Another Happy Customer and an Excellent Working Machine!

My latest CBCT install and training went just fine.  The unit ran flawlessly and the training went very well. The staff and Doc were already familiar with the software and acquisition computer so it was perfect.  They were well versed in computers so that made it much easier....

Dark and Dreary!

So Alaska was great except that it was dark (it got light around 10 and was dark by 3:00), cold (around the 20's), Windy (very gusty at times), and snowy (it snowed almost the entire time I was there).  It really knocked me for a loop trying to get back on east coast time. 

Alaska! My first Time!

Headed to Anchorage today for a CT unit install and training.  This is the firsat time to Alaska so I am looking forward to it.

Live-Surgery Dental Implant Course

I was Vending and lecturing at a Live Surgery Course.  I enjoy this the most as surgery is just the best thing in Dentistry as Orthodontics must be the most Dull.

2D Imaging session with 3D Lecture

Took 2D images for a workshop on a full TMD series on a Panorex CMT.  Then gave a 2 hour lecture on going from 2D to 3D CBCT along with a workshop on navigating through CBCT manipulation software....
Great Fun and the first time I have gone from 2D to #d and tried to explain and present on the 2 subjects....

I-Cat Classic Installation and Training!

Seven Basic Steps for Better Presentations

Seven Steps to Better Presentations

1. Tell stories
2. Show pictures.
3. Don't apologize.
4. Start strong.
5. End strong too
6. Stand Proud.  
7. Pause.

Another Beautiful Dental Office!

In my travels this past week I was able to go into just gorgeous dental office.  This office is in Wisconsin and what a pleasure it was.  Its a breath of fresh air to be in such an environment.  I think I was getting use to the typical Jersey style dental office....All crammed in and no space.....!!!!

Warren Buffet’s Secrets to Wealth

1.  Reinvest Your Profits: 

2. Be Willing To Be Different: 

3. Never Suck Your Thumb: 

4. Spell Out The Deal Before You Start:  


5. Watch Small Expenses: 

6. Limit What You Borrow: 

7. Be Persistent: 

8. Know When To Quit:

9. Assess The Risk:

10. Know What Success Really Means: 

7 Tips For Selling In An Economic Downturn

1.  Stay positive!

Your attitude determines your altitude.

2. Believe you can!

I know of one large company who have just laid off their sales training department seeing it as a luxury!

3. Prospect! Prospect! Prospect!

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the lifeblood of salespeople is prospecting.

4. Visit more clients!

In the busy times we often neglect some of our clients

5. Check commitments!

Salespeople who learn to sell in easy markets cut corners.

6. Ask for referrals!

Few salespeople ever ask for referrals.

7. Strengthen relationships!

Most salespeople do not spend enough time thinking about the quality of the relationships that they hold with their clients.

Trainee tips at a New Job!

We often hear about tips on how to train people but here are a few tip for the Trainee!

1.       Drop the cocky attitude and ask people what they are doing, then listen. Questions are good, listening is better.

2.       Make sure you are operating transparently.

3.       Know what you want to do. Asking for training without a plan is a recipe for failure.

4.       Plan your training in steps.

5.       Learn the jobs around you so you develop some knowledge and credibility.

6.       While you are doing the best job you can in your current position, volunteer.  Don’t forget the small stuff.

7.       Please do your own research. Training can happen at home, its’ called self training.

8.      Know something about the person who is training you.

9.       Remember. If you can master the job you are training for, you are the prime candidate for filling that role as the need arises.

10.   Did I say don’t be cocky?

Attending and Lecturing at an Advanced Cranio Course

A380 at LAX

I am just still amazed at these large aircraft and am seeing more and more of them on my travels. Have not flown in one yet but would love too.  I took these pics from a 757 which is not a small aircraft and this A380 just towers over it.  I am in Awe!  I have always enjoyed airplanes no matter how much I travel!

The President with me in Vegas

Got a cool shot of Airforce One in Vegas while I was there for work.

Mobile VGi Sale and Installation

My first Mobile NewTom CT scanner and personally supervised the installation.  Once again a Sprinter van was used just like the other mobile ct scanners that i have done.  The mega-top is no longer available so the fiberglass ceiling is not as tall as it should be so a skylight was put into place so the top of the uprights could fit into the van.  Very ingenious if I do so so myself.

