Patterson Dental

[Anonymous]

I have read many of these post, and can agree, and disagree with many of them. I have been selling something or another for my entire career. In that time I have been a top producer, or at least the top 10% in every job I have ever held. I discovered the Dental industry by mistake while looking for something in the medical industry. (Same business model.) After doing an extensive amount of homework on my own, and talking with several dental distributors, I chose to go with Patterson. I cannot speak for every branch, but I have had a wonderful experience. Has it been easy? No! Has it always been fun? No!

The people that are successful in this business must have thick skin, and understand that things worth having are not "given" to you. You have to be self deciplined, and patient. I took a complete scratch territory and built it up to quite a successful territory in less than 2 years. I should double what I did last year at the pace I am tracking. I didn't do it by sitting around complaining. It has to be done by hard work, period!

I could sit on here and bash Schein, Burkhart, Holt, Benco, Midwest, Patterson, or whoever. The fact of the matter is that they all have positives and negatives. Do your homework, find where you are a cultural fit, and if your not willing to work your ass off at any of them......choose another career.

I hope this helps some of you that are on here wanting to know what it is really like. This career has been the most humbling of any I have ever had, but I believe in the end it may be the most rewarding. I was used to going straight to the top of the sales force in every other career I have had. This is much different, and you must understand that going in. It is a slower process to build long term relationships, and win accounts from reps that they may have been working with for 15-20 years.

Best of luck to you!

I was just surfing and decided to check in on this site. It has probably been six months since I was here last, and I have since secured a sales position. As I round out my fourth month with Patterson, I have to echo what was written above. This is well said and spot on. I come from the hardlines industry, fortune 500/1000. I like to compete to win. Be honest with yourself and if you can't give it 100% consistently then consider looking in another direction.

There is no magic bullet, just get after it.

 

[Anonymous]

I was just surfing and decided to check in on this site. It has probably been six months since I was here last, and I have since secured a sales position. As I round out my fourth month with Patterson, I have to echo what was written above. This is well said and spot on. I come from the hardlines industry, fortune 500/1000. I like to compete to win. Be honest with yourself and if you can't give it 100% consistently then consider looking in another direction.

There is no magic bullet, just get after it.

How many interviews did you have? What was the whole hiring process like? Timeline? Etc?

 

[Anonymous]

I was just surfing and decided to check in on this site. It has probably been six months since I was here last, and I have since secured a sales position. As I round out my fourth month with Patterson, I have to echo what was written above. This is well said and spot on. I come from the hardlines industry, fortune 500/1000. I like to compete to win. Be honest with yourself and if you can't give it 100% consistently then consider looking in another direction.

There is no magic bullet, just get after it.

I was recently contacted by Milestone Scientific and I know they are working with Patterson. Since you work with Patterson, what is your take with this company? I'm a recent new grad... They didn't really interview me.. he called me to tell me about the position and asked me when I could start. Advice please!!

 

[Anonymous]

I have reservations about this industry. A friend of mine just got fired from a top company. Here is what happened, the manager had an inside sales guy on salary and he wanted to promote him/get him off the books. He took accounts away from my friend (Shelly) and told her that the doctors were dissappointed with her performance. He told her not to go back to these accounts...as to not make the doctor and staff uncomfortable. He gave them to someone else after Shelly had worked years on developing the accounts. This new guy comes in and very well may get an award or company accolade and he is just stealing from the work Shelly did..at her own expense (she was on 100%commission.) Now, she is fired and the manager looks great. His bottom line looks better(took an inside guy off the books) now he pays his own expenses and the branch has more capital. He has a potential rookie of the year...so he looks good to corporate. This manager's philosophy is why work for it when you can steal it from a good worker. Please understand that not all managers will do this. I am saddened to say this did happen to Shelly and now she will spend years rebuilding her territory. By the way, Shelly had the best year she ever had before she was fired. The criteria to fire can be stacked against you by one goal you did not meet. It will be hard for you to find out if a manager is dishonest because no one will ever say anything bad about them for fear of losing their job in a tough economy. Best way to find out about the manager is find reps. that have gone on to other positions. They may in confidence tell you if the manager is o.k.

Warning sales reps. if your manager says your accounts are calling in complaining of your service, it may not be true. Do not give up just hang in there. If anyone else has had this happen to them please post it. I have a feeling what happened to Shelly may be pervasive in this industry. I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news but I think the truth can help you. Some of the reps. in this industry are some of the finest you can work with. They work extremely hard and care about their doctors. Find out through the back door what the manager is like. Best wishes to you.

