Manufacturer Reps to Watch
Rich Pilla
Channel Sales Specialist
Roche Diagnostics – Point of Care
Long Island City, New York
4.5 years in medical sales
Primary call point: Physician/clinic, post-acute
Snapshot
Born/raised: Worcester, Massachusetts/Milford, Massachusetts
Undergraduate degree: BS in business management, Bentley University
First “real” job: Beyond stocking shelves at the local market in my hometown as a 15-year-old kid and then tending bar to pay my way through college, my first “real 9-to-5 job” was for Olde Discount Stockbrokers, selling municipal bonds while studying for the Series 7 exam to sell stocks. I did not love the role, but it instilled in me a solid “hunter mentality” and strong work ethic. It taught me to be humble and put in extra time, and hammered home that the “numbers game” aspect of sales was not something to be taken lightly. Every “No” did indeed bring me closer to a “Yes,” while making our required 300+ cold-call dials a day before we could even think about leaving.
Complete this sentence: The one thing I did not expect when I got into medical sales was/is: What seems to be a lot of turnover. I have come across many people in my short period of time in the industry who not only have had multiple roles, but who have gone to multiple companies – sometimes three or four – in what seems to be a short stretch.
Family info: I just got married at the end of September and was blessed to get away to the Greek Islands with my wife for our honeymoon.
Hobbies/activities: I love to spend time with family/friends, am a big football fan, and absolutely love to golf.
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Repertoire: When, how and why did you get into medical sales?
Rich Pilla: I’ve always wanted to help people, and working in this field is genuinely rewarding on so many levels, knowing you are trying every day to make a difference in a family’s life by providing top-quality diagnostic testing, which in turn can be a life-changer. I love being on the cutting edge of technology, as manufacturers like Roche are constantly investing in research and development.
Repertoire: Mentor or role model?
Pilla: Dean Greg Hall, the chair of the Social Sciences department at Bentley University, helped me understand to “inspect what you expect,” and also the importance of developing strong/lasting relationships in life. He also helped me become a more strategic thinker, i.e., playing “more chess and less checkers,” so to speak. I had a tendency to see a problem and want to solve it immediately in one step, when in fact there are often many smaller strategic steps that need to happen in order to properly (and safely) accomplish the goal/task at hand.
Repertoire: What are the 2-3 most important things you can do for distributor reps to enhance their sales?
Pilla: First, as simple as it sounds, earn their trust by working hard for them. My mentality is not to be constantly asking for favors, (e.g., “I need you to bring me into this or that account.”). I strive to constantly give them a reason to want to work with me, by pounding the pavement and getting to know the territory. Hopefully I’ve earned their trust trying to find mutually beneficial wins for us and their accounts, hence enhancing their sales along the way.
Second, get to know them, and not only in the sense of work. Take pride in the relationship. Treat them the way you want to be treated.
And third, be reliable and get back to them ASAP – all the time. Their time is valuable, and they have a ton going on. My mentality is, if they are taking the time to reach out to me, it must be important, so get them what they need fast.
Repertoire: How can distributor reps help in your sales efforts?
Pilla: A good relationship between distributor and manufacturer is a partnership built on earned trust. Distributors help all my sales efforts – from introductions to key people in accounts, to working together on deal strategy.
Repertoire: What is the biggest change you anticipate in medical products sales in the next 5 years?
Pilla: There is more and more focus on bringing better, faster, and cheaper testing closer to the patient. I believe that IT/connected wearable technology has tremendous upside, as more and more testing is decentralized and patients are more and more capable of getting real-time results at the point of care.
Repertoire: Ride-days with distributor reps: What’s to like? What’s not to like?
Pilla: I’ve always enjoyed spending time with reps. It’s another chance to get to know them and learn from them. I am a glass-half-full person: More positives always come out of working together, as long as both parties are prepared, focused and are genuinely bringing solid solutions to doctors and practices alike.
Repertoire: Care to share a memorable ride-day story?
Pilla: On the majority of ride-days, the day flies by because it didn’t feel like work at all. I believe that comes from solid pre-call planning and developing strong relationships along the way.