10 Honest Truths About Being A Medical Vendor
Rebecca Kinney
Medical Sales Veteran | ??Helping Medical Organizations Shine on LinkedIn | Writer | Entrepreneur
When you meet a stranger on the street and they ask you what you do, a typical response for me is “I own a small startup that helps medical companies on social media (LinkedIn) and I’m in medical sales”. The typical response is “Oh they make good money, I’d like to do that someday. “
The truth is yes it CAN be lucrative, but typically getting a start in the industry can be a bit rocky. I can say with certainty it is not for the faint of heart. It’s not a cake walk, and pay varies based of compensation plans yearly, as well as healthcare network IDN contracting decisions. Any sales professional knows it’s an emotional rollercoaster, and some weeks you literally feel bipolar. On Tuesday you got a purchase order from a quote two years ago and feel on top of the world-by Thursday you’ve lost a large client. If you are a medical sales representative, or have ever entertained the idea here are some tough to swallow truths.
10 Medical Vendor Truths
- No two days are the same, but everyday feels like Groundhog’s Day.
2. If you thought you had a thick skin, you realized quickly it was paper thin.
3. The sales cycle is long.
4. Sometime you get fired for things outside of your control.
5. Thinking like your customer is your best friend.
6. You’ll lose most deals, and win only a small few.
7. Saying your competition is the better option is sometimes smart.
8. The way a clinician responds to you has nothing to do with you, 99.9999% of the time.
9. Buyers are tasked with not buying a mistake, period. If you think like a buyer your chances of success increase.
10. Nobody gives a crap that you have a quota, don’t even think about mentioning it. Your job is to lend solutions that create a great patient outcome. No part of that includes your quota.
Moral of the story is it isn’t a cakewalk and it takes experience and massive failures. In upcoming features, I will share the things I wish I knew when I first started as a rep. The advice I was given my first few months was “your job is to shake hands and kiss babies”. What does that actually mean? I will deep dive how to transition from a sterile processing technician to a vendor, how to overcome obstacles and endure the first year, and much more.
For all you professionals out there looking for ways to grow your LinkedIn presence head on over to my small startup company called Cypress Rise, Inc. I mentioned above for weekly trainings and tips on how you can have a thriving LinkedIn presence of your own.
https://www.dhirubhai.net/company/cypress-rise-inc
Supply Chain Professional | Adjunct Business Instructor | MBA, CMRP, CAPM, LSSGB, FAHRMM
3 年Those individuals who present themselves as a business partner and work to build trust and respect will do well. The sales cycle is long and can be complex, and even if a sales isn't made upfront it is much easier to work with established and reputable reps. Be kind and remember that health care organizations are complex, but all are working to provide the best potential outcome for the patient who is likely having one of the worst days of their life.
Veteran, Advocate for the Journey to Zero Patient Harm,
3 年Yeah, I learned early on that for me spending money is better than trying to convince someone to spend it. My hats off to you vendor types- because it is not an easy (and thankless) job. And this is coming from Sterile Processing... LOL
Networking professional with 20+ years of driving sales, sales management, customer service and team building.
3 年Love the insight in this article. Thank you Rebecca
STERISTAR | ABRO MEDICAL
3 年It was my dream job. It is still my dreams after 21 years.
I spent 30+ years in medical sales, 1st as a rep, then sales manager, then VP of sales, then 16 years owning my own medical equipment distribution company. You are quite right with your list of 10! Thank you!