Developing and delivering a strong sales message in a complex industry is difficult.
Now imagine you have to develop multiple messages for multiple decision-makers, keep the details straight, and deliver those messages to the right audience, often in the same conversation.
In the medical device industry, that’s an everyday reality.
Your reps and distributors need to know the benefits of each device, the clinical data supporting it, and the financial details for every opportunity. Their next meeting could be with an Integrated Delivery Network (IDN) making purchases for a network of clinics, or it could be with a surgeon who wants to use the device to treat their patients. Effective onboarding is critical to set them up for success, but delivering that training at scale can feel impossible.
Sales and enablement leaders need to scale training for their sales reps and distributors. To do so effectively, they need new, AI-driven tools to deliver focused, role-specific onboarding programmes.
Challenge: Role-specific training in a highly complex industry
What makes sales onboarding so challenging?
Role-specific needs
No two buyers are alike in the med device industry, which means your messaging needs to shift for every audience. You could be selling to a surgeon in an operating room (OR) or a clinical leader. The purchasing decision may not come down to one person; you might have to convince multiple people on a Value Analysis Committee (VAC). If you’re selling to an IDN, those high-stakes conversations could determine whether an entire network of providers buys your product.
Whether they’re an internal rep or a distributor, sales leaders need to equip each seller with the right message for their audience. That means tailoring sales content and messaging to each role. Every presentation and email follow-up needs to be carefully calibrated to the priorities of the buyer: while a surgeon may want to dive deep on clinical data, a VAC will be more interested in the economics of the deal.
Regulated, technical products
The stakes are high for med device sales onboarding. It’s more than a matter of sales effectiveness; it’s a matter of compliance.
Sales reps need highly accurate, up-to-date information on each product and its clinical data. Mobile access is crucial, particularly for those reps and channel partners who visit buyers at clinics and in hospitals. Onboarding can’t just take place in a classroom; you need to meet reps where they are with continuous information to ensure they’re always compliant.
Changing materials
Your product catalogue isn’t a fixed resource. Instead, it’s constantly changing.
Whenever new trial data is released, your sales reps need to update their messaging to ensure they’re giving buyers compliant, up-to-date information. New data could make your sales pitch more compelling, but only if you know how to communicate the details effectively.
Every new medical device solves a highly specific patient challenge. Your reps and distributors need to know which device is right for which buyer and their patients, and they need to update those recommendations as new products come on the market.
Solution: Role-specific learning paths and AI feedback
Every seller in the medical device industry has highly specific needs. New AI breakthroughs are essential to providing the onboarding to match. Highspot’s AI tools are designed to help sellers master complex products, stay on top of multifaceted deals, and close more sales with outreach tailored to every buyer.
AI Role Play allows sellers to get up to speed quickly and prepare for high-value opportunities. A conversation with a VAC won’t be the same as a conversation with a clinical leader, and your reps need to know the difference. With AI, your reps sharpen their messages and avoid costly mistakes.
Sales leaders can also use AI to scale the feedback they deliver to sellers. With reps and distributors spread out across geographies, it’s impossible to deliver personalised feedback to help every seller improve. Highspot Copilot generates instant feedback after every meeting and practice session, allowing you to simply review, adjust, and approve before sending to the rep.
Role-specific Learning Paths are powered by AI to offer personalised onboarding courses, providing sellers with the exact materials they need in their daily work. An effective learning path is concise and tailored to the needs of the seller, and it reinforces learning to ensure each rep delivers the right, compliant message at every moment.
Your sales reps need support. To learn more about new sales enablement solutions for the med device industry, read our recent guide, From OR to IDN: How med device leaders are driving scalable, compliant GTM execution.
