Katie Moothart
Strategic account manager
Terumo Medical
Repertoire: What are the two or three most important things you can do for your distributor rep partners to enhance their sales?
Katie Moothart:
- Be proactive to reduce their obligation and role in mutual pursuit of targets.
- Deliver win-win-win solutions (customer-distributor-Terumo).
- Bring VALUE. In today’s drastically changing healthcare environment, I talk less about “product” and have more value-based discussions/solutions, with a focus on reducing the cost of healthcare through improving patient experience and clinical outcomes, and improving operational efficiencies (Triple Aim). By teaming up with our distributor partners and offering these types of solutions to the customer, we provide a higher level of value-add.
Repertoire: Name two or three ways distributor reps can help you add value to their accounts and increase sales.
Moothart:
- Give me an opportunity to show my value and earn their trust.
- Coordinate introductions with key decision-maker(s). It can be very beneficial when a distributor rep coordinates an introductory meeting with the key decision-makers in his/her account, and is able to share any pain points they are aware of. The more information we have regarding the customer’s needs, the more consultative we can be and offer a higher level of service, whether it is by offering solutions for standardization, compliance, cost of care, improved clinical outcomes, implementation planning, customized pull-through, product training, etc.
- Have balanced objectives. Balance the need for margin gains with the importance of offering the customer a value solution which can cement their client relationship in a competitive distribution environment.
Repertoire: What is the biggest change you anticipate in medical product sales in the next five years?
Moothart: Steady consolidation of the healthcare marketplace. With a shift from fee-for-service to value-based reimbursement, healthcare providers will be increasingly focused on how cost, quality, and care decisions impact their facility. Providers being reimbursed based on performance as opposed to patient volume demands that MDE manufacturers and distributors focus on developing solutions and strategies for decreasing the costs of healthcare.
Repertoire: What do you like/dislike about ride-days with distributor reps?
Moothart: I like face time with both the distributor rep and customer to better identify the account’s challenges, objectives and initiatives, and to link/match our value solutions to their needs. Our goal is to achieve a win-win-win; the more interaction we have with the key decision-makers and the ability to understand their goals, the more successful we can be.
I dislike the traditional “ride-day” model of getting in a car with a field rep and hoping we meet with interested customers. In 2017, I want to make sure that is vetted out first. I also want to be sure there is an established “win-win-win,” a value prop is customized, a meeting plan is created, and a meeting with the decision-maker is coordinated in advance. Planning is everything!
Repertoire: Do you think distributor reps should embrace ride-days?
Moothart: “Ride-days” are less prevalent for me in recent years. Whether it is coveting traditional “ride-days” or simply embracing a 10-15-minute call to understand our company/product value-proposition to determine if there’s a fit, I think it is important for our distributor partners to embrace our direct involvement and interaction with their customers. However, I understand that comes with first earning their trust. Engaging us in the sales process can expand and complement their own offering to their customer. We can customize solutions for their customers, which can reduce pain points, reduce costs, and improve efficiencies.