Medical Sales Accelerator

A rare neuromuscular diagnosis almost caused Henry Peck his sight. But a state-of-the-art surgery changed the trajectory of his life, and his vision for the industry has never been more clear.  An engineer-turned-marketer, Henry Peck followed his analytical instincts to the forefront of the social audio movement where he currently leads the MedTech Club, an online healthcare community of 50,000+ members and followers on the popular social audio platform Clubhouse. In his “day job”, he is also the product marketing manager at Altoida, a digital health startup building the future of brain health. In this interview, we talk to Henry about his unique patient journey, background in emerging healthcare technologies, and how to create authentic engagement and industry influence via social audio platforms.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• What Clubhouse is, and why Henry launched the MedTech Club
• How med tech professionals can leverage the power of the social audio movement
• Insights on the increasingly symbiotic role of medical sales and marketing
• How relationships are changing due to the online environment and the importance of sharing your perspective and expertise in conversations

Plus, we explore the psychological impact of the human voice in building relationships. 

Resources and links from the show:

• Connect with Henry on LinkedIn
• Connect with Henry on Clubhouse
• Follow the MedTech Club on Twitter
• The Behavior Change Blueprint
• Connect with Zed Williamson on LinkedIn
• Connect with Clark Wiederhold on LinkedIn

From a dental school drop-out, to a National Sales Manager of a multi-billion-dollar medical device company, Chip Helm has worked tirelessly over the last thirty years to perfect the art of developing and maintaining long-term relationships to help drive sales success. He's the author of two books, Bigger Than Sales: How Humility and Wisdom Build Sales Success, and Everyday Sales Wisdom for Your Life and Career. In this interview, we talk with Chip about some no-nonsense advice to bring humility and servanthood to your role in medical device sales.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• The importance of a personal brand in sales success
• Why humility is so important in sales and how to cultivate this characteristic in your sales approach
• Tips to remember when networking and building relationships in a sales capacity

Resources and links from the show:

• Connect with Chip Helm on LinkedIn
• The Behavior Change Blueprint
• Zed Williamson LinkedIn
• Clark Wiederhold LinkedIn
• Bigger Than Sales: How Humility and Wisdom Build Sales Success
• Everyday Sales Wisdom for Your Life and Career

It used to be a volume game. Today, though, doctors are incentivized much differently than they were a decade ago. As a result, MedTech sales reps must consider not just their physician’s needs and concerns, but the needs and concerns of dozens of healthcare stakeholders. In this episode, you’ll get a deep insider perspective from Dr. Vinod Dasa, orthopedic surgeon and co-founder of Doc Social, on how to really connect with physicians.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why the industry has done a 180 on how we view patient care
• How physician incentives have changed and why that should influence your sales strategy
• Ways you can make your physician customers better through coaching and consultation
• The sales rep behaviors that need to change immediately

Plus, we dive into some MedTech sales dos and don’ts as told from the unique physician perspective.

Resources and links from the show:

• Connect with Vinod Dasa on LinkedIn
• Doc Social
• Connect with Clark Wiederhold on LinkedIn
• Connect with Zed Williamson on LinkedIn
• The Growth-Driven Practice Series
• The Behavior Change Blueprint

Jay Pendleton is the Director, Strategy and Talent for Medtronic Cranial & Spinal Technologies (CST). He’s held various sales and leadership roles for the company, most recently the last 3 years as Zone Manager for the Western Strategic Spinal Technology team — responsible for driving market share growth and engaging key surgeon customers through differentiating technology (i.e. OLIF, Titan, Medicrea) with sales reps and district managers for the Rocky Mountain Texas & Pacific Regions.

Digging into his innate ability to open doors with new clients, Jay shares tips and insights for medical device reps to get past gatekeepers, develop new relationships, and break into new territories. If you’ve been listening to the podcast and you’re wanting an episode that’s super tactical for new business development, you don’t want to miss this one! 

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Advice for rebooting a territory or opening new business opportunities
• How to really dig into the frustrations of your target customer
• Why being specific and clear with your intentions is so important
• The importance of going deep versus wide with your connections
• Common mistakes reps make when trying to cultivate new business

Resources and links from the show:

• Connect with Jay Pendleton on LinkedIn
• Connect with Jay Pendleton on Instagram
• Visit Jay Pendleton’s Website
• Connect with Clark Wiederhold on LinkedIn
• Connect with Zed Williamson on LinkedIn
• The Growth-Driven Practice Series
• The Behavior Change Blueprint

Mark Hunter, CSP, “The Sales Hunter,” is recognized as one of the top 50 most influential sales and marketing leaders in the world. He is author of  “A Mind for Sales” his other books include “High-Profit Prospecting” and “High-Profit Selling”. The focus of his work is helping to influence and impact others to help them see and achieve what they didn’t think was possible.

In this interview, we talk with Mark about the content of his new book, including what top performers do to prepare for the week and how they handle issues thrown in their way.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How to have the right mindset if you’re new in your role or trying to sell or open a new territory or sales opportunity
• The way in which you should approach relationship building
• The importance of speaking different “languages”
• Plus, practical tips and strategies from Mark’s experience in working with medical sales reps!

