Medical Device Sales Representative Career Guide

Sample job description

As a medical device sales representative at [Your Company Name], you will sell our devices and products to doctors, clinics, hospitals, and practices. If you are the ideal candidate for this position, you will have a good understanding of sales and how to build relationships with businesses and practices. You must be able to determine the needs of the client you are working with and provide them with the proper suggestions to supplement their medical products. If you are capable of selling products and services and providing legitimate reasons why these products and services are beneficial to the buyer, you will be a fantastic medical device sales representative! You may also be required to give demonstrations of products to medical professionals, so having a good understanding of the medical field or previous medical experience is a major benefit.

Typical duties and responsibilities

• Assess client needs and promote suitable products
• Meet with targeted doctors and health care providers and utilize sales skills to persuade them to purchase the company’s products
• Give providers product information and perform product demonstrations
• Develop relationships and network with doctors, surgeons, and hospital administrators

Education and experience

A bachelor’s degree is usually required for this position. College coursework in life sciences such as biology and chemistry, as well as engineering, sales, marketing, advertising, and business administration, are most common in this occupation.

Required skills and qualifications

• Written and verbal communication skills, including relationship-building and influencing
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite or similar software, including spreadsheets and databases
• Expertise in negotiation
• Strong sense of organization and time management

Preferred qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree
• At least 5-8 years outside sales experience with a proven successful track record
• Experience developing and delivering presentations to various audience levels
• Willing to travel at least 50% of the time for business purposes

Available certifications

As a medical device sales representative, you will benefit from having certifications in sales and potentially the medical field depending on the expertise you are required to present. Because of the wide variety of medical products which you may sell, however, having sales certifications is much more beneficial. Some of the best certifications include:

• Certified Professional Sales Person (CPSP). As a certified professional sales representative, you will be required to have a comprehensive understanding of sales and the interpersonal aspect of these positions. This certification can be beneficial to a medical device sales rep due to this.
  
• Certified Inside Sales Professional (CISP). The Certified Inside Sales Professional certification is one of the leading certifications in the sales industry. This certification is difficult to acquire and maintain, so is a good demonstration of expertise.
  
• Certified Master Sales Professional (CMSP). As a certified master sales professional, you will have acquired one of the leading certifications offered by the NASP. This certification is immensely beneficial and should be considered an option by any medical device sales representative. The only downside to this certification is the potential cost.