Chris Huppert: Sales pro

Working as a golf pro at a posh country club sounds like a great job. And in many respects, it is. There’s the sunshine, the chance to be around a lot of friendly people, and golf, for goodness sake. It’s not an easy job, though. Long hours, managing the golf shop, managing outside staff, running tournaments, giving lessons – lots of lessons.

Chris Huppert’s 10 years at Deerwood Country Club in Jacksonville, Fla., were a learning experience, which in some ways prepared him well for a career in medical sales. Huppert is a Southeast territory sales rep for Midmark and recipient of the Repertoire/HIDA Excellence in Sales Award for a manufacturer.

“It was one of the nicer clubs in the area,” he says. “We had doctors, attorneys, CEOs of companies. So you learned how to deal with those types of personalities. And the hours – I worked from 6 in the morning till the sun went down; I worked holidays; I didn’t have a lot of time off. So there was a certain amount of work ethic that went into the job.”

An opportunity
Born and raised in Jacksonville, Huppert covers central north Florida, southern Georgia and lower Alabama for Midmark. His mother, Kathy, aged 74, was at press time preparing to retire from Ponte Vedra Inn and Club in August. His father, Richard, passed away in 2001.

Richard was an independent manufacturer rep (not in medical sales), and it was from him that Chris got his first exposure to sales. “I saw him and his career, and I thought, he had a good living; he was able to take care of a family,” he recalls. “I was like, ‘That’s something I could do.”

While at the country club, Huppert met many people from PSS (now McKesson Medical-Surgical), which was headquartered in Jacksonville, as well as other healthcare firms. From time to time, somebody would ask him, “How long are you going to work here?” and invite him to interview for a position with his or her company.

Finally, in 1997, he accepted one such invitation, from Healthlink. “I realized, ‘Now is the chance; you don’t get opportunities like that every day.’” So he and his wife-to-be, Jennifer, who had just gotten her bachelor’s of fine arts degree from the University of North Florida, moved to Baltimore and, six months later, to Annapolis, Md., where Jennifer got a job.

Solution selling
“I really wasn’t sure what to expect,” he says regarding medical sales. By taking Dale Carnegie and Sandler sales training courses, he gained insight into selling techniques. But he quickly learned that it all boils down to this: Sales is a people business. Work closely with distributor reps, and they will support you and your company. “I was happy being on the manufacturing side,” he says.

After six years, he and Jennifer wanted to get back to Florida, where family was. A friend told him that Midmark was looking for a rep in Jacksonville, and asked if he would be interested in pursuing it. After a conversation with Midmark’s Mike Hughes, he was sold. It didn’t take much.

“The people I knew from Midmark were all very likable, and I could see myself being part of that team,” he says. “They are an industry leader, and they like to have fun,” at least it appeared that way to him, judging from the Midmark booths at the annual HIDA show. “To work for an industry leader is the ultimate goal in sales.” And so, in 2004, the Hupperts moved back to Florida. Huppert couldn’t be happier.

He appreciates being part of a solution-selling company such as Midmark, and “being able to help our customers deal with their issues and problems in the office, visiting them after they have implemented something we talked about, and having them say, ‘Thanks; I can’t believe the transformation; the patients are so much happier, the staff are so much happier.’”

He understands the vital role distributors play in helping that scenario unfold, and notes that the relationship between distributor and manufacturer has evolved over the past 12 years.

“Relationships still play a key role,” he says. After all, distributors can choose whom they work with.

“But how we conduct our business certainly has changed, as a result of the industry itself changing,” he adds. “Twelve years ago, I would rely heavily on the distributor rep to call me and get me in front of a customer for a demo. They were frequently one- or two-doctor practices, and we would likely close the sale on the spot.

“Fast forward to today: Due to consolidation, with IDNs acquiring physician practices, the customer we’re calling on has changed. Some of these larger IDN customers are not on the normal call pattern of our distributor reps. We still call on those one- or two-doctor practices. But we’re also dealing with the C suite.”

