A quick guide to selling into primary care channels

If you’re considering working in medical device sales, you may find that you’re well suited to selling into primary care channels. Here’s a quick guide about what you can expect from these markets!

What is primary care?

Primary care is aimed at caring for the individual through more local channels – GPs, pharmacists, opticians, dentists. It aims to provide an easily accessible route into care.

How are products sold into this market?

The sales process has a key focus on liaison with stakeholders to build commercial partnerships. Products are usually sold on a large scale within high-value contracts.

When taking new products to market value proposition is key as the stakeholders will want to know what benefit the product can provide to them both in the short and long term. Value propositions are also key when selling into secondary and acute care channels – you can find out more about this here!

What does it take to sell products in this market?

The key to selling into this market is in the liaison with GPs and primary care trusts in order to build commercial partnerships. Products are usually sold on a large-scale and form high value contracts.

It’s a more transactional sales process in regards to the products that are being sold, however it’s important that relationship management isn’t neglected – having strong, trusting relationships with GPs, pharmacists, and clinical commissioning groups can secure repeat sales and endorsements. Doctors now decide where they should spend their budget and therefore influence what products are on the community commissioning groups for their particular region. These kind of doctor-salesperson relationships can also be found when selling into community care channels. 

To find out more about where your sales skills can fit into medical sales, click here!

Are there any challenges in this market?

Competition, competition, competition! They are highly competitive markets – you’ve got to be able to pitch your products above those of your competitors. This is particularly difficult when there are differing costs at play.

If you want to know more about starting or progressing your career in medical device sales, get in touch on natasha.szombara@fmctalent.com