Medical equipment sales jobs offer an exciting and rewarding career path for individuals driven to excel in their sales careers. With the advancement in technology, there is vast amount of opportunity in this field.

The global market of minimally invasive surgery (MIS) devices and instruments (catheters, balloons, stints, etc.) was worth an estimated $12 billion in 2005 and is expected to reach $18.5 billion by 2011. The United States accounted for about 60% of the world market in 2005. Regardless of the economy, the future of medical equipment sales is promising due to constant need for health care and advancement in technology.

To get entry into the medical equipment sales profession, you typically need a minimum educational background to include a bachelors degree. Some companies prefer a background in life science and prior sales experience. A valid drivers license and clean driving record is also required. Companies also look for qualities like excellent communication skills, a flexible approach to adapt to constant changes, and strong networking skills. It is desirable to have a refined level of selling skills. Companies offering medical equipment sales jobs do not have time to train employees on basic sales skills. The training sessions provided are mainly focused on the equipment or product’s details.

The range of salaries in medical equipment sales varies according to responsibilities and experience. Most positions are paid a generous base salary and include the opportunity to earn additional performance-related compensation through commission or bonus programs. Generally, the starting salary ranges between $40,000 and $70,000. Average bonus and commission adds an additional $15,000 to $25,000. Most companies offer benefits such as a company car, private health insurance, stock options, holidays abroad and other rewards. Most new sales representatives get three to four weeks vacation in their initial year of employment.

A medical equipment sales position involves selling a range of products such as stints, angioplasty balloons, pacemakers, ECG equipment, surgical implants, and other surgical products such as laparoscopy or endoscopy related equipment. These equipment are introduced to a specific group of surgeons working within different specialities such as Orthopedics, Plastic Surgery, ENT, Neurology, Cardiac, Urology, Ophthalmic, Gastroenterology, Radiology, etc. Some other equipment include anesthetic, renal or patient monitoring equipment or specialist consumables. A sales representative’s primary duties are to market his/her company’s products, interest new buyers and ensure that all the queries or concerns are properly addressed. Sales representatives spend much of their time traveling to prospective buyers and current clients. They discuss customer needs and explain how their products can meet those needs.

A medical equipment sales representative may be highly marketable to other medical equipment companies. Medical equipment sales jobs are on the rise in today’s employment market. A successful medical sales representative is a high energy person who is not afraid of challenges. This profession provides the freedom many people look for. However, at the same time, it is a demanding job too. Sometimes, a representative may face a lot of rejection. In these situations, if a person learns how to handle the rejection properly, the profession may prove to be a highly rewarding career.