Do you feel confident that you have the best dental distribution partner for your dental practice?

In today's episode, Ash is joined by Jeff Van Hess, a sales rep for Patterson Dental, who talks about five tips for choosing a reliable dental distribution partner.

Jeff discusses crucial factors to consider, such as the significance of tenure, building relationships, distribution center proximity, financing capabilities, loyalty programs, and the importance of trust in the relationship. Additionally, Jeff provides an exclusive preview of the latest advancements in dental equipment and the changing dynamics of the market.

To learn more or to connect with Jeff, visit: www.pattersondental.com

If you have specific questions about any of these topics for your practice, or if you'd like to have another question answered on a future podcast, please reach out to the Edwards & Associates team. Please also contact us to find out more about Ash's financial course.

Visit us at: https://EandAssociates.com

Welcome to Beyond by Wings, the business side of dentistry brought to you by Edwards and Associates PC. Join us as we discuss how to build your dental practice, optimize your income, and plan for your future. This podcast is distributed with the understanding that Edwards and Associates PC is not rendering legal, accounting, or professional advice. Listeners should consult with their business advisers before acting on any of the information that is shared. At Edwards and Associates, PC, our business is the business of dentistry. For help or more information, visit our website at enassociates.com. Hello, and welcome to another episode of Beyond Brightwigs. In today's episode, we will be talking about 5 tips for choosing a good dental distribution partner.

In other words, your sales rep. And to talk further about the subject matter, we also have a very special guest. His name is Jeff Van Hess. He's a sales rep for Patterson Dental. So without further ado, hey, Jeff. How are you doing?

Hey, Ash. Thanks for the invite.

Oh, my pleasure. So it's been a while in the making of this episode, specifically today. I mean, The weather has not really been on our side.

No. It definitely has not. We didn't think that it would be this cold in Texas, but here we are so bundled up and Ready to give you some good information.

Perfect. Awesome. So to get started, I mean, I know we have a lot of listeners that are Dental practice owners or folks that are working in the dental industry. And oftentimes, I would say not oftentimes, but all times really, They will come across a sales rep that they will be working with in the future and at present. What are some of the things that you would say they should be Looking out for when they're picking 1.

Ash, great question. So I will elaborate a little bit. We've seen a lot of changes

Mhmm.

In the dental market Really over the last 2 years, more in the last 2 years than we've had in the last 10. And having been a dental sales rep for 30 plus years, We see a lot of changes even in the next year, even further than than we've seen to this point.

Mhmm.

We see that in the dental dynamics of the dealer, And I'm saying dealer generally because most of the dealers we have some dealers that are closing their doors and no showrooms. Mhmm. So it's just limited distribution. Okay. We have some people that are driving in the market to build those territories, but there's been a lot of change, not just on the manufacturing side Of the dental manufacturers, but also in regards to the dealers and distribution. Mhmm. And when I say that, You asked about 5 different things that we could look at as far as a sales rep. Mhmm.

We look at 1 would be the tenure. How long has that sales rep been in business, and what do they know? And I elaborate a little bit further before I answer the other ones is You have to have a knowledge and expertise.

Mhmm.

We literally are like a glorified consultant. Mhmm.

You

could have a sales rep that could tell you what color the gloves are, k. And what the GU is but when you really look at 2 different things, you look at an equipment specialist that's gonna help with choosing of the equipment, Practice management software, office design, but then you also have the supplies, okay, which is separated. There's 2 different people. So you have supplies and equipment. So as we look at those things and choosing a rep, you wanna have someone that knows and has some knowledge and expertise and some tenure. So that would be 1. Okay? Number 2, it's not just about the supplies and selling something. You have to build a relationship.

So that would be the next key, is relationship with that territory rep. And how long are they gonna be there? We see people come and go very quickly. The people that have been here the longest have the most knowledge. So to be able to pass that along because these doctors a lot of time don't have time to educate themself Even with today's technology and reading and the things that are available online, but it's really hard to gain that knowledge and expertise without having someone and telling, Hey. What are some things specifically you're interested in?

Right. Right. Right. No. That makes sense. And you would think that somebody who's been in the industry for a while Probably has built all those relationships that may come in handy for, the dentist that's currently seeking for a good rep.

