As Vice President of Sales and Marketing at ConMed, I have the privilege of working with extremely talented people every day. I do not take this for granted, and I have decided to use some posts to shine the spotlight on some of our terrific employees and leaders. This post is the third in the series; feel free to read Part I and Part II. I hope you will enjoy reading about these remarkable people and their secrets to success in medical sales.
_________________________________________________________________
I would like to focus this week’s post on one of our talented Territory Managers. This particular colleague has been in her territory for a little under a year and has made a big impact during this time. Her tenacious and positive attitude has driven her success with Altrus. Although she has come up against difficult obstacles and tough competition, her customers continue to support her because of the confidence and trust she has built with them. She knows that when she is working through these issues with administration, she is fighting for something that her surgeons believe in and feel will improve their practices. This idea helps motivate her through each day. This manager is also an expert at “running deep” within her accounts. Every account that she is working in or targeting is utilizing or is interested in multiple proprietary products from ConMed. She follows a strategic plan every day and utilizes her time extremely efficiently. Below are her answers to some questions I asked regarding her experience and strategies:
If someone wants to be in medical sales and, more specifically, wants to sell Altrus for ConMed, please describe what types of scenarios to expect.
If you love a challenge and enjoy thinking outside the box, you will love medical sales. If you hate having to think fast and dislike overcoming objections, you will hate medical sales. ConMed offers its employees an exciting, fast-paced environment—anyone looking to get into medical sales would be lucky to work for ConMed!
Have you ever had a surgeon that, at the outset, was completely disinterested in your product but is now a big believer? What changed that surgeon’s mind? How did you get through to him or her?
Yes. Understanding the technology and the device played a big role in this surgeon’s mind being changed. I was able to take time and listen to the surgeon to find out what the needs were and why they weren’t being met (in addition to learning what the surgeon expected as the clinical outcome from the specific product). Educating the surgeons, explaining the technology so that they understand how the device would fit into their practices, and then allowing them to apply the technology all played a big role. Most importantly, however, I listened.
What has been your most exciting moment in the OR?
The WIN! The answer of “yes” that you spent months working on makes the long days and the several rejections received along the way worth every ounce of energy that you put into it.
What has been your most challenging moment in the OR?
The politics! The politics in the OR can be very challenging at times, and they differ from OR to OR—constantly keeping you on your toes. It can be a challenge to find the real reason behind someone’s answer of “no.” It often takes time and persistence, but you should never settle for the “no.” Keep going for the “yes”—it will happen. Finding the right person and not letting one or one hundred answers of “no” slow you down are the keys to overcoming this challenge.
How important is goal setting to your success? How do you go about determining your goals and achieving them?
Goal setting is important because it paves the way for long-term success rather than just a quick one-time sale. When making my goals, I first make a personal goal and understand what I want the end result to be, and then I put the steps that need to happen in writing so that I can achieve not only my personal goal but also ConMed’s corporate objectives as well.
How do you handle adversity in the field when things don’t go your way?
I don’t stop but instead reevaluate the situation and keep going with a new strategy to achieve the outcome that is desired. The moment you let one answer of “no” stop you from pursuing your goal, the less likely you are to achieve your desired outcome.
How do you plan your day? How far in advance do you plan?
Tough question. I plan my day around my objectives for the day/week/month/quarter/year. Each day I know what outcome I need from that particular day and what I need to do to make it happen. In this field, days/weeks/etc. can change in an instant, forcing you to adapt to a different situation than was expected. As long as you have the goal in mind, you can quickly adapt, change your strategy, and keep going.
What is your best advice for a brand new salesperson?
Listen, be patient, and never stop learning.