Distributors’ perspective
Huppert truly understands the value of distribution and is a vital part of distributors’ success, says Chris Walter, account manager, McKesson Medical-Surgical.

“Chris understands we’re beating on the doors to make sales. If we’re in a competitive situation and we make that phone call first, he’ll protect us.

“Chris has always gone out of his way to help me make sales,” he continues. “He has helped me in many situations by bringing value to my accounts. Also, when Chris works with me, we end up getting more sales. Most important, Chris follows up with the doctors after the sale to be sure everything is working properly. His willingness to speak to the clinic or physician or whomever it may be, just overall makes him a great rep.”

Huppert engages physician customers quickly, asking them about their practice, workflow, patients and processes, says Walter. “He’s probing, but not pushy. He’s a problem-solver, and he offers solutions.”

“Chris is a true professional,” says Jay Nolff, account manager, McKesson Medical-Surgical. “He has years of experience, immense product knowledge and uses a consultative approach with our mutual customers. Chris practices what he preaches, and [is] big on “LAPR” – Listen, Acknowledge, Probe, Respond. He understands the customer’s pain points and provides the solution that will work best for them.

“As a distributor rep, when you send a manufacturer into one of your accounts, you want them to treat your customer just like you would and also protect you from competitive threats, and he does both masterfully,” Nolff continues. “I know he will not only close the deal, but promote McKesson, thereby making me look good as well as educating my customer. He certainly has earned my respect and loyalty.”

Steve Blanda, senior account manager for McKesson Medical-Surgical, says, “In an age of dying customer service and lack of attention to detail, Chris is a throwback to when details matter and execution is needed. He is always – not sometimes – able to exceed my expectations on taking care of our customers – and my standards are very high. Chris is the guy that I measure everyone else against.

“Oftentimes I would call Chris for something, usually information on a particular promotion or help in closing a deal, and he would not only provide me the answer, but when needed, offer to do more. For instance, once I needed the latest cabinetry color swatches for a large practice that was expanding, and he offered to call my physician directly and set up a face-to-face to facilitate closing the deal, which we did. He made the drive to Savannah without any hesitation, I might add.”

Blanda recalls when he was unable to meet one customer’s deadline for delivering some new tables. “Chris offered to provide loaners to the customer, installed them, then helped me deliver the new ones when they arrived,” he says. “He did this even though it took him hours out of his planned schedule. And he does all this without a hint of displeasure or annoyance, which conveys his level of professionalism.”

In the moment
“The first time you meet Chris, you realize how engaging he is,” says Matt Bourne, vice president, medical sales, Midmark. “He is very focused on what you are saying. He’s always in the moment.

“You never see him get very animated one way or the other,” continues Bourne. “He always has a really balanced approach and thought process. That comes from his experience in the field, and realizing that there isn’t anything we can’t accomplish if we communicate with each other, and understand we’re being transparent in our goals.”

Huppert has the skills to work with the various personalities and priorities that today’s sales reps are encountering in today’s large product evaluation and selection committees, says Bourne. An even larger strength, though, is his willingness to try new things. “He’s not going to say, ‘I’ve been in this industry for 20 years and I haven’t got anything to learn.’”

Huppert and his wife, Jennifer (who runs a successful freelance graphic design business) are active with show dogs. In fact, one of their Golden Retrievers – Charlie – has won awards at Westminster and is in the Golden Retriever Club of America’s Show Dog Hall of Fame.

When asked whether he would advise a young college grad to go into medical sales, Huppert doesn’t hesitate. “I would absolutely encourage them,” he says. “This can turn into a lifelong profession. This industry offers opportunity for growth and advancement.

“One thing I would encourage young people to do is continue to grow in your understanding of sales. Take courses. There are so many talented young people.” Be prepared to embrace a lifelong of learning.