That is correct. Right? Because, obviously, we have price is important when we're purchasing, okay, but the things that are often missing is the relationship, k. And the service and maintenance as well as the quality. So if we look at all those things and we're able to determine What makes the best rep if we even break it down and not to get to too many things, but you've got not just the equipment piece, Okay. But getting a lender, a real estate person, if we're looking for a new office, okay, then we start looking at practice management software. Or how is technology gonna be integrated into your practice? How are we gonna be taking those X rays? So back to Just having those things, you also have HIPAA, OSHA fee schedules. So there's a lot that goes on to a dental practice that is not just about sales. So having someone that's knowledgeable about all of those things is very important When choosing someone or a dealer to purchase your things through because there's some added value Mhmm.

That a lot of times goes unrecognized. As we see the transition in dental meetings, dental conventions, those have really been kinda dying over the last couple years. So that's where most dentists would go to get their information. They would take a CE course. Right. Okay. But with technology and everything online, A lot of those things get missed, and then the doctor at the end of the year goes, oh my gosh. We have to get these CD credits

Uh-huh.

Before, and then they rush to take something online. And we do have programs through the dealer that they'll that are available for them to get those CEs.

And that's very helpful, I'm sure, To our doctors.

Very helpful for their credentials because, obviously, they require so many hours a year to be able to keep their their dental license. So Having those things are important when choosing things as well.

Right. Right. So what I'm also hearing is that when you're picking a rep, make sure that the rep is representing a dealer That also keeps up with the changes of the current market. You just mentioned that things have changed vastly, you know, not just from a logistics standpoint, but also from How the doctors themselves are operating, when we're talking about student credits. Before it was more of a face to face interaction at conventions. These days, they may be opting more for online fee credits, and that's where, you know, the dealers need to be aware of that and be able to also Offers some kind of a platform online where they can get educated on the equipment that they're looking for or the supplies or whatever else they may need for the procedures that they've learned at the fee course.

I agree. And even more important is being educated on the larger purchases. Okay. It's one thing to purchase supplies or sundries, but if you're looking at that large purchase that is, let's say, a laser, CBVT, cone beam, Integration of technology, maybe even a switching of software, okay? And there's so many things that are out there today that You read about that are misleading.

Mhmm.

I would say in a sales rep, one that knows everything about all those products, not just about their own but about their competitors and be able to sit down and do a needs analysis for that dentist to know what's best for their practice, k. What is best for your practice and how does that technology fit into that? Right. I think those are key and a lot of times, if you don't have a showroom, you can't show your product and if you don't Have a demo, and we do in office demos for all the products that we sell.

Mhmm.

And we bring the manufacturer's rep in there so we can educate that doctor

Mhmm.

So that they can Be happy and understand that what they're paying for and the decision they met is making is best for their practice.

I see. I see. And you actually brought up an interesting point there. I mean, You'd be surprised how many of our clients, and I'm sure there are other dentists out there, that are underutilizing their technology. So learning things like proper integration of technology, that can enable them to offer additional services without having to, you know, purchase anything more can really help with their collections, really. So having a rep that can provide them with that information and that education, I think it's Invaluable.

I couldn't agree more. Invaluable is a great word. If you look at let's use A CBVT cone beam Mhmm. Purchase.

Mhmm.

It's probably one of the largest purchases that a dentist is gonna make make. How does that integrate? And there's a lot of variance in those products too because it depends on the size of the volume that that doctor needs. An endodontist is gonna have a smaller volume Mhmm. Than an oral surgeon or someone in TMJ. Mhmm. Okay? Or even ortho. Mhmm. But if we don't know what those things are and we underutilize that technology, k.

And then we sit down and have further discussions because on the dental side, we build that through a different You see, you build that through on the dental side. Mhmm. A lot of times, there's a code and a lot of doctors don't know about this. There's a code on the medical side. Okay. So they can put that on the medical benefits. It's still a three d scan. You're still taking a pan, But instead of putting that on their dental insurance, you're gonna be able to file that on their medical insurance, which makes a big difference for the dentist Because then it's not going against the dental benefit.

It can literally go towards the medical side, and we could then have further discussions about how that integrates into the practice To recoup some of those scan fees.

Right. Right. Right. Right. No. Absolutely. So okay. So we've talked about why it's important to pick a rep That's knowledgeable, educated, and has had some decent nearership that may also bring some additional relationships that The rep may have fostered over the years.

Now let's talk about maybe another criteria to look at when we're picking a rep.

