Medical sales reps usually have a varied daily schedule that can change quickly depending on the needs of their customers. If you’re planning to work as a medical sales rep, it can be useful to know what a day in their shoes looks like. In this article, we will explain what a medical sales rep is, and the different components that make up their daily schedule.

What is a medical sales rep?

A medical sales rep is a sales professional who speaks with healthcare professionals about the supplies, devices and equipment they may need for their hospital, facilities and offices. They sell everything from medical equipment, medications and medical devices. Medical sales reps might work for a company that sells a specific type of medical supplies, or a company that sells a variety of supplies to fill multiple needs for healthcare facilities. They can also represent multiple companies and sell a variety of different equipment. Medical sales reps often have a background in sales but may also have experience in healthcare.

What is the day in the life of a medical sales rep like?

A day in the life of a medical sales rep is varied and each day can be different. Some days may be focused on meetings, others can involve administrative tasks and some may be a mix of both. A medical sales rep will need to be extroverted and able to persuade different types of people to buy their products. Here are some of the things that influence a medical sales rep’s day:

Work environment

Medical sales reps work primarily in two environments; offices and healthcare facilities / hospitals. Some medical sales reps may work out of a home office or out of their employer’s office depending on the day and the amount of meetings. Medical sales reps also work while traveling, whether they are on a plane and in a hotel room. Most of the time, medical sales reps are meeting with healthcare professionals in their own work environment, such as clinics, hospitals, and other medical facilities. They also meet with manufacturers in their facilities for products.

Schedule

Medical sales reps may follow their employer’s direction, such as visiting a specific doctor or facility, but many times the reps arrange meetings themselves and find their own leads. This means there can be a lot of flexibility in a medical sales rep’s schedule, although they may need to accommodate the healthcare workers they’re meeting with. They also may concentrate on visiting facilities that already have an agreement with their employer unless their focus is on attracting new clients.

Teamwork

Medical sales reps work as part of a sales team that coordinates to meet with customers and leads. They may not spend much time with their team, but they’re usually in regular contact with them to stay connected on projects. Many of these teams have regular meetings to discuss sales goals, strategies and the company’s new technologies. Depending on the type of company they work for, they may have more autonomy and less interaction with their colleagues, or they might be more involved.

Meetings

Meetings can take up the largest part of a medical sales rep’s day. These meetings are with current or potential customers. They may be to give a formal presentation to healthcare professionals about their products they can supply them with, or to discuss the needs of the healthcare professional and how the rep can help.

Medical sales reps have these frequent meetings to maintain good relationships with multiple people at different healthcare facilities. In fact, if a rep isn’t at meetings, they are probably busy maintaining their customer relationships by setting up meetings via phone or email.

Travel

Travel is an inevitable part of working as a medical sales rep. They have to be comfortable with frequently traveling to meet with customers in a timely manner. Depending on the company and the rep’s territory, they could travel within a small area by car or they might need to fly to and from meetings with customers. Many sales reps need to travel in order to meet with as many clients as possible and generate more business.

At Medical Sales College, our team of seasoned medical sales professionals understand what an average day in the profession looks like. With decades of real world experience in the industry, they prepare students to do what it takes to be successful in their future medical sales careers.