Sales Development Representative — Cory Hutchins

This week’s spotlight is on Cory Hutchins, PT, DPT, CSCS, a non-clinical physical therapist who is now Sales Development Representative for WebPT!

What is your full name, title, and company name for your current, primary role?

Cory Hutchins, PT, DPT, CSCS — Sales Development Representative for WebPT

Where are you located?

Juno Beach, FL.

Where did you go to PT school, and what year did you graduate?

Nova Southeastern University, 2020.

What did you do when you first finished school, and for how long?

I worked as a physical therapist at an outpatient clinic for a year. Then, I tried travel therapy for six months. After that, I came back home and tried home health, which I enjoyed the most.

In what setting(s) did you work, and what types of patients did you treat?

I worked in outpatient orthopedics, home health, and as a travel therapist. I treated geriatrics, athletes, amputees, and I met some WWII vets, as well as founders for some brands we see today.

What did you enjoy about your early roles? What didn’t you enjoy?

In my early roles, I enjoyed working with my colleagues and clients, as well as the results I saw as a full-time therapist.

I realized early on I wanted a role that was more results driven and KPI based and not as much time based.

I also have an interest in technology and wanted to be a part of that field.

I was discouraged by the lack of growth and earning potential as a therapist unless you opened up a cash-pay practice, which is a great route to go.

When and why did you decide to do something non-clinical?

I decided to pursue a non-clinical role after my travel assignment.

I wanted a role that was better suited to my strengths. I was not happy in my therapist roles. I realized I needed to make a change, so I made a plan.

What are you doing these days?

I am a sales development representative for WebPT.

Are you still treating patients, or are you solely non-clinical?

Yes, I still treat patients PRN in home health and outpatient home rehab on weekends.

How long have you been in your current role?

Since January 2024.

What motivated you to move into technology sales?

I have always had a passion for technology. I have built my own computer from scratch, learned programs in my free time, and always been fascinated by the constant change and advancements in technology.

My brother is a product manager for a top artificial intelligence (AI) company called Databricks. Watching his presentations and speaking with him this past August about his role taught me a ton about how AI is going to revolutionize society. It is going to make tasks seamless, simpler, and more accessible. Having attended a couple seminars from Snowflake (another well-known AI company) and seeing how AI is impacting surgery has helped me solidify my desire to be in this industry.

I see the impact AI is going to have in healthcare, from reduced documentation time, to providing advice on plans of care through ChatGPT, to improved reimbursements, improved compliance with insurance regulations, and overall reducing burnout in clinicians.

I am confident in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and the impact they are going to have on society—especially in the healthcare life science divisions. 

What do you wish you would’ve known before going into this sales development representative role?

I did a lot of research and had networked a ton through LinkedIn, so I felt I had a good understanding of the role.

I wish I had prior experience with Salesforce, but as with anything, practice makes perfect. My team has been super helpful in the process, too!

How did you find your job? Did you apply or find it through a connection?

I networked and found my job through LinkedIn.

Need help with networking, interviewing, and a LOT more?

How have people reacted to you leaving patient care?

Everyone has been happy for me. It took me a while, but it was worth the wait.

What’s a typical day or week in the life like for you? What types of tasks and responsibilities fill your time?

On a typical day or week, I:

• Identify and convert sales qualified leads (SQLs) into 10-minute consultation calls
• Work toward achieving monthly and yearly goals
• Expertly navigate on the phones to make contact with key decision makers
• Respond in real time to sign-ups from the WebPT website
• Follow up with leads via phone and email to schedule meetings between members and WebPT sales people
• Answer questions and overcome objections regarding WebPT, with an end goal of scheduling the consultation call
• Establish rapport on the phone and back it up with confident credibility
• Support marketing efforts by assisting in online, direct mail, and other marketing campaigns

I spend the majority of my day at my desk, calling members, generating leads, responding to emails, and finding solutions to help practices run more seamlessly and efficiently.

What are some of the rewards of your role? What are the biggest challenges?

Some of the rewards include getting to meet tons of business owners, learn from them, help them with their practices, and educate them on the newest advancements in healthtech. Also, I really enjoy the team I work with—very fun and tons of energy!

This pivot has been pretty smooth for me so far. I am continually learning from other team members and looking at ways to make my day more efficient.

How did your clinical background prepare you for this role? Which skills transferred?

Emotional Intelligence — Being able to have empathy goes a long way in sales with forming and maintaining relationships.

Confidence — We speak to so many people as therapists, including many decision makers and people of authority. Being able to relate to my client base has helped me a lot in understanding my members’ needs. Having a diverse background in my clinical settings has helped me relate to the various settings members are practicing in.

Being Punctual — Having to plan my own day as a home health therapist has helped me with planning in my current role and being punctual in my communication.

What type of person do you think would do well in your role?

Someone who would do well in this role is:

• A strong communicator
• Personable
• Able to take initiative and responsibility
• A team player
• Detailed-orientated
• Able to think outside the box when it comes to generating leads
• Up to date with the technology

Do you work remotely or onsite?

I work remotely.

Does your organization hire PT, OT, or SLP professionals into non-clinical roles? If so, what type of roles?

Yes, customer success, sales, product management, etc.

Did you read any books, take any courses, or do anything special overall to get you where you are today?

Yes, Evolve Your Success.

Sales can feel intimidating! But confidence comes from talking the talk and knowing you’re prepared to walk the walk. It’s much easier to sell yourself in interviews when you’ve gone through formal sales training. We highly recommend upskilling and working with the sales mentors at Evolve Your Success.

Their Medical Sales Career Builder program has a 100% satisfaction rating and 90% placement record! Mention that The Non-Clinical PT sent you to get $800 off!

I also took courses and constantly refined my approach until I found something that worked for me. I have become an expert on how to utilize LinkedIn to its fullest.

What is a typical career path for someone in your sales development representative role?

There are a couple tracks you can go into, such as customer success, product management, etc. The main goal is to become an account executive for enterprise companies.

What is next for you? What are your high-level career aspirations?

I hope to share my journey with other clinicians and help them on their journey as well.

My mission moving forward is to help other clinicians in the same predicament learn how to stand out, utilize LinkedIn, and gain the life they desire. Find your passion, follow it, stay persistent, and the rest will fall into place. 

What would you teach to today’s graduate students in your profession, if you had the opportunity?

You can pivot careers!

Do you have any special advice for others who want to follow in your footsteps?

Work hard and know that, initially, it can be frustrating.

Invest in yourself. If you do not know which direction to go, hire a career coach.

Interview skills not up to par? Hire a coach that can teach you some good techniques. If funds are too tight, YouTube has great resources as well.

The key is to consistently invest in yourself.