Currently in ASR role for capital equipment

[anonymous]

I come from a medical background and managed to land an ASR role with a company I am very familiar with and used many times over the years. No prior sales experience before this. Company is great with decent pay and benefits, but selling capital sucks as our sales cycle is sometimes 6 months-1 year. I am all in for the experience however since I am just a junior full cycle rep. Currently the top ASR, and look to be promoted within 6 months. My question is, with ASR experience, and promotion I may or may not take depending on location, will I be able to move on to different companies with this? Or will receuiters only look at experience beyond ASR?

 

[anonymous]

Here's how I interpret your question: if you don't take the promotion to full-line rep, how will other companies view you and your experience?

If that's indeed your question, my recommendation is:
1) think about where you want to live. if you don't want to relocate, you'll be somewhat valuable to other companies since you'll know the surgeons, OR directors, other key players, and be familiar with the health system landscape and politics. however, you'll be competing against folks who also live in the area and know all the same people you know, but they will likely be full line reps with more experience and more documented success. Start preparing mentally to think how you'll show that you had a direct impact on the territory and that you haven't gotten lucky as a one-hit-wonder.
2) if you don't care about where you live in the short term, take the promotion, relo, and stay with your current company at least 2 years. blow it out, keep all documentation of your success, and look for the right opportunity to present itself. proving that you were a successful ASR, then relocating to a totally different market and being successful there as a full rep speaks volumes to someone's ability to actually sell. I've known tons of people who look great on paper with documented success, but in reality they were only successful in certain environments. Great hiring managers will sniff this out. Being successful in multiple territories and ultimately covering different products (going from device to something different for example) is what separates the best from the others.

Good luck.

 

[BlueDevil11]

I am in the same position as an ASR for 2.5 years searching and interviewing for other companies, but am getting shut down because of lack of quota experience. I have gotten offers from dental implant companies for a TM position but don't want to get out of the OR. Not sure what direction to go on that.

 

[anonymous]

I am in the same position as an ASR for 2.5 years searching and interviewing for other companies, but am getting shut down because of lack of quota experience. I have gotten offers from dental implant companies for a TM position but don't want to get out of the OR. Not sure what direction to go on that.

Here is the issue with your situation - typically, most ASR's are promoted either a.) quicker than close to three years, and b.) are an asset that their current company doesn't want to lose. So, your scenario is twofold - you've not yet been promoted (only you know why), and the company either doesn't know, or doesn't care about your desire to take the next step.

You will need to craft your story to be sure that you have successful interviews. Whether you can't relocate, or some specific reasoning as to why you haven't taken that next step yet, and why your intentions to move up haven't been met, even with your (assumed) successful track record as an ASR. Make sense?

 

[anonymous]

That absolutely makes sense, yes. Thank you for your constructive response. As a company as a whole, they have recently over the last two years have hired A LOT of associate reps, but they have told us that there is no intention on new territories or splits happening in the next year. There may be other reasons for their not promoting but I speak for many other associates in the company that are waiting for things to happen. I don’t want to be 3 years in the associate role and then trying to get into another company.

Just seems like a lack transparency and direction of the company. However, I am only 2.5 years into the industry and this just may be normal. Just seeking opinions.

 

[anonymous]

im guessing you work for stryker? I would recommend cutting bait at this point and getting a TM position at a different company. stryker seems great at first (I was there for years and started at the ASR told) but once the shine wears off you see it is actually worse than most competitors for pay and the expectations are unreasonably high for the hours you put in.

 

[BlueDevil11]

im guessing you work for stryker? I would recommend cutting bait at this point and getting a TM position at a different company. stryker seems great at first (I was there for years and started at the ASR told) but once the shine wears off you see it is actually worse than most competitors for pay and the expectations are unreasonably high for the hours you put in.

If the TM role is outside of surgical/in dental implants, would you still consider a TM role in a different industry? I just don't leaving Hospital/Surgery as I would hope to get back into that area of med sales. Am I commiting career suicide by leaving to go to a dental implant company for a promotional position?