Ambulatory Care Specialist
Braun Medical
Pompano Beach, Florida
Nine years in medical sales
Snapshot:
- Born/raised: Born in Beaumont, Texas; raised in Birmingham, Alabama
- Undergraduate degree: Degree from University of Alabama at Birmingham; two majors – medical industrial distribution and marketing.
- First “real” job: I started my sales career early – when I was 15; I sold pageant, prom and wedding dresses at a local shop.
- Favorite restaurant: I don’t think it would be possible for me to pick a favorite restaurant. I enjoy trying new foods and restaurants, so I’m always adding a new favorite place to my list.
- Family info: My husband, Javier, and I live in Pompano Beach with our dog, Brooks.
- Hobbies/activities: Traveling, cooking, scuba diving, paddle boarding … pretty much anything active/outdoors.
Repertoire: What are the most important things you do for your distributor reps to enhance their sales?
Soto: I started my medical sales career as a distributor rep, so that has enabled me to have a better understanding of their side of the business. Distributor reps sell countless products and wear so many hats, so by being a resource and product expert for them and our customers, my goal is to help take something off of their plate.
Being responsive is key. Most of the time, distributor reps need answers for customers immediately, so always being responsive and accessible allows them to accomplish their tasks and move on to help the next customer. When I was a distributor rep, the most helpful thing a manufacturer rep could do was respond in a timely manner and be knowledgeable about their products.
Repertoire: Name some ways distributor reps help you add value to their accounts and increase sales.
Soto: Distributor reps have access to a significant number of accounts/customers, so utilizing them to meet new customers to grow our business together is such a benefit for me. Having an established trust with a new customer through the distributor allows me to advance the sale quicker and be a better resource and product expert for the customer.
I don’t think it’s a distributor rep’s job to know specific/clinical details about my products, but if they walk into an account and see some competitive products and immediately think to contact me about an opportunity, then I know that they see me as a valuable resource. When they bring me an opportunity, it’s my job to be the expert of my product and portfolio, bring the customer value and savings, and increase distributor margins.
Repertoire: What is the biggest change you anticipate in medical products sales in the next five years?
Soto: As more hospitals and IDNs are forced to transition to a value-based payment model, ambulatory surgery options are becoming a necessity. The ambulatory surgery center (ASC) market growth is expected to continue to rise significantly over the next several years, which will bring about new opportunities and business in our outpatient market. At a time when everyone is focused on reducing costs, ASCs are able to accomplish that along with improving quality, patient outcomes, and customer service.
Repertoire: Ride-days with distributor reps: What do you like? What don’t you like?
Soto: What I like most is the focus the distributor rep has on my products and targets. For a ride-day to be effective for both parties, there must be a focused amount of pre-call planning completed. From my experiences, it seems to help my distributor reps more when I plan a few key accounts to target. It also helps when I’ve already established that trust and partnership with the rep, so they know they can trust me by bringing me into their accounts.
Repertoire: Do you have a favorite ride-day story to share?
Soto: I don’t have one specific story that stands out, but in general, if I am able to make the distributor’s day a little easier, show them that I respect their business and their customers, and grow our business together, then I consider that a win for all. By establishing and solidifying these trusted relationships, we can all benefit.