In this episode of the Med Device Unleashed Podcast, I speak with Scott Walle the director of sales operations at Saluda medical, a spinal cord stimulator startup company. He shares the details of his career as a med device sales rep for many years.

Listen in to learn the importance of understanding your clients (doctors) pain points as a med device sales rep and then finding a solution to solve them. You will also learn how to make yourself irreplaceable in your clients’ eyes by being a real challenger.

“When you become indispensable in that way with your customers, you become very hard to replace.”- Scott Walle [29:47]

“Winning business is one thing, putting walls up around your business that is impenetrable, that’s a different conversation.”- Scott Walle [33:37]

Top Takeaways:

·       Learning to leverage all your strengths and weaknesses as a sales rep in the med device industry. 

·       The importance of an MBA in furthering your career.

·       The power of being resilient as a med device sales rep to succeed. 

·       What separates the real challenger and the farmer-type rep in the industry. 

·       The importance of having a good foundation in sales and objectives that lead you.

·       How to make sure that you’re not easily replaceable by understanding your customers’ struggles and finding the fix for it.

Episode Timeline:

·       [1:34] How spinal cord stimulation devices are designed to alleviate chronic pain in patients and return them to normal while in the hands of the right doctor.

·       [2:31] What it means to be a smokejumper in the medical device world. 

·       [4:18] The importance of understanding how to leverage your strengths and weakness as a rep in any territory. 

·       [6:32] He explains the functions of the Prosellus tool that he came up with and the impacts it had.

·       [8:57] The questions that should drive you to get a master’s degree even when you’re a successful sales rep in the med device industry.

·       [13:20] How to look at the glass half full and see every opportunity as a way to grow.

·       [18:11] He describes his incredible experience working for Johnson& Johnson with their training program. 

·       [21:40] How to define the value you offer to the doctors by understanding their struggle and then offering the solution.

·       [30:20] How to understand your doctor’s pain point to help solidify their business.

·       [35:54] How to avoid making mistakes that could cost your reputation as a med device sales rep.

·       [37:18] He talks about the success and the purpose of the blog he wrote that won him an award. 

·       [40:23] He shares his craziest OR story.