Want to break into medical device sales or level up your career into sales management?

In this episode of Medical Sales U, Dave Sterrett sits down with Jon Alwinson, Principal Regional Sales Director and author of Relentless Sales. Jon unpacks his journey from a failed college startup to leading high-performing medical sales teams.

Tune in to learn:

• Why "humble confidence" outperforms ego in high-stakes interviews

• How to map and own your territory during Week 1

• Why pre-call planning beats charisma every time

• How to successfully transition from top rep to sales leader

🔗 RESOURCES & LINKS:

• Grab Jon’s book Relentless Sales: https://johnalwinson.com

• Connect with Jon on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-alwinson-4599ab46/

• Break into medical sales with us: https://medicalsalesu.com/

⏱️ TIMESTAMPS:

0:00 Introduction

0:50 How Dave Met Jon

2:17 Startup Failures Before Medical Device Sales

4:33 Landing the First Medical Device Role

5:50 The Power of Humble Confidence in Interviews

7:01 Balancing Faith, Mindset, and Confidence

9:19 Networking Advice and Pat Williams Foreword

11:39 Pre-Call Planning and Territory Mapping

13:57 How to Structure Your First Week in a Territory

16:18 Building Authentic Rapport with HCPs

18:40 Key Advice for First-Year Medical Reps

21:04 How to Transition from Sales Rep to Sales Manager

23:23 Closing Thoughts

Subscribe to Medical Sales U for weekly tactical advice on territory management, interview preparation, and healthcare leadership!

How do you break into medical and pharmaceutical sales in your 20s without prior industry experience?

In this episode of Medical Sales U, host Dave Sterrett sits down with Kennedy Torggler, a 24-year-old former Stryker On-Site Specialist who recently signed an offer representing AstraZeneca through Syneos. Kennedy breaks down her 9-month journey, sharing how she leveraged college sales competitions, powerlifting discipline, and relentless networking to double her income and secure her dream role.

Whether you are looking to pivot from a hospital support role into sales, struggling to get past final-round interviews, or trying to break into top pharma companies, Kennedy's story provides the exact roadmap for staying resilient through rejection.

Subscribe to Medical Sales U for more real-world career breakdown stories and strategies on breaking into medical device and pharmaceutical sales.

Timestamps

00:00 - Intro

01:21 - AstraZeneca Job Offer

02:15 - Contract Sales Strategy

04:25 - College Sales Training

10:15 - Stryker On-Site Role

13:50 - Stryker vs. Pharma Pay

16:10 - Powerlifting & Discipline

21:30 - Job Search Strategy

27:10 - Interview Prep & Habits

32:05 - Travel & Background

34:10 - Outro

Ready to build your strategy, prep your clinical knowledge, and land your offer?

CONNECT WITH US & BREAK INTO MEDICAL SALES: medicalsalesu.com/

Want to break into pharmaceutical or medical device sales, but tired of hitting dead ends? In this episode of Medical Sales U, Dave Sterrett lays out a clear, step-by-step playbook to land your target role in medical sales, even if you have zero clinical background or formal sales experience.

Most job seekers waste time blasting hundreds of resumes and hoping for a miracle on LinkedIn. Dave breaks down why that spray-and-pray method fails and replaces it with a strategic 12-step system. You'll learn how to leverage AI to sharpen your resume, build a high-converting LinkedIn profile, stand out using a customized brag book, and secure internal referrals that jump you to the front of the line.

Whether you're a nurse, teacher, firefighter, or professional looking to pivot into a $160K+ career, this guide gives you actionable steps to stop overthinking, take control of your job search, and get in front of real decision-makers.

