A New Era of Dental Reps

What will change about dental sales in general?

Less time in customer office, less commission, less face to face, less company sales meetings? What are your thoughts in the future?

I’m interested to know if you are a retail rep, manufacturers rep or Independant.

 

Retail rep here,

I think many sales reps will be let go. I am willing to say that at least 50% of sales force will be let go across the industry. Territories will get bigger. Less face to face interactions. A lot more video calls. I don't see the dental industry getting back until probably the second half of this year. I hope I am wrong on all of this, I don't think I am.

 

I see many companies reducing their sales forces or telling them they now are 1099’s. I see it happening with the catalog companies. The implant companies are definitely going to be hurting. Companies like Nobel and Implant direct are going to have to make some hard decisions. Straumann will probably look at Neodent and ask should they be spending those dollars. The day of the $400 implsnt is over. The day of over priced consumables from catalogs over. Lunch meetings over. Dinner meetings over. University CE Courses going to be curtailed. Company sponsorships to clinicians over. Major meetings over. Online education up. Personalized education up. Dental will bounce back but it will be much different. Many companies are and will go bust.

 

Many smaller companies will go away. Most smaller meetings will go away.

I think you will still see the ADA and a few meetings like Hinman, And maybe greater NY meeting stay around.

established retail reps with diversified books of clients will still be around - but less face to face and more video. I do not see 1099 being the new norm at all - but you might see more independents repping smaller companies. You will see corporate dentistry on the rise again with retail companies managing those from corporate offices

dental consumables will carry the industry next quarter and then we will start to get back to normal.

 

No more products from China. Things are going to change. I don’t believe anyone is going to walk into the GNYDA Meeting anytime soon. I believe the day of the virtual meeting has arrived. Vendor and doctor participation to all meeting are declining. Doctors went to meetings to get specials. You can get a special anytime of the year. Doctors are going to be very price conscious and there are dealers that are robbing doctors blind. Doctors are going to watch their pennies. Beware!!!

 

No dealers are robbing anybody. With internet pressure, prices are pretty compatible unless you are buying gray or black market product. Lots of counterfeiters, knock off and expired product with new labels. Doctors will be penny pinching and nobody is going to a NY meeting, I totally agree. I don’t think China products will go away. That’s my personal opinion.

 

They use the Internet to cut the deal however credible reps and dealers fold when going up against internet sellers. Everyone has forgotten about service an interenet seller only provides shipping. The buyer has a problem with the product they purchased from them and it's you who are servicng or getting them out of a jam. I believe that there should be stringent regulations when it comes to internet dealers. Some of them don't even have a warehouse for what they sell. The day of the hi ghcost of dental implants is over because the dau of the big cases are over for a while. Peoplelost money in the markets, people lost salaries, people lost commissions and people lost jobs. Sad situation we are all in hopefullyeveryone will recover stronger than before. China products will go away the world will never forget where this started.

 

Will 3M see any blowback from their mask fiasco and manufacturing in China?

 

Actually 3M has more support now than ever, since all the stuff that was said about 3M has been proven false.

I'm a dealer rep, and I have more doctors asking me about 3M than ever before.

 

when investigation is over better lawyer up. some dealers will be indicted by DOJ.

 

nothing was “proven false” yet as far as dealers are concerned. there’s ongoing investigation.

 

That’s a flat out lie. 3M’s mask money grab has absolutely hurt their image. Doctors do not look fondly on price exploitation or prioritizing profit over American lives during a pandemic. Many of my doctors and dental friends are pissed.

 

Last I heard, 3M never raised their prices a cent? Explain...

 

Yes please explain. What did 3M do and what ongoing investigation are you referring to? Thanks.

 

Joe Mama

 

3M was prioritizing orders from overseas because they where paying more. Then when confronted by the US govt trying to find out why they couldn’t get their hands on any mask, govt found out production had massively increased but it was all going overseas which pissed off the govt. the F off.

 

Spot on. I would not want to be an implant direct or neodent rep right now....or work for any small implant company....i know one rep who works for a smaller implant company and he has been furloughed for the last month and there is no end in sight...

 

False....your real issue is third party resellers/brokers flipping inventory for insane profits, not the manufacturers themselves.

 

People selling masks for all kinds of mask for cash money online.