By David Thill
Devin Smith learned about sales from his father. Tim Smith learns about it from his son
Devin and Tim Smith
Tim Smith became interested in medical sales while working as a critical care coordinator in the respiratory therapy department of a South Florida Hospital. Now, he is an account manager at Tri-anim, where he has worked for almost 19 years. And he brought another Smith with him.
Like father, like son
Originally from the Pittsburgh area, Tim became a paramedic upon graduating from high school. He eventually went to school to become a respiratory therapist, leading to his critical care position in Florida. In that role, he says, he was in charge of bringing new technology into his unit, which required him to interact with vendors.
Tim’s first boss, Bill Castelli, became a sales manager at Tri-anim, inspiring Tim to follow in his footsteps. (Tim credits Castelli, who hired him and served as his mentor at Tri-anim, as a large factor in his success.) Soon after beginning with the company – and soon after his son Devin’s birth – he was relocated to North Carolina, which Devin now thinks of as “home.”
Devin’s foray into medical sales “had everything to do with my dad,” he says. Though he originally planned to attend seminary school to become a pastor, he didn’t forget his teenage years, when Tim “came home every day talking about how great this company was that he worked for.”
Devin’s combined interests in relationship-building and in healthcare led him to pursue a BSBA in healthcare management from Appalachian State University, graduating in 2011. After that, he strengthened his administration skills in a hospital respiratory therapy department – a path similar to that of his father. At age 23, he pursued an open sales position at Tri-anim, where he has been for almost five and a half years.
They work separately – Tim is based in Asheville, North Carolina; Devin is based in Roanoke, Virginia – but they learn from each other.
Old school/new school
Beginning at Tri-anim soon after graduation, Devin says, “I was way in over my head.” For about the first year, he and Tim were on the phone for at least half an hour each day, he says, the elder Smith assisting the younger Smith on both the clinical and the business side of his work. From his father, Devin says that he picked up a sort of “old school sales mentality,” with an emphasis on relationship building and customer service.
Tim learned from Devin, too. “It feels weird to call your son and ask for advice,” he admits. But “I’m pretty much old school,” and Devin “brings a newness that I need.” Devin also brings helpful business knowledge and computer savvy to the work, says Tim. Not to mention that “it was nice to see that the money I put into [Devin’s] college paid off.”
Tri-anim has been central to Tim’s and Devin’s success. Devin admired Tri-anim’s “integrity,” which he first saw through his father. The company seemed like an exciting place to work, as well as one that was growing.
He enjoys having a job that he says consistently offers new opportunities: new goals each year, new products to sell, new challenges to meet, and a future with bigger prospects. For the moment, he wants to continue to grow his sales territory. But someday he sees himself in a leadership position at Tri-anim, such as a regional manager.
Tim – “the old guy” – also sees a future with possibility at Tri-anim. Like Devin, he enjoys the challenges that come with selling new products and learning new ideas. “It’s exciting,” he says.
Tim’s medical background taught him the importance of doing right by his patients, he says. At Tri-anim – which he believes values its customer relationships, and strives to help doctors bring better patient outcomes – he feels doing the right thing is central.
An example of the pleasure Tim’s work has brought to him: What would be better for a dad, he asks, than to get to talk to a magazine about his son’s success?