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 - Stop Applying the Wrong Way

02:20 - Trap of Applying vs. Perfection Paralysis

04:46 - Step 1: Update Your Resume in 24 Hours

07:13 - Step 2: Optimize Your LinkedIn Storefront

11:58 - Step 3: Map Out Your Top 10 Target Companies

14:17 - Step 4: Identify Your Practical 7 Job Openings

16:42 - Step 5: Network Strategically on LinkedIn

19:09 - Step 6: Send High-Converting Outreach Messages

21:35 - Step 7: How to Run the Initial Phone Call

23:59 - Handling Common Industry Pushback

26:25 - Step 8: Build and Send a Customized Brag Book

28:48 - Step 9: Apply with an Internal Referral

31:13 - Step 10 & 11: Build Multi-Contact Momentum and Practice Video Answers

33:39 - Step 12: Repeat the Process Until You Win

Subscribe to Medical Sales You for more practical advice on breaking into and scaling your career in medical sales!

Ready to build your strategy, prep your clinical knowledge, and land your offer?

🔗 CONNECT WITH US & BREAK INTO MEDICAL SALES: medicalsalesu.com/

The Real Rules of Medical Sales Success: Character, Coaching & Mindset | Medical Sales U

Why do candidates with top-tier degrees and years of grit still get rejected in medical and pharmaceutical sales interviews? Because breaking into this industry isn't just a test of your knowledge—it's a test of your character under pressure and your willingness to be coached.

In this masterclass episode of Medical Sales U, host Dave Sterrett breaks down why isolation dressed up as independence leads to failure, how a former firefighter landed a $207,000 package in pharma sales, and the 3 C's every candidate needs: Coachability, Collaboration, and Confidence.

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 - Character vs. Knowledge in Medical Sales

02:26 - Case Study: From Firefighter to $207K Pharma Offer

04:47 - Coachability: The Danger of Being Unteachable

07:09 - Lessons from Bud Bender, Kobe Bryant & Michael Jordan

12:05 - Energy Givers vs. Energy Takers in Sales

16:59 - Confidence, Cockiness & Preparing for Clinical Trials

24:15 - Using Your Unique Story (And Turning It Into Value)

29:09 - How to Handle Rejection & Close the Hiring Manager

Ready to build your strategy, prep your clinical knowledge, and land your offer?

🔗 CONNECT WITH US & BREAK INTO MEDICAL SALES: medicalsalesu.com/

What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned from a tough coach or mentor in your life?

#MedicalSales #PharmaSales #MedicalDeviceSales #SalesMindset #MedicalSalesU #CareerTransition #SalesCoaching #PharmaCareers

Looking to break into medical sales or take your sales career to the next level? In this episode of Medical Sales U, host Dave Sterrett sits down with leadership coach and principal advisor Jason Autry.

They dive deep into the mindset shifts needed for a successful career change, how healthcare professionals can leverage their transferable skills, and why mastering core fundamentals like communication, personal administration, and integrity will make or break your success in high-stakes sales.

Whether you’re a nurse, pharmacist, or professional looking to transition into pharma or medical device sales, or an established rep striving for your next promotion, this conversation delivers practical strategies to help you handle rejection, build confidence, and land the role you want.

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 - Introduction

02:25 - Communication, Administration, and Integrity

04:42 - Leading Through Crisis

09:32 - High-Stress Careers and Taking Care of Yourself

11:57 - Why Smart People Struggle to Communicate

13:46 - How Communication Assigns Value

16:12 - How to Improve Your Communication Skills

20:55 - Urgency vs. Importance

23:16 - Developing Skills Through Practice

28:03 - Making a Career Change

32:44 - Using Your Past Experience to Your Advantage

39:57 - Discipline and Health in Professional Life

46:59 - Leadership Coaching with Jason Autry

51:45 - Closing Remarks

Jason Autry's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoneautry/

Follow Medical Sales U for more practical advice on breaking into and scaling your career in medical sales!

Ready to build your strategy, prep your clinical knowledge, and land your offer?

🔗 CONNECT WITH US & BREAK INTO MEDICAL SALES: medicalsalesu.com/

How to Ace the Top 5 Medical Sales Interview Questions (Pharma, Device & Oncology) | Medical Sales U

Preparing for a pharmaceutical, medical device, or oncology sales interview?

The medical sales hiring process is pattern recognition exercise. Hiring managers ask the exact same high-impact questions to test your clinical communication, structure, and presence in front of physicians.