Working Vacation

Had a working vacation this week in Maine at my Boss's vacation home.  Got up every morning and Kayaked, then put in a few hours of work, then went hiking followed by some shooting mixed up with fishing.  Not sure how much work we really did.  The weather was just fantastic and I am so appreciative of my boss and his wife as they are wonderful entertainers.

We Have Lost a True Visionary

Trip to the West Coast for Technical Support and Sales

Headed off to California and then to Las Vegas last week for both technical support and then a sales meeting with a lecture.  Its was very interesting trip as its odd to combine both in 3 days and its tough to switch gears that fast from one day to the next.  You need to have this light switch type of personality to be able to relate to engineering and then be able to put on a sales hat and talk in more of generic big picture terms.  I have gotten better at this over the years but I still need improvement.  The owner of the company I am currently employed by is excellent at this and I try to immolate him this aspect but I have a long way to go.  He is a Light-Switch.

The Salespersons Responsibilities, Roll Up Your Sleeves!

I was in Chicago last week making some rounds and visiting some customers who have previously purchased our equipment.  I was basically aiming for an up sale on some newer equipment which can always lead to very interesting instances.  Well I wound up attempting to repair a piece of equipment instead of trying to sell a new one.  I was happy to do it but I was surprised by the hornets’ nest I walked into.  Well with my knowledge of tomography machines and a couple of calls to the manufacturer I got this office up and running.  If you’re going to be a field rep and you’re going to be in offices; there is nothing wrong with rolling up your sleeves and making an effort to help the customer.  It definitely helped the relationship between the Dr's office and the company I work for!

Panorex CMT Installation and Training with Radiographic Interpretation

Panorex CMT - a true dental tomographic unit - Installation and Training

Off to Vegas to install and train on one of the only 2 true Tomographic units ever made for the Dental Profession.  The Panorex CMT by Imaging Sciences is a 2mm cut x, y, and z axis tomographic unit that can do extremely acurate 2d cuts of the mandible, maxilla, coronal tmj, later tmj, paranasal sinus, maxillary sinus, and odontoid regions.

CAT scan Installed and Trained...Another Happy Customer!

We are rockin-and-Rollin and I have installed another CBCT machine and did a comprehensive 2 day Training with Radiographic Interpretation.  This office was extremely nice and very professional and its a pleasure to be around people of this caliber.

Delta Sky Club...Its Worth every Penny!

I have to say that if you do alot of airport traveling then get an airline club memebership.  I am with Delta and belong to their Crown Room/Sky Club.  Its so much more relaxing with free internet and a beverage in a comfy chair than being beat up at some gate with somebody eating an onionsub sandwich and kids runnig widly eveywere.  I highly recomend it and if you do drink adult beverages you can easily get your money back in just that.
....And sometimes you have the place to yourself!

IACA Annual Meeting 2011

IACA meeting this year was great and there was plenty of Excitement.  I noticed that there was alot of up-beat talk about practices doing much better since our slight stall of the economy.  This was very refreshing to hear as this whole economy thing was getting everybody pretty low. 

(Tips) Your Personal Presentation in the Public Eye!

Presentation in the Public

1.       Always be aware of who, what, where, and when is around you

2.       Have a smile at all times

3.       Walk and move with ease and grace – act as if you own the environment your in.

4.       Carry yourself with extreme pride but do not put that pride in front of kindness to other people

5.       People come first and pride come second

6.       Always be on time and punctual

7.       And always talk deliberately and slowly

Sold, Installed, and Trained on CBCT in Houston.

Installation this week in Houston.  Trained the staff without the Doc present as he was away on vacation.  Definitely do not recommend this and this was a special case.  The Doc is so integral in the office dynamics and telling the staff what he expects out of them with any new equipment.  If he is not there then they just sort of free float no matter how much stand on them.
Also the Doc needs to learn exactly the capabilities of his new equipment and ho to properly view clinically with the manipulation software.  I am definitely going to have to go back into this office for a day of follow-up....

CAT Scans in Mexico City, Mexico

Went to Mexico city Mexico for a week to install a CAT scan unit and to go-through and re-calibrate 2 units already in the city.  This is my first time to Mexico City and I must admit its nothing like going to Cancun or Cozumel or any of the tourist beach destinations.  Traffic is a night-mare and just personal security has to be in the forefront of your mind.  Luckily I had my own personal driver translator, and security person plus it seemed an army of helpers to move equipment and get materials needed.   I am getting more Involved in International and I like it very much and its good for ones career!
PS....The Hotel I stayed at was fantastic and I highly recomend the Hyatt Internation Mexico City.

