How to Become a Medical Sales Rep
A step-by-step guide to breaking into the industry, even with no prior experience.
Breaking into Medical Sales
With the help of experienced Medical Sales Reps, Sales Managers, Staffing / HR professionals, and other industry experts, we have produced a comprehensive guide for those looking to start a career in Medical Sales.
From Real Estate to Medical Sales
In a conference room adjacent to the OR suites at a hospital a surgeon reviews the final details for tomorrow’s complex spinal procedure. Beside the physician sits a medical device representative, walking through the specific instrumentation sequence for the $12,000 implant the surgeon will be using.
What the surgeon doesn’t know: just 18 months ago, this same representative was a Real Estate agent selling homes.
This scene plays out daily across American healthcare — Medical Sales Rep professionals now guiding medical decisions worth millions of dollars. Their transition from a nor working in the industry to advising surgeons represents one of the most significant yet under-discussed career opportunities in today’s economy.
But how exactly does do you get a $350,000 Medical Sales Rep job and walking hospital hallways? Let’s find out.
Breaking into medical sales isn't as impossible as it seems
The skills you’ve built helping customers find the perfect outfit are surprisingly similar to those needed to help surgeons find the right medical device. What you need isn’t a complete career restart, but a step-by-step roadmap to showcase the valuable experience you already have.
Step 1: Learn the Language
Start by mastering the basic terminology of medical sales. You don’t need to become a doctor, but understanding common acronyms and terms gives you credibility in interviews.
Step 2: Analyze Your Transferable Skills
Many sales professionals fail to recognize the genuine value of their experience. Here are some transferable skills that serve as assets in any new career you’re eyeing:
Consultative Selling Skills
Every day in sales you quickly size up what customers actually need (versus what they say they want). This skill is golden.
• Figured out what a customer really needed through probing questions.
• Guide your customer towards a better solution than what they initially requested.
• Handled a picky or demanding customer who became a regular.
Example: “When customers asked for the cheapest option, I’d ask about their actual needs first. This often led to mid-range purchases they were happier with long-term.”
Technical Knowledge Acquisition System
How you learned dozens (or hundreds) of products, features, and inventory details is directly relevant since medical sales requires the same skill.
We recommend showcasing how you became the go-to person others asked about product details.
Example: “When our store received 26 new smartphone models before holiday season, I created a comparison chart organizing them by key features that mattered to customers — camera quality, battery life, durability, and price point. I shared this system with our team, and within two weeks, sales increased 23% compared to the previous quarter. This systematic approach to what I’ll use to quickly become knowledgeable about your cardiac devices and their clinical applications.”
Stakeholder Management
Have you ever had a customer where several decision makers where several decision maker where involved and all had different opinions? That’s exactly like selling to hospital committees where various stakeholders (doctors, administrators, finance) all have different priorities.
Remember situations where you sold successfully to groups with different priorities, balanced competing needs in one transaction, and found solutions that made everyone happy.
Example: “Last month, I helped a family select a home entertainment system where the father wanted sound quality, mother cared about aesthetics, their teenager needed gaming features, and they had a strict budget. By addressing each concern, I closed a $3,200 sale that satisfied everyone. This mirrors presenting to hospital committees where doctors, administrators, and financial officers all have different priorities.”
Resilience and Persistence
Every retail professional faces constant rejection – in the same vein, medical device sales professionals hear “no” all the time. Try documenting how you’ve done the following:
• Maintained motivation despite slow periods. • Turned around negative customer interactions. • Kept prospecting consistently regardless of recent results.
Example: “After missing my sales targets in February, I created a daily outreach system that led to exceeding goals for the next three months straight.”
Step 3: Complete the Following Tasks
• Create a list of 20 medical sales companies that interest you.
• Connect with 10 recruiters, HR staffing professionals or Medical Reps already working in medical sales.
• Transform your resume using medical sales terminology.
Step 4: Make Connections
Start reaching out to people who can help you break into medical sales. These include medical sales recruiters, reps who switched to medical sales, or any healthcare professionals you already know.
Don’t worry about asking for a job. Instead, request a quick 15-minute call to learn about their experience. People love sharing their knowledge, and this approach feels less like pressure and more like genuine interest.
Step 5: Study Medical Device Products and Companies
Research the specific medical products sold by your target companies. Focus on understanding:
• What problem does this product solve for patients?
• How does it compare to competitors?
• Who makes the purchasing decisions?
This knowledge will set you apart in interviews.
We’ll Help You Get There
With guidance, training, and proven strategies — you’re not doing this alone. Let’s make your medical sales goals real.