So let's also Uh-huh. Look at 1 and sorry to interrupt you there, Ash, but one of the thing is we talked about distribution, okay, and the availability of products. Mhmm. I just wanted to hit on that note why it was fresh. So you've gotta know where the location and how fast those products are shipping from a distribution center. Right. So a lot of times, we don't think about how fast that's gonna be get how that product's gonna get

here. Mhmm.

If we look at inventory management, k. If the doctor's storing a lot of inventory and making a bulk purchase upfront, it's gonna sit in inventory and some things have an expiration date. Right. If you look at a distribution center and most of the time, a good dealer will be able to ship their product within a day or 2 at the most, You place an order by a certain time, let's say it's 4 o'clock in the afternoon, most dealers will be able to deliver the next day Because we're gonna have most of those 99% of those marked products in the distribution center. Mhmm. So that's that's very important. Some of the other things that you're looking online might be a little bit cheaper but then you don't know what you're getting. That's right.

And

not to open a can of worms but you get into your core products, Then you get into what we call gray market, which is you're really close on an expiration date and you don't necessarily may know what you're gonna be getting when you're buying online because it doesn't show you the expiration of the products you're getting. So, those may arrive and you have a week or so to use them. And then we have black market, which a lot of people don't discuss, But those black market products are products by the manufacturers or other manufacturers that are saying that they are equivalent to or like to certain products When actually they're not because you don't really know what you're getting. So to have a rep to be able to explain those things versus just somebody buying purely something online because Price are a very huge factor.

Right. Okay. So to follow-up on what you just mentioned, now let's say and I'm going to Create a scenario. So let's say we have a dentist who is in a rural part of a state and is planning on opening up a practice. And, you know, someone mentioned to them that, hey, maybe you should also get in touch with the rep. What kind of steps should this dentist take, in his or her research before picking the rep. Regarding to the distribution center, like the proximity.

As far as the distribution center, This day and day this day and age with Amazon, FedEx, and and, even UPS, I wouldn't be as concerned about Getting the product there, I would be more interested in having a routine from that territory rep. Okay? Is that territory rep following up? The good ones are always gonna be available at any point in time, obviously, via technology, text, email, call. But also coming by and educating and being present in the office. So there's times that, you know, every 2 weeks is a rotation that's standard, Even a rural or urban area to be able to have the rep that's consistent and is always coming by, it may be something that you're looking about products but then we get into service and maintenance of the equipment.

Right.

You may come in one day and the sterilizer's not working or there may be a problem with the handpiece, Something with a delivery system. The things that you don't think about on a day to day basis, but when you think about a rep that's consistent and always coming by. There's gonna be a lot of things that that rep does besides just selling product. They're gonna come and help with a service call.

Wow. I wasn't aware of that, actually. So that's good to know. So your rep can actually assist you with the, maintenance of the product.

That is correct.

Okay.

So let's use A vacuum and compressor and a sterilizer. Those are the the heart of the practice. So, vacuum, compressor, sterilizer. If any one of those 3 are down, the doctor can't see patients.

Right.

Those cost time and money.

Mhmm.

K. Especially in a rural area where, as you just mentioned earlier about how cold it is Mhmm. We get power outages. So You have a rep that you have that's on speed dial. Hey. You know what? Vacuum and compressor's down. I can have a tech without out there within a few hours. So those things that we don't talk about when we're buying things, but having a rep that's gonna be able to do all of those things, helping set up a service Getting a technician out there to keep you up and going are invaluable.

Sterilizer, there's service and maintenance that have to be done Annually, monthly, and weekly for a vacuum. Mhmm. Same thing on a sterilizer. Okay? So knowing and be preemptive on preventative maintenance is gonna be key in setting up that protocol. We have ways that we could track that now with technology from our end on the dealer side But then also for the staff, you could even have a sheet that's on the back of the door in the mechanical room that shows when it was last service and maintained. Mhmm. Because if you have clogged filters on a compressor, that affects performance. If you're not cleaning the vacuum trap that has debris, that affects performance.

Mhmm.

The sterilized water or the distilled water that you're filling with your sterilizer. So all those things and a good rep knows not Just about one thing, but should know about pretty much all the things that happens in a dental practice.