CT Scans at a Surgery Course

Working the CT scanner for a live implant surgery course this week and next.  Live Surgery is very exciting to watch and be a part of....as long as your not the one having surgery on of course.  So we are taking pre-op case planning CT scans and then post-op review scans.  I am also working a few attendees with capital equipment sales as well and I expect those to work out....

More Damage Control and Triage for Customers!

Well we are back at it doing more damage control for customers who have had some bad experiences with equipment.  If you remember I just did this for another customer about a month ago. I want to make sure that we step up to the plate and take care of matter straight away and do not let them fester.  A customer who has some considerable money invested in a piece of x-ray equipment does not need to fell that they are alone when their equipment does not work correctly.  If the unit is under warranty, which this is, there needs to be quick action taken and this is exactly what I am doing today.  Its the correct thing to do!

Customers New Office and an Equipment Move

Headed to Omaha Nebraska for a long time customer of mine.  He is moving his practice down the street and I told him I would help get his X-ray equipment moved when he moved.   This part of the sales experience is my favorite part dealing with long running customers who believe in you and your equipment and request you to personally to help them with it.  I have no problem getting some grease on my elbows for these people.

Ortho and TMD Continuing Education this Weekend!

In Washington DC this weekend with my sales-hat and the weather here is beautiful. Much better than the heat in Atlanta.  Looking forward to getting back to just sales for a couple of days.  
This course is probably the best Intro-to-TMD course out there.  Tempromandibular-Disorder CE courses can be taught in such complicated ways as I am very familiar with as I vendor at several them.  Its a little daunting for a Doctor to really start with some of these other course instructions. Docs need to treat simple cases and build confidence.  This course does exactly this and tells which cases to treat and which ones to stay away from.
The last TMD course I attended a couple of months ago started out first day with a big dose of pharmacology! Ouch....You would think you would start of with basic anatomy of the TMJ region.

CT Scanner Installation and Training in Texas!

One of the best Installations I have ever done.  It helped that the space was made custom for this particular machine and everything was designed to be hidden away including the control box, wiring, emergency stops, etc.....
The training went well but thats always can be improved.  Its imperative to have an actual skull when explaining the views that the clinical viewing software is showing.  It helps the staff and doc to come to grips with 3D volumetric images.

How to Deal with an Angry Customer!

1. Assume the Customer is Correct to be Angry
2. Listen without Personal Emotion
3. Be Patient
4. Speak Softly and Methodically
5. Reiterate
6. Own the Problem
7. Place the Customer First, Problem Second
8. Triage the Situation
9. Correct the Issue
10. Follow Up, Follow Up, Follow Up

Off to do Damage Control!

I am off to do damage control with a customer with broken equipment and an upset personality.  These trips are always tricky as you have to balance the situation with appeasing the Dr and staff and making them feel confident in you and actually repairing the unit and leaving it in good working order....

CT Install in Wyoming with Staff Training with Radiographic Interpretation!

First Class!

I have several friends who constantly tell me that I am living the high life flying mostly in first class and staying in fancy hotels.  My rebuttal to that is the fact that they have a social life and agenda and I do not.  When you travel a lot (you that do will agree) you can build up some very nice perks but other areas of your life are very lacking. I will be honest I have struggled to have a social life with my family and close friends and work the hours that I do.  

Vending and Lecturing at an Advanced TMD-Cranio Course!

CT Scanners Installs in California

Installed 2 cat scan units in California for 2 imaging centers in a one week period of time.  I actually did not think I could get it done but everything worked out wonderfully! Had no problems with the assembly and calibration.  Collaborated with both of the imaging centers to get these new units acclimated into there systems and protocols.

Headed West!

Just got finished with an annual conference meeting and now headed west.  My employers have added manufacturer's-install-work to my ever increasing workload.  Going to be doing installs only on 2 cat scan units.  These are of a new version (mark 4) so this should be very interesting and I am looking forward in taking part. On a sad note is I found out that this manufacturer just fired there very best IT tech support person, under I think mysterious circumstances.  I hope we don't have a serious problem.  I will post some pics this week of the installs.