Pros
- Well respected company in the field. - Many territories have world renown surgeons that you often get to cover cases with which is pretty cool. - The sales team is funny and likes to have a good time. - If the provider doesn’t have a lot of experience with KLS implants then you really can make a difference in the outcome of the patient. This is the best part of the job.
Cons
- Your manager is the district manager, but in reality it’s really your local sales consultant (your mentor). The district managers manage 15-20 sales consultants.. There is ZERO development provided from management to associates, development is entirely up to your mentor. Thankfully I had a great mentor but I was told from many other associates that that’s not the case. Your happiness and success as an associate is entirely tied to your mentor. It’s also tied to the interview that you must have with your district manager and regional manager if you want to be a sales consultant. Yes, after working in the territory as an associate for 2-4 years you still must interview with your district/regional manager for the sales consultant position.. That’s how little investment/interaction management has in associates. - You have to do any and everything your mentor asks. If there’s a case on Christmas Eve then throw on a Santa suit and some scrubs. As a consultant I would run out the door any time of day or night because I would be getting paid to support MY customers. However, it becomes pretty demoralizing as an associate to go above and beyond (working holidays for example) only to make your mentor money and support his customers while he’s cuddled up next to a fire with his family. If you question your mentor on why he can’t cover the Christmas Eve case then his feedback to get you a promotion could take a hit, or he’ll likely make up an excuse as to why he can’t and call the district manager who will chew you out. For example, I had to cover a case on Labor Day half way across the country because that territory’s sales consultant was at a wedding and the other associates were on vacation. This sales consultant made $3,000 off of the case that I covered while they were at a wedding, I made $0. This is all too common of a scenario. - You make SIGNIFICANTLY less than the sales consultants. It’s not even close. In about 20% of the territories, the sales consultants make 6-10X the amount of a sales associate. You do much of the same work but the pay.. Not even close. I think the salary for the associates should come out of the consultants pay check as it’s the associates making the consultants rich.