Sales Associate CRM

[Anonymous]

Anyone have any feedback on this position? Job experience and pay? I understand it is a temporary position. After passing the IHBRE cert do they send you to a territory they want or do you get a say in where you want to go? I have 10 yrs of clinical cardiology exp and 4 years of medical device sales exp. Thanks for your feedback

 

[Anonymous]

Anyone have any feedback about this position?

 

[Anonymous]

Anyone have any feedback about this position?

I left Boston in 2007 and at the time Sales Associates were, as you say, 'temporary' in the sense that (unlike FCRs) the assumption was that they were being groomed for a territory. I suspect that is the case today, and so I'll offer feedback even if it is a little dated.

First off, I do not HATE Boston. I left for my own reasons, but the recalls made the decision easier. They have a GREAT training program. GREAT LV Lead Delivery System. Good pacers. Defibs are thin, if susceptible to drama from all the header issues. I'm just putting this out there up front so I'm not accused of being one of the many DFE (Disgruntled Former Employees).

With your background, it goes without saying that the territory you'll be assuming (if its known at the time you're hired) makes all the difference in how "good" or "bad" this position is. If you are being offered a post that is completely devoid of any Boston implanters, then it may be a "bad" opportunity. Let's face it - in this scenario you will be asking these docs to switch, and that's different from asking them to do more. The "cost of switching" takes a long time to address - I've seen happen in 4 different territories and in each case it took better than 2 years to start getting business. So if Boston puts you on a 2 year guarantee, that means you may be ok.

Don't be in a rush to take your territory unless the implanters there are clamoring for a rep to use the product. I have seen ALOT of folks say they are READY to cover an EP, only to find themselves quickly labelled as an idiot when they fail to see someone Wenckebaching during an atrial threshold test in the case. There is alot to learn and allow to sink in before you have the composure to be successful. If you are completely new to CRM, I recommend staying in an Associate position for at least 18 months (in a busy territory) or 2 years in a moderately busy one. The bigger challenge for you may be to actually reign yourself in given your 10 years of experience. Once you come over to industry, you have to be careful. Docs will not see you as a former seasoned medical professional, they will first perceive you as a brand new pacer rep who is never to be trusted. If you start telling them how they should be setting up the slip tips or something else right aaway, you could be shooting yourself in the foot unawares.

If Boston is looking for an Associate, it's safe to assume that they foresee business coming out of the territory. Try to verify this assumption. Ask about the former rep that covered the place and why he/she was let go. Ask if nay implanters were burned by the recalls. Form your own opinion before accepting theirs.

Don't take this job because you think you'll be banking $350k in 2 or 3 years. Those days are over thanks to legislation and the maturation of the industry. Those whales out there are anachronisms left over from the early days when companies would allow reps to grow unchecked. It became a case of the tail wagging the dog, and the companies found themselves and their bottomlines being held hostage by guys who could "turn off the spigot" just to prove a point. The companies are not going to allow that to happen anymore. Before you see those numbers, they will split your territory, bring on new commission structures or raise your growth expectations to the point where making another $350k next year will be virtually impossible. You'll be forced to comply with these demands because your EA and Non-Compete will make it too expensive for a competitor to "buy you out" (unless you're in California or any other state that does not recognize non-competes.) More reasonable to expect close to $300k for us: the current generation of CRM reps.

Next, what are your alternatives? Even though the difference between pharma pay and CRM pay is getting smaller everyday, I see more layoffs in pharma than in devices. you're too expenisve to train and just let go in device. Pain managment / NeuroStim is an emerging field, but I hear that the patient population is a straight up beating. At least most BIV patients feel a little better. Ortho just seems crowded.

So, I say go for it as long as you recognize that there will be alot of shit-talk directed at you for being from Boston. The noise is dying down, but its still out there. Make sure you vet the territory they are grooming you for...if its a 0 business territory, then you need to know why.


Good luck.