In this episode of Medical Sales U, host Dave Sterrett breaks down the 5 questions that decide job offers, exact frameworks like PSPT and STAR to keep your answers under 90 seconds, and delivery rules that win over hiring managers.

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 - The 2 Rules Governing Every Interview

02:26 - The PSPT Framework

03:30 - Question 1: "Why You?" / Elevator Pitch

07:20 - Question 2: Why This Company & Role?

09:44 - Question 3: What Do You Know About Our Product?

14:25 - Question 4: What Is Your "Why"?

21:46 - Question 5: Where Do You See Yourself in 5 Years?

24:09 - 4 Pro Tips to Master Interview Delivery & Tech

Ready to prep your interview answers and land your offer?

🔗 CONNECT WITH US & BREAK INTO MEDICAL SALES: medicalsalesu.com/

Which of these 5 interview questions do you find hardest to answer?

#MedicalSales #PharmaSales #MedicalDeviceSales #InterviewPrep #SalesInterview #CareerTransition #MedicalSalesU #BiotechSales #SalesCoaching

How to Reinvent Your Career in Medical Sales (Nurses, Trainers & Teachers) | Medical Sales U

In this episode of Medical Sales U, host Dave Sterrett breaks down how former nurses, physical trainers, firefighters, and teachers are breaking into top medical device and biotech companies like Exact Sciences, Pfizer, Canon Surgical, and Eli Lilly.

Whether you are looking to break into the industry for the first time or want to reinvent yourself to get better pay, better work-life balance, and more purpose, this panel breakdown gives you the exact blueprint to make it happen.

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 - Precision Medicine & Early Detection Impact

10:00 - Why Precision Medicine & Oncology

12:25 - Researching Target Companies

13:30 - Real Career Change Stories

17:23 - Why Most Applicants Fail

20:45 - How Narrow Should Your Search Be?

23:30 - What Hiring Managers Look For

25:20 - Interview Prep While Working Full-Time

Ready to jumpstart your career in medical device or pharmaceutical sales?

🔗 CONNECT WITH US & BREAK INTO MEDICAL SALES: medicalsalesu.com/

What industry are you trying to transition out of right now?

#MedicalSales #MedicalDeviceSales #PharmaSales #CareerTransition #OncologySales #PrecisionMedicine #MedicalSales U #SalesCoaching #CareerReinvention

From Non-Profit to Medical Device Sales in 60 Days with Shannon Donohue | Medical Sales U

Can you land a 6-figure medical sales role without a background in B2B sales or healthcare? Yes—and today’s guest proves exactly how to do it.

In this episode of Medical Sales U, host Dave Sterrett sits down with Shannon Donohue, a former Non-Profit Director who pivoted her career into medical device sales and landed an Associate Sales Representative position at Baxter in under two months.

If you are a non-profit worker, nurse, recent grad, or sales professional trying to break into the medical sales industry, Shannon’s story shows you how to turn your past experience into your greatest asset.

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 - Meet Shannon: Non-Profit to Capital Equipment Sales

01:30 - Shannon’s "Why" & Leaving the Non-Profit World

06:57 - How Non-Sales Experience Translates to Medical Sales

09:15 - Making an Impact vs. Making Money (The Corporate Shift)

11:37 - Why Cold Applying Fails & How to Network

16:17 - The Brag Book Strategy That Got Attention

20:51 - Overcoming a Terrible Interview Practice Session

25:32 - The Baxter Interview: HireVue, RSMs & Mock Pitches

27:50 - Final Advice for Job Seekers

Ready to jumpstart your career in medical device or pharmaceutical sales?

🔗 CONNECT WITH US & BREAK INTO MEDICAL SALES: medicalsalesu.com/

What’s the biggest challenge holding you back from breaking into medical sales right now?

#MedicalSales #MedicalDeviceSales #MedicalSalesCareer #CareerPivot #BaxterSales #BragBook #MedicalSalesInterview #SalesCoaching