speaking skills starting as early as high school by joining the debate team at your school or by participating in public speaking events in your community. You should look for opportunities where you can work on your public speaking and get comfortable talking with confidence in front of a large group.
- Research the medical device field. As a medical device sales rep, you will also be expected to have a vast level of knowledge of medical devices that are currently being used in the industry. You must be comfortable with using medical terminology to discuss and sell devices to medical professionals, from primary care doctors to surgeons to hospital administrators. You should do extensive research on the medical device field and study the different devices that are being used.
- You may take courses on the medical device field in school or continue to stay up to date on the medical device field once you have graduated from post-secondary. Research medical devices online and stay current on the suppliers of these devices.
- You should also subscribe to newsletters and online updates from medical device sellers. Review the current products on the market so you are aware of what is available.
- Perfect your communication skills. Medical device sales representatives are expected to be excellent listeners and communicators. You should work on your listening skills, practicing active listening whenever possible. You should also perfect your communication skills so you are able to hold thoughtful conversations with others and use your sales skills in your discussions with others.
- You may improve your communication skills by taking a course on active listening. You may also seek out volunteer positions and jobs that force you to interact with people on a consistent basis, such as a volunteer position at a homeless shelter or a part time job as a salesperson at a retail store. These positions can help you improve your ability to communicate and connect with people.
- Prepare yourself for the daily tasks of the position. You should also familiarize yourself with the expectations and tasks of a career as a medical device sales rep. You will be expected to work 40 hour work weeks, and will often be working out of hotel rooms or working from home. You will be given all the perks of a career on the road, from hotel rooms to cars to plane tickets for work travel. But you will be expected to perform well and sell at a high rate, so the job can be high stress.
- In an entry level position, you can earn an average salary of $66,516 with around $30,000 in bonuses or commissions. You can then earn a higher salary after two years of experience in the field, with a yearly salary of around $88,000 - $145,000.
- There is often lots of room for advancement in this career, especially if you perform well. However, there is a high turnover rate for medical device sales reps and it can be a struggle to find another position in the field during a recession.
Finding a Position
- Look at online job forums. Start by searching for entry-level medical device sales rep positions on online job forums. Look for positions at companies that sell medical products you are familiar with, as you will be more likely to qualify for the job if it fits your level of expertise. You may look for positions outside of your local area, if you are willing to relocate for the job, and focus on companies who are known to be successful and supportive of new hires.
- You can subscribe to updates for medical device sales rep positions through certain online job forums. This way, you will be notified if and when an available position comes up on the site.
- Join the National Association of Medical Device Sales Representatives. You can network with other medical device sales reps by joining the National Association of Medical Device Sales Representatives (NAMSR), an association that connects and supports medical device sales representatives and their employers. You can register online for the association or email the association directly for more information on how to join.
- You can also get certified as a medical sales rep through the NAMSR. You will need to take an exam to become a Registered Medical Sales Representative (RMSR), which can make you a more appealing candidate to employers.
- Network with your contacts for positions. You should also reach out to your current business contacts with information on available positions. Medical device companies can be picky about who they hire and having a contact refer you could help move your resume to the top of the pile. You may reach out to former professors in school who have connected to the medical device industry or talk to mentors that you worked with at an internship while in school.
- You may also reach out to recruiters that can connect you to available positions in the field. A recruiter can also help you improve your resume and find positions that speak to your skillset.
- Prepare for your interview. Once you land an interview for a position, you should prepare so you can step into the room with confidence and expertise. Research the company before the interview, focusing on its niche in the industry, its product line, and the professional background of the management team. This will allow you to talk comfortably about what the company offers clients in the interview and show the interviewer that you did your research.
- You should also include all relevant experience on your resume to show the interviewer that you have the skillset required for the job. Most employers will look for candidates that have a post-secondary degree in a relevant field and a solid employment record with no long gaps between work and longevity at each company or place you have worked.
- At least two years of relevant sales experience in the field, or another field, as well as a high ranking at a salesperson, are also seen as an asset. Finally, you should be able to pass a background check with flying colors.