You made a good point there. That's right. And I'm also thinking of I I know we said 5 points, but I feel like, you know, this conversation, it they all these points kinda go hand in hand. So I have to, like, Pull out oh, there was another point, I think, that we talked about that needs to be, you know, highlighted here. You talked a little bit about the Support system that the rep will bring in after the equipment has been sold. So meaning, you know, lending. You know, what if the dentist needs to Borrow money to buy the equipment. So maybe that's also another factor to look into when you're picking a rep.

Yeah. 100%. So if you look at The entire process. So obviously, the purchasing. Mhmm. If you're purchasing from a dealer, they should be able to provide very quick service Maintenance and in addition to that, when you're looking at the larger purchases, you hit a great point is the financing capability. So I know with us, we finance our own equipment, we have great rates, no pre penalty for early payoff, And those are cost saving measures that help tremendously is that where you're not locked in with someone on a bank where you have to pay a note and you're gonna pay a fee because you're ending that contract early.

Mhmm.

K. So we break those into segments whether it's new office, office design, equipment, your large purchases, supplies, Service maintenance and then the add on things that you don't think about, HIPAA training, OSHA training, Fee schedules, making sure that those fee schedules are up to date. So if you kinda look at that umbrella, those are 5 things right there

Mhmm.

That a good rep should be doing for you. And there's many more that we could deep dig deep in later, but I would say if those are the core, I would look at those.

Absolutely. Now some dealers also provide a loyalty program. Is that right?

That is correct. Most large Deals that do a loyalty program where as you're purchasing equipment, you're accruing dollars towards future supplies or As you're buying supplies, you're gonna accrue dollars to purchase future equipment. So depending on the program, but typically every dealer has a program that would have Added value for you being a dedicated customer Mhmm. That obviously and we have some leverage there too. So if you're buying supplies from us and you need some service, You get on a priority list. Right. If you haven't purchased something for a long period of time and then all of a sudden we're having an emergency, those other those other customers that are Paying and buying from us on a weekly, monthly, yearly basis are gonna have a priority there. So we have some leverage on a buying customer to be able to pull Strength.

Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. So all the more reasons to pick a good rep in the early stages of your practice.

That is

correct. Okay. That's good to know. So that covers 4 things. For the 5th tip, what would you say is important.

I would say for the 5th tip, pick a rep that you can trust. K? One that you know is not gonna be misleading or just Out for their own intentions. I mean, most of the good reps that I've dealt with over my 30 years, morally and ethically, are gonna take care of the customer. Right. Having done this for so long, we're gonna weed out the people that are looking out for their best interests and not for the doctor's best interest. Mhmm. We know who those people are, and we will steer them away from that.

Mhmm.

So having that, it literally is like a marriage. You have a trust and relationship that you can count on the dealer to come Follow through at any point. Mhmm. You're always there. I mean, even to the point where myself, it's nights and weekends. It's not just during business hours.

Mhmm.

Okay? And to have I require my clients to have at least a quarterly or An annual meeting to sit down and look at the things that the doctor needs.

Mhmm.

We put a plan together on future equipment purchases. We know what's being pulled. We know what's having a little bit age. We could put a plan together to be preemptive, so we don't have some product failures.

Mhmm.

But at the same time, we wanna know what's gonna build that practice whether that's new technology, cameras, sensors, integration on some of the software, patient reminders, typically, things like that.

I see. So truly a partner, not just, you know, a salesperson, but a partner who's equally invested in the business as the owner.

That is correct.

Now that's that's a good tip there. So what would be one way, like, if if I were to be the dentist, how could I tell That okay. This rep is someone I can trust. What what what would you say are some of the markers that I can be on the lookout for for that?

So I would I always tell the doctor to interview the person that they're gonna be working with. Okay? Just as a dentist gets a referral from a from a patient.

Mhmm.

The best thing that could happen is a a re a patient refers them to another patient, and that person has enough trust to come in and see that dentist. Mhmm. That's how a good rep builds their reputation in the marketplace Perfect. Is we've done that same thing. Don't let the salesperson sell you on themself.

Mhmm.

Talk to their peers. Ask around. Right?

Right.

We're in Dallas, but you go anywhere in the metroplex or anywhere else in the United States, the good reps are gonna have a reputation That is gonna be aware from all the people whether it's like yourself and we're talking to CPAs, okay, other construction people, Real estate people, even down to the sign and IT people that are involved, right, so everyone has an IT company. So sometimes a doctor just has to know who to ask and have the right question, and there's nothing against talking to several different people. I mean, I refer I ask my dentist to go out and say, hey. You know what? We know you have a choice. Go out and meet some of my competitors, okay, but Ask a few of your peers, and I can give you a list of references. But I always say that that's the best form because then, obviously, the people that are out there that are Referring just like patients do to the dentist. Uh-huh. They're the ones that are gonna know the truth.