Thirteen years with the company. Fired. Built my territory to 1m in the first year. (From nothing and was given nothing in 13 years) Rode the down turn in the economy. Gave up "Gold and Silver" customers to newbees because I was told to by my manager. "Team player". Now, unemployed. Never fired in my entire career. Its not the "Pete Frechette Patterson" anymore. The reps are not valued like they once were. Remember? They told us in a regional meeting a few years ago that the dentists graduating do not value the doctor-dealer relationship like they once did. Patterson is dumping the emagine program for the reps....change is coming. Glad I will be settled elsewhere when the S**T hits the fan. Amazon.com does not have outside reps.

 

[Anonymous]

Re: Patterson Dental, Technology and Misc

It must be noted that Patterson dental branches still run on DOS. That's not a joke. in 2011, they still run on DOS. the company that portrays itself as the technology leader runs on DOS. Of course they talk about changing this and even "say" that they have a plan to modernize their computer infrastructure. Meanwhile, we sales reps have an antiquated program with which to do business. The search features and reporting capabilities are so bad that it's hard to believe.

As a patterson rep, the outdated software and technology make the job far more difficult than in needs to be. We live in a smartphone world, and patterson is a voice mail company. We get multiple voice mails daily. The big improvement is that we now get a call on our cell phones telling us that we have a voice mail..... Happy Days!

Information that reps at other companies take for granted is simply unavailable to patterson reps. I have heard management asked about this in meetings. We are told that the recent focus has been on the vetrinary and medical divisions and their technology needs. I find this outrageous! It's as if we as a company can't walk and chew gum. We are talking about software, not bricks and mortar. The vast majority of the world manages to regularly update and improve its software. Why cant Patterson Dental do this..... Oh< I forgot. Medical and vetrinary have been the focus.

Management likes to brag about the PTC - Patterson Technology Center. In reality, the PTC is a glorified call and support center. They do not innovate or enhance any technology whatsoever. Management also likes to brag about the number of square feet at the PTC. That information might be interesting if it were a manufacturing facility. Any idea how many square feet are at Microsoft, Cisco etc? A technology center should be noteworthy for the technology it produces. At the PTC, that is exactly ZERO


The horribly outdated Emagine software is further evidence of this.This is what we have to show customers and it is an embrarassment. Any cutomer that does any online business notices how old and absent of features it really is.

I would ask anyone considering a sales position with Patterson Dental to ask the following question: What does Patterson Dental do better than any other company?
I have heard a co-worker ask this question of a senior member of the management team. The reply..... " that's a tough question" The manager clearly was not pleased to have been asked this question. He went on to talk about all of the great things that Patterson did 25 years ago - First company to bring intraoral camera to market, first to have ordering software ( We are still using the same software today)


How is it that a member of the management team is unable to articulate what it is that we do better than Schein, Benco etc? Current Patterson Reps - ask your branch managers or regional managers what we do best.

I will say that I believe Patterson does have some of the best technology for customers. Schick and Cerec are the main exclusives. I would much rather have them than not have them.

Patterson Dental is a shark tank.. Many people can and do make a very good living. Prepare to go back 25 years in technology.

Another point I'd like to make is that the term "territory rep" is a misnomer(at least at our branch) There is a big difference between driving 30k miles a year and 50k. I know many people that have been misled about the number of miles they would be driving.
There is often no rhyme or reason to the list of offices reps are given to call on. What does Patterson care? they don't buy the gas - except for rookies during a brief period.

When new reps are hired at our branch, we all get asked to turn in several offices that we dont want anymore. The new rep gets the crap that the other reps dont want. It's really not accurate to call this a territory. It is a random assortment of dental offices that are scattered about.

 

[Anonymous]

^ good points here, all true and valid. It is a joke about the dos system...makes it almost impossible to accurately look up a customer (hello duplicates), get accurate sales numbers etc. What are they going to replace emagine with? That program is a joke to try to utilize to place a reps orders...and the customers hate it even more. However since Patterson is so backwards in technology, do you trust them to have a suitable program to replace emagine with? You are right about the website...outdated, useless to place an order on almost and 30 percent higher than everyone else... toss in the nepotism, favoritism, dying and/or maxed out dental markets, overpriced products and bloated business model, typical idiotic branch manager who failed his way to that position after bouncing out as a rep and then as an equipment rep... toss in the scrap territory that all new reps get...get treated like babies...

