Manufacturer Reps to Watch
Dave Hughes
Sales Executive
MTMC
Fishers, Indiana
(Nominated by Nuance Medical)
14 years in medical sales
Primary call point: Physician/clinic
Snapshot
Born/raised: Lake Forest, California
Undergraduate degree: Business administration, California State University, Chico
First “real” job: Bellman in Laguna Beach, California. “I got to meet new people, work in a beautiful place and make pretty good tips.”
Family info: Married to Cristina (born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela). Three children: Robert, Elena and Henry.
Hobbies/activities: Hooked on golf, but enjoys most things outdoors, e.g. surfing, mountain biking, hiking, yard work. Likes the Indianapolis Colts, as well as exploring new places and spending time with family and friends.
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Repertoire: When, how and why did you get into medical sales?
Dave Hughes: I grew up with my dad [Tom Hughes] working from home. As I listened to him speak with his customers, I believed his sales career enhanced his enthusiasm for people and life in general. He and Bill Sparks (founder of MedTech Associates, which later merged with MedCare to become MTMC) had become colleagues and friends during their Welch Allyn days in the 1970s. When I graduated from college in 2005, two older brothers – Mark and Brian – were already MTMC reps. Bill offered me the Indiana territory and the opportunity to follow in a Hughes family tradition of serving people and carving out my own career.
Repertoire: Mentor or role model?
Hughes: Chris Ashbaugh helped me launch a successful career from the start. We worked together every day for four months, strategizing about product benefits, our dealer network, end users, how to continually add value to customers. He is creative, professional, personable and hardworking – all with humor and fun. Assuming responsibility for a strong territory representing companies like Welch Allyn, GE, ZOLL, etc., could easily have been intimidating for a naïve 23-year-old California transplant. Chris’s tutelage and confidence in me paved my path to success – plan my work, work hard, follow through, and enjoy life. I still operate today from Chris’s roadmap.
Repertoire: What are the 2-3 most important things you can do for distributor reps to enhance their sales?
Hughes: First, be responsive. Time is money! Communication is critical! I respect my distributor reps’ time; the quicker I am in helping them, the more efficient they can be. Fast follow-through builds trust with customers and keeps everyone in the loop.
Second, own the lead. When a lead comes in, see the deal all the way through from start to finish. That includes knowing the product’s features, advantages and benefits. Is it a good fit with the customer’s needs? What other products might augment the sale? What other services might cement a long-term relationship?
Third, be a product expert and a consultant. When customers have one point of contact for many different products, they save time researching products and pricing. When they know that you care about them, they’ll rely on YOU.
Repertoire: How can distributor reps help in your sales efforts?
Hughes: Distributor reps are “feet-on-the-street.” Invaluable! They know key players and decision-makers, pain points and needs – and the power of relationships. The more they share customer profiles, the more I can funnel product knowledge and services that will prove mutually beneficial.
Repertoire: What is the biggest change you anticipate in medical products sales in the next 5 years?
Hughes: Healthcare consolidation will continue. As customers become more efficient, product standardization will become the norm. Take nothing and no one for granted. Personalization and end-user relationships will be paramount.
Repertoire: Ride-days with distributor reps: What’s to like? What’s not to like?
Hughes: The best ride-days offer the opportunity for two people to get to know each other in a relaxed setting – time to build a friendship, establish trust and mutual goals. However, if the ride-day lacks thoughtful planning, it’s ineffective and wastes everyone’s valuable time and expertise.
Repertoire: Care to share a memorable ride-day story?
Hughes: Probably the day I rode with Todd Van Duyn (Henry Schein rep at the time, now my MTMC counterpart). I’ve never had a ride-day where a distributor rep had so many leads and opportunities lined up. We rode together in Richmond, Indiana. He knew his accounts, anticipated their needs, and his customers valued that he came prepared! Every customer bought something from us that day.