The Journey to Sales

By Debbie Faubion, CLS (NCA)

My journey has been filled with hard work and at times some detours, but I would say that the journey has been rewarding and fulfilling. And I would like to add that I may count many of the customers and individuals I worked with at each company as friends.

My journey began in San Antonio with my first position out of CLS/MT school. While in CLS/MT school I was offered a day shift position in Chemistry after graduation. During the year that followed I was trained to operate all the Chemistry instrumentation, which included blood gases. . (That knowledge and experience in blood gases paid off during my first industry position.) For the next 13 years, I worked at a large university hospital in the Hematology division. During my tenure there, my duties included the usual hematology testing, including coagulation. I also had the opportunity to serve as the Hematology Safety Officer and Assistant to the Hematology Buyer for a number of years. During my last years in the laboratory I was asked to start building a new division within Hematology - Flow Cytometry.

All that experience paid off for me when I made the decision to apply for industry positions. The industry contacts that I made during the years I worked in clinical laboratories were vital to my future in industry. Several industry representatives with whom I had become acquainted encouraged me to apply to their respective companies for the position of Technical Specialist.

Another key part of my transition to industry was the network of contacts I made through my involvement with ASCLS (American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science). I was involved at the local, state and regional levels. I cannot stress the importance of the networking that one can do as a member of a professional society. These contacts are still invaluable to me today.

My first position in industry was as a Technical Sales Specialist with Curtin Matheson Scientific. I was responsible for sales and support of the hemostasis and blood gas product lines. I quickly learned that "change" was a part of sales. During my seven-year tenure the company was sold to Fisher Scientific and my territory and products changed numerous times. But each change added new skills and areas of expertise to my resume. When Fisher acquired the company, I assumed responsibility for a histology line of stainers and reagents. The histology experience would be key to my next position.

Due to corporate reorganization in July 1999, I had to look for a new position. The timing was perfect for the situation. The national meeting of ASCLS/AACC was in three weeks. I was able to network and schedule eight interviews during that meeting. I was offered a position with Histology Company during that week and I accepted my next sales position. At this company, I added capital equipment sales to my resume.

In January, 2001, I was approached to become a member of a sales team with a new company. The company did rapid cardiac markers - thus my entry into the point-of-need or point-of-care testing arena. As with any new company the parent company controls the final decisions. The corporate owners decided to sell the diagnostic divisions. Once again I called on the network I built and was in the job search mode once again. I am happy to say that in less than a week I had interviews and many other leads.

Many may ask why I would want to continue in Industry. I, too, ask that question. I too, ask that question. But with each company at which I have worked I met many wonderful individuals I still count as friends. Since the announcement about my current company’s situation, several of those friends called me and offered help in pursuing my next position. Most importantly, I enjoy working in industry because of the customer contact. The satisfaction I get when I am able to help customers achieve their goals makes this career a win-win scenario for all.

The journey is far from over and the network of professionals I have met will only continue to grow. In the final analysis, my active participation in ASCLS and the acceptance of change has been key to my growth in my professional career

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Reviewed and edited 1-07.