I've been working with various distributors as a 1099 rep over the past several years. I incorporated from the beginning with all of my commissions written out to my business name. I would like to take my business entity and begin my own distributorship with my own product lines and hire sales reps. I have the relationships and big name company experience. Here are my questions: What is the best way to approach picking up my own lines? What resources are out there (websites, trade shows...)? Any advice on presenting myself to companies to represent their lines? What companies should I target first? Should I start with renting equipment or become a dealer (buying first then reselling) just to get started? How much insurance do I need? Please help. Thank you.
Anonymous
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Anonymous
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I've been working with various distributors as a 1099 rep over the past several years. I incorporated from the beginning with all of my commissions written out to my business name. I would like to take my business entity and begin my own distributorship with my own product lines and hire sales reps. I have the relationships and big name company experience. Here are my questions: What is the best way to approach picking up my own lines? What resources are out there (websites, trade shows...)? Any advice on presenting myself to companies to represent their lines? What companies should I target first? Should I start with renting equipment or become a dealer (buying first then reselling) just to get started? How much insurance do I need? Please help. Thank you.
I f you are not a minority distributor; forget it.
If you are, then press hospitals to comply because you have been mistreated for sooo long. You will get business even though you actually suck
Anonymous
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Anonymous
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??? That sounds like an answer from a 5 year old. Does anyone in the medical device industry have any positive insight? These pharm reps keep screwing up these threads with their spam and ignorant replies.
Anonymous
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Anonymous
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??? That sounds like an answer from a 5 year old. Does anyone in the medical device industry have any positive insight? These pharm reps keep screwing up these threads with their spam and ignorant replies.
Insight? sure. you are an idiot!
oops, not really positive for you.
sorry
Anonymous
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Anonymous
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Pharm reps are ignorant to the $300k-$1M per year realistic potential of a medical device sales rep running their own distributorship. 99% of doctors don't make that much. A $50k salary along with the candy and cupcake section at Walmart is all pharm reps know. Can you imagine being a guy in the pharm profession? It is one of the least respected sales jobs in the country for a guy. It's amazing that 90% of medical device sales job opportunities specifically say "no pharm reps!!". I can't imagine the embarrassment of a pharm rep going into surgery trying to sell surgical products and being such an important part of the procedure as the surgeon uses their devices. My guess is they would faint and knock their head on the sterile field. Pharm reps spend most of their time justifying that they actually do "sales" in an important field to their friends and family. What a joke. Real men do device sales, make a ton of money, and kill it in the operating room. To the OP, good luck with your distributorship. I know a guy in SoCal with a spine distributorship making $4.5 million per year with 5 reps.
Anonymous
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Anonymous
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You know pharm reps probably don't even understand what a distributorship is. This conversation is light years above what they do. Ever meet an arrogant dude in a bar and he tells you he is a pharm rep and you just start laughing? You know he doesn't have a chance with any girl in the bar.
Anonymous
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Anonymous
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if you have to come to cp to ask that question-you are not even close to being ready.
Anonymous
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Anonymous
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I agree 100% and I own a distribution company
anonymous
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anonymous
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LOL, you guys must be joking. I don't really have a fight in this, but I've heard this far too long. I come from pharma, worked my *** off, and did really well. Previous to pharma, I sold service contracts by cold calling and did even better. I jumped right from pharma to selling medical devices in ENT, and for the previous three years (28 years old) I have done extremely well. At NO POINT in my life have I ever struggled with girls, and to the guy who said that about pharma sitting behind your computer, what I'd give to compare the women I've had in my corner vs. yours. What's funny about pharma is I actually learned to ask questions, dive in and learn what is important to the entire practice, and hold physicians accountable to their commitments. ZERO difference when I came to device sales which is why I have killed it ever since. Yes, I do get to contribute more, but to those who think there is no skill sets in pharma and think they can't "pick" up girls, I sit here laughing. Arrogant ***** behind the computer, please show a picture of yourself so I can break you down like the peasant you are.
