Respect the Degree
Reps should never assume their customer is a he, advises one dentist
by Laura Thill
Gender does not make the dentist, says Sheri Doniger, DDS, who owns a Lincolnwood, Ill.-based practice. She should know. Having worked her way through the dental ranks, from an assistant to a hygienist to a dentist with her own business, Doniger has rubbed shoulders with enough colleagues to understand that a good dentist and smart business person is just that, whether male or female.
At the same time, she has worked with enough distributor reps to know what traits are likely to win a female dentist’s loyalty. "Show respect for the degree," she advises reps. "Do not ever assume the dentist will be a male. There are 40,000 female dentists across the country, according to the American Dental Association, so never assume [your customer] is a ‘he.’" This holds true in the office as well as at trade shows, she points out. "I have been around long enough to see a sales rep tell women dentists to send their boss over. I don’t think this ever is a problem when male dentists approach sales reps on the trade show floor."
Reps should take nothing for granted, she continues. "Women dentists practice in urban and rural locales," she points out. "They own both small and large practices, as well as solo and group settings." In part, Doniger attributes the growth in female dentists to "an increase in female role models and stronger science and math programs that encourage more young girls to join. I think women today are doing a great job of mentoring other women," she says.
In addition, dentistry is a flexible field, and women practitioners can navigate their career without compromising their family life. "The dental field is a phenomenal one for women," says Doniger, who gave birth to her second child just after graduating from dental school. "I had the flexibility to work at a dental practice and then come home and care for my children," she recalls. She also found time to teach classes over the years. "When I was ready to set up my own practice, I [did so] less than a mile away from my kid’s grade school." Although on rare occasions a patient may call his or her dentist in the middle of the night with an emergency, Doniger has never been summoned out of bed in the wee hours.
In spite of her enthusiasm for her career, dentistry was not Doniger’s first choice. "I went to college to be a psychologist," she admits. In addition, she had a penchant for teaching. But, after transferring colleges and moving back home, her parents suggested she get a part-time job. "I worked at a record shop and for a periodontist," she says, and discovered she "loved her dentistry job." (Her record store job went the way of the vinyl album.)
"The periodontist encouraged me to go to dental hygiene school," Doniger continues. "I began taking classes at Loyola University Chicago, where some of the hygiene classes overlapped the dental classes. I would look at the other dental students and think, ‘If they can do this, why can’t I?’" So, she applied to programs at Loyola and University of Illinois-Chicago, and got into both, she recalls. She opted for Loyola’s program and has never second-guessed her career path. "I still wound up teaching," she says. "I teach family, friends and patients about oral health and nutrition." And, at times, dentists act as pseudo-psychologists for their patients, she adds.
Business owners at heart
Dentists who own their own practice are entrepreneurs, regardless of their gender, notes Doniger. "As business owners, we all have short-term and long-term goals," she says. The economic downturn may impact their business decisions, she adds. "But, for the most part, we are still business people – chief financial officers and chief executive officers."
As business owners, both female and male dentists presumably look for the best products at the best prices. However, they may have different shopping styles, notes Doniger. "Female dentists tend to do much more research on their dental products," she says. "We may be more spontaneous when it comes to shoes, but that’s not how we approach our dental purchases. We want to know about the products we use. I think women dentists are more inclined to talk to colleagues, ask questions and do [online] product searches."
Indeed, women in general are more verbal than men and like to ask more questions, Doniger believes. This may be good news for reps when they call on their female customers. It follows that female dentists like the opportunity to speak face-to-face with their sales reps and ask them questions, says Doniger. Nevertheless, reps should call ahead and schedule a specific meeting time. "Depending on the time of the rep’s visit, sometimes I may not have the time to sit down and chat," she says. "No one likes surprises, especially if they already are behind in their appointments." And, female dentists might appreciate some understanding on the part of the rep if they do not have time to meet, she adds. "If we say we are busy or do not have time, please remember that in addition to running a practice, many of us are balancing additional activities as well (family, continuing education, teaching, volunteer, etc.)."
Working with hygienists
Dental hygienists know their stuff. "They do a lot of research, are [very focused on] continuing education and can be very influential at their practice," says Doniger. "They are definitely patient-driven and want to be involved in product selection." And, yes, many hygienists are women, she adds, although she has not seen this impact their work relationship with sales reps. The bottom line for reps is, dental hygienists have a say in purchases that affect the revenue of their practice. As such, they value "honesty, integrity, respectfulness and truthfulness in their reps," says Doniger. They want their rep to show them "new, innovative products that will [facilitate] the patient’s oral health and the practice’s bottom line."
Indeed, hygienists tend to be well informed through Internet Web sites, blogs and news sites, and they often run price checks in an effort to arrive at the best values. "[Theirs] is a physically demanding job, so they are interested in products, such as ergonomic chairs and instruments, that can help them," says Doniger. In addition, because they tend to stay with a given practice for a long time, they become very well connected to patients. "Patients often will talk first to their dentist and then follow up with additional questions with their hygienist," says Doniger. "That connection to the patient is golden when it comes to the office bottom line. Some hygienists work in several practices part time. Or, they may shift from one practice to another for more hours. But, they are truly very loyal if they have a great place to work."
No matter who in the office they work with, and regardless of that individual’s gender, sales reps should give their customers some space to weigh their options and pick the best solution. "Pushy reps are a turnoff," says Doniger. "I would like to make the final decision as to what product solution will work best for my practice." After all, she knows her clientele and understands their needs. "Long past are the days when dentists would simply ‘lay the patient back in the chair and set to work,’" she says. "Patients today are consumers. They ask as many questions as necessary in order to feel comfortable." [FI]
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