Rep Corner
Jill Borysiak doesn’t sell. She meets customers’ needs.
Jill Borysiak
How many high schoolers do you know who dream of pursuing a career selling dental equipment?
It happened to Jill Borysiak while touring a dental chair manufacturing plant as part of a dental vocational program in school. “I listened as they went through the features and benefits of the chairs, and I thought, ‘This is so cool that they have come up with a way to meet the needs of their customers; I’d like to do that too,’” says Borysiak, who is senior national sales consultant for Lynn Medical, Wixom, Michigan.
Borysiak has been out of high school awhile now, but after 30 years in medical sales, she still hasn’t lost her desire to help customers identify and fill their equipment and medical supply needs.
A Michiganer then and now, she grew up in a Henry Ford Historical Home in Dearborn, Michigan. Her parents – Ann and Bob Borysiak – were teachers. “My work ethic and honesty come from both of them,” she says. (She lost her father in 2003.)
She got something else from them: A love of activity and adventure. Her father was always active, and coached many sports, including some of the intramural sports in which Jill participated. Both parents were avid golfers (as is Jill today). Her mom, at 79 years old, participates in two golf leagues – one in northern Michigan, another in Florida.
Shortly after graduating with a marketing degree from Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Michigan, Borysiak took a job as an inside sales representative for Veratex, a division of TIDI, selling everything from equipment to pharmaceuticals to disposables and supplies. Five years later, the company was acquired by Henry Schein, for whom she worked an additional five years.
When Henry Schein closed its sales office in Michigan, Borysiak was offered an opportunity to relocate and stay with the company, but decided to stay in Michigan and find something new. She found Lynn Medical.
“The fact that Lynn manufactured electrodes, had a strong specialized private label, and was a specialty distributor, interested me,” she says. She was ready for the challenge to learn about more complex medical products and to become a specialized consultant to her customers.
Today Lynn Medical is a distributor only, focusing on diagnostic solutions and the technology to complement it. Its target market is cardiology.
Inside sales is a continuation of Borysiak’s high school dream.
“When we reach out to physicians, we have a dialogue with them, so that we understand their exact needs and determine a solution that will be beneficial to them in regard to patient care, financial investment, workflow and ease of use,” she says. “Equipment such as ultrasound and stress systems, Holter monitors, ECGs, Dopplers, and ABIs and the related disposables, are just a few of the products we continually educate ourselves on.”
Even as an inside rep, Borysiak has set up many cardiology offices, from soap dispensers to ultrasound equipment. But she doesn’t do it alone.
“We have a strong, long-standing relationship with the manufacturers and their representatives in this market,” she says. “As a Lynn Medical sales representative, I pride myself on making the process of purchasing capital equipment easy and smooth for my customers and the manufacturer reps. My years of experience and expertise allow me to streamline the process, proactively address problems before they arise, and make it a stress-free transaction for both the partners and customers.
“Over the course of my 30-year career in the ever-changing medical industry, I’ve learned that understanding my customers’ needs is the most important component to being successful,” she says. “I don’t just offer a great price to my customers. I set my bar much higher, and I provide them a high level of service and consulting. I could go as far to say that I have become part of each of my customer’s own procurement team.
“Instead of looking at what I do as a ‘sales’ job, I look at it as providing options, solutions, ideas, and consulting. Ultimately, when the time is right, they will make a purchase. So I have definitely gotten better at being patient.”
At Lynn Medical, Borysiak has also learned to navigate through change. “The company is proactive in communicating any changes coming down the line, and providing a plan of action that will help our customers, our manufacturers, and ourselves overcome any obstacles that the changes could cause. Additionally, the representatives at Lynn Medical don’t try to be all things to all people; we look for specialized customers and offer knowledgeable, customized services and solutions.”
When she is not selling, Borysiak is probably on one of Michigan’s many beautiful lakes with long-term friend Rick Helzer, wakeboarding, kayaking or boating in general. “If there’s an activity that has to do with being on the water, I guarantee it’s in our wheelhouse,” she says. She has worked out at the gym daily for decades. “Not only does it energize me for the day, but that’s my time to clear my head.” And, like her mom, she is an avid golfer.
And as far as she’s convinced, the medical space is the only place to be.
“Healthcare providers have so many priorities. They balance quality patient care and patient satisfaction with meeting regulations and changing reimbursement. You can make a difference by being informed and helping them navigate the supply chain decisions, so they can spend more time on what is really important – patient care and patient satisfaction. The best way to do that is to continually educate yourself on what’s happening in the market and on current technology.
“It’s never boring. I’ve never considered changing fields.”