to solve their problems

Staying Power

Fisher Healthcare’s Steve Orlando has learned over a 46-year career that when you own the relationship, the customers will come to you first to solve their problems.

By Graham Garrison

Steve Orlando had a decision to make. He’d just graduated from the University of Florida, and was eyeing grad

school. But several friends who’d also graduated from college were encouraging him to test the job market. It was a tough choice, but Orlando eventually decided to interview with a diagnostic laboratory supplier. He got the job, “and it’s the only job I’ve had for 46 years,” Orlando said.

Steve Orlando

That company, Curtin Matheson, would eventually be acquired by Thermo Fisher Scientific. Today, Orlando is a senior account executive for Fisher Healthcare, selling laboratory products and solutions to customers in the hospital market on the west coast of Florida. Orlando’s territory runs from Tampa to Naples, serving about 50 to 60 customers.

Orlando loves the territory, the customers, and the company he works for – all important reasons for why he has remained committed to his role since 1976. “The geography is fantastic,” he said. “When I took the job, I knew that healthcare was growing as the population was aging. I just thought it would be a good industry to be in, and I’ll tell you, the company has always treated me right. So, I stayed here with them and built a life in Sarasota.”

Then and now

When Orlando started in his territory, the role involved mostly taking orders and selling products. Orlando would visit customers and do inventory for them onsite. “I’d walk around with a notepad and take orders, if you can imagine that,” he said. “They’d ask, ‘Steve, what do we need today?’ And I’d walk around,

and say, ‘Oh, you need five of these, ten of those.’ Then they would give me a purchase order, and I would call it in from a bank of pay phones at the hospital. I’d have to wait for my turn because there were usually a lot of sales reps lined up at the pay phones calling in orders.”

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, pricing was not a huge concern. “People just wanted their product,” he said. “There wasn’t that much competition.” But priorities have changed over the years with electronics, GPOs and online ordering. “I very rarely will touch an order now,” Orlando said. “Now I consult the customer on products, and then they go ahead and order it online. The pricing is already set by the group purchasing organization.”

Through the years, Orlando has transitioned into more of a consultative approach to his territory. He’s more focused on the relationship, “because when you own the relationship, the customers come to you first to solve their problems and solve their needs,” he said. “I might not have every item or solution, but I can let them know where to find it.”

Customers know when a rep is more interested in a sale than a relationship, Orlando said. “They can smell it when it’s about you and just making a sale,” he said. “I think too many reps just go in thinking about how they’re going to make their number. But you must focus on what the customer wants, and all that other stuff comes.”

The pandemic’s lessons

While most of Orlando’s calls are back in-person, the long-time rep found that the pandemic actually strengthened his relationships with customers, even with remote interactions. “It made my communication

Orlando family: Steve, Michelle and Sarah.

stronger because I was basically tethered at home to my computer, and I could answer any question within minutes,” he said. “I could provide quotes. I could check back-orders. I could find stock from other locations.” And customers became accustomed to the immediate response time. Orlando said reps that responded quicker wound up building stronger relationships with their existing customers. “The customers were really stressed out during the pandemic, and they just needed help. You could hear it in their voices, and you could see it in their emails.”

There are still supply chain issues on some common items customers order like collection tubes, he said. Practice managers and supply chain departments are also under the gun to find the best price for their organizations, so customers are shopping around more to verify they’re getting the best price. Orlando has seen an uptick in request for proposals (RFPs). Still, he thinks he earned a lot of good will during the pandemic, “and that good will now is paying off. Although we’re all still having to navigate supply chain issues, they’re still coming to me first, and that’s what I care about.”

Orlando said in today’s market, he relies on his supplier partners more than ever because of the technical support they can provide. “I sell thousands of products. I can’t know everything about each product,” he said. “So, I rely on my supplier partners and I’ve been blessed with some great suppliers over the years.” Orlando can

set up a meeting and get the suppliers into places where they might have difficulty getting in, because distributors are in there every week. He tries to bring them value, and by doing that, it helps Orlando too because he doesn’t have to worry too much about the technical selling part. “I let them do that, and I do the follow-up. And they appreciate that. So, relying on suppliers is big for me right now.”

Balance and meaning

Outside of work, Orlando and his wife like traveling and cooking. He is also very involved at his church. Orlando plays bass guitar in the worship band and participates in several ministry programs.

“Having my faith really helps me have balance, and shows me what’s important in life,” he said. “Faith allows you to not let worldly problems bother you too much. I have more of an eternal perspective than focusing on the day-to-day hassles. Believe me, I still get frustrated, but having faith helps me to find the balance that we all strive for, because this distribution job is not for the squeamish.”

One thing Orlando said he’s enjoyed lately is becoming a mentor to younger reps. It’s a way for him to give back to his company by helping to grow strong representatives. “Fisher Healthcare’s representatives have some of the best longevity track records in the country,” he said. “I think our average longevity is 10 to 15 years, and for this industry, that’s pretty good.”

Orlando knows that it can be frustrating for a new rep coming into the industry to navigate all the various procedures and get up to speed on product knowledge. So, he encourages new reps to call him in the heat of the battle, and he offers

Steve Worship Team.

advice. “After 46 years, I’ve pretty much come across every situation that you could possibly come across in distribution,” he said. “They really appreciate that my phone is always available to them. They know they can call me anytime.”

Orlando said the new reps are competent, smart with electronics and quick studies. What they’ll need to develop in their territory, though, is patience. “A lot of the younger professionals may not have the patience to stay around long enough to see the fruition of growing a territory,” he said. “It’s really important to stay around and build those relationships. Remember, you’re selling relationships with the customers. You can’t do that if you’re only there for a year and a half. I always implore younger reps who may be having a tough day to stay. They may be having a bad month, but next month’s going to be better. You’ve just got to stick it out.”

Sticking it out has led to a very fruitful 46 years and counting for Orlando. His job holds meaning for improving health outcomes for today’s patients, and he’s got the relationships and the knowledge to fulfill that purpose. “When you’re a distribution rep, you’re solving problems all day, and you’re helping your customers. What can be better than that?”

Hurricane Ian’s impact on Southwest Florida

Hurricane Ian was the deadliest hurricane to strike the state of Florida since the 1935. Ian strengthened to a Category 4 storm as it made landfall west of Fort Myers, Florida, on September 28, 2022, and caused a tremendous amount of destruction.

Steve Orlando’s entire sales territory was affected by Hurricane Ian. In Southwest Florida, the damage in the Fort Myers/Naples area was catastrophic. “Many of my customers were affected both personally by damage to their homes, as well as their workplaces,” Orlando said.

Several hospitals were closed and had to redirect patients to other facilities in the state. Orlando said there were accounts that had lost power for long periods of time, and lost reagents and supplies that needed to be replaced immediately so they could reopen the facilities. “I did my best to assist in having orders shipped overnight, review inventory needs and provide round the clock answers to customer inquiries.”

It will take a long time for this area to recover, Orlando said, “but the healthcare facilities are functioning well now and continuing to take care of their employees and their patients.”