For Henry Schein’s Doin Dahlke, the skills he developed as an athletic trainer have carried over to a successful sales career.
By Graham Garrison
Grit. Drive. Hard work. When you list those intangibles, you could be talking about sports, or you could be talking about what it takes to be successful in sales.
For Henry Schein’s Doin Dahlke, the tie-ins have led to a successful career in both pursuits – first as an athletic trainer, and currently as a regional sales manager in the company’s Athletics & Schools business.
In 1988, Dahlke received his certification as an athletic trainer. Dahlke was a head trainer for Division II college athletics for 10 years, then worked for orthopedists who focused on assisting high school athletes. He would eventually start his own business, providing functional capacity evaluations in Arkansas. “I then took a sales position with [a local company] where I worked for 14 years. While there I met Lisa, my inside telesales rep from Henry Schein. I sold orthopedic knee braces, and called on, and sold to, orthopedic clinics and colleges. Then I moved total joint surgical sales.”
Dahlke started at Henry Schein right before the pandemic, but has made an immediate impact. In 2021, he was named salesperson of the year for Henry Schein’s Athletics & Schools business.
Key traits
So, what’s been the key to success for Dahlke? A lot of it has to do with transferable skills.
Athletic trainers must have a tremendous work ethic to be successful. For instance, when Dahlke was an athletic trainer for a college, he was at work by 6:00 a.m. doing rehab, treatment, and covering practices. He would also work night events. “A lot of times athletic trainers put in 16 hours a day, and work 80 hours a week,” he said. “So, they’re always hardworking.” At Henry Schein, Dahlke is either at his desk relentlessly working the phones on quotes, bids or problem solving, or he’s out on the road covering North Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Kansas, Mississippi and Alabama.
Athletic trainers must be personable, because they deal with a lot of different people. The ability to communicate and develop relationships is another commonality between the two worlds. Athletic trainers are unique because they can talk the language of a neurosurgeon or an orthopedic surgeon. “And if you’ve been to the doctor, most of the time they like to talk in big words, and a lot of patients or outsiders don’t understand them. But [athletic trainers] can turn around and convey what that doctor said to an eighth-grade kid or a parent.” Sales, too, is 100% about relationships. If you don’t have relationships and can’t communicate with people on their level, you won’t be successful. Sales reps can also speak and understand the medical lingo while working well with those handling the deliveries or factory lines, Dahlke said.
Bull riding
In his spare time, Dahlke continues to work as an athletic trainer at Professional Bull Riding (PBR) competitions. He’s been covering PBR events for the last seven years and rodeo events for 35 years. He and two other trainers and an orthopedic surgeon are on-hand to take care of injuries. Just about every weekend he will fly somewhere. “Last week, I was in Kansas City, Missouri,” he said. “I got there Friday afternoon, covered those events and came home Sunday – back to work.”
For Dahlke, whether it’s wrapping up a sale or wrapping the rolled ankle of a professional bull-rider, the action never stops. That’s just the way he likes it, and it ties into the final transferable trait between both professions – the desire to win. “Athletic trainers are with a team, or you’ve got a vested interest in a sport most of the time you’re in it,” Dahlke said. “You’ve got that desire and burn to win. [In distribution], you’ve got to win that sale or you’re not going to be successful.”