As dedicated sales reps, Cardinal Health’s Jeff Ledbetter and Taylor Graffeo share a common goal to connect with their customers and provide the best possible solutions.
When your solution impacts the medical care of thousands of patients, Jeff Ledbetter is adamant: “You need to get it right.” Fifteen years of sales experience and the support of some great mentors have certainly set him on the right track. In spite of how the industry has changed since he got his start in 2007, he remains confident that being a successful salesperson still requires connecting with the customer. That means asking probing questions to better understand their business and personal objectives, he adds.
“Selling is in my genes,” says Ledbetter. “My father was an entrepreneur and sold real estate for many years.” Later, when he began his first sales position in the healthcare industry, he was fortunate to work for a terrific manager, he points out. So, when she left that company and joined HLS MedFreight, he jumped on the opportunity to join her a few months later. HLS MedFreight was acquired by Cardinal Health in 2010 and became part of Cardinal’s OptiFreight® Logistics business unit. While the transition from a small-company environment to that of a Fortune 20 company took some adjustment, he recalls immediately feeling at ease given the welcoming Cardinal Health work culture that embraced a healthy work-life balance. “I’ve never even thought about leaving Cardinal Health,” he says.
The day-to-day
Each customer has a unique set of circumstances and processes, and the challenge is to develop the optimal delivery solution, notes Ledbetter. “OptiFreight® Logistics focuses on getting customers’ packages to the destination as efficiently as possible. Some providers need their packages within hours, while others can wait several days for it to arrive. This variance means bringing an open mind and a blank slate to the initial conversation. What the customer is doing today may be far different from their optimal solution. My role as their trusted advisor is to guide them to the best solution. Doing so is my greatest personal reward.
“Cardinal Health is very good at educating its employees and ensuring that each of us understands the impact of what we do, every day,” he continues. “OptiFreight® Logistics is a trusted and premier total healthcare logistics solution built on three pillars: Tailored Solutions, Committed Experts and Innovation and Insights. Regardless of the size or complexity of the provider, we can create a customized solution that solves their shipping issues. Being part of Cardinal Health enables me to provide a one-stop partnership for all of my healthcare provider customers.”
In turn, Ledbetter and his OptiFreight® Logistics colleagues depend heavily on local couriers, regional and national parcel carriers and ocean barge companies for the timely delivery of products. “We need them to perform flawlessly in order for us to excel for our customers,” he explains. However, the growth of eCommerce businesses over the last five years, as well as pandemic-related shipping challenges, has placed an extreme strain on the overall supply chain, including shipping and mail services. “Our challenge is to create a solution for our customers that works in today’s market, and is flexible enough to be adjusted as future market conditions dictate. We can’t simply be a set-and-forget solution when it comes to our customers or our partners.”
Smarter and smarter
Over the past 15 years, Ledbetter has watched customers – from hospitals to health systems, pharmacies, ambulatory surgery centers, clinical laboratories and physician offices – become increasingly adept at navigating the healthcare marketplace independently of their sales rep’s guidance. “Today, customers have the online tools to do more marketplace research ahead of engaging their sales rep,” he says. “They are smarter and know more about what they want, earlier in the typical sales cycle. Sales reps must bring value and demonstrate their expertise early on in order to stay engaged with potential customers. This environment makes it that much tougher to earn customers’ trust, and then remain a trusted advisor to them.
“Throughout my time in sales, it has always been about making a personal connection to support the trust my customers have placed in me and to deliver a solution that meets or exceeds their expectations,” he continues. “Ten years ago, I made that connection through phone conversations and personal visits.” Today, in addition to traditional means of connecting, he must reach out through social media. “Sales reps are expected to communicate with their customers via online platforms, such as LinkedIn, and through messages and videos.”
While his approach to sales has evolved, however, the pleasure Ledbetter receives from providing his customers with the best possible solutions has remained constant through the years. “I follow two guiding principles,” he says. “Be authentic and have fun.” Indeed, this attitude has enabled him to exceed his sales quota year after year, as well as become a Cardinal Health Champions Club member. “I am a humble person whose goal is to solve the needs of my customers and always provide maximum value to them. I strive to ensure that authenticity shows through every solution we create.” This isn’t something you can fake, he adds. “My friends and family would say that same authenticity carries over to my personal relationships outside of work.”
Enjoyment and fun are essential in life, he points out. “And it’s possible to find them, even when you are dealing with the delivery of life-savings medical products.”
A big difference
Taylor Graffeo is a newcomer to healthcare sales, with 2 ½ years in the business. “I joined the healthcare industry in 2019, when I started as an inside sales rep for Cardinal Health OptiFreight® Logistics,” he says. Prior to this role, he gained experience in energy supply sales and 3PL sales as a freight broker. And while he technically sells a service, rather than a product, as with his medical product sales counterparts, the challenges keep him on his toes and make his work all the more interesting.
“The day-to-day challenges are what keep my role exciting,” says Graffeo. Working across different markets means he must consider a variety of nuances. “If you work in the healthcare industry, you likely are motivated to provide a better quality of life for patients. This looks different with each role. With OptiFreight® Logistics, we provide more visibility, control and analytics to the logistics side of healthcare, which ultimately leads to products and supplies getting to the right place faster at a lower cost. I think that makes a big difference.
“What makes OptiFreight® Logistics unique is our comprehensive, custom approach to each customer,” he continues. “While other companies may ship similarly, we look at every aspect of our customers’ logistics operations, taking a consultative approach to process improvement and cost savings, while focusing ultimately on the patient.”
That said, Graffeo will be the first to admit there will always exist the possibility of error. “My previous role as a freight broker has prepared me for my current role by helping me understand it’s possible for anything and everything to go wrong in the world of shipping.” His experience communicating directly with carriers, working through their issues and understanding their frustrations, however, helps him be more proactive. “Because I understand what happens at an operational level, I can ask the right questions early in the sales cycle.” Additionally, as an energy supply consultant who sold a savings and value opportunity, rather than a tangible product, he believes he is in a key position to provide his customers with Cardinal Health’s versatile tools and team of committed experts.
More important than ever
Staying connected with customers is more important than ever before, notes Graffeo. “With new businesses starting every day, it is imperative to be part of the reason my customers want to stay with OptiFreight® Logistics,” he says. “The strategy for connecting with customers has changed over the years as technology has advanced.” Whereas he once might have flown across the country for a business meeting, today it’s standard to set up a video call. “That means less time away from my family. Video calls are much quicker, less expensive and arguably more effective than in-person meetings. In the course of a day, I can exchange a smile in meetings all over the world and still be home with my family for dinner.” He is also a fan of online tools such as LinkedIn for connecting with his customers. “LinkedIn is a powerful and useful tool that has paid relational dividends to me over the years.
“In my short career, I have discovered that relationships are one of the most important things in this world,” says Graffeo. “As a result, I’ve slowed down and taken time to connect with others as a colleague, friend and husband. I believe there is something to learn from everyone if we just connect.”