anonymous
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anonymous
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Pharm reps are ignorant to the $300k-$1M per year realistic potential of a medical device sales rep running their own distributorship. 99% of doctors don't make that much. A $50k salary along with the candy and cupcake section at Walmart is all pharm reps know. Can you imagine being a guy in the pharm profession? It is one of the least respected sales jobs in the country for a guy. It's amazing that 90% of medical device sales job opportunities specifically say "no pharm reps!!". I can't imagine the embarrassment of a pharm rep going into surgery trying to sell surgical products and being such an important part of the procedure as the surgeon uses their devices. My guess is they would faint and knock their head on the sterile field. Pharm reps spend most of their time justifying that they actually do "sales" in an important field to their friends and family. What a joke. Real men do device sales, make a ton of money, and kill it in the operating room. To the OP, good luck with your distributorship. I know a guy in SoCal with a spine distributorship making $4.5 million per year with 5 reps.
This is very true for the people that started their distributorship 15 years ago. It's very difficult to be successful the way Med Device is currently. For every 1 distributor principle making 500-1m per year there are 1000 distributors that aren't.
Be prepared to grind it out until you can prove yourself. Go to the trade shows and network, make calls to company's to see if they are interested in your services. Unless you can Pretty much guarantee immediate business it will be hard to convince a legit company to give you product. My suggestion if you are a 1099 currently with a distributor is to try and pick up lines on your own while still repping the products you are. This is tricky, esp if your current employer pays you a salary because they won't be happy if they find out.
The quoted poster is just a meathead that thinks they are big shot because they made 200k back in '06. Truth is he's probably a Stryker rep that couldn't sell his way out of a paperbag but thinks he's the shit because he played D1 football as a backup d-lineman and he used to carry Ray Lewis's roommates brothers shoulder pads after college practice. So that's why he talks down to everyone.
anonymous
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anonymous
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Pharm reps are ignorant to the $300k-$1M per year realistic potential of a medical device sales rep running their own distributorship. 99% of doctors don't make that much. A $50k salary along with the candy and cupcake section at Walmart is all pharm reps know. Can you imagine being a guy in the pharm profession? It is one of the least respected sales jobs in the country for a guy. It's amazing that 90% of medical device sales job opportunities specifically say "no pharm reps!!". I can't imagine the embarrassment of a pharm rep going into surgery trying to sell surgical products and being such an important part of the procedure as the surgeon uses their devices. My guess is they would faint and knock their head on the sterile field. Pharm reps spend most of their time justifying that they actually do "sales" in an important field to their friends and family. What a joke. Real men do device sales, make a ton of money, and kill it in the operating room. To the OP, good luck with your distributorship. I know a guy in SoCal with a spine distributorship making $4.5 million per year with 5 reps.
This is very true for the people that started their distributorship 15 years ago. It's very difficult to be successful the way Med Device is currently. For every 1 distributor principle making 500-1m per year there are 1000 distributors that aren't.
Be prepared to grind it out until you can prove yourself. Go to the trade shows and network, make calls to company's to see if they are interested in your services. Unless you can Pretty much guarantee immediate business it will be hard to convince a legit company to give you product. My suggestion if you are a 1099 currently with a distributor is to try and pick up lines on your own while still repping the products you are. This is tricky, esp if your current employer pays you a salary because they won't be happy if they find out.
The quoted poster is just a meathead that thinks they are big shot because they made 200k back in '06. Truth is he's probably a Stryker rep that couldn't sell his way out of a paperbag but thinks he's the shit because he played D1 football as a backup d-lineman and he used to carry Ray Lewis's roommates brothers shoulder pads after college practice. So that's why he talks down to everyone.
anonymous
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anonymous
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You know pharm reps probably don't even understand what a distributorship is. This conversation is light years above what they do. Ever meet an arrogant dude in a bar and he tells you he is a pharm rep and you just start laughing? You know he doesn't have a chance with any girl in the bar.
