As a liaison between surgeons and medical device manufacturers, a sales representative needs to be well-versed in the myriad of issues faced by surgeons. Beyond being the “encyclopedia behind the medical device,” sales reps would do well to develop a sense of what sales rep-related issues surgeons face on a daily basis.
“Where is the sales rep?”
Staying engaged with a patient throughout their course of care is undeniably positive. And just as a patient doesn’t want to fall off the surgeon’s radar, a surgeon doesn’t want to (usually) fall off the sales rep’s radar. Remaining actively engaged with surgeons as they move through the process of taking on a new medical device affords you an understanding of how the surgeon views your product, its utility, and perhaps its possibilities for enhancement.
“Where is my_____?”
The surgeon might be missing a compression screw…or a lag screw inserter sleeve. Or the handle from one retractor is in the wrong tray. Be the solution.
“Who’s talking to the sales rep?”
There is a hole in one of the wraps, but no one told you before everyone got to the OR. Who is your point person for preoperative communication? Has that been established?
“Is the sales rep compromising my sterile surgical field?”
Did the sales rep inadvertently come into contact with a sterile item in the OR and now everything has to be re-sterilized? Know your boundaries. The last thing anyone needs is a fully blown case with the associated possible patient harm.
To enhance efficiency, you could have a postop debriefing session with a previously identified member of the surgical team. To completely maximize efficiency, you could use the continuously evolving MedTechIntel (MTI), an intelligent software database that provides medical device sales reps and distributors with a sophisticated interplay of surgeon relationships, activities, and interests.
Touting the benefits of such “extreme streamlining” is MTI Chief Commercial Officer Andy Bryans: “The MTI software platform pulls actionable information from more than 15 data sources. With MTI, you have information on what call points (OEM’s, medical device distributors, surgeons and hospitals) are already working together. Thus, helping you optimize your time and energy on strategies that will grow revenue.”
