An Open Letter to Orthopedic Distributors (by Josh Sandberg posted on LinkedIn)
I wanted to write a letter to all of the distributors that carry products in the orthopedic and spine implant industry in an effort to help eliminate some of the frustrations that are often cast upon you. Orthopedic manufacturers have expectations when they sign you up and I’m not convinced they are always clearly communicated but be assured they are there. Everyone knows you are in the trenches dealing with unprecedented challenges such as longer hospital approval processes, declining pricing, reduction of surgeon choice by limiting vendors and a multitude of other challenges you deal with on a day-to-day basis. I think these challenges are understood in the macro, but the expectations companies put on you in the micro don’t always convey that they fully grasp these challenges. Based on the vast amount of sales leaders I speak with, I think there are a few things you can do that will have a dramatic impact on your business and the quality of relationship you can experience with the companies you represent.
Transparency
With the disclaimer that I have not done a well constructed study on this, I would s...
