Sales Associate - Neptune S in Reading

We are looking for a Sales Associate to join our Surgical Technologies Sales team covering South & Midlands of the UK. Working closely with an experienced Regional Sales Manager, you will develop and foster strong relationships with key opinion leaders. You will take an active part in customer education in the field, supporting the Regional Sales Representatives to achieve greater customer engagement and commercial success with our newly launched Neptune S portfolio. You will actively pursue business opportunities to grow Stryker business in targeted accounts, and at all times display exemplary customer service and patient focus.

In this role you will:

• Develop the skills required to become an effective sales representative.
• Work closely with the sales team on driving compliance to current contracts.
• Learn and practice the techniques required to grow the volume of a defined territory through sales of the Surgical Technologies portfolio.
• Focus on market leading brands such as Neptune and Safe Air.
• Learn to manage business in accounts within an existing sales territory and become responsible for the day to day running of key accounts.
• Become proficient in dealing with stock issues, instrument requirements, organising loan kits, organising and carrying out regular customer training, learning to provide guidance on the safe use of Stryker products within the defined portfolio in the hospital and operating theatre environment.
• Support other sales managers to allow them to concentrate on new business acquisition and new account development.

Essentially this is a training role with a view to becoming a full time Sales Representative with independent targets and business objectives. Initially there will be no individual sales target. Bonus will be based on achievement of milestones/objectives and regional target achievement. In this role you will be supporting all products within the Surgical Technologies portfolio.

Key accountabilities and responsibilities:

• Learn the skills required to manage a territory effectively and grow business in line with National sales objectives.
• Learn how to implement training sessions and workshops on the use of Stryker products. Deliver these sessions to nurses, theatre practitioners and surgeons.
• Learn how to gain an understanding of customers’ needs and identify the opportunity to promote and sell Stryker’s products. Training will be given on basic selling, presenting and negotiation techniques.
• Gain an understanding of the different ways to provide product into a hospital through consignment of kit or use of our loan service and learn to manage these channels to best suit our customer’s needs.
• Provide customer service to an existing customer base within the theatre and clinical environment. This will involve a specific set of hospitals where the candidate will have day to day communication and need to respond promptly to requests from customers in those hospitals. The candidate will be required to build relationships with key personnel in these hospitals.
• At all times appreciate that provision of appropriate medical care for the patient is of paramount importance and our priority is to only ever recommend product that is appropriate.
• Work closely with other Sales team members within the defined region, and the Business Unit Manager, to ensure customer service levels are best in class across that region. Attend surgeon training meetings and educational conferences.
• Demonstrate outstanding ethics at all times. Treat customers and other employees with respect. Represent Stryker in the best possible light.
• Learn how to conduct trials and evaluations of product in theatre and clinical environment as required.
• Make observations of customer needs and liaise with sales colleagues to follow up on and introduce new or additional Stryker product and/or support.
• Learn to record details of customers and maintain a basic business plan highlighting daily, weekly and monthly objectives. Start to develop the skills needed to prioritise where to allocate time and resource and how to grow business.

Job Requirements:

• Would be ideal / advantageous if had some sales or business experience but not essential.
• Commercial acumen, an interest or experience of dealing with customers would be beneficial.
• Computer skills, MS Office.
• Presentation skills with modern presentation media.
• Workshop/demonstration skills/training skills/presentation skills.
• An interest in anatomy and physiology.
• A background that demonstrates an ability to engage with others, influence, motivate and work hard.

Travel Percentage: 70%