What is excellence in sales? Numbers help, for sure. But every Repertoire reader knows it’s more than that. It’s that drive to get better, to help people, to have an impact on something meaningful. More often than not, it’s also fun. Since 2000, Repertoire recognizes two people – one from the distributor side, one from the manufacturer side – who embody that excellence. See if you can’t find something of yourself in their stories.
| Distributor | Manufacturer | |
| 2023 | Mike Malec, CME Corp. | John Ballarin V, Abbott Rapid Diagnostics |
| 2020 | Stacy Comb, Claflin Company | Claire Bishop, Quidel |
| 2019 | Jarrel Watkins, McKesson | Stephen Raggio, Welch Allyn |
| 2018 | Mike McGoldrick, Henry Schein | Dianna Hundl, Quidel |
| 2017 | Victor Bakkar, McKesson Medical-Surgical | Patrick Thombs, Clorox Healthcare |
| 2016 | Mike Ludwig, Henry Schein | Chris Huppert, Midmark |
| 2015 | Todd Matthews, McKesson Medical-Surgical | Nick Riordan, Welch Allyn |
| 2014 | Chuck Ryan, McKesson Medical-Surgical | Nate Williams, Midmark |
| 2012 | Paul Lilly, McKesson Medical-Surgical | Louis Cupo, Cardiac Science |
| 2011 | KC Meleski, CME Corp. | Mimi Hobson, Terumo |
| 2010 | Steve Marshall, Cardinal Health | Mike Paige, Med Care Associates |
| 2009 | Rich Bilz, Henry Schein | Tommy Whitehead, Midmark |
| 2008 | Tom Jacob, McKesson Medical-Surgical | Denny Monnin, Midmark |
| 2007 | Dick Daley, Affiliated Healthcare Systems | Bob Chaldu, TIDI Products |
| 2006 | Mike Leva, CME Corp. | Jack Moran, Med Care Associates |
| 2005 | Marty McCurdy, PSS | Steve Bakalar, Welch Allyn |
| 2004 | Denise Hassler, Caligor | Jeff Daner, Midmark |
| 2003 | James Barnes, Cardinal Health | |
| 2002 | Jim Wheeler, Seneca Medical | |
| 2001 | Linda Phillip, McKesson Extended Care | |
| 2000 | Brad Jacob, McKessonHBOC |
Mike Malec: High-Touch Salesperson
Close contact is essential for success in equipment sales.
After 34 years in medical sales, CME Corp. account manager Mike Malec still maintains there is nothing like a face-to-face meeting when it comes to connecting with your customers or suppliers. By the same token, it took but a few in-person meetings with CME’s Chris Godfrey and K.C. Meleski to cement his interest in joining the company, which has proved to be a great fit since he came on board in 2017. Malec is the recipient of the 2023 Excellence in Sales Award for a Distributor.
His start in the industry following his college graduation might well be attributed to serendipity. “After graduating from Marquette University in 1989, I knew I wanted to pursue a career in sales – I just wasn’t certain what industry to join,” Malec recalls. A bit of research on his part suggested the medical profession could offer the growth and stability he was looking for. “I really didn’t know anything about medical sales at the time but decided to answer a small ad in the Chicago Tribune for a medical sales rep position at The Burrows Company, a med/surg distributor in Wheeling, Illinois.” He was hired for the position and given a territory primarily on the South Side of Chicago.
Malec enjoyed his experience in non-disposable sales at The Burrows Company before moving to DeKroyft-Metz in Central Illinois, where he began focusing on equipment. As much as he enjoyed working at DeKroyft-Metz, he realized that working for a company without access to private label disposables could present a challenge when competing against large, national distributors. “That’s when I considered moving into equipment sales and service,” he says. “I had a great experience selling equipment with The Burrows Company and had retained some good contacts with the medical equipment manufacturers. I still had a high level of comfort talking about – and selling – equipment.”
Malec decided to explore a position with CME. “After meeting with Chris Godfrey and K.C. Meleski, I was especially intrigued with the idea of joining the company,” he says. “For one, Chris and I had a lot in common, from our work experiences to many of our personal interests. The more I learned about CME, the more impressed I became with its business model, its all-encompassing medical equipment solution and the people who work there. It was – and continues to be – a great fit.”
Meeting change head-on
As relationships in the industry have shifted, and delivery lead times and product availability have become more challenging, communication with customers and providers has become more important than ever, says Malec. “There was a time when our customers could cut a purchase order five or six weeks before they wanted their project delivered. We would likely have everything delivered to our warehouse, and assembled and ready for delivery and placement, in plenty of time.” That’s no longer the case, he points out. “Today, we are lucky to receive half of the required items in that time frame. So, it’s critical to communicate closely with our customers about current lead times, as well as with the manufacturers about any changes in delivery times.
