Considering one of the jobs on Medreps for Surgical Principals Inc.? Everything that has been said in the previous posts are true.
Leadership: There is none. TW is absolutely worthless and delusional. He is the most condescending person I have ever met, and truly has some bad things coming to him if there is Karma in this world. People have been talking about his criminal behavior, I have seen it first hand. Its called territories 00 and 07. They have more capital sales in them then all of the other territories combined. Why? Because he uses these to steal from his reps. I had several occasions where my customers received quotes from me, and were shipped product, only for them not to show up on my sales report.
Training: One week in Tacoma where you will be threatened and belittled all while learning the "Sales Process". Which is basically taken directly out of "How to sell vacuum cleaners in the 1980's". But TW thinks he is the only one doing this sales process. This is one thing that is true, he is the only one still using it... And it doesn't work. If it did, this company would actually have growth, not recession.
Tenure: The average reps stick around about 4-6 months. Most quit, the rest are fired or forced out after one of their famous probation letters that states they no longer have to pay you. So again, you work in fear and TW plays God with your livelihood.
Management: A JOKE. Its not the managers fault though. None of them have any previous management experience, and you think TW is going to pay to get them the proper training they need? Hell no! This is where TW and his cheap ass ways will consistently keep him chasing success. TW just teaches his managers to work with fear and hire and fire. But as one of the Glass Door reviews says about this company, the biggest benefit of this shit hole company is that you can probably work somewhere else at the same time and pocket two checks(I know 2 managers doing this right now).
Customer Service: None existent. But that is a good thing, because you do not want these people talking with any of your customers. They must all be rejects from Walmart, because they have no clue how to treat people with respect. Skyhigh turnover in Customer Service as well, but why wouldn't there be? You have to work around TW all day while making $8.00 an hour...
Benefits: LOW, flat reimbursement each month. No reimbursement for gas, hotels, lunches for docs, cell phone, ect. You will quickly learn just how cheap TW is from day one, and it only gets worse. But this is another lie they will cover up in the interview process.
Pay: What they post on medreps is a complete lie. $110-130K, no way. I can tell you first hand the top reps are making more like 90K, the other 90% are making somewhere between 30K-60K. That's right, 30K! I know several people that received less than 3k for there last several months of work, and these are good sales people. One guy made less than $500 one month, and that was in no way his fault. The 4K monthly starting salary is actually a draw(again, they won't disclose this in the interview process). The 4K a month "salary" they say you start with quickly starts to get the TW tax once you need supplies and samples for the OR. That's right, you get to pay for the products used in cases! What type of REAL medical device company does this? It would make sense if you were a 1099 and making 200K, but not while making less than 50K and w2. Comp plan is a joke, not 1 person is at plan. Believe me when I say this, not 1 person is at plan, not even the top 2-3 reps will be close to hitting plan this year!
Contracts: No GPO contracts, just another sign of the lack of support and cheapness.
Products: Most are cheap knockoffs or just not needed. Almost all have issues. I literally would sit in the OR during a trial and pray that the products wouldn't fail. Below are some of the products and why they don't sell or have sky high attrition within accounts
Uterine Manipulator: Joke of a product, needs to be recalled. If TW actually reported all of the issues this product had, the FDA would recall it immediately, and probably put him in jail. Instead, he covers up all of the issues, or just ignores them and makes his wallet the number one priority instead of patient safety. The product lacks features the customers clearly want, and is 100% a cost sell, but the problem is the cost savings are minimal. Most accounts that do actually convert will quickly go back to their previous product before you will get paid a commission on them.
Endo Bags: Decent product, however nobody actually wants it. The cost savings are minimal, no GPO contracts support it, and surgeons won't back it.
Lap Scissors: Shit product. Constant issues, handles will cost you a paycheck every month if you sell them. Staff hates them, high turnover product.
Suture Grasper(Carter Thomason Device): ME TOO product all the way. No real strategy on how to sell this produt, its a race to the bottom, and SPI already lost the race. On top of that, TW's "cost" for this product, limits reps to capture that bottom price to actually compete. And when all you have is price to compete on, and you can't win with price, of course you won't get that sale.
LapPakOR and CTS: Answer to questions nobody asked. Plus both have several product failures and won't work in 90% of cases.
Lap electrodes: Cheap knockoffs, sold on price, but still can't win on price. Worst in the industry.
Electric Scope Warmer: Shit product. Consistantly over heats and under heats the scope. Scopes are always fogging, but of course management says its a great product and this never happens anywhere else, so keep selling it.
HolstOR: Answer to question nobody asked, plus most of the newer energy devices either do not require, or come with their own (Another example of how TW is living in the dark).
Mediflex Retractor Systems: So rarely used because so few docs are doing open surgery. And if they are, their old systems are still working just fine and don't need your $50 replacement parts.
Sunoptics and Carewise: Decent products, however both are behind the technology curve and will be obsolete in the next few years.
To sum up, if you desperately want to get into medical sales and can not get a job anywhere else, these guys will take you. Just know going in you will not be respected, not paid what is promised or deserved, you will not be well trained, and you may burn bridges with OR staff after your product failures cause some major issues.
This is how things have been with SPI for over 20 years, nothing will ever change. But if you want to take the word of the hiring manager, go for it. You will be back here to warn the next guy...
