Pocket Guide to the Operating Room

This week I interviewed someone who has recently completed a surgical technology program. Much like reps, surgical techs needs to learn procedures inside and out, including the sequence and the instrumentation involved.

Time in the operating room is valuable. Surgeons like things to move along quickly and efficiently, which in the end is better for the patient. Surgical techs are expected to anticipate what the surgeon needs, and reps who can do the same have a great opportunity to build credibility with the surgeons and their OR team.

The rep is there to support the entire OR team. By making sure techs and nurses know exactly what they need and when, the rep can ensure the procedure moves along smoothly, even when new products are being introduced.

Gaining this level of knowledge about a myriad of different surgical procedures is challenging. The average surgical tech program takes 1.5-2 years to complete, including 500 hours of clinicals. Reps need a comparable level of knowledge, which comes through training, experience in the OR and a lot of studying.

Here's a great book this surgical tech suggested to me which sounds like it could be an invaluable resource for reps. It's called:
Pocket Guide to the Operating Room by Maxine Goldman.

According the the publisher's website, it includes details on more than 500 surgeries, with descriptions, drawings and instrumentation. This tech told me that she would review the guide in preparation for each surgery while she was going through her clinicals and being exposed to new procedures daily.

Noted as a key feature, which is particularly relevant to Linvatec's product line, is the emphasis on: "extensive coverage of minimal access surgery, including endoscopic procedures for multiple specialties, microsurgical techniques, and instrumentation for these procedures."

The guide also indicates what to expect if there are complications and what types of procedure(s) the surgery might evolve into as a result, allowing one to anticipate the instrumentation needed if specific scenarios were to occur.

Much like a good surgical tech, anticipation and preparation are key to a rep's success. A well-prepared rep always has exactly what they need for the case, and more. If a surgeon turns to a rep and asks, "do you have...", the answer had better be "yes".

MVP of AAOS

From what I've heard, this year's Academy was a big success for Linvatec. Lots of excitement, on the part of customers, reps and everyone involved.

Of the new crop of products released, one standout may be the Spectrum MVP Suture Passer
It's part of Linvatec's Spectrum line, which has for many years been recognized as an essential instrument set for arthroscopic repairs.

I once heard the challenge of arthroscopic procedures summed up something like this: imagine trying to tie a knot in a piece of wet spaghetti with a couple of chopsticks (while the noodle is inside a box, no less).

I think the analogy I heard was a little more elegant, but still I think you can understand the challenge and level of skill required for an arthroscopic procedure. The MVP Suture Passer greatly simplifies some of the common challenges surgeons face.

Economic Downturn

The news is rife with reports of lost jobs last month. 63,000 job were eliminated, the most in five years.

On my end, I've definitely seen an increase in the number of applications from certain job markets that were previously "dry". In particular, there has been a flood of resumes from folks in the real estate and mortgage industries seeking higher ground. I think there has been a bit of a shake-out in pharma as well. Talking to folks who are focused more on B2B sales, I sense some concern about the willingness of businesses to expand and invest in services and capital equipment.

I am far from being an economist, but being a recruiter does put you close to job trends in the economy.

Medical device sales is touted by some as "recession proof", the idea being that medical care is a necessity, and not something people can put off as they would buying a new car or refrigerator. Again, while I can't put cold, hard numbers to this entirely plausible theory, I can offer a few interesting anecdotes.

I asked one of our distributors recently if he felt there was truth to this statement. He said that in his 20 years in the industry, there hadn't really ever been a serious slowdow, despite fluctuations in the larger economy.

A couple of months back, someone applied for an opening that had just recently been filled. The person was from the mortgage industry and was pleasantly persistent, such that I was prompted to call and speak to him briefly to explain the situation. In the course of our conversation, I found out that this young man's father had worked for Linvatec back in the '90's.

I ended up talking to his father, who told me that he'd always told his children that he had chosen a career in medical sales precisely because of the stability of the industry. When you have mouths to feed, avoiding industries that are feast or famine, boom or bust becomes all the more important.

"I think my son is finally starting to understand exactly what I was talking about," he told me.

Some salespeople I talk to seem to focus on base salaries and expense packages as the primary measure of stability in a company or opportunity. I think this view is too narrow. The industry itself can have a huge impact, as many have recently seen first hand. I think some other important factors are: stability of the management team, average tenure or turnover in the salesforce, consistency of the compensation plan, the breadth of the offering. On these measures, I think Linvatec is very strong.

