When it comes to preparation, I like to stay ahead of the curve. My buyers are busy, so it’s important to come into meetings with all of my materials and information up to date and relevant. Time shouldn’t be wasted! Here are some of the things I focus on when getting ready to work with my buyers.

Preparing for a meeting

1. Review all conversation notes from previous meetings and emails since my last visit.

2. Look through recent purchases from the previous 3-4 months, depending on volume of purchases.  See if they picked up any items we previously talked about or that were in an email sent to them.

3. Determine 5-7 items I want to discuss with the buyer at my upcoming meeting. Give supporting details such as: what other like-size facilities in the area are buying, whether an item is back in stock from a backorder, confirmed best priced item on wholesaler/contract, and new items to market.

4. Highlight a digital copy of our unit dose catalog.  I highlight purchases from the previous 3 months (so they do not waste time looking into the products they are already buying) and highlight target items in a different color.

5. I always recap an email to the buyer after I leave, with notes from our meetings and if they expressed interest in specific products, I confirm that they were able to pick those products up.

Just a day in the life of a UD rep!