That's an excellent tip there.

Thank you. It's, one thing that we've always said on my team is your reputation and trust are the most important thing, So being able to provide value, there's so many other consultants. There's other people that are entering this market that are doing seminars, CEs, Design courses, and we know they're out there, but a lot of times, they're misleading. So if you go to any of those courses, Keep an open mind. Okay? That isn't the telltale answer. That's the only thing. Keep an open mind and maybe ask And and even ask call the Patterson, your local branch, call some of the other dealer branches and ask who who is a good person to be able to come through and educate them on some new products or to help them with pricing or to help them with service and maintenance. Every one of the good reps will absolutely show up and help that dentist through that whole process.

That's good to know. I agree. Now as a bonus tip, now before we actually started the recording, you mentioned that you had recently come back from, a conference of sorts where there's going to be a new equipment available. Is that something maybe you can talk a little bit about?

I sure can. A lot of the manufacturers have been changing distribution and positioning. Some Products were only sold through a dealer. Mhmm. K? And those dealers carried many different product lines. So let's say they had 5 different things that They carried.

Mhmm.

And let's say it was a scaler, a sterilizer, a chair, and a sensor. A lot of these manufacturers are dedicating their own sales force so that they only are trained on their own products. Their own products, then they're going out and educating the dentist. So as you look at how the market's changing, as I mentioned, especially over the last 2 years versus obviously in the years to come, knowing what those products are, I think it's important. I myself go to a training once a month. Mhmm. K. Because that's I have to stay in the note.

Technology changes way too fast For the dentist, let alone when he's chairside, to keep up with it. Same thing on my end. So I think it's my responsibility to go and know what those Products are so I could come meet with the dentist and educate them on those things, and that's what's happening on a lot of these products. There's so many things to know about Whether it's practice management and integration and reminders, if it's billing, claims, some of the other products are available, There's just a lot. Right? So the doctors obviously focused on the oral cavity, but you also have the front end and back end of the business. So to be able to know those things, so I think it's important for me to know and educate my dentist on what they have that are available. So Having that knowledge and expertise, and that's why I pair up with all of my manufacturers. So I'm in the know about new products that are coming up, some things I can share, Some things I can't, but I also know they're coming and I know the status of that company.

We've seen a lot of manufacturers come and go over the years, Peltman and Crane being one of them. They've been bought and sold 3 times in the last 30 years and they, a year and a half ago, went bankrupt and no longer can get service And maintenance parts, so so those dentists that have a Pellet and Crane product in their office have no way for service and maintenance, and they paid good money for those. So we always take into consideration and we're looking at those things as the doctor's making a purchase decision to make sure that we can say, hey, you know what, that might be something that might not look at Just because of, let's say, COVID, we had, obviously, this recent model where a lot of things were coming in from China, The distribution was shut down. So now we don't have the availability, so now we're looking for other replacement things that are gonna fill that point.

Oh, I see. So staying ahead of the curve.

Absolutely. Knowing what's coming, what the status of, let's say, a manufacturer is, is that product have a life cycle? If it does, what's the replacement gonna be or is there gonna be a replacement? And having those things are invaluable.

Right. That's fantastic, Jeff. So for our listeners out there who may want to reach out to you with questions or maybe, you know, with the possibility of working with you, would you mind sharing your contact information with them now?

Absolutely. So it's Jeff Vanhess and that's j e f f v a n, capital h e s s. Jeff Van Hess with Patterson Dental, and my phone number is 214 9128 512. And if you prefer email, email is jeff dotvanhess, so jeff.vanhessat Patterson Dental, all one word with two t's, pattersondental.com.

Fantastic. Alright, Jeff. Well, it was such a pleasure to have you on our episode Today was great, and I'm sure our listeners are going to be very appreciative of all the information that they've gathered today.

Thank you, folks, for the opportunity. Great speaking with you, And we'll speak soon again in the future.

I look forward to that. Thank you. Thanks for listening today. Be sure to subscribe to Beyond by Wings on your favorite podcast platform. For more information, you can follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, or reach Out to us on our website. You can also shoot us an email at info at e and associates.com.