I have been working in MedTech for 11 years. In my career, I made 3 mistakes that I want to share with other sales reps:

(1) Dont Make Complaints. Do Take Action

This is something that I continue to work on.

It feels good to vent and complain about things. But in the real world nobody really cares.

The only thing that matters is the action you take and the level you execute.

MedTech was built by some hard-nosed people. Im now one of them.

They dont care to hear about your complaints about how hard it is or obstacles.

Learn how to look for problems with a smile on your face and take extreme action to solve them.

(2) Learn the Clinical Side Beyond Your Product

Want to be looked at as a peer to a physician? Tired of being ignored and dismissed as a knuckle-dragging rep?

Develop the discipline to learn the clinical side beyond just your product.

Any buffoon can sit and learn the procedure guide for your product.

A real medtech rep learns everything about the procedure, from the diagnosis, pathology, various tech to treat it etc

Do that and surgeons will talk about you and your level of clinical knowledge.

How do I know? Because when I was a knuckle-dragging rep I overheard telling another surgeon he should talk to this one rep as he was "a wealth of knowledge" for a particular procedure, NOT just his product.

(3) Read Broadly and Look for Mentorship Outside Your Industry

My first year in the industry was after I left medical school. I foolishly believed that if I just learned/studied within the industry I would be successful.

I wasted time doing this until by pure luck I went to a startup tech weekend.

I was blown away with what I saw and embarrassed with out little I knew.

Over time, the books that had the greatest influence on my business acumen were not business books.

They were books on history, psychology, and science.

Develop a habit of reading and become a learning machine.

Avoid these 3 mistakes and take action towards the advice I give.

I promise you'll have a much better chance at a stellar career.