Medical Device Sales Excellence: Training Field Professionals to Deliver Value-Based Solutions to Today’s Customers

Industries Profiled:
Diagnostic; Medical Device; Health Care; Pharmaceutical; Biotech


Companies Profiled:
Ambu; B. Braun; Boston Scientific; ConvaTec; Diversatek Healthcare; DJO Global; Fujifilm Medical Systems; Henry Schein Dental; Innovo Medical; Medtronic; Merit Health; Neotract; OrthoSensor; ReShape Medical; Siemens Healthcare; Smith & Nephew; STERIS; Stryker; Terumo Corporation; Zipline Medical

Study Snapshot

Best Practices, LLC engaged 24 leaders from 20 medical device companies through a benchmarking survey. Almost half of participants work at the director level or above.

Key topics covered in this report include:

1. Value Selling Models

• Product vs. Value Selling
• Field Team Size & Span of Control

• Key Skills & Competencies
• Effective Cross-Portfolio Messaging
• Stumbling Blocks

• Training Areas & Tactics
• Training Timelines & Vendors

• Sales & Support Structure
• Key Support Roles & Rotations

Key Findings

• Value-selling sales forces are generally leaner: By training sales reps to sell across multiple product lines, companies appear to be able to gain efficiencies and reduce the overall size of the field sales force. The rep-to-manager ratio for value-selling groups (9:1) is much leaner than that of single-product groups (6:1).
• New rep training should be heavily focused on product knowledge, and be reinforced by ongoing mentorships: Surveyed companies devote nearly half of all training time (48%) for new hires to technical product knowledge and education. The topic mix for ongoing training of existing staff already well-versed in the product line flattens out somewhat: product knowledge still comprises 28% of training, but greater attention is paid to competitor offerings, clinical knowledge, and customer information.

• Focus on “complementary” product families when expanding a rep’s portfolio
• Use a value-selling field sales model to both gain efficiencies but also to better meet customer needs
• Top value-selling “must-haves” include communication skills, product knowledge & problem-solving ability
• Allow for a longer assessment period as reps transition to value-selling
• Partner reps with different product expertise areas to cross-pollinate knowledge
• Mentors are critical for driving ongoing rep development and creating accountability
• Clinical specialists play key support role for value-selling field force
• As customer-centric selling grows, alignment between sales, marketing and other field support teams will be key

I.	Executive Summary	pgs. 3-10
	Research Overview	pg. 4
	Respondents Background	pg. 5
	Key Insights & Findings	pg. 8
II.	Full Study Data
	Profile of Benchmark Companies	pg. 11
	Medical Device Field Sales Models: Single-Product vs. Value-Selling	pg. 15
	Successful Value-Selling: Key Skills, Competencies & Training Areas	pg. 29
	Training & Ongoing Development: Key Topics, Timelines & Training Partners	pg. 42
	Optimizing the Sales Structure & Field Support Network	pg. 54
	KPIs for Medical Device Sales Success	pg. 66
III.	About Best Practices, LLC	pg. 69

• Selling model best describing participants’ field sales approach – Total benchmark class
• Voices from the field: Expanded portfolios driving logical shift to value-selling
• Selling model best describing participants’ field sales approach – Large companies vs. small to mid-sized companies
• Voices from the field: Identifying the right places to expand the rep portfolio
• Percentage of field sales personnel operating in a "traditional sales model” vs. a "key account model" – Total benchmark class
• Percentage of field sales personnel operating in a "traditional sales model” vs. a "key account model"– Single-product sales force vs. value-selling sales force
• Percentage of field sales personnel operating in a "traditional sales model” vs. a "key account model" – Large companies vs. small to mid-sized companies
• Total number of field sales representatives and front-line managers (district / regional managers) within the region or business unit represented by participants - Total benchmark class
• Total number of field sales representatives and front-line managers (district / regional managers) within the region or business unit represented by participants - Single-product sales force vs. value-selling sales force
• Revenue supported by each sales representative – Total benchmark class
• Revenue supported by each sales representative – Single-product sales force vs. value-selling sales force
• Revenue supported by each front-line/district manager - Total benchmark class
• Revenue supported by each front-line/district manager - Single-product sales force vs. value-selling sales force
• Ideal ratio of field sales to front-line managers (district / regional managers) - Total benchmark class
• Ideal ratio of field sales to front-line managers (district / regional managers) - Single-product sales force vs. value-selling sales force

• Top success factors for medical device sales success in today's healthcare market
• Importance rating of skills and competencies that are most conducive to success for sales reps promoting multiple product lines or engaged in solutions selling to key accounts – Total benchmark class
• Voices from the field: Addressing “Value-Added Committees”
• Importance rating of skills and competencies that are most conducive to success for sales reps promoting multiple product lines or engaged in solutions selling to key accounts - Single-product sales force vs. value-selling sales force
• Importance rating of skills and competencies that are most conducive to success for sales reps promoting multiple product lines or engaged in solutions selling to key accounts - Large companies vs. small to mid-sized companies
• Voices from the field: Value-selling sales rep role
• Top-ranked hurdles to multi-product value selling
• Voices from the field: Big device companies are helping customers understand total cost of care
• For key account managers and field reps promoting a complex portfolio, what kinds of conversations beyond "product-specific" ones are participants preparing their sales staff for?
• Engagement tactics and themes that work best in underscoring company's overall value proposition to key customers

• Best practices for training employees to move from a single-product mindset to solution/multi-product selling
• Percentage of total training time dedicated to listed key competencies on an annual basis for both new hires and existing hires
• Days of home office training and development received by staff (new hires and existing staff) on average per year from participating companies’ training department
• Approximate number of days of training and development received by sales representatives (new hires and existing staff) from field trainers or front-line managers per year - Total benchmark class
• Approximate number of days of training and development received by sales representatives (new hires and existing staff) from field trainers or front-line managers per year - Large companies vs. small to mid-sized companies
• Recommended vendors for delivering customized training programs to help improve solution/multi-product selling skills
• Time given to field sales representative to show improvement in solution/multi-product selling skills before they are brought in for re-training or outplaced - Total benchmark class
• Time given to field sales representative to show improvement in solution/multi-product selling skills before they are brought in for re-training or outplaced - Single-product sales force vs. value-selling sales force
• Average annual turnover rate within the field sales organization - Total benchmark class and single-product sales force vs. value-selling sales force

• Structure of Sales Function within the organization
• Alignment of decentralized sales structures
• Key support groups for the field sales organization - Total benchmark class and large companies vs. small to mid-sized companies
• Reporting of each support role within the organization
• Essential support areas outside of field sales and front-line leadership that are most critical to the success of sales organization
• Call reporting and CRM access
• Highly effective sales tools for engaging customers on field calls
• Frequency of inputs into marketing programs provided by sales professionals or managers
• Rotational development program in place

• Effective KPIs for measuring the success of overall sales organization
• Effective KPIs for measuring the success of individual field sales reps