Says the guy who makes $80k working for his distributor principle at 8% commission, 0 reimbursement for his expenses, insurance, and no 401k and a $600 per mth car payment that he's 80% underwater on (hopefully he took the gap insurance) Lol I love how nobody's like this guy talk down on people but didn't have the chops to get hired by big Pharma so he took an asr position with the one and only distributor that would give him the time of day. Little does he realize that there are Pharma reps that make 200k+, with all expenses and benefits paid for, company car, cellphone etc etc and work 30-35 hours a week. And have nowhere near the responsibility as tough guy distributor. I'd be interested to see what products he reps since he's so great and knows what a distributorship is. Make sure you tell all those chicks how valuable you are in the OR. I mean, those boxes aren't going to open themselves.
anonymous
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anonymous
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LOL, you guys must be joking. I don't really have a fight in this, but I've heard this far too long. I come from pharma, worked my *** off, and did really well. Previous to pharma, I sold service contracts by cold calling and did even better. I jumped right from pharma to selling medical devices in ENT, and for the previous three years (28 years old) I have done extremely well. At NO POINT in my life have I ever struggled with girls, and to the guy who said that about pharma sitting behind your computer, what I'd give to compare the women I've had in my corner vs. yours. What's funny about pharma is I actually learned to ask questions, dive in and learn what is important to the entire practice, and hold physicians accountable to their commitments. ZERO difference when I came to device sales which is why I have killed it ever since. Yes, I do get to contribute more, but to those who think there is no skill sets in pharma and think they can't "pick" up girls, I sit here laughing. Arrogant ***** behind the computer, please show a picture of yourself so I can break you down like the peasant you are.
Spoken like a true pharm rep. "I don't have a fight in this?" What the hell does this mean? Do you mean I don't have a dog in this fight? Can you use a few more catch phrases incorrectly so we all can have a good laugh! Is it inside the box or outside? Run it around the flag pole? Do you start your presentations holding your pen against your detail piece? Do you revisit the sample closet and get a warm and fuzzy feeling and long for the good old days? Your killing it in ENT? Congrats your the first. Enjoy your success it truly is fleeting. I have been in the OR now for 25 years. Sold and managed in cardiac surgery. All I can say is I'd rather be at the tail end of my career than at the beginning! You brag about this industry? Lol. Save your money!
anonymous
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anonymous
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LOL, you guys must be joking. I don't really have a fight in this, but I've heard this far too long. I come from pharma, worked my *** off, and did really well. Previous to pharma, I sold service contracts by cold calling and did even better. I jumped right from pharma to selling medical devices in ENT, and for the previous three years (28 years old) I have done extremely well. At NO POINT in my life have I ever struggled with girls, and to the guy who said that about pharma sitting behind your computer, what I'd give to compare the women I've had in my corner vs. yours. What's funny about pharma is I actually learned to ask questions, dive in and learn what is important to the entire practice, and hold physicians accountable to their commitments. ZERO difference when I came to device sales which is why I have killed it ever since. Yes, I do get to contribute more, but to those who think there is no skill sets in pharma and think they can't "pick" up girls, I sit here laughing. Arrogant ***** behind the computer, please show a picture of yourself so I can break you down like the peasant you are.
anonymous
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anonymous
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Whatever type of rep you are embrace it. I have been both and I enjoy device more for the hunt and the kill...MONEY!!!!! The person that initially asked this question initially, good for you in utilizing the internet ( medical community) to inquire. I found this thread because I was curious as well. Jesus seriously, why sit and call each other names way too much time on your hands.
