What did you do before you got into dental sales?

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Permalink Reply by Benjamin Oliver on March 9, 2010 at 9:24pm

The first and only job so far! Although I do wish that I had some type of clinical background. A much as a lot of people say it doesn't matter...I think it does. Especially in hygiene. It gives you that extra bit of edge. I'm not saying it's necessary, but I do beleive it helps.

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Permalink Reply by Robert Hays on March 10, 2010 at 1:46pm

I did a stint with Enterprise Rent A Car, a few years in radio advertising sales, and was an independent marketing and advertising consultant prior to joining the Patterson team. Been at it for five years now, and never looked back!

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Permalink Reply by Dental Sales Rep on March 10, 2010 at 5:13pm

a lot of companies like to see Enterprise R-A-C on a resume. You get to learn the business from the ground up. Everything from washing cars to running the advertising budget.

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Permalink Reply by Robert Hays on March 11, 2010 at 11:37am

It was a good experience. The combination of my time at Enterprise and the loading docks at UPS (in college) makes me incredibly humble and grateful to do what I do now.

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Permalink Reply by Merv Tonkin on March 11, 2010 at 11:56pm

This is one question that I will enjoy expounding on.
I started my sales career in Optical Instrument sales for the American Optical Co. AO and Bausch and Lomb were the two giants of the industry. My customers were all the classes of trade The Labs, The Optometrists, The Opthalmologists the Opticians and the Optometry and Opthalmology schools in Texas.
The reason I am responding to this question is that thirty five years ago we were seeing the growth of chain Optical and Optometry. IE TSO, Royal Optical, Pearl Optical etc, I can remember the same signs that we are seeing in our industry today with the rapid growth of Clinical Dentistry.
Today, there is no sign of mighty AO and B&L except in contact lenses and some safety eyewear. They at that time provided the same full service to the practictioners that Dental Dealers do in our industry today. We planned the offices, sold the equipment and kept them up to date with new technology. But like the dinosaurs they died.
That has not yet happened in Dental and I don't think it will anytime soon. The reason, as I see it is the enormous diversity of the Dental Dealers along with the unbeliveable dedication of the groups that serve the trade. It is refreshing and heartening to see the new generations of Dental Salesmen and women immersed in their careers and always ready to talk and share "Dental". Nobody seems to leave the business with their boots on.
I belive the second reason that this industry is so cohesive is that we are a genuine community of concerned professionals who support the good and shun the bad. I think this in large part has filtered the worst products and players out of the mainstream. Largely protecting the Dentists from the products and people that don't perform.
Third: There is a constant stream of new technology and products to keep all of us excited about our business. We can see the changes coming and have an effect on the ways they are implemented.
Finally though: The reason I started this response is the change I see on the Horizon. We will always have the private practicioner ( thirty five years ago it seemed that chain Optical and Optometry were destined to put them out of business.)
Well that didn't happen both types of practice are alive and well, But the Optical giants didn't adapt to both business models and they closed their full service branches.
There is no doubt that the Clincal Dental groups will continue to take their share of the growing market for the underserved. Probably with a lot of government blessing and support. (Remember though there is a lot of business to be had with these groups and they are suceptable to being sold high quality products.)
So: I will pass on what a very wise man told me when I told him this story and said "Will the Dental Trade die?" His answer was perfect, He said "No! Because we won't let it." I think his words have already been proven to be true.

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Permalink Reply by Dental Sales Rep on March 12, 2010 at 5:50am

Merv thanks for your perspective from another industry. Glad to hear that we may all still have jobs in 20 years.

Pharmacys are another story. That industry was taken over by the chains. You see very few mom and pops out there. Would love to hear from a drug rep that used to call on the mom and pops and now calls on the chains.

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Permalink Reply by KT on March 14, 2010 at 4:00pm

I was a cosmetic dental assistant for 15yrs! As an assistant strong sales skills are an asset, it's what we do everyday, no one wants to REALLY be at their dental office. So you sell them on the experience, service and treatment! Now I'm with Ivoclar Vivadent loving every moment, it's a change but a welcomed one!

Cheers!

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Permalink Reply by Kevin McGonigal on March 15, 2010 at 7:44pm

I been a paperboy, snow shoveler, sears associate, line cook, busboy, waiter, resident assistant, digital print designer, typesetter, print broker, videographer, and web designer.

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Permalink Reply by Bill Neumann on March 15, 2010 at 8:33pm

Sold flowers on the street corner in Philly when I was 14, gas station attendant, oil changer and tire plugger from 15-18. Worked in a warehouse and at hotel in college. My first job out of college was a flower bulb and fertilizer salesman. Worked at Hertz rent a car as a sales rep and then got into dental sales.

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Permalink Reply by Troy Steinbach on March 15, 2010 at 11:00pm

Large format sales for Frito Lay and Pepsi Bottling Group, stocks, bonds and mutual funds for Aetna Financial. Brief stint in law enforcement with some FBI training for hostage negotiations. Still wondering if that last one will apply to dental sales somehow... :)

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Permalink Reply by Milton Baisley on March 17, 2010 at 6:59pm

Before dental I called on drug stores.Selling everything from prescription drugs to shampoos.my first dental job was with HL Hayden Co. in Branford CT. I started my sales career with Nabisco.

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Permalink Reply by Kevin McGonigal on March 17, 2010 at 7:44pm

Hey Milt - The Nabisco Factory was around the corner from my house growing up in Philly. I used to love driving past there.

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