Dennis Perreault transferred into electronics sales out of shipping and
receiving. "When I started here, I spent any downtime I had in shipping and
receiving going through catalogs," he says. "I often answered the phone and
I'd be asked these questions, so it was nice."
Heather Phillips switched from being an X-ray technician to marketing medical
electronics. "I'm still using the skills I had as an X-ray technician, I'm
just using them in a different way," she explains.
Both Perreault and Phillips require a lot of technical knowledge to do
their jobs.
"If you don't know the product or don't know what a capacitor does, it's
pretty hard to sit in a chair and answer questions on the phone," says Perreault.
Perreault has been lucky. Years ago, he answered an ad in the newspaper
and started working in shipping and receiving. "I just moved up from there,"
he says. Perreault always had a knack for knowing how things worked. Before
he came to his current job, he worked in alarm installation. His time in shipping
and receiving made him familiar with the different electronic components his
company sells.
"To just step into sales is hard to do," he explains. Perreault says he
made the transition slowly: answering phones here and there, handling questions
and taking orders when the salespeople were busy.
Phillips was working as an X-ray technician when she realized it was the
equipment and commercial side of the job that she found most rewarding. "I
went and did a master's thesis and got into marketing," she explains. The
switch isn't unusual. "Most people in our business come from a technical background
of some sort."
Most people selling medical electronics have some sort of computer background
-- so much of the equipment these days is computerized. Some have degrees
or diplomas in electrical engineering. Phillips says most people in her company
have previous sales experience as well. "Sales skills are transferable across
products," she says. "You have to have an aptitude for technical information."
Phillips' company sells a wide variety of electronic medical equipment
to medical institutions. Phillips says she was hired because of her master's
of business administration. Her knowledge of diagnostic imaging equipment
has made the job easier -- she's been able to tell clients what equipment
best suits their needs and what doesn't.
Phillips says making the sale isn't always the biggest priority. It's better
to make sure hospitals and laboratories get what they need, or they won't
buy from you again. Trust is an important aspect of the sales business. "You've
got to live with customers for the long term," she explains. "You may have
a relationship for 10 years."
Perreault sells electronic components that are used by other companies
and individuals to make larger items. Bulk orders worth $10,000 to $15,000
are not uncommon. Most customers already know what they want when they place
an order, but Perreault says he's often asked to describe what some of the
components do and how they're used.
"You have to have both a good memory and a mechanical aptitude," he says.
Perreault says he likes helping people. "It's nice if you
solve a problem a fellow's had for a while," he says. "When they thank you
up and down, that's great."
The electronics field is very competitive. "You have to be close on margins,"
says Perreault. "But if you can provide exceptional service often, the price
doesn't matter." Exceptional service requires exceptional knowledge of the
product.