anonymous
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anonymous
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Coming from a decade of device sales then a few years in specialty pharma I’d say this poster has no clue about pharma sales, pure ego talking. I had a base of $150k, which I know for a fact is more than a lot of device reps are making total. As far as sales...not too many devices will get you a meeting with major hospital system C-suite; pharma, all the time. Plus you’re not wasting your life setting/running trays & tubs, chasing PO’s, all the BS keeping you from making productive sales calls. I made more in pharma than device plus I had the best schedule ever. As far as starting your distributorship, I’ve always had a side hustle which pharma allows to pursue more. Your best resources are LinkedIn and the OR. Listen to what the docs, ANES, nurses are talking about and think outside your world. Most device reps only see the OR but there’s a lot of opportunity in PACU, rehab/recovery or even pre-op. Best advice I got was you never know who you’ll end up working for or with, so treat everyone well.
Pharm reps are ignorant to the $300k-$1M per year realistic potential of a medical device sales rep running their own distributorship. 99% of doctors don't make that much. A $50k salary along with the candy and cupcake section at Walmart is all pharm reps know. Can you imagine being a guy in the pharm profession? It is one of the least respected sales jobs in the country for a guy. It's amazing that 90% of medical device sales job opportunities specifically say "no pharm reps!!". I can't imagine the embarrassment of a pharm rep going into surgery trying to sell surgical products and being such an important part of the procedure as the surgeon uses their devices. My guess is they would faint and knock their head on the sterile field. Pharm reps spend most of their time justifying that they actually do "sales" in an important field to their friends and family. What a joke. Real men do device sales, make a ton of money, and kill it in the operating room. To the OP, good luck with your distributorship. I know a guy in SoCal with a spine distributorship making $4.5 million per year with 5 reps.
anonymous
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anonymous
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Good advice. And 100% accurate about the Stryker rep hahaha.
Look for lines that compliment your existing portfolio. Ask your docs if they know of anything you could get into. If you’re a good rep they’ll love to help you out and consolidate vendors.
Look for lines that compliment your existing portfolio. Ask your docs if they know of anything you could get into. If you’re a good rep they’ll love to help you out and consolidate vendors.
This is very true for the people that started their distributorship 15 years ago. It's very difficult to be successful the way Med Device is currently. For every 1 distributor principle making 500-1m per year there are 1000 distributors that aren't.
Be prepared to grind it out until you can prove yourself. Go to the trade shows and network, make calls to company's to see if they are interested in your services. Unless you can Pretty much guarantee immediate business it will be hard to convince a legit company to give you product. My suggestion if you are a 1099 currently with a distributor is to try and pick up lines on your own while still repping the products you are. This is tricky, esp if your current employer pays you a salary because they won't be happy if they find out.
The quoted poster is just a meathead that thinks they are big shot because they made 200k back in '06. Truth is he's probably a Stryker rep that couldn't sell his way out of a paperbag but thinks he's the shit because he played D1 football as a backup d-lineman and he used to carry Ray Lewis's roommates brothers shoulder pads after college practice. So that's why he talks down to everyone.
anonymous
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anonymous
Guest
No dog in this fight as well, but had a question! I know % wise what the rep makes per sale, but what about the distributor?
anonymous
Guest
anonymous
Guest
Pharm reps are ignorant to the $300k-$1M per year realistic potential of a medical device sales rep running their own distributorship. 99% of doctors don't make that much. A $50k salary along with the candy and cupcake section at Walmart is all pharm reps know. Can you imagine being a guy in the pharm profession? It is one of the least respected sales jobs in the country for a guy. It's amazing that 90% of medical device sales job opportunities specifically say "no pharm reps!!". I can't imagine the embarrassment of a pharm rep going into surgery trying to sell surgical products and being such an important part of the procedure as the surgeon uses their devices. My guess is they would faint and knock their head on the sterile field. Pharm reps spend most of their time justifying that they actually do "sales" in an important field to their friends and family. What a joke. Real men do device sales, make a ton of money, and kill it in the operating room. To the OP, good luck with your distributorship. I know a guy in SoCal with a spine distributorship making $4.5 million per year with 5 reps.