1. What is professional education grants?

► General conference costs
► Faculty expenses
► Modest meals and receptions (as permitted by state law)
► Other specific program events and activities

2. What kind of degrees are most valuable in medical sales?

There are two kinds of educational backgrounds that are preferred in medical sales. The first is a business administration background with an emphasis in sales. The second is a science background (in biology, kinesiology, pre-med, etc.). You will need both of these skills to be successful in the medical sales industry.

3. What is credentialing?

In order to be allowed into a hospital, you will have to be credentialed with that hospital. The credentialing process commonly involves providing copies of immunization records (and having the appropriate immunizations completed), having a background check completed, showing proof of product and general liability insurance, and documenting specialized training, usually in OR protocol, blood-borne pathogens and HIPPA. The two most common companies that provide credentialing services include REPtrax and VendorClear. However, there are no universal guidelines for credentialing (which is a concern for the industry as a whole). One hospital might have one set of requirements and use one vendor credentialing company, while another hospital just 10 miles away might have another set of credentialing requirements and use another company. This can make it confusing (and expensive) to have the opportunity to do your job.

4. What is the average income for entry-level position in pharmaceutical or medical sales?

Obviously, income levels vary according to the type of position, travel requirements, and difficulty of the work involved. Most companies offer a competitive base salary with potential to make additional amounts in bonus or commission. Typical entry level salaries are in the 50K range with added commission potential. Overall packages typically are around 100 K on up.

5. I don't have any sales experience. Is that going to matter?

Sales experience is almost always preferred, especially business-to-business sales (B2B) where you were selling business services or products to businesses. I recommend that you get some sales experience before applying for a medical device position. You can still land a job, if you know how to sell yourself into the position.

6. What skill sets are necessary for pharmaceutical and medical sales?

Each position requires a different set of skills and education. What we find most important, however, is the candidate's sales abilities. An employer will measure your future success against your past successes. Because of this, it is important to bullet your achievements on your resume to draw their attention to those accomplishments. Hiring managers want detailed information up front about your sales rankings, quota attainment, awards and percentage of market share growth. Make these numbers available on your resume.

7. What makes a medical sales rep great?

► Passionate about sales
► Hungry for success and achievement
► Financially motivated
► Professional demeanor
► Has a strong work ethic and is willing to EARN their income
► Competitive
► Able to establish rapport (people buy from people they like)
► Not easily intimidated
► Not scared of rejection (you'll hear "No" many, many times before you'll hear "Yes")
► Prepared (they know their product, they know their target market and they have a plan)

8. Is there any value in training programs?

As you will see in our summary of Training Programs, we believe that specialized training programs that involve your investment (of both time and money) are very beneficial to your medical sales job search. These programs (which include Medical Sales College, Arrhythmia Technologies Institute and PrepMD) have consistently demonstrated results and have proven track records. When you are able to speak the lingo of the hiring manager and can demonstrate your commitment to being a successful sales rep, that carries a lot of weight with hiring managers. Short programs that don't require very much time or effort are, in our opinion, a waste of money.

9. What specialty is the most lucrative for medical sales reps?

Our background is in orthopedics, and that is certainly one of the most lucrative areas. In fact, any sales role that involves implantable devices and selling directly to the surgeon customer will be an area where you can make (that means earn) a lot of money. This includes spinal implants, orthopedic implants for reconstruction of hips and knees, arthroscopic products, cardiovascular implants, craniomaxillofacial (CMF) products, trauma products (plates and screws), and small joint implants are at the top of the list. Medical equipment sales jobs (i.e. robotics, imaging and diagnostic equipment) can also be very lucrative, as the cost of the equipment and the associated commissions tend to be high. Your selling cycle, however, will also be longer.

10. Is certification required for medical sales jobs?

This is a common question with an easy answer . . . NO.

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