“Setting expectations with our customers is key,” he continues. “It’s essential to get involved with them early in the process to give them a clear idea of what – and when – they need to order. The last thing we want is for a project to be delayed because equipment is not delivered. Our goal at CME is to be highly educated in the industry so that we can help our customers achieve their goal of opening on time, within their budget.”
It’s equally important to maintain close communication with his supplier partners as well, notes Malec. “Our VP of vendor relations, Mike Abbott, states it best: It all comes down to communication and collaboration. Working together, sharing contacts, ideas and opportunities is what truly ties the distributor rep to their manufacturer partners. I’m a firm believer in forming relationships. Especially as electronic communications have become so prevalent, removing much of the human element necessary to building strong relationships, I find myself picking up the phone whenever possible. Better yet, a face-to-face meeting is still the best way to make a connection.
“If our manufacturer partners are confident in my ability to handle projects and see them through to completion, they can trust they are in good hands looking ahead at new opportunities,” he says. “Once manufacturer reps achieve this comfort level with their distributor reps, I believe they are more likely to want to continue the relationship.”
This especially holds true as he finds himself working with new contacts in different roles. “When I first began focusing on equipment sales, I primarily dealt with materials/purchasing people and project managers at the hospital or IDN whenever equipment was part of a project. Now, more often than not, I work with equipment planners who work on behalf of the provider. This has added another customer base to our business. In fact, some of my best customers today are equipment planners. We all strive to accomplish the same goal, so it truly is a team effort with all parties involved.”
The best way to stay relevant in the workplace is to go to work every day and give it your all, notes Malec. The same goes for his personal life. “Just as I work hard to ensure my customers see me as a reliable, valuable individual who gets the job done for them, I make it a point to always be available for my family.” Whether at work or at home, it’s so important that others can rely on you, he adds. “It’s one of the most important responsibilities we have.”
Sidebar:
The word on Mike Malec
Dawn Sheldon, director of client relations, MAC Medical Inc.
“Mike exemplifies professionalism and customer satisfaction. He listens to the true needs of the client and works as a partner with his suppliers in providing a true solution to meet their need. Mike will provide consistent follow-through from conception to closure of the project, ensuring customer satisfaction.”
Nate Williams, national accounts executive, Midmark
“Mike has an outstanding level of service, professionalism and follow-through and successfully masters the relationship building between manufacturer, dealer and customer, which is critical in our solution selling model. He’s a hard-working, top-performing professional who’s a pleasure to be around.”
Terry Mulheron, region director East, Champion
“Mike is a total professional who understands how to conduct business. He is a valued and dedicated partner of ours who has our full trust and confidence due to his commitment, professionalism and kindness.”
Gregory Kwiatkowski, key account executive, Essendant
“Mike is the consummate professional, bringing relationship management expertise, as well as a profound understanding of the solutions and benefits to his ferociously loyal clients. He exemplifies what an authentic, trusted advisor should be to his clients and his colleagues.”
Frank Rowe, VP, sales & marketing, R&B wire Products, Inc.
“Mike provides outstanding support to his supplier partners in providing their products to meet his customer’s needs. He is willing to spend the time to get it right in all situations that he is involved in. I wish him all the best and good luck!”
Thomas Kosmowski, national sales manager, Novum Medical Products
“Mike is a true professional and great at relationship building between manufacturer, dealer and customer, which is critical in sales and account management today. He is consistently engaged with our company and one of the top dealer reps we work with year in, year out.”
Rob Napkori, senior national accounts manager, InterMetro Industries Corp.
“Mike is dedicated to his customers and ensures they have exactly what they need to meet their short- and long-term requirements. Mike couples his knowledge and experience in healthcare to strengthen relationships and be his customers’ source of information pertinent to their jobs. He is the consummate professional.”
Ronald Mackie, sales coordinator, Wolf X-Ray
“Over the past seven years, it has been a pleasure working with Mike. In each instance, Mike has been there, whether he’s accessing the lead or bringing me in with the quote and product information – up to and through the close. In a business climate where a cryptic text or an abbreviated email are all too common, Mike maintains a personal touch, which is what makes the difference between acceptable and excellent.”
Honing the Competitive Edge
Fifth-generation John Ballarin aims to win, just like the four before him.
For generations, the Ballarins of Michigan have been hard workers, competitors, winners. Could John Ballarin V – Central Region account executive for Abbott Rapid Diagnostics – have turned out any other way? Probably not. He is the recipient of the 2023 Excellence in Sales Award for a Manufacturer.
