Reaching Out to Medtech Sales Leaders: Demonstrate Your Value and Get Noticed

You’re a college graduate and you want to break into medical device sales. Let's begin by acknowledging that networking and reaching out to industry hiring managers and sales leaders is a good, solid strategy.

However, you also need to be realistic and understand that you’re not the only graduate sending DMs and emails to Medtech companies. Additionally, you’re not the only person asking for advice, tips on how to get an interview, or a quick 15-minute Zoom call.

The reality is, sales leaders and hiring managers are being inundated with unsolicited messages for advice and help.

While most, if not all, of these messages are being read, the same cannot be said for replying to these speculative introductory messages. Therefore, it’s probably wise to ask, why not?

Lesson #1

Realize you are playing in the "attention game." In other words, you are competing for the attention of the hiring manager or sales leader.

But so are your college grad counterparts, the sales leaders sales team, their customers, internal departments, distributors, doctors, contractors, and the general day-to-day email/DM noise.

There is an irony here, because this situation mirrors what you'll face in medical device sales but, you'll be competing for the attention of doctors, nurses, and purchasing managers.

Therefore, if you can rise to this challenge, you are already showing hiring managers that you understand the need to gain attention and, more importantly, you know how to do it.

Lesson#2

How do you stand out?

Simple; don’t ask for something (time, advice, help). Instead, tell them what you can offer. Bring something to the table (possible life-lesson, there).

Don't be a passenger, passive observer, or spectator. It's perfectly fine to be a "learner," "student," or "beginner." In fact, it's necessary. But you must earn your place at the table by not coming to it empty-handed.

What can you bring?

You need to analyse your experiences; at college, jobs worked, projects, sports teams or solo events etc, and learn to take key aspects from these activities and apply them to Medtech sales.

Again, this is a good skill to learn for life. Examples? Certainly:

• You were a college athlete. Your training required self-motivation and discipline, two attributes that are now part of your character and inspire you to bring them into your career.

If you were part of a sports team, highlight what it taught you about being a good team player. If you were a solo-athlete, emphasise the mindset of working alone. Both of these work when applied to Medtech sales.

• You worked part-time jobs while attending college and managing family commitments. Your time-management skills and ability to switch between different tasks make you well-suited for the varied role of a medical representative.
• Challenges and problem-solving. How have you overcome these challenges? What did it teach you? Discuss having a problem-solving mindset and how you approach these situations with logic and calmness. If you can link this one to examples of customer-service, even better.

Think of key-words which are associated with the role of a successful med’rep:

Drive, determination, communicative, motivation, selling, support, networking, helping, targets (among others) - Now apply a personal experience to each key word.

If you attended a vocational Medtech sales program, go into detail about what you learned at how it could be applied to specific Medtech companies.

Highlight areas that you know you need further coaching on - a good vocational provider will give you this feedback. Knowing this demonstrates self-awareness and humility - both of which will be appreciated by a hiring manager.

The name of this game is called “adding value.”

You must add value to the company or team you want to join and their customers.

Lesson #3

Follow up.

If you’re convinced you have succinctly and persuasively conveyed your value in a DM or email, do not be deterred by not immediately receiving a reply. A lack of reply is often just a matter of the recipients priorities and workload.

Again, this situation will replay once you are in a med-rep role. A sales leader will be more impressed by your tenacity rather than accepting a perceived rejection. A follow-up, ideally adding further value, will serve as a reminder that you are still “on the radar.”

DO NOT just write “polite reminder.”

There is nothing "polite" about this kind of "reminder"; it is more a display of barely concealed, passive-aggressive impatience!

Instead, add more value!

And continue to add value. An observation about the specific industry, in question and link it to your skills. Consider a formal covering letter with your resume, again highlighting your value and why you deserve a place at the table.

Key take-away; every time you follow-up, continue highlighting the value you can bring.

Additionally, consider a short, personal video. A 60-90 second Loom or Vidyard message (wearing business dress, good lighting, stable camera, upper body & head) where you name and greet the recipient. This shows personalization and will gain more attention than something generalized.

Reaching out to Medtech sales leaders is your first Medtech sales task. carry it out with thought, strategy and awareness and watch that in-box.

Find out more about the MDSI vocational Medtech sales program by visiting: https://www.meddsi.com/about