You mention Schick... overpriced, bad customer service and hard to sell ROI vs. lower priced and just as good of quality digital x ray systems... Cerec...yeah may be the "leader" for now, but wont be in the long run... Patterson is a dying dinosaur.

 

[Anonymous]

I was hired this last year with Patterson Dental as a sales rep. Yes I had to take not only the online assessment, but also the assessment given to you in the Branch hiring before even getting an interview. Very time consuming and I have to admit, I was a little worried reading all the reviews from people who have gone through the hiring process, but in the end it was worth my time. I don't know if all the negative feedback is from those who have not passed the assessments, and I would be shocked if its coming from anyone who has been hired on. In my interview there was no negotiating salary. It was 60K right off the bat with a car allowance of a little over $500 (tax free), and most expenses paid. The benefits are amazing and start the 1st of the following month of hire.
All in all I have to say that so far I am stoked to be part of Patterson Dental and I can't see that this will change! So yes, there are time consuming assessments and modules that have to be completed, but hey...wouldn't you want to know as much as possible about the person you hire to represent your business, and not just from the interview? I didn't like having to do it personally but I get it and can appreciate their hiring process!

 

[Anonymous]

I was hired this last year with Patterson Dental as a sales rep. Yes I had to take not only the online assessment, but also the assessment given to you in the Branch hiring before even getting an interview. Very time consuming and I have to admit, I was a little worried reading all the reviews from people who have gone through the hiring process, but in the end it was worth my time. I don't know if all the negative feedback is from those who have not passed the assessments, and I would be shocked if its coming from anyone who has been hired on. In my interview there was no negotiating salary. It was 60K right off the bat with a car allowance of a little over $500 (tax free), and most expenses paid. The benefits are amazing and start the 1st of the following month of hire.
All in all I have to say that so far I am stoked to be part of Patterson Dental and I can't see that this will change! So yes, there are time consuming assessments and modules that have to be completed, but hey...wouldn't you want to know as much as possible about the person you hire to represent your business, and not just from the interview? I didn't like having to do it personally but I get it and can appreciate their hiring process!

Come back in 2 years when you have to go to commission only and then give your real assessment of Patterson. Your job seems great now with the guaranteed money but if you don't grow that territory with the list of dub offices they gave you I bet you will already be looking for a new job.

 

[Anonymous]

Come back in 2 years when you have to go to commission only and then give your real assessment of Patterson. Your job seems great now with the guaranteed money but if you don't grow that territory with the list of dub offices they gave you I bet you will already be looking for a new job.

Sleep with your manager.
You will guarentee your constant employment even when you are given a 3 million dollar territory and you lose 1/3 of it in two years. Or you could just work part time for 5 years and never grow your territory. Either way, it works. Just keep the emails that proove it.

 

[Anonymous]

The above poster is absolutely correct. This is the reality of this company and industry. Branch managers have a lot of power. They can take away accounts and give them to others. I've been fortunate that my branch manager is a long time best friend so I have not had accounts taken away. I have been given accounts that more or less were gold mines for no reason. That's what friends do. I also know he is sleeping with a few reps and those reps have been given great accounts since day one. It is what it is. This is a relationship business. You need to build relationships. Not just with your doctors but with your peers and boss. Anyone who tells you otherwise is either not in this industry or naive and doesn't pay attention. And guys, don't get discouraged. I spend 90% of my day talking to females. You might not be able to sleep with your boss for good accounts but you can sleep with the people who are buying from you to get them to buy more.

 

[Anonymous]

Realizing the territory rep job is hard work, and the job is what you make of it, how many hours a week do you think you work?

 

[Anonymous]

The above poster is absolutely correct. This is the reality of this company and industry. Branch managers have a lot of power. They can take away accounts and give them to others. I've been fortunate that my branch manager is a long time best friend so I have not had accounts taken away. I have been given accounts that more or less were gold mines for no reason. That's what friends do. I also know he is sleeping with a few reps and those reps have been given great accounts since day one. It is what it is. This is a relationship business. You need to build relationships. Not just with your doctors but with your peers and boss. Anyone who tells you otherwise is either not in this industry or naive and doesn't pay attention. And guys, don't get discouraged. I spend 90% of my day talking to females. You might not be able to sleep with your boss for good accounts but you can sleep with the people who are buying from you to get them to buy more.