His grandfather – John Ballarin III – was a tough Korean War veteran who worked for the Michigan Consolidated Gas Company, or Michcon. “He hated to lose, no matter what,” says his grandson. “He came to all my games growing up and always wore the team hat. My father is the same way. Hates to lose, even if it’s a backyard game. I think that’s why he won’t golf with me unless it’s a scramble.”
Early sales training
Born and raised in Westland, Michigan, about 16 miles from downtown Detroit, Ballarin received early training in automotive sales from his father, John Ballarin IV, for whom he worked two summers out of high school. “It was my first job, as he wanted me to ‘learn to put on a suit and go to work’ at a young age. I remember changing from my dress clothes to baseball clothes in the dealership bathroom so that I could head to baseball practice after working all day.”
A 41-year veteran of the automotive industry, Ballarin’s father was Top-Selling National Sales Consultant with Lincoln/Mercury for three consecutive years in the 1990s. He helped his dealership – Bill Brown Ford – bring the title of World’s No. 1 Ford Dealership home to Detroit for the first time in decades.
“He worked extremely hard, and advocated for all of his customers,” says his son. “His customers meant the world to him, and it was evident at his retirement based on how many customers were in that room and had been long-time family friends. I learned how important trust and relationships are – the foundation of everything.”
His father built his business on referrals, he says. “This is how he managed to scale and sell 30+ cars a month on a consecutive basis. He treated everyone fairly and was honest with them. I witnessed him telling people, ‘Now might not be the right time for you to move forward with this deal.’ It was just so confusing to me, but now it all makes sense.
“Word spreads quickly when people are happy with the buying process. I also learned the sale is just the beginning of a relationship. That relationship is built on service after the sale, [which] makes the next one that much easier.”
The senior Ballarin continues to play ice hockey four days a week. “Ask how the game went, you get the score, and how many goals he scored,” says his son. “Competitive edge is always there.”
A career choice
At Madonna University in Livonia, Michigan, Ballarin was a starting pitcher and an integral part of the 2010 champions of the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference and an NAIA tournament contender. The Crusaders went 48-11 that year. Ballarin’s stats: 6 wins 2 losses, 3.30 ERA.
“We had a great team and a lot of fun,” he recalls. “It was a good group of guys who knew how to work hard and play hard.” He turned down an opportunity to play professionally in the Peach State League. “I was a somewhat tall, left-handed pitcher who threw mid-80s and had an above-average curveball. (I never could figure out the changeup.) I knew that if I went off to play ball, it would delay everything else, and my chances of ‘making it’ were probably not that good. Most would think it was a tough decision, but for me it was pretty easy. I knew what I wanted in life.”
He never doubted the choice. “Healthcare had my interest at a very young age,” he says. “My mom was a nurse, and I always felt that working in healthcare gives you a sense of purpose. Having the privilege to be involved with products that ultimately reach the patient and make communities a better place is exciting to me.” Early on, he thought about pursuing the clinical side of medicine, “but those rotations didn’t work with college baseball,” he says. Instead he decided to pursue allied health administration.
His first exposure to the healthcare supply chain came during a four-month internship at Detroit Medical Center in 2009. He was part of the med/surg distribution RFP team and accompanied them on site visits to the distribution centers of potential partners.
In 2010, after graduating from Madonna, he joined Detroit Medical Center as a dispatcher/parts sourcing specialist, clinical engineering. One year later he joined Henry Ford Health System as a strategic sourcing analyst in capital equipment. In 2013 he took a short detour from healthcare to become North America 3PL performance relationship manager for chemical company BASF. In 2016 he rejoined healthcare, first as national account manager for Henry Schein with responsibility for Trinity Health, and later as senior manager national accounts for the Eastern U.S. In 2019 he joined HealthTrust Purchasing Group as an account director, and one year later, came to Abbott.
“Every move has had a purpose, and I am thankful for all of them,” he says. “They have allowed me to see every side of the healthcare sales/supply chain and even gain a small amount of experience in another industry’s supply chain.
“A lot of this has happened by chance or phone calls from friends telling me about an opportunity. This is a large industry, but it is small. It is important that you develop your own brand because people do business with people they trust. However, it’s not just about ‘being friends.’ When I say relationships, I mean being a trusted advisor, always bringing value and keeping communication open.
“I keep in touch with many people from every company that I have worked at. My network means the world to me, and I will never take it for granted. We always are sharing industry news, helping each other with contacts, bouncing ideas off each other, or simply having fun. Fun is important too, and I will try to never lose that.”
Analytics
Even as a college intern at Detroit Medical Center, Ballarin displayed an interest in analytics, developing hospital-specific budgets for service contracts, repairs and maintenance. When he joined DMC full-time, he developed an organizational service log for service calls and assisted in developing a parts inventory management system. As strategic sourcing analyst at Henry Ford, he reduced the number of days needed for monthly reporting from four to one by identifying areas for improvement and implementing effective formulas.
