As spring comes to an end, so does National Sales Meeting season for the industry, and the beginning of summer vacations come in to focus for you and your customers. It is a time to relax and recharge. It is also a good time to tidy up your territory.
Practices, urgent care centers, and health systems across the country will slow down a bit, providing you an opportunity to evaluate your business with them. There is no better time to talk about Infection Control, which is why we dedicated this issue to the topic.
In the busyness of our days, we often forget the importance this overall category brings to our sales. For example during my glove days, our director of marketing figured out the average practice spends 8.7 percent of their med/surg spend in the glove category. Put that into a sales plan and it equals one month of your sales for the year. Now do that with table paper, surface wipes, soaps, disinfectants, instrument cleaners, and safety products. Between each of these products you probably have a quarter or more worth of high-margin sales.
These are not exciting products – they are not a huge sale when looked at individually – but if you don’t have the Infection Control business in your accounts, you’re missing big dollars and allowing someone else in the door. Which means the next time that office bids out power tables, guess who you will be bidding against?
In honor of the Infection Control companies that sponsored this issue through content, my challenge to you this summer is, be jealous for this category in your accounts. Over the next few weeks, take time to ask for this business, product by product. By stopping, planning, and asking for the order, you won’t be making one sale, you will be setting up an annuity in each of your accounts that pays dividends for years to come.
And a special thanks to the following companies for sponsoring Infection Prevention content this issue: Braun, Crosstex, GOJO, Henry Schein, PDI, and Georgia Pacific.
Dedicated to Distribution
R. Scott Adams
PS: Repertoire will be hosting Rep Summits again later this year. Please watch the Dail-e News for one in your area.