‘Three Pillars’ guide Ricky Bustamante’s career – and life – path
Ricardo (Ricky) Bustamante, account representative for American Medical Supplies & Equipment in Miami, Florida, speaks about the “Three Pillars” of his life, that is, three men who helped shape his values, his work ethic, his career path, his devotion to family and his love of medical sales.
Pillar No. 1: His father, Sergio R. Bustamante, who worked as a handyman after emigrating from Cuba in 1990. “I would help him install and remove shutters, paint, do carpentry and various other tasks,” says his son. “From my father I learned to work hard and to sacrifice.”
Pillar No. 2: His uncle, Hernan Bustamante, who worked in American Medical’s accounting department for 21 years. “A father figure, he was just as crucial to my upbringing.”
Pillar No 3: His older brother, Sergio, a veteran sales rep for American Medical. “He started in the warehouse and is now arguably one of the best – if not THE best – medical rep in South Florida,” says Ricky. “From a very young age he was always just the type of guy whose footsteps you’d like to follow.”
For the Bustamantes, American Medical is all about family. Ricky started working there in summers at age 13, picking and stocking merchandise, memorizing product numbers, loading trucks and vans, and performing deliveries.
Even back then, he had an idea he would end up selling one day. “I ran into one of my brother’s clients at church,” he recalls. “He was talking about the expense of needles and syringes. So I suggested he go with an economical syringe but a really good needle – one that wouldn’t prick patients. That’s when I realized I might have a knack for selling.”
Tough career decision
The part-time hours turned full-time as he worked between college courses. But in 2010, he made what he describes as the toughest career decision he ever made – to leave American Medical. “Many things ran through my head, and I had sought counsel from my role models, but ultimately the decision was mine,” he recalls. “If I wanted to become what I wanted to and reach all my goals, I needed to experience corporate America and adopt the tools they provided for success.” And with a young daughter, Sofia, he now had a family to support. So he followed his older sister, Teresa Vazquez, into banking.
He started as a teller, with the goal of eventually becoming part of management. But his aspirations soon changed, as he discovered he really enjoyed interacting with customers and placing them in front of the right banker. “So I left the management mindset behind and thought more about sales.” And opportunities presented themselves.
The industry was growing, with branches opening up throughout South Florida. Six months after starting as a 20-hour teller, he became a sales and service associate, serving as an assistant to the private banker. Three months later, he became a personal banker himself, and was a top producer for the firm. But more than awards was the wisdom he gained from the job.
“I encountered many people from management, to colleagues, to customers, who helped sharpen me and teach me one of the most important lessons: A good rep or salesperson will never sell an item a day in their life if they do the right thing and service the customer in the right way.”
Back home
He returned to American Medical in 2019 all the wiser.
“My plan had always been to return to the medical sales industry. It’s what I grew up around, it was that lost love that awaited me. And to work alongside my brother once more and return to the culture that prepared me for life and gave me the work attitude and personality that made me successful in all the positions I’ve held? It was a no brainer.”
Banking and selling medical supplies and equipment may be like night and day, yet they share one thing in common – service, says Bustamante. “When you do the right thing for your customer, your recommendations hold value. Banking had a lot of goals and service scores. Yet as a medical rep, we create our own goals, and our service is reflected through our success.”
The financial knowledge he gained in banking helped make him a better medical sales rep, he adds. Understanding the client’s business as they plan a build-out, including budget and goals, helps Bustamante guide them toward sound decisions. “You can’t put power tables all over a startup office when they’re grinding their pennies. It’s tough, but you can put something together that’s feasible and will help them be successful.”
Pandemic
About a year after he returned to medical sales, the industry found itself grappling with COVID-19. “I think during this pandemic, American Medical and myself were tested in more ways than one,” says Bustamante. “In any catastrophe, we have two options: We can let ourselves be defeated, or we can rise above it. We never closed our doors, we never failed to answer our customers’ phone calls, and we never gave them an answer of uncertainty. We held meetings every day and we found solutions to problems.
“Our greatest advantage has to be that to our customers, we’re not just reps – we’re partners, and we were treated as such. I reached out to everyone personally and told them we were here for them, that we wanted them to continue providing healthcare, and that together, we would get through this. None of our customers failed.
“The relationships we created before the pandemic just got stronger.”
Sidebar
The perfect swing: It’s a matter of confidence
Ricky Bustamante played a lot of baseball during high school and after. He still puts on batting clinics for younger kids in the neighborhood where he grew up. One thing he teaches them is there is no such thing as the “perfect swing.”
“The perfect swing is different for everyone,” he says. “It starts from when you get up in the morning till you end your day. It’s your rhythm that makes you unique. There’s no need to copy anyone else.” Some of the most successful hitters – Gary Sheffield, Craig Counsell, Kevin Youkilis, Ichiro Suzuki, Jeff Bagwell and others – had unorthodox swings, he points out. “Use what makes you feel comfortable. Create your habit. It doesn’t matter what the pitcher is bringing; the perfect swing is your creation and no one else’s.”
Yankee legend Yogi Berra said that baseball is 90% mental, and Bustamante agrees. “It’s no secret that you need to have the fundamentals down pat,” he says. With practice, good habits become second nature. “But it’s the mental part that has kept so much potential from stepping closer to ‘The Show.’
“Most kids will step up to the batter’s box scared to fail, when the odds actually favor them over the pitcher. As a batter, you get a minimum of three pitches to an infinite number to look at, while the pitcher needs to get you to bite or stare at three pitches. You need to step in with confidence, stare back into the pitcher’s eyes and let him know he’s in trouble.
“The home run will come to you, but don’t force it. Get your hits up the middle and eventually you’ll surprise someone with a shot to deep center.”