At BASF, he played a key role in establishing and monitoring key performance indicators for third-party logistics providers and managed more than 150 third-party workers’ access rights in a database system. While at Henry Schein, he received Lean Six Sigma Greenbelt training, and at HealthTrust, he partnered with his client – Trinity Health – to reboot quarterly business reviews involving all key stakeholders, including food, energy management and med/surg. At Abbott, in addition to achieving steady growth in sales, he was selected to expose new hires to best practices in working with distribution.
“I work hard to keep myself out of the weeds, but I do have a very process-oriented mindset. I decided to go into project management, because really, everything is essentially ‘managing a project,’ especially when working with large customers or deals.
“In large accounts, I think an analytical approach fits very well,” he says. “They expect structure, and I think if you can bring them that skillset and help them plan their next capital budget, improve service line management or be part of their strategic growth plan, you are viewed as far more than a ‘sales rep’ and you might even be called their ‘trusted partner.’ That’s always my goal when working with a client.”
Using analytics, account executives can help customers with standardization, SKU consolidation, waste elimination, staffing and even workflow enhancements, he adds. “It’s about taking a good relationship and making it great. Helping them run a better business.”
As valuable as it is, analytics will never totally replace traditional sales skills, such as pre-call planning, relying on gut feelings, relationship-building and simply working harder than the next guy, says Ballarin. “I will never be the smartest individual on any team or in any room, but I will be willing to outwork anyone,” he says. “It’s something that was instilled in me at a young age. I always want to be the best at everything I do, and I put in my work.
“The people who win are those who understand their customers and realize there is no one-size-fits-all solution,” he continues. “You need to get to know your customers and bring value they might not even be thinking about. You work so hard that you know more about them than they know about themselves.
“When done best, it shouldn’t even feel like ‘selling.’ It should be putting in place a mutually beneficial solution to help them run a better business and take care of their patients. And as people’s workloads are expanding, the easier you can make someone’s job or the more value you can bring them, the better your chance of winning.”
Working with distribution
Ballarin applies the same approach to his work with distributors. “Coming from distribution myself, I understand that distribution ‘holds the keys to the kingdom,’” he says. “They are in accounts every day, holding the responsibility of being trusted consultants on everything from gauze to medical equipment.
“I promise a few things to my distribution partners: ‘I will be the quickest of any manufacturer rep to respond. I will give you and your customers the truth. If you bring me to a deal, it’s yours. If I do not know the answer, I will find it. You will have my support after the sale. I will make it easy for you, and I will always deliver on what I say I am going to do.’ These might sound very basic, but I have found that by doing these things, we manufacturer reps can earn their trust – which is the golden word, and what I always strive to earn.
“You know it’s working when a distribution rep calls you and says, ‘Can you go to account ABC and do a demo?’ There’s nothing more fulfilling than walking out of that account, knowing it’s a great fit for the customer and their patients, and calling the distribution rep to say ‘We got it done.’”
For their part, distributors should take advantage of ride days with their manufacturer partners, he says. “They work, and heck, we always seem to have a lot of fun doing them. Open communication is always key. Let me know if something isn’t working at an account or what I can do better.
“Distribution has thousands of products to sell. My goal is to make their life easier when selling my product. I am forever grateful for my distribution reps and will always show up for them when they need me. They are the lifeline of this business.”
Sidebar:
Pitch count
Abbott Rapid Diagnostics account executive John Ballarin V will always remain grateful for his years spent playing high school- and college-level baseball.
“Baseball is so applicable to life and work in many ways,” he says. “If I had to pick a few things, one would be to ‘focus on the next pitch.’ As a starting pitcher, I would throw about 100 pitches a game. If I got in my head about one bad pitch, I knew that wouldn’t make for a good game, as there were 99 more to go.”
Another lesson? Learning to fail. “Baseball is amazing. You can fail at the plate seven out of 10 times, but if you do that your entire career, you will be in the Hall of Fame. So, it’s learning to deal with failure and keeping the momentum going forward.
“The other thing I learned was the importance of preparation. Playing baseball in Michigan, you are at a disadvantage with people who play outside year-round. It’s about figuring out where and how to train, and staying sharp in the off-season. A lot of this relates to life. You might be dealt a little different situation than someone next to you, but how are you going to play that hand
and WIN?”
Ballarin remains involved with the game today. He and his wife, Katie, have three boys – 6-year-old John VI and 4-year-old twins, Jake and Luke. “My boys are starting to get into sports now, and it is so fun to watch and be a part of.”