Taking Care of Accounts

The New Normal

Taking Care of Accounts

What distributor reps did during social distancing in their territories

In a recent podcast, Dail-eNews editor Daniel Beaird

and Scott Adams, publisher of Repertoire magazine discussed the challenges for distribution reps under the nationwide social distancing measures in place, and how the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way distribution reps approach their calls.

Staying in front of accounts

While there were no more face-to-face meetings amid shelter-in-place orders throughout the nation, Adams said reps were doing everything they could on a regular basis to stay in front of accounts. “It hasn’t been difficult – the accounts are calling them,” he said.

Along with an increased volume of texts and emails, reps were on phone calls 12-14 hours a day with physician practices, nurses, and doctors calling with lots of questions.

Reps know that when they are on the phone with customers, there should be no noise. “It has to be a very focused conversation,” Adams said. “It’s all about helping customers. They all told me their relationships have played a huge role in working through the situation, not just with customers, but working upstream with manufacturers as well. Manufacturer relationships are just as important in getting that information so reps can relay it down to the accounts.”

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The New Normal

Adams said clear and honest communication with manufacturer partners is key, “especially on the PPE products,” he said. Although difficult to answer during a fluid situation, the more accurate and timely the information manufacturer partners can provide, the better. “I know how difficult that is to answer with how much pressure has been put on these PPE manufacturers, but it does help when they get good clear information to accounts – even when it’s not good news.”

Remaining relevant

Indeed, amid the COVID-19 pandemic reps felt they are more relevant with their accounts than they have ever been. “This is from reps who have been in their territory a couple years all the way up to three decades,” said Adams.

Adams provided several reasons. First, reps are helping physician practices find PPE products. “That’s absolutely top of the list.” Second, reps are helping customers forecast what their real needs are. Third, reps are providing assistance with business planning.

Fourth, “and to no one’s surprise,” Adams said reps are just listening to their customers. “They are listening to their customers express fears and frustrations. Customers are worried about their jobs and practices. Accounts are asking ‘How can my practice be more successful?’ ‘How can we stay in business?’”

Accounts are asking for advice on whether they should extend hours, how they can learn more about telemedicine, and even if they should open up drive throughs for patients who are scared of coming into an office amid virus fears. “All the reps I talked to told me they’ve become better at mass communication – getting mass amounts of information out to their accounts on time,” Adams said. “They’re just trying to do everything they can to help these practices stay open and take care of people.”

Lasting impact

The med/surg community is already discussing how the COVID-19 will change supply chain down the road. Many have speculated that Just-in-Time delivery will be a thing of the past. “Having just enough inventory on hand as a manufacturer, distributor and provider – I don’t know after this if anyone will allow to happen again,” Adams said.

One rep provided Adams an illustration of how conversations with customers are changing. “Think about a doctor having 10 gowns and masks for 10 employees,” Adams recounted. “The doctor now knows that in order to stay in business, the practice needs 10 gowns per day, every day that the pandemic could last. In our case in the Metro Atlanta area, for the foreseeable future that’s at least a month. So that doctor needs 220 gowns, 220 masks, 220 visors, 220 boxes of gloves, etc., just to truly be prepared for what’s coming.”

The rep told Adams that talking with this accounts in this way moving forward will be the top priority to make sure everyone is prepared. If an account hesitates to plan appropriately, the rep would simply remind them of the Spring of 2020, when it became apparent how important supplies were. “A lot of it comes down to not that accounts don’t want to buy more PPE products, but they don’t have room for them in a practice. We’ll have to change how all of that is done,” Adams said.

Amid the pandemic, distributor reps have taken their role in healthcare seriously. “They know getting these products into the hands of these providers is job No. 1 for all of America right now,” Adams said. “I don’t think America realizes it yet, but distribution reps, the warehouse workers, delivery personnel – are all front and center and just as important as the caregivers.”

To listen to the full podcast, visit: http://repertoiremag. com/dail-enews-podcast-2.html.

“A lot of it comes down to not that accounts don’t want to buy more PPE products, but they don’t have room for them in a practice. We’ll have to change how all of that is done.” – Scott Adams, publisher of Repertoire magazine