Aim high!
Aerospace defense contracting lays the groundwork for Seth Garcia’s career in GPO sales.
(L to r) Leah, Sierra, Seth Garcia
About 50 miles northeast of Dallas is Greenville, Texas, a city of about 30,000. The biggest employer is L3 Harris, whose ISR Systems Greenville is an industry leader in the modernizing and maintenance of military aircraft and ground systems. (“ISR” stands for “intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems).
Growing up in Greenville, with friends and neighbors employed by the aerospace defense contractor, it’s no surprise that Seth Garcia joined L3 as a supply chain specialist in May 2007. Though L3’s emphasis is aerospace defense, for seven years, Garcia learned and exercised many skills that would eventually suit him well in healthcare supply chain. Today, he is sales executive for distribution for Provista, the non-acute-care GPO based in Irving, Texas. (Provista is a subsidiary of national GPO Vizient.) He works primarily with NDC members to promote the Provista portfolio to them and their customers.
“All of my roles and responsibilities at L3 were in supply chain,” he says. “My career began in the warehouse, ensuring that the parts needed for the next phase of installation on an aircraft rebuild were stocked and ready to be installed. In my next role, I was responsible for determining whether materials needed to be purchased or manufactured in-house. After that I went into the Program Office (PMO), which included leading the proposal efforts for Air Force contracts, then executing on the agreed-upon scope of work within the agreed-to budget and schedule.”
As program manager, Garcia didn’t negotiate directly with parts manufacturers. (That was handled by subcontractors.) However, he did prepare the “statement of work,” which laid out for the customer – in this case, the U.S. Air Force – the total cost of the project, including parts and labor.
“The challenge was making sure that the project would be profitable for us, and that we could complete it on time and on budget. It gave me a broad perspective on supply chain and its impact on projects.
“Today, in my work with NDC members, I’m often dealing with owners of distribution companies, and I know they take that broad look too,” he says.
The healthcare community
In 2014, Garcia, his wife, Leah, and daughter, Sierra, moved to the Dallas area so Leah could attend chiropractic school at Parker University. Though he could have pursued a job with a defense contractor in the area, Seth decided it was time to make an industry change. He got a position with Vizient, with responsibility for managing the surgical infection prevention portfolio.
“The thing that has surprised me most about the industry change is the community within healthcare,” he says. “When I first got into the industry, I was told all the time, ‘It’s a small community and people don’t leave.’ I’ve only been here five years and I have found this to be so true! Over the years, you see the same people and you build lasting relationships and friendships. I’ve been very fortunate to meet a lot of great people that welcomed me with open arms. I’m very grateful for that.”
In February 2017, Garcia joined Provista as sales executive for custom contracting.
“Provista serves a very diverse member base,” he says. “My role was to identify gaps in the contract portfolio to ensure that we had contracts that met unique member needs and brought value to their organizations. As a part of that process, it’s crucial to gain buy-in from all stakeholders, including internal parties and potential external partners.”
One year later, he assumed his current position with the firm. It was his first time working in the field as a sales rep.
In the field
“I’ve always had an interest in sales. When the opportunity presented itself to be a rep in distribution, I felt that it was a great fit. Having worked at Vizient as a portfolio executive, I had intricate knowledge of the contracts. That knowledge gave me the opportunity to help others who may not be as well-versed in them. I’ve also been very fortunate to have been taught so much about the distribution world by so many.
“The thing I quickly learned about sales in Year One is that no sale is the same,” he says. “Specifically in independent distribution, where I spend all of my time. Each organization that I work with operates a little differently.
“With that being said, I cater my visits with my distributors to their needs and what will be most beneficial for them. That can range anywhere from conducting live training with their reps to having high-level strategy discussions with the leadership team, or bringing in a colleague of mine to focus on operational efficiencies as it relates to contracts and rebates.”
Over the past year, Garcia hasn’t really changed his approach to sales. It was – and is – all about providing value.
“But I will say, I’ve become a much better listener. In my opinion, the biggest mistake new sales reps make is being too eager to sell their product/offering rather than listening intently to their customers’ needs.”