A medical sales representative is responsible for promoting medical equipment, products or services to a variety of markets, primarily including hospitals, medical centers and doctors' practices.
Medical sales is a quick-paced and extremely fast growing business that rewards assertiveness, persistence, and knowledge. If you're the type of person who doesn't enjoy being stuck in a lab or an office, who enjoys the business end of science, and who feels that their personality is more suited to medical sales, then this might be the career for you. Perks, such as bonuses and a nice company car, help to make the decision-making process more persuasive.
Medical sales representatives spend most of their business time talking with hospital personnel, physicians, healthcare executives, and clinics, increasing the visibility of their company’s products and the volume of their sales. With all of the new technology and the advances in organ transplants to eye surgery to modern imaging there is such a vast amount of opportunity in this career choice.
This territory-oriented business can be a very exciting life, particularly for those trying to maintain their family life as well. A medical sales career provides the autonomy and freedom many people seek. It is also very rewarding as medical sales reps know they are helping people and improving patient’s health and their quality of life.
Medical sales representatives are primarily responsible for establishing and maintaining relationships with customers. This often involves corresponding with customers via telephone, email or other means to take orders, solicit opinions, provide information about new products and services, keep records or complete progress reports. Sales representatives in technical industries such as the medical industry must also keep abreast of new developments in the field in order to provide competitive information to customers.
The typical candidate applying for these types of positions will have a four-year college degree in the life sciences, business, marketing or communications. Typically companies will want applicants to have prior sales experience or will train candidates once hired.
According to salary.com, the average salary of a Medical Device Sales Representative in 2023 was $121,946.