Manufacturer Reps to Watch
Timothy Kost
National Account Director – Healthcare, Non-Acute
GOJO Industries
Tampa, Florida
31 years in medical sales
Primary call point: Post-acute
Snapshot
Born/raised: Middletown, Ohio
Undergraduate degree: Nursing degree from the University of South Carolina
First “real” job: Registered nurse (six years in shock trauma ICU at Medical College of Georgia)
Complete this sentence: The one thing I did NOT expect when I got into medical sales was/is: The number of conference calls that can be scheduled that are not relevant to actual sales!
Family info: Married to my incredible wife, Michelle, for 14 years. We live in Tampa with our toy poodle Zoey. My mother, Bea, celebrated her 100th birthday in September and lives a few miles away in independent living with her dog, Annie.
Hobbies/activities: Golf; the Gamecocks; and volunteering the past 23 years at the Masters as a gallery supervisor.
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Repertoire: When, how and why did you get into medical sales?
Tim Kost: I was on the product evaluation committee at Medical College of Georgia in Augusta, evaluating the latest products and technology. I had sales reps who couldn’t relate product to patient care. I thought I could do a little bit better!
Repertoire: Mentor or role model?
Kost: Greg Conner, vice president of sales, healthcare, GOJO, has continually offered his assistance and insights into sales strategies, techniques and enhancing my market knowledge. Throughout my 12 years with GOJO, he has always been willing to roll up his sleeves and work in the trenches and collaborate to meet the needs of our customers and distributors. I consider Greg a mentor, role model and friend.
Repertoire: What are the 2-3 most important things you can do for distributor reps to enhance their sales?
Kost: 1) Be accessible via email or phone in order to answer any questions, and 2) make it as easy as possible for distributor sales reps to have the tools needed to detail our products.
Repertoire: How can distributor reps help in your sales efforts?
Kost: They are calling on end users every day and create the demand locally. Allows me to work more effectively with the GPOs and long-term-care chains by having representation in the field.
Repertoire: What is the biggest change you anticipate in medical products sales in the next 5 years?
Kost: The ongoing changes in reimbursement and influence of the GPOs will impact how and what we sell.
Repertoire: Ride-days with distributor reps: What’s to like? What’s not to like?
Kost: It’s good to get to know and meet the individual rather than all communication via email and phone. You also see how they work and what you can do to make it easier for them.
Repertoire: Care to share a memorable ride-day story?
Kost: A customer 90 miles away needed emergency product. I fired up the company van and headed down I-75 S. Hit a bump and back end of van dropped. That’s when I noticed the back left tire and part of the axle rolling past me! That was the last time I drove a company delivery vehicle!