Resources and links from the show:

• Book: A Mind for Sales
• Connect with Mark Hunter on LinkedIn
• TheSalesHunter.com
• Connect with Clark Wiederhold on LinkedIn
• Connect with Zed Williamson on LinkedIn
• The Growth-Driven Practice Series
• The Behavior Change Blueprint

Did you know that the average complex sale has 8 to 9 people involved in the sales process? Getting buy-in from each one, or even getting them all on the same zoom call can be a headache. How do you succeed and move the needle? In this episode, we interview Thomas Buchanan, Account Executive at Modus, who has been leveraging video sales calls since 2017. He’s been using 1-to-1 sales videos to create buy-in, extend his influence in his prospect’s organizations, and close high-dollar deals. He’s created thousands of video calls and distills his knowledge down into actionable advice that will drive results for account execs and sales reps at all levels.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How to get started using video sales tools
• The first video you should create and send to a prospect
• How to use individual watch time and engagement as sales signals to close more deals
• What subject lines to use when sending a video
• The ideal length for a 1-to-1 sales video
• The attitude you must embrace when first getting started

Plus, spend time brainstorming all the various ways a MedTech sales professional could integrate video into their routine and create a blue ocean for themselves!

Resources and links from the show:

• Thomas Buchanan LinkedIn
• Zed Williamson LinkedIn
• Clark Wiederhold LinkedIn
• Modus
• Vidyard Video

Pat Kothe started in the field as a sales rep. He’s worked in marketing. And today he’s President & CEO at EM Device Lab, and host of the Mastering Medical Device podcast. He knows a thing or two about not only the medical device industry, but also how MedTech companies should operate from the inside out. This episode is all about invaluable advice and pearls of wisdom that will make your life and career as a sales rep so much easier and more fulfilling — by simply breaking down organizational barriers and working in lockstep with your colleagues.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How MedTech sales, marketing, and leadership teams can coalesce to impact the bottom line
• Why professional success often hinges on your ability to appreciate the roles of all your organizational colleagues
• How to grow your MedTech sales skills by educating yourself on other disciplines
• A treasure trove of proven advice and practical steps to help you move up within your organization

Plus, we dig into the critical importance of understanding and sharing the “why” behind your products and decisions — not just among your customers, but also your internal team.

Resources and links from the show:

• Connect with Pat Kothe on LinkedIn
• Connect with Clark Wiederhold on LinkedIn
• Connect with Zed Williamson on LinkedIn
• Mastering Medical Device Podcast
• The Growth-Driven Practice Series
• The Behavior Change Blueprint

Whether you like virtual selling or not, it’s time to adapt and master this sales strategy. Because even when you’re able to walk back into a healthcare facility for a sales call, there’s a good chance your buyers will prefer to keep it virtual. That’s according to new research from the RAIN Group, and their Chief Client Officer, Andy Springer joins us in this episode to share insights from his Amazon bestseller on winning through remote sales. You’ll get actionable, research-based takeaways that promise to make you more comfortable with virtual sales, while always keeping the customer’s need top of mind.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How to build rapport and relationships when selling virtually
• Proven tips and strategies to keep buyers engaged during your virtual meetings
• Why you must connect technical product know-how to the outcomes of the buyer
• Why many MedTech reps spend way too much time talking about their solution

Plus, we dive into the global research conducted by the RAIN Group that uncovered virtual selling’s top challenges — and tell you how to overcome them.

Resources and links from the show:

• Connect with Andy Springer on LinkedIn
• Connect with Clark Wiederhold on LinkedIn
• Connect with Zed Williamson on LinkedIn
• Virtual Selling: How to Build Relationships, Differentiate, and Win Sales Remotely
• The Growth-Driven Practice Series
• The Behavior Change Blueprint

Words matter. Especially the ones private practice physicians use in their marketing. So then why do so many of them fail to connect emotionally with their patients? From websites to blogs to social media, their message is often focused on their latest surgical device or procedure, completely dismissing what really resonates: the patient’s pain. In this powerful episode, Clark and Zed delve into the neuroscience behind effective physician-to-patient messaging and provide some solid tips and resources you can share with your customers and physician network to help them cut through the clutter.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why most private practice physicians get their marketing messaging all wrong
• The power of negativity bias and how it affects healthcare marketing
• About the reticular activating system and how it should inform your patient marketing
• Best practices for connecting with patients through webinars and virtual community health talks

Plus, we dig into the psychological concept of the elephant and the rider, and explain why it’s always better to connect emotionally with patients rather than logically.  

Resources and links from the show:

• Connect with Clark Wiederhold on LinkedIn
• Connect with Zed Williamson on LinkedIn
• The Growth-Driven Practice Series
• The Behavior Change Blueprint

Let’s talk about the science behind medical device commercialization! A chemist by training, Duane Mancini is currently the Business Development Director at Covance and has worked for many years with med device startups to help them develop get-to-market strategies. Host of the Project MedTech podcast, he joins us in this episode to give us a detailed breakdown of every step in the commercialization pathway — from regulatory to reimbursement, clinical, and more.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• The ideal pathway to commercialization for a medical device product
• Common pitfalls that affect downstream commercialization
• Why it’s essential to think about your reimbursement strategy early
• What your sales team needs to actually win market share

Plus, we break down fractionalizing, and why it’s the best way to begin structuring a medical device startup company.  

Resources and links from the show:

• Connect with Duane Mancini on LinkedIn
• Connect with Clark Wiederhold on LinkedIn
• Connect with Zed Williamson on LinkedIn
• Visit Project MedTech
• The Growth-Driven Practice Series
• The Behavior Change Blueprint
• Listen to Project Medtech on iTunes