Help, need urgent advice-- Medtronic vs. NuVasive

I have an offer and a probable offer in Spine at Medtronic and NuVasive. Whoa as me, right?

Here's the deal.....I have no experience in med device sales or knowledge of what's the better option. I just got out of the Army after 9 years and talked my way into it with all the deployment experience and war stories.

Medtronic is the Sales Rep Education (SER) Program for Kyphon (Interventional). About a year in Memphis to include lots of travel and covering territories when the rep is on vacation etc. Then you compete for a rep slot. From what I understand Medtronic is the best.

NuVasive is an associate rep in SoCal and pending your ability and paying dues make rep. I live in SoCal as does my girlfriend, so this is the instant gratification appeal.

What are the pros and cons?

Thanks for all of your help. I've got about 48 hours to figure this out.

 

Sounds like you have a bird in the hand with Nuvasive at your current location. Congratulations. Unless you're willing to chance moving to North Dakota to fill a Medtronic need, take the Nuvasive position. Also, keep the war stories to yourself. It'll get your foot in the door, but it's personal performance from here on out. Surprise a doc with a good story once in a blue moon when a routine surgery becomes monotonous. You're on the doc's turf now and they are your new commanding officers. You may have been a hotshot lieutenant with your butter bars flashing in the sun, but nobody gives two shits about it in the real world, especially if you're missing quota.

 

Touche. Thanks for the advice-- I think I'll take it. It covers some big hospitals in LA. Everyone was selling me and I'm so new to the industry I had no idea who to believe. I honestly went to the interview just for experience. Humbling and surpsrising to get an offer. But for the record, I made the major's list, butter bars were many moons ago

Seriously though--thanks. I had no one to ask so I had to turn to Google and anonymous generosity.

 

No worries. I posted the reply to your original question. From one officer to another, it sounds like you've got a good head on your shoulders. You'll do great if you put your warrior ethos at the forefront of your abilities. Always do the right thing. And don't be tempted to badmouth your company, products, or colleagues in front of others. There are ears everywhere and it will only look bad on you. You'll do a great job. Good luck!

 

^
To both of you...thank you for your service. Good luck from one rep to another.

 

Thanks brother. I now am in SoCal and just finished my first day--it was awesome. Holy crap a lot to learn though. Can only hope for good mentors in real life from here on out.

To the last comment--thank you. From one great challenge to a new one now.

 

Thank you for your service and sacrifice. Much respect to both of you. Learn everything you can and apply yourself. If for some reason things do not work out for you at NuVasive, you will still have experience you can place on your resume and find a better job. Although, I am sure everything will work out for you. I do not know your habits nor do I assume to know, however in the military it is generally considered o.k. to swear. No doubt a string of well chosen explatives is funny. Not so in the civilian world. It is deemed unprofessional and you could be reported for making threats. Again, I do not know anything about your habits. I am just trying to help you integrate into your new profession. I wish you the very best.

 

Also, on the topic of a mentor, I am not sure you will have much luck finding one. If you do, great! My advice would be to look to your peers for life experiences that you can then assemble into the knowledge bestowed by a mentor. I will try to give you a concise example. I worked as a software engineer for NuVasive, and traveled to many different states to assist with NeuroVision. I would always ask "how do you get established surgeons to switch to NuVasive products." He responded that it is not easy and told this story. He would try and engage one particular surgeon, asking what the surgeon needed in order to accomplish his job more effectively and efficiently. "I already have everything I need." Weeks of this. Finally, the sales rep noticed this surgeon liked sunkist soda. Over heard in the cafeteria: "what, no more sunkist! ?" The sales rep brought that surgeon a six pack of sunkist soda to his office that Friday and every Friday after of about two months. Finally the surgeon said "come on into my office, lets talk." That surgeon switched over to that sales rep exclusively over time after that point. Like in your service of this fine country, you have war stories. Ask your peers what their sales rep war stories are. I wish you the very best.

 

You two Gomer Piles are hilarious. Fascinating story about the Sunkist soda. Please tell us again. Losers

 

You made a good choice with Nuvasive. I hear their training can be tough for someone that has no experience. If I can offer some advice, don't show up at a surgeon's office with soda. That is the last thing this industry needs. Another cheese ball. Thanks for your service.

 

While I agree that a sunkist story is cheesy, I think the object in this case is irrelevant, whether its kids, boating, hunting or orange soda, the key is finding some connection with a customer in any industry and attempt to be authentic. Showing persistence is valued in any selling situation. He got past the gatekeeper. Sounds like it worked for him.

 

Hope all those cases of Sunkist were under 10 bucks. These days it's considered bribery.