Patterson Dental

[Anonymous]

Going great! I sell million dollar plus capital and make 3 times as much as any of you clowns that have made the poor decision to stay here.

 

[Anonymous]

Sounds like you fell for another line from a medical/Dental company. Talk to us after the ether wears off and you get out of training.
First you state you were making 4-5 times what you were making at Patterson, now its 3X, which at $50K a year base at PDCO, is a $100-$150,000 a year difference from your first post to your most recent.
So, you plan on making $150,000 a year, first year, no stress, very little work, no "taking care" of your customers, and you can still hit the gym during the week. That is really great. What everyone in the US wants: lots of money, no stress, no aggravation plenty of time and loads of money. The entitled, lived at home until I'm Forty, always win a trophy mentality.
If the job market is so great all of us losers here at Patterson, a $3.5 Billion company should definitely start looking. Thanks for the heads up.

Sounds like sour grapes from an older rep or someone without a degree who is stuck.

Before Patterson I made double the starting base and bonus with a company car. I had all expenses covered and worked a lot less with customers who on average were smarter. Then the crash and that company folded. I waited and now Im getting calls all the time, just matter of selecting tbe right one.

Yes a person with a degree and other medical sales experience can make more doing a lots less busy work than in dental.

 

[Anonymous]

Sounds like sour grapes from an older rep or someone without a degree who is stuck.

Before Patterson I made double the starting base and bonus with a company car. I had all expenses covered and worked a lot less with customers who on average were smarter. Then the crash and that company folded. I waited and now Im getting calls all the time, just matter of selecting tbe right one.

Yes a person with a degree and other medical sales experience can make more doing a lots less busy work than in dental.

I totally agree. The only people who stick around this gong show are people who are stuck and people who can't hold a job for more than a year or two. If you are doing this job after the age of 25, you have missed the boat! Enjoy working 50+ hours a week for 80k and a crappy car and expense package. Great career choice! You should have listened to your hS counselor

 

[Anonymous]

I'm the heart and soul poster, and what I mean by 'less work' is that I am now selling 4 products instead of 100,000. So when you can focus on a territory that is your own (and other vulture, tenured reps can't just take accounts from you once got them moving again) and have a small, expensive product line, the craziness just dies down.

And to other posters who think you can't work 60 hours a week and not make money, the point is that you bend over backwards taking care of absolutely everything for accounts because you want to win them over. So even when you do tons of research, follow up, paperwork, visits, favors, for them in an effort to win their business, they still shop gray market or give the business to a competitor who tells them to get a price from you and then they'll beat it.

At some point, it just becomes so completely thankless that you can't take it any more. I worked so hard for my customers and they always took advantage of it because they are the type to rip off their patients, employees and even families. Why should you be special? Why would they treat you respectfully when they don't treat anyone in their lives with respect? That's the kind of office you get when you're a rookie. They don't value the Patterson 'why,' because that's a message that doesn't resonate with them. They are freaking out over pennies and will never see the vision we were supposed to sell.

I did better than all the other rookies I worked with, by far, and the point is that it still isn't enough to ever get off the base.

 

[Anonymous]

"They are freaking out over pennies and will never see the vision we were supposed to sell."

You just summed up the entire dental space in one sentence.

They have No Vision beyond cutting their cotton rolls in half and jer k in g of f in the closet.

A bunch of gomers that call themselves doctors.

Would you let any one of them work on your car ?

 

[Anonymous]

"They are freaking out over pennies and will never see the vision we were supposed to sell."

You just summed up the entire dental space in one sentence.

They have No Vision beyond cutting their cotton rolls in half and jer k in g of f in the closet.

A bunch of gomers that call themselves doctors.

Would you let any one of them work on your car ?

LOL! there was a big debateon another board about Dentists being a doctor. It was quite humerous. The only dentist that is close to being a doc is an oral suregeon. Other than that, they are MD drop outs on a power trip. Making average pay, with high stress.. No wonder it is the #1 sucucude related career! Sales has got to be a close second though

I quit here a few months ago and worked on the East coast. Is it just me or are all of the MD/DC guys a bunch of retarded, fat guys that think they are jersey shore meatheads? I met a few of them tice and I wanted to hang myself. They were "Dumber" than Lloyd Christmas!

 

[Anonymous]

I am in the process of closing on another rental condo (for retirement) and met with my banker today. They know I am longtime/lifetime in dental sales and asked me 'what was up' in dentistry. I told them same old rat race - same d um b people, "why do you ask ". The funding manager said they had 3 general dds declare bankruptcy this month and the bank has begun chasing them to shake them down.

I wished them Good Luck with that. They'll need it. They both looked puzzled, like an infant that p oo ps in their diapers and then smiles b/c is feels all warm and gushy.

I told them never to trust a dentist, and the only thing lower than that is a dental lab tech.

They seemed sincerely surprised. They said they always held them in high esteem. I chortled and left as quick as I could.

When will they ever learn ?

 

[Anonymous]

Let's make this short and sweet.

Dear Doctor:

Why did you become a dentist to begin with? Was it to count nickels?

Did you at one time have dreams and goals, a vision? If so what were they and are you achieving them? Simple economics and logic let us know that your assistant takes more than 2 minutes to check prices. Also, you can not save your way to success. If you were to work with your rep they would probably let you know they could increase your revenue 10% in one year. Now if you have a million dollar office, then that is $100,000. Which would you rather concern yourself with? Making 10% more or saving 10% a year on 5-7% of your budget which is about $50k-$70k in supplies so that equates to saving about $5k-$7k a year. Again, increase production 10% or save 10% of 5-7% of your budget?

Or from the example above $100,000 vs. $5,000 - $7,000.

If the rep does that, then the $5,000 - $7,000 you spend in supplies is well worth it and now you have a new employee for your office who you don't have to pay overtime to, never worry about them being late to work, taking off time for being sick, you don't have to pay benefits to them, and their salary ends up being about $583 a month ($7,000 / 12). Oh the best part is if they don't do what they say they were going to do, you can fire them and not pay them unemployment.

So think about this scenario the next time you are having your assistant look at different websites. Because at $583 per month it doesn't take very long at her salary to reach that when she could have been helping you raise production or doing recall phone calls.

Thanks doc!

Excellent post. The other thing this doctor doesnt mention is that HE too makes a profit from his patients (customers). Of course they mark up their services, they dont do them at cost. Do they resell the Sonic toothbrush they bought for the same price they paid for it? Do they charge the cost for a crown? I mean I could get a crown for some guy down the street for less.

And why do their patients go to them for most things? How about they bring in their own impression material and ask the doctor to use it. Then for x-rays,they know someone that is an assistant at another office so they will bring in their own x-ray to save money. Oh and their brother is a dental rep and knows a lab that will do the crown for free, so dont send it to the lab you know and trust. I just need you to place the crown.

Do you get it now?