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 second in the series, and you can read Part I here. 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 our #1 Territory Manager for Altrus Sales in 2012. This particular colleague earned ConMed’s prestigious President’s Club award for 2012, and she exhibits several key characteristics that have contributed to her success. This manager is tenacious—not allowing a temporary answer of “no” to deter her. She is proactive, constantly thinking ahead as she strategizes and plans an effective course of action for each day and each year. And finally, this valuable colleague is a hard worker—she is willing to go above and beyond to help her customers solve issues, thus becoming a true team member rather than just a sales rep. I feel privileged to work alongside her, and I asked her a few questions regarding her experience in sales at ConMed.
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 being a continuous learner, you will love selling Altrus. The environment is ever-changing with new procedures and new surgeons while building new and different relationships with different levels at hospitals and offices. You have to stay on top of your technical learning as well as adapt to each environment accordingly.
If you hate change and adaptation to different circumstances, then you will hate selling Altrus and medical sales in general. If you are looking for the same type of environment on a daily basis, this type of sales is not for you. Each day is a new challenge and a new accomplishment, so you have to be prepared to adapt to each day.
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?
I firmly believe that if you continue the relationships with key targets and never take “no” as an answer the first few times, things will come around in your favor. You have to be persistent. I recently had a surgeon that used Altrus a few times and just really was not a believer. He would move handpieces if I was there to ask him to use it but would not pull the product if I was not there.
He went on a mission trip with one of my converted surgeons, used Altrus, and came back raving about the product. I kept asking and trying to convert him, and he eventually had an experience that made him a believer. Had I walked away, he may have had the experience but known little about the product and may not have become a converted surgeon. He knew from his experience on the mission trip that the product sealed well and that the blood loss, even in a patient with extremely low hemoglobin, was minimal. He recognized that partly because I had explained Altrus to him on several occasions.
What has been your most exciting moment in the OR?
I think my most rewarding moments have been when people believe in our products, whether it is Altrus, Smoke, or Argon. To have that surgeon or nurse champion turn to you and tell you that the product works and that their job is better because of it is an amazing feeling.
In one instance, a pediatric surgeon had Altrus in the room just in case he needed it and had not placed it on the field yet. His resident over cut with the scissors, and they could not get the vessel to stop bleeding. He turned to me and the nurse and told us to open Altrus. After he stopped the bleeding with Altrus, he said that the product performed excellently. He is an Altrus believer now, and that feels great.
What has been your most challenging moment in the OR?
My most challenging moments come in deciding how to react when things don’t go as planned. Things could take a different path because the surgeon doesn’t know how to properly use the product—maybe he had a bad day, maybe the case was difficult, or maybe my product had an issue. It is a challenge to know how to react under pressure and turn things back into a positive. It also takes courage to go to a surgeon and troubleshoot an issue or negative situation, especially if his method was the issue.
How important is goal setting to your success? How do you go about determining your goals and achieving them?
Goal setting is so important in knowing your path and plan of action. I have short-term goals, medium-term goals, and long-term goals. These goals drive me to do what I do every day and push me to go and speak to that last surgeon at the end of a long day or to get up and go work a case on a Saturday. The goals are always in my head and—better yet—mapped out on paper so I can visualize them and plan accordingly. Writing them down also helps if I miss hitting a milestone; I can go back and see where I missed the mark and then correct the issue.
How do you handle adversity in the field when things don’t go your way?
I learned early on in medical sales that, more often than not, things don’t go exactly as you map them out. The key to handling adversity is to find a new path or a new method. If you are having absolutely no luck converting a surgeon, try converting his/her partner. More than likely, they talk, and that is a different way to the target surgeon. There is not only one right way, and when facing surgeons, support staff, and nurses, you have to be adaptable.
How do you plan your day? How far in advance do you plan?
I plan each week a week in advance; however, I review each day several times a week and adjust based on Altrus cases. Because I have converted and have new surgeons, I have to plan my day accordingly and must be ready to adjust to changes in schedules. Typically, all of the non-Altrus activity gets pushed to later in the day so that I can be in the OR every morning to review the schedule.
What is your best advice for a brand new salesperson?
Come into a sales position understanding that, in order to reap the rewards (and the rewards are there for the taking), you have to work hard. Sales has to be the hardest job of my career but also the most satisfying and rewarding. Medical device sales is even more rewarding than other sales positions I have held because you are truly a part of the solution in patient care and truly impact the overall outcome. Be willing to work hard, and your career in medical device sales will be one that you will want to continue for years to come.
This is a great post for learning about the challenges and excitement of selling in the OR to surgeons. Courage is necessary!
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