I wonder how many people have seen what they thought was a solid career, solid success vanish in front them. Some will ride out the lean times, while many will start from scratch establishing themselves in another industry. It takes a lot of hard work to succeed in any realm, a lot of hard work to develop your product knowledge and base of contacts, master the nuances of the sales cycle particular to your industry. And even more hard work to start all over again.

I think many sales people are self-starters who want to have control over their own destiny, a big part of that being their own income. Although nothing is absolutely certain in this world, I think building a career in medical device sales offers favorable conditions that put salespeople in a position to exert a good measure of control over their future. They aren't likely to see their hard work swept away by a downturn in the economy. Even now, despite the challenges in the larger economy, medical device reps can continue building their careers, onward and upward.

New Products released at the AAOS

The annual meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons is being held this week in San Francisco. For Linvatec and many other orthopaedic companies, this is the most important trade show of the year. There are 15,000 attendees, primarily orthopaedic surgeons from around the world. Our entire marketing team and much of the sales force is in attendance.

Linvatec has launched eleven new products at this year's show. Link here to learn more.

What Does Your Voicemail Greeting Say About You?

Last week, I heard a great voicemail greeting.

You may be wondering, what can be so great about a voicemail greeting? Though seemingly insignificant, a voicemail is often the first introduction a stranger has to you. I can sometimes be put off by this first contact with a potential candidate, or intrigued.

I am annoyed by greetings that are chopped off, as in " ... back. Thanks." As simple as it seems to listen to your greeting after recording it, there are people out there who don't. Sometimes greetings sound as though the person recorded it while visiting a dog pound, or on the inside of a meat grinder. I've heard greetings that sound decidedly irritated, as though the person recorded their message after a fight with their significant other, or so low-energy and miserable it's as if they'd recorded the greeting while lying flat on their back in bed with the flu.

Voicemail greetings that intrigue me are those that make me think, "This person sounds really (energetic, professional, on-the-ball). I am really looking forward to speaking to them." They are clear, easy to understand, and sound as if the person takes their voicemail seriously. It makes me hopeful of a prompt and courteous return call. There are even those in this industry who become so fanatical about returning calls, that they call back even if I don't leave a message just to make sure they didn't miss anything important.

Of course, I realize that you can't judge a person solely by their voicemail greeting. Why, it's preposterous to even think such a thing (although it would make my job a lot easier).

I hope you'll understand I am exaggerating to make my point. My point being, that your voicemail greeting is part of the total impression you make on recruiters, customers, and potential employers- people that can have a direct impact on your livelihood and future prospects.

So why was the voicemail I heard the other day so good?

After stating their name, etc, this sales person proceeded to say, "Be sure to ask me about some of the new products I heard about at our national sales meeting..." and then briefly mentioned three of them. Wow, I thought. Smart.

If you've ever read the Little Red Book of Selling by Jeffrey Gitomer, you may have encountered this idea before. This candidate had not read Gitomer's book. So much the better. A voicemail may seem so mundane, so simple, but Gitomer says that it is a greeting that people hear over and over, so why not make it work in your favor?

What I Like to See in a Resume

I remember reading a book once on how to write the perfect resume. It offered several suggested formats. As a recruiter, there is only one I prefer: chronological, starting with the most recent work experience at the top. It's straightforward and easy to read.

When I read resumes, I have a few questions in my mind.

1) What products does this person sell? Suggestion: Include a short description of major product (categories) and total number of different products.
2) Who does this person sell to? Describe the primary decision makers in the buying decision.
3) How complex is this sale? Expand upon the decision making context.
4) Results? Rankings and yearly performance to quota are the most relevant. Awards or outperforming quota in a given month are fine, but it's the final number at the end of the year that matters most.


If your resume can answer these questions clearly and succinctly for each position held, then you give a recruiter an opening to see past the obvious and recognize relevant patterns of similarity between different industries.

Happy New Year

The New Year is full of so much promise and possibility. I always find it exciting. It's also a great time to pause and reflect on one's accomplishments of the past year. At Linvatec, it was a pretty good year for all concerned.

I came across a question on Linked In that had a lot of excellent information who are new to sales.
"What general advice would you give to someone starting out in sales?"

I considered contributing my two cents, but the answers were so good, I didn't really need to.