Michelle Jackson

I'm a people person, so if I can get out and meet people, that's the fastest way for me to build a relationship. I think that's most beneficial to me in my role. You know, if I'm sitting behind my computer 24-7, it's not really productive. You can reach out to somebody 100 times through email, but it's just not the same as a face-to-face interaction. The body language and everything else that comes with meeting in person makes all the difference. Even though I'm an inside sales rep and not required to travel for my job, I choose to go visit hospitals on my own time and attend conferences because those face-to-face meetings are where I can really build the relationships that lead to success.

Sales is really hard, and you have to be willing to hear no because you hear no every day. You cannot let it dishearten you. You just have to stick with it. They might say no today, but that doesn't mean no forever. I've had accounts that I've chased for years where they've told me no, and finally, one day out of the blue, they'll call and say, hey, do you have this? We need to open an account. That persistence and understanding that no doesn't mean never has been crucial to my success in this field.

You have to have self-motivation to succeed in this field. Our turnover rate, especially for retail reps, is very high because people don't like being told no, and your paycheck is based on if you're selling. Nobody else can help you with motivation. You just have to find it within yourself. Set a goal, and then achieve the goal. You cannot let hearing no dishearten you. You have to stick with it and keep pushing forward, because that no today doesn't mean no forever.

Hospitals are the hardest pharmacies to open. Most hospitals only buy from their primary wholesaler, and KeySource is a secondary wholesaler, so we're there to fill in supply gaps when they can't get something from their primary wholesaler. The biggest challenge is getting in the door and convincing them to use us. However, most of my bigger accounts end up using us for price savings once they see the value. I'm constantly negotiating prices to meet the point they need so they can purchase items from us. The communication aspect is challenging too, especially since I'm inside sales and not required to travel. The only travel I do is if I choose to visit a hospital on my own time or attend conferences. Planning the travel, figuring out who I'm going to talk to, and prioritizing who I have to speak with can be difficult. At the conference in Louisville last week, I had the opportunity to meet with about 40 different health systems, but I still had at least 10 hospitals I was hoping to speak with that I ran out of time for.

Building genuine human connections is most important to me, both professionally and personally. In my work, I want people to see me as a human, not just another sales rep posting about drugs and reimbursements. I do a lot of LinkedIn connections and I'm constantly messaging back and forth with people, but since I'm in the office, it's limited what I can post. When I go to conferences, there's plenty of things to talk about and post, but I don't want to be boring. I want positive visibility that shows who I really am as a person. In my personal life, I like to spend every minute I can with my kids, and we try to stay outside learning about real-world things. It's normal for us to just go to a river and go looking for animals, asking what kind of animals can we find today and what can we learn about them. Whether it's work or family, it's all about those face-to-face interactions and real connections.