Linda Gunter, Gunter Medical, LLC, began her career as a case manager and paralegal, “But I found that I simply couldn’t sit behind a desk all day.”

As lockdown restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 epidemic continued to be lifted, it sounds like Linda Gunter was feeling the same restlessness and impatience she faced in her previous career as a paralegal. She couldn’t wait to get back out on the road meeting face-to-face with customers.

Gunter, president of Gunter Medical, LLC, San Antonio, Texas, admits that it’s not easy for her to sit still. “I’m a people person. I just can’t sit on a computer all day or sit behind the desk. I’ve got to be out there meeting with people.”

That’s why when the travel and customer visiting restrictions began to be relaxed in the spring, it was a challenge to make contact with Gunter because she was out there doing what she does best — selling.

Gunter Medical, founded in 2010, deals in the acute care and private practice medical markets.

According to Gunter, “I began my career as a case manager and paralegal for a solo legal practitioner and loved what I did. My husband is an attorney and I have more than 40 trials under my belt. I worked night and day and was constantly making calls related to trials. But I found that I simply couldn’t sit behind a desk all day. On top of that, I had twins and I wanted to be the classroom and cafeteria mom and attend all their events. I wanted to work for myself and have a flexible schedule. Working all day for a law firm didn’t let me work on my own schedule. Being a rep would allow me to do that.

“While I didn’t know a thing about sales, I did know medical terminology and healthcare issues since so many of our cases involved medical issues and personal injuries. With that background I simply decided that I wanted to go into sales. A friend of mine let me know about a company (Henry Schein Medical) that was looking for a San Antonio rep. When I interviewed for the job, the sales manager looked over my resume and commented ‘But you don’t have any sales background.’ I let him know that for 14 years I had been ‘selling the services of a law firm settling soft-tissue personal-injury cases for policy limits. I think I can sell.’

“He must have liked what he heard because I was hired. I was local, bilingual, and I was able to quickly build the business as a direct employee. Henry Schein was a great company to work for, and it was a great educational experience for me.”

Gunter likens the beginning of her sales career as a bit like buying a starter home in the healthcare industry. “I quickly learned about the products and all that was involved in the healthcare process.”

Meeting Goals

She does add, however, that there was a bit of a surprise for her with that first selling job. Jokingly she notes, “Keeping in mind that my previous sales experience involved selling Girl Scout cookies, I was surprised to learn I had to hit a goal. Thankfully, I did.”

She continued, “Following that, as I was beginning to think about going out on my own, I contacted an independent rep friend whose business had grown so much that he needed help. He hired me as a sub-rep and gave me three lines with an 80-20 commission split. That time really helped me to learn the ropes. With that as a start, I began to get my own lines and I was off on my own.”

Then, as now, faced with the challenge of finding lines, Gunter maintains that one of the most dependable tools she’s found to locate lines has been LinkedIn. “It’s a wonderful tool. Just yesterday, for instance, I was able to connect with the owner of a company. After determining he didn’t have any reps in the territory where I work, we reached an agreement and he’s sending the necessary paperwork to me.”

In addition to LinkedIn, however, she also offers praise for her membership in both MANA and the Health Industry Representatives Association (HIRA). Probably as a result of advice she received from her grandfather, who maintained, “It’s not what you know but who you know,” Gunter is a huge advocate for networking. “In sales that’s one of the greatest tools you can use. My membership in MANA is especially like a marriage made in heaven. The association has incredible resources for both reps and manufacturers. Because they are global, I’ve received a number of calls from international sources.” She also emphasizes that she recommends MANA membership to manufacturer principals and reps that she encounters.

Masks and Vaccinations

Since she’s back out on the road dealing with principals and seeing customers face-to-face, Gunter is asked if any changes have transpired during the time she and her fellow reps have had to work in a “locked down” selling environment. Two areas especially got her attention:

• The need to be vaccinated and the wearing of masks — “Keep in mind that COVID-19 is hardly the only bug you’re going to find in a hospital. That’s why I’m sure something that’s not going to change when I’m calling on customers is the need for me and other reps to be vaccinated, and we’ll all have to