Warner Search Group, we specialize in the placement of Medical Device Sales Representatives. Often, Healthcare Recruiters and Candidates will have a number of questions regarding the search process, how to stand out, career development and challenges they face in their career path.  We update our blog frequently to ensure that you have access to the best advice possible.  Make sure to check out our available medical device sales jobs! 

Written by: Golden Fingers

Congratulations! You finally made it. You signed on to your new sales career and trust me, you will need all the help that is available to be successful at your new-found job. Now, you must note that the first 90 days of your sales career are crucial. This is the period where you get immersed in your new role. It’s a bid to equip yourself with all the necessary skills and knowledge that will give you enough experiences to excel. I am sure that you want to be successful in this new career, right? If my guess is correct, then here are seven golden tips that will help you reach the top of the sales ladder ASAP!             

• Be Prepared

Your new career begins right before you walk out of that previous role. In between your last job and a new one, you might want to take some time off to get yourself ready.  You will need a positive mind and enthusiasm for the next challenge. You can count on characteristics and traits that you showed while job hunting. Getting ready can be in different forms, from nice dressing to psychological, mental and emotional preparedness. You also need to dig deep into the archives of the new company to get acquainted with the company's historical background and their progress. Meanwhile, feel free to ask your new HR or manager any relevant questions about the company. Time is also an essential component of a successful career; learn to manage your time wisely! Remember the saying, "punctuality is the soul of business". Above all, begin with an excellent routine and pattern.              

• Set a Personal Plan

As you begin your new role in sales, there will be training, reading, and a whole lot of stuff to get you started. Part of what you will have to get used to is working independently. You will have to learn a whole lot of new things such as making calls or going solo about your own thing. Have this at the back of your mind; the first 90 days of your new job will determine how far you can go. You will have to adapt to your new role, your new employer as well as your co-staffs. Aside from that, there will also be new goals (personal and official) to be achieved by you on your new job. All you need to do is equip yourself with all the essential things required to reach all the goals. Tick-tock says that clock! Go fast!           

• Be Mindful of Individuals

Another thing you must be aware of is that, you will be dealing with different calibres of people including clients and co-workers. The way you handled them will determine your level of progress, especially in the first 90 days. Don't forget to make a note of every person you meet on a daily basis as you pursue a sales career. You can't overemphasise the importance of note-taking. It will help you to be more organised, serious-minded, and well prepared to achieve any milestone set for you. At every slight opportunity, tell people about your company, its second-to-none products and services. Build a kind of healthy relationship that will help you achieve your goals fast. Building the right connection in the office and on the field will go a long way in helping you hit your target before you know it!                

• Inquire Accurately

You are just starting. It is not possible to know everything about your new job immediately. You will still have a lot of questions that need to be answered as you learn your new role. Be inquisitive and don’t be scared to ask the right questions, also, don't forget to document all your answers. There is nothing wrong in asking questions about things you don't understand in your line of duty. However, asking the same questions repeatedly after being given the answers isn’t an ideal thing.

• Discover The Topmost Salespeople

Get familiar with successful sales personnel who have been in the career ahead of you. You can gain a lot from their wealth of experiences. Create time to meet and know them either physically (by arranging a lunch or breakfast meeting with them and ask them all the questions bothering mind) or virtually (through calls, reading their books, enrol in their training program if there is any). Apply everything you learn from them in your career. It doesn't matter if they are working in the same company with you or not but trust me; you will need everything you can learn from them. Don't ask questions about their successes alone, ask questions about their mistakes, and learn not to repeat their mistakes.         

• Schedule a Series of Consultations with your Manager.

Working in the sales department of a business empire like your new employer is somehow hectic and demanding. Arrange meetings with your superiors and co-workers. While setting up a meeting with any of them, prepare an agenda ahead of time and be in control. Use the meeting to get feedback from them, welcome their positive criticism and ask them for suggestions on how you can improve. With this kind of meeting, you will get a better understanding of how you are performing and what your manager is expecting of you.  You can also seek for their input on how to deal with your daily goals. You can also use the medium to your superior give feedback about your progress and other things you need or what your challenges are in the line of duty.

• Take Records; I Repeat Take Extra Notes.

As part of your daily routine as a salesperson, you should have your daily list of prioritised to-dos which will help you to be focused and organised. Aside from that, each daily task should be a fraction of the bigger goal you have set to be achieved in the first 90 days. Following a regular pattern of to-do tasks will help you achieve your ultimate goal. Importantly, as you carry out each daily task, make a record of it. Take note of the daily successes recorded as well as the missed chances. Capitalize on the successes and learn from lost sales while you devise ways of avoiding repeated mistakes over and over again as time goes on. Taking record of every detail will help you appraise your progress so far and how to continue from that point. Good record keeping can be extremely helpful in knowing your strengths while you outline your flaws as well.  The act of note-taking won’t only make you self-proficient but will also brand you as an independent-starter which is what many managers love.             

On a final note, the first 90 days of your job as a new salesperson in a big corporation will be highly challenging and tedious. But taking note of these points will go a long way in helping you become successful.  Above all, give yourself a resilient, successful chance and smash the first 90 days as a new salesperson with colossal success.

 Be Open-minded; Stay Inquisitive; and Remain Optimistic!