From playing college football to calling on dental clients, hard work on – or in – the field pays off.
When Burkhart Dental sales rep Brandyn Hohs joined the dental product sales industry in 2004, it was love at first sight. After years of selling durable medical equipment, he was hired by Dentsply Caulk. Two years later, he joined Burkhart Dental. It was an opportunity to take his career in a new direction, and ever since, he has “loved it and never looked back.”
First Impressions Magazine: Tell us about your early years in dental products sales.
Brandyn Hohs: The early years were definitely rough! It was hard, because I felt I couldn’t be successful unless I called on every possible customer. If I wanted to be the best, I would have to invest the time and effort into studying the products and the business of dentistry. In fact, I believe one of the greatest challenges in dental sales is keeping oneself educated on new products and up-to-date on the business side of the industry. From the start, I studied the products and created a marketing plan, which definitely paid huge dividends in the end.
First Impressions Magazine: It might be said that your success as a sales rep can be traced back to the values you acquired as a college football player at Colorado State University. Tell us about this experience.
Brandyn Hohs: I attended Colorado State University from 1998 through 2002. At that time, their football team was known for having a great walk-on program. I was one of those athletes that was overlooked in high school. But, I knew that – as a walk-on – I could make the college team and earn a full scholarship. Once I made the team, I mostly played wide receiver. My biggest surprise as a team member was the camaraderie that developed. Even though I essentially was competing against my best friends for a place on the team, we were one another’s biggest advocates.
The friendships I formed led to some of my most rewarding experiences playing college football. After spending so much time with your teammates, you begin to realize you would do anything to support them, in any aspect of life. To this day, some of those guys remain my closest friends.
First Impressions Magazine: What did your college football experience teach you, and how has that carried over to your career as a sales rep?
Brandyn Hohs: Playing football taught me a lot, but the greatest life lesson had to do with time management. Often, we played Thursday night games, and would have an exam the next day. I quickly learned I had to study at the beginning of the week in order to be fully prepared for my Friday exam. That lesson has carried into my professional career with regard to managing my time and looking ahead in order to meet my deadlines.
First Impressions Magazine: Please share a memorable story from your college football experience.
Brandyn Hohs: One of my favorite memories was the first time I heard my name announced over the P.A. system at Mile High Stadium. It was my junior year, and we were playing our biggest rival, the University of Colorado. There was definitely some bad blood between our two schools! I was running down the field on the kick-off, and as I sprinted full-speed ahead, I saw I had a clear shot to hit the rival player who received the ball. I ran into him with all of my might, bringing him down to the ground, and I remember hearing my name announced over the P.A. system. I grew up watching the Denver Broncos play in that stadium, so to hear my name announced there was a pretty neat accomplishment.
First Impressions Magazine: You have a reputation for being highly respected by your clients in the Denver market. What does it take to develop a successful client base, as well as to help your dental clients develop a successful business?
Brandyn Hohs: To create a successful client base, I believe one must be customer-service oriented. It can’t be all about the dollar. I think it’s fairly evident when it’s more about making money than about doing what’s in the client’s best interest. I believe that putting my clients’ needs first is what helped me grow my territory. By putting the clients’ needs first, you can better understand their priorities. And, by looking at each and every one of my client’s priorities, I’ve learned to see each practice as unique and focus on helping those doctors attain their goals. I don’t mean to make my job sound simple, but I’ve learned that hard work pays off!
Published in First Impressions Magazine, August 2018
Category: Practice Consulting
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