Spoken like a true imbecile... er.. Patterson Rep (same thing). Just like the b*tch who screwed me over 2 years ago when I was with Patterson, and had the nerve to call me last week asking for my help, as if nothing ever happened.

Patterson is for narcissists, creeps and losers who have to use the "techniques" detailed by the above poster...to succeed in "this industry".

Think that integrity doesn't mean anything? Great. You will fit right in at Patterson Dental, regardless of which branch you work at.

 

[Anonymous]

I have been in the dental field for 20+ years. I recently moved to a new state. The new dental practice that I'm in relies HEAVILY on Patterson (EVERYTHING is Patterson).....but so far I have not been impressed with our Patterson rep. It is a 4 doctor BUSY practice! We are paying TOP dollar for all our supplies from Patterson. I know most reps have some leeway with the pricing offices get. Can someone tell me the REAL story with Patterson? My rep is telling me that he has absolutely NO control over the prices that we are being charged, and that it goes by how much we purchase from them. Is that true? I hope someone can answer that question for me.

 

[Anonymous]

"I have been in the dental field for 20+ years. I recently moved ....."

You don't sound very bright, frankly.

Call your local Schein branch, they are listed in the phone book, usually near 'dentists' which is listed , aptly, between 'demolition" and "deoderant" Have the rep schedule a meeting. Have 3 months purchases, minimum, (a year is preferred) from P available. Ask for a competitive quote.

Prepare for a shock.

Remember that Dentists usually know the price of everything and the value of nothing.

Stay off this blog for DENTAL SALESPEOPLE.

 

[Anonymous]

I have been in the dental field for 20+ years. I recently moved to a new state. The new dental practice that I'm in relies HEAVILY on Patterson (EVERYTHING is Patterson).....but so far I have not been impressed with our Patterson rep. It is a 4 doctor BUSY practice! We are paying TOP dollar for all our supplies from Patterson. I know most reps have some leeway with the pricing offices get. Can someone tell me the REAL story with Patterson? My rep is telling me that he has absolutely NO control over the prices that we are being charged, and that it goes by how much we purchase from them. Is that true? I hope someone can answer that question for me.

That's what we call a "sucker office". Until you stop ordering from the rep and place another order with a different distributor, you will pay the highest margins he/she can charge. He/she sees one box from Schein in the office and magically everything you buy will be on "special" that month.

 

[Anonymous]

That's what we call a "sucker office". Until you stop ordering from the rep and place another order with a different distributor, you will pay the highest margins he/she can charge. He/she sees one box from Schein in the office and magically everything you buy will be on "special" that month.

You're a jerk!

 

[Anonymous]

You're a jerk!

I'm not a jerk. Your local rep is the jerk for ripping you off all these years. You're welcome for letting you in on Patterson's dirty little secret.

 

[Anonymous]

"I'm not a jerk. Your local rep is the jerk for ripping you off all these years. "

I humbly disagree. The local rep is a Genius. They found a easy mark, and went for it.

Ever wonder why 'smart' dental office operators are generally so stupid. . .

I need 10 just like this Rube in my patch. Please, Lord, just 10.

Stupid, Rube. Just need 10.

 

[Anonymous]

I'm the one who did the original post! Man, you guys are brutal here! But it's much appreciated. Sorry if I 'intruded' into this forum, but I figured I'd get the dirt (the REAL truth) from the experts. Your comments are much appreciated. (by the way, it wasn't me who said you're a jerk)....I came into this office...and of course now that we are ordering from various suppliers, our Patterson rep is up in arms! Telling us about the wonderful services provided, etc. I'm not impressed. Anyway, thanks for the comments and feedback. If it means anything, I give you salespeople a lot of credit....not everybody could do what you do! And GOOD sales reps are hard to find!

 

[Anonymous]

"I came into this office...and of course now that we are ordering from various suppliers, our Patterson rep is up in arms!'

Don't worry. There is a dental office on every corner in America with a dentist twiddling their thumbs looking for patients. Dentists, like dry cleaners or pure water stores of coffee stores have become just another commodity - no matter what you tell yourself. A commodity, nothing more, nothing special. A dry cleaner with additional education.

While your're hiding in the back counting your pennies, clipping coupons and cutting your cotton rolls in half, we are out in the Real World engaging human beings and having a pretty great life.

When your rep tires of your BS, there are plenty more offices that appreciate value to call on.

It's only a F-ing tooth at the end-of-the-day. Like you, a commodity. 32 per person.