September 6, 2022 – 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.
So, what’s been the key to success for Dahlke? He recently spoke to Repertoire about transferable skills and traits:
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.
The final transferable trait? 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.”
Read more about Dahkle in the upcoming Repertoire October 2022 issue.