Manufacturer Reps to Watch
Sam Sample Jr.
Account Manager
Medtronic
Jackson, Mississippi
10 years in medical sales
Primary call points: Physician office, urgent care clinics, ambulatory surgery centers
Snapshot
Born/raised: Ebenezer, Mississippi
Undergraduate degree: Public relations/communications, Mississippi State University
First “real” job: Selling multifunction copiers, printers and faxes for Lanier Worldwide
Complete this sentence: The one thing I did NOT expect when I got into medical sales was/is …” How hard the nursing staff works to take care of their patients, both before, during and after the case has finished.
Family info: I have two amazing parents, and I am one of four boys, me being the oldest. I will be starting this new year off right, as I will marry my beautiful fiancée, Mary, in January 2020.
Hobbies/activities: In 2014 I moved back to Mississippi, where I was born, to be closer to my parents, who live on our 365-acre farm. There are a lot of fun things to do on our farm. I enjoy getting outdoors hunting, hiking, fishing and spending quality time with my close friends and family.
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Repertoire: When, how and why did you get into medical sales?
Sam Sample Jr: I started with Lanier Worldwide in Jackson, Mississippi, in 2002, as an entry level sales rep. After a year of hard work I was promoted to a corporate regional trainer and moved to Atlanta. Later I was promoted to sales manager in Huntsville, Alabama, where I led a successful sales team in North Alabama and Birmingham selling multifunction copiers, printers and fax machines.
During my time as a sales manager, several great sales reps whom I had hired and trained moved into medical sales. I stayed in touch with many, and I saw how much they enjoyed their new careers and how they seemed so fulfilled in their new roles, so I figured there must be something to this fascinating industry. After a few interviews I settled on what I would consider the company of my dreams to work for – Medtronic (formally Covidien).
I owe my Medtronic career, in part, to the late Mike Worley, who was the regional manager in North Alabama for Covidien. He took a chance on me and knew that with a little polish, I could shine! Thanks Mike!
Repertoire: Mentor or role model?
Sample: I come from a long line of Sam Samples. I am actually the sixth Sam Sample in a row. (The middle names have changed over the years, so I am a Jr., after my dad.) My father, Sam Sample Sr., is the best role model I can think of. He and my mother have been happily married for 42 years, and he has always had a strong work ethic and moral compass.
He started his career washing trucks for a local power company and then moved up to be a lineman working on power lines. Eventually he became the manager of the local office of the power company. He and his crew would go out in the worst of the worst weather to restore power to local residents. No matter the circumstances, we never saw him complain once. Even after a hard day’s work, he made time for his family and more work to do on the farm. His hard work, and his dedication to God and his family are what inspire me today to be half the man that he is. We share the same name, and to me, that is the biggest honor I could have been given.
Repertoire: What are the 2-3 most important things you can do for distributor reps to enhance their sales?
Sample: The first and most important thing I can do is be responsive. Distributor reps are my customers, just as physician offices, dermatology clinics and ASCs. If they reach out to me with a question, I try to get them an answer quickly. The second thing I can do is to be a great resource, from a clinical and procedural standpoint, for general questions and for meeting with their customers in person to discuss our products in depth. Last, I realize that I work for a big company at Medtronic, and they might need assistance with a product that is outside of my responsibility. I ask them to send me anything they might need when it comes to Medtronic, and I put them in touch with the correct person quickly.
Repertoire: How can distributor reps help in your sales efforts?
Sample: Our focus in my division of Medtronic is wound closure products, specifically Medtronic suture, V-Loc barbed suture and topical skin adhesive. These products are traditionally a little more difficult to convert, as suture is seen more as a preference item instead of performance. How distributor reps can assist us is by getting out of their comfort zone with their customers, talking about our clinical products and asking for a chance to show potential savings with a quality product. We at Medtronic support them in having those conversations and are an expert resource.
Repertoire: What is the biggest change you anticipate in medical products sales in the next 5 years?
Sample: Every year we see payers drive revenue to ambulatory surgery centers. Also, each year we see the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) remove inpatient-only procedures, which allows the alternate site community to expand while keeping costs down. In the next five years we will see these trends continue.
Repertoire: Ride-days with distributor reps: What’s to like? What’s not to like?
Sample: Distribution sales reps have some of the best relationships with their customers, and I appreciate when they trust me enough to bring me into their accounts. It’s great when we have a chance to pre-call plan before the ride day, talk about the upcoming appointments and execute the plan together. Some great camaraderie comes from spending the day together in the field.