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Electronics and Medical Electronics Salesperson

Interviews

Insider Info

Dennis Perreault transferred into electronics sales out of shipping and receiving. "When I started here, I spent any downtime I had in shipping and receiving going through catalogs," he says. "I often answered the phone and I'd be asked these questions, so it was nice."

Heather Phillips switched from being an X-ray technician to marketing medical electronics. "I'm still using the skills I had as an X-ray technician, I'm just using them in a different way," she explains.

Both Perreault and Phillips require a lot of technical knowledge to do their jobs.

"If you don't know the product or don't know what a capacitor does, it's pretty hard to sit in a chair and answer questions on the phone," says Perreault.

Perreault has been lucky. Years ago, he answered an ad in the newspaper and started working in shipping and receiving. "I just moved up from there," he says. Perreault always had a knack for knowing how things worked. Before he came to his current job, he worked in alarm installation. His time in shipping and receiving made him familiar with the different electronic components his company sells.

"To just step into sales is hard to do," he explains. Perreault says he made the transition slowly: answering phones here and there, handling questions and taking orders when the salespeople were busy.

Phillips was working as an X-ray technician when she realized it was the equipment and commercial side of the job that she found most rewarding. "I went and did a master's thesis and got into marketing," she explains. The switch isn't unusual. "Most people in our business come from a technical background of some sort."

Most people selling medical electronics have some sort of computer background -- so much of the equipment these days is computerized. Some have degrees or diplomas in electrical engineering. Phillips says most people in her company have previous sales experience as well. "Sales skills are transferable across products," she says. "You have to have an aptitude for technical information."

Phillips' company sells a wide variety of electronic medical equipment to medical institutions. Phillips says she was hired because of her master's of business administration. Her knowledge of diagnostic imaging equipment has made the job easier -- she's been able to tell clients what equipment best suits their needs and what doesn't.

Phillips says making the sale isn't always the biggest priority. It's better to make sure hospitals and laboratories get what they need, or they won't buy from you again. Trust is an important aspect of the sales business. "You've got to live with customers for the long term," she explains. "You may have a relationship for 10 years."

Perreault sells electronic components that are used by other companies and individuals to make larger items. Bulk orders worth $10,000 to $15,000 are not uncommon. Most customers already know what they want when they place an order, but Perreault says he's often asked to describe what some of the components do and how they're used.

"You have to have both a good memory and a mechanical aptitude," he says.

Perreault says he likes helping people. "It's nice if you solve a problem a fellow's had for a while," he says. "When they thank you up and down, that's great."

The electronics field is very competitive. "You have to be close on margins," says Perreault. "But if you can provide exceptional service often, the price doesn't matter." Exceptional service requires exceptional knowledge of the product.