A Lasting Bond
After nearly 30 years in dental sales, it still comes down to forming
partnerships for one rep
Thirty years ago, Bill Myers knew nothing about dental sales. "Quite frankly, I didn’t even know the dental sales market existed," he says. Following his college graduation, Myers began his sales career at Kraft Foods, Inc. (Glenview, Ill.). His wife, Joan, was a nurse, however, which inspired Myers to look into a career in healthcare. "I wanted to do something that really benefited people," he explains. "After three years, I began researching the health profession. There were no Web sites back then. I looked through the paper ads and found a position with Cooke Waite (Detroit, Mich.)." Two years later, he moved to Denver, Colo. to take a job with Teledyne Dental.
"I joined Coe Laboratories in 1981," he continues. "Coe was purchased by GC America in 1990, and I have been with the company for the last 28 years." In that time, Myers has traveled much of the country and established a multitude of ties in the dental community. "Between 1981 and 1991, I covered seven states, from Arizona to Montana," he says. In 1991, he was promoted to central regional manager, and for two years, he covered Michigan to Colorado. Since 1993, Myers has been GC’s western regional manager, covering everything west of the Rockies. "Every place I have worked, from the Plains to the mountains to the coastal areas, from small country runs to big city calls, has provided me with great memories," he says. "What makes it all worthwhile, though, are the rewarding relationships I have developed with my distributor rep partners. These strong bonds have helped to make my time on the road almost as comfortable as home."
"Simply covering the territory is the easy part about sales," Myers points out. "Careful planning and time management are essential to make my trips productive." Just as important is the ability to balance his time on the road with his family time, he adds. "Joan has been extremely supportive and understanding – the [backbone] in raising our two children, Kristyn and Angela, who have both grown into wonderful adults." In fact, Angela left her teaching career two years ago to join her husband, Brian, in Peru, where they both work for the Peace Corps.
"They have been living and working in an isolated village in the mountains of Peru for two years, and they are scheduled to come home this January," says Myers. "They are an 8-hour bus ride from the nearest city. You must travel for four hours on a dirt road to get there. They have no hot water, no telephone – They are in the middle of nowhere! We couldn’t be prouder of them. They put together environmental programs (waste management/collection, recycling, etc.), and Brian works with the villagers on their hygiene, teeth care, etc.
"Joan, Kristyn and I visited Peru last September for 2 ½ weeks," he continues. We spent a few days in their home village meeting the people, and then left to tour Peru. The villagers think [Angela and Brian] are rock stars! While we were there, they gave us bags of peanuts, papayas and candy. They are very poor, [living in shacks] with dirt floors, but they gave us presents because we are Angela’s family and we were their guests."
Then and now
Nothing stays the same in any industry, but that is especially so in healthcare, Myers has learned. "Change has been constant and will continue at an even faster pace given the many technological advances we see," he says. "Digital and CAD/CAM technology are changing the way many dentists practice. Equally or more important are the new and highly technical advances in material science that have emerged."
Not only is the technology in a constant state of flux, the players have changed as well. "In the 1980s, distribution of [medical products] was very decentralized," Myers says. "Back then, when I introduced a new product or promotion to my dealers, it was mandatory to visit every local branch of every dealer. Each branch made its decisions, from purchasing to product promotion. But, years of mergers and consolidation have changed this. We continue to visit local branches to keep our relationships strong and run sales meetings, but, generally, we no longer write orders or sell products at these branches."
Memories
Myers’ years with GC America have yielded a lifetime of memories and relationships, notes Myers, who looks forward to many more years with the company. One memory in particular that stands out is of an incident that occurred in his early days as a regional manager. "I had hired a new sales rep, whom I was working with in the territory," he says. The pair was scheduled to fly out one morning to present at a group practice meeting later that day. "We were immersed in a conversation on the way to the airport, and the rep drove about 10 miles past the airport exit. We did finally make it to the airport, [only to discover] the rep had issues with her carry-on bag." The folks at the airport were nice enough to construct a makeshift box with string, in order that the rep could carry her materials for her presentation. But, the story doesn’t end there.
"We get our boarding passes and are racing to the gate, dragging our luggage and our makeshift box, when the rep convinces a skycap to hurry us to the gate," Myers continues. Nevertheless, they arrived just as the airplane was pulling away from the gate. "We did manage to get another flight, and even made it to the presentation, although barely in time," he says. "It was quite a learning experience for both of us." A positive one at that, he adds. "The rep ended up winning numerous sales awards and was promoted to regional manager four years ago," says Myers.
Experiences such as these build relationships, as do team sports, he points out. In fact, his involvement in competitive softball has been key in relationship building. "I have played softball on a competitive team for over 30 years," says Myers, who actually started the team and coached it. Until a few years ago, he also played shortstop. Since then, he has been moved to second base – perhaps due to age, he jokes. "In addition to the experience of organizing and running a team, there are many lessons to be learned in playing with disparate personalities and watching everyone come together to be a successful team." It became apparent long ago to Myers that just as one player alone does not win a season championship, one sales rep alone cannot be successful at dental sales. "It takes a coordinated, unselfish team effort to prevail," he says.
After all these years
After so many years, Myers feels as energized by his work as he did the day he started. "Working for GC America for 28 years has been motivation in itself," he says. "The company’s minimally invasive philosophy of oral health and product development makes it easy to go to work every day."
"It’s easy to continue to be motivated after all these years," he continues. "I truly enjoy my job and the relationships I have developed with the distributor reps I partner with, as well as my GC America colleagues." Indeed, working with distributor reps to "provide solutions for the dentist and superior patient care is rewarding," he points out. "I don’t see myself giving that up any time soon.
As for advice for less seasoned reps? "Wow, there are books and books filled with advice from which to draw," he says. "The dental industry is a great place to work. It presents a daily challenge that can help you grow, as well as an opportunity to succeed. Take it upon yourself to learn dentistry, learn the business and develop strong, lasting relationships with your distributor partners and customers by providing win-win solutions."
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