March 18, 2023 – Laura Gerlants can trace her start in sales back to her time as a dental hygienist. Although a bit unconventional, the dental office she worked for wanted its hygienists to promote certain products like electric toothbrushes and whitening toothpaste with clients. It was then that Gerlants discovered she was really good at sales, and genuinely enjoyed the role.
Eventually, she would work for a dental distribution company. Then, a chance LinkedIn message from a Henry Schein Medical sales manager led to a conversation about medical sales, which eventually snowballed into a field sales role within the Company.
Henry Schein’s culture was “hands down” a key factor in Gerlants accepting her role with the Company, she said. Before starting, she reached out to several Henry Schein reps via social media to see if it would be a positive work environment. She found that whoever she talked to would rave about the culture and opportunities. “It made me very comfortable to step into an area that I was unfamiliar with,” she said. “I thought, ‘Okay, at least the culture here is solid.’”
Gerlants knows that if she needs to speak to Company leaders, they will take her call. “My voice is heard here,” she said. “If I have issues with anything, my manager will always hear me out and elevate if need be. It’s just a very close-knit kind of feel. And it’s so important to know that my voice matters. I know there are so many reps. I get it. But every one of us counts the same, no matter what. That’s important.”
Read more in the latest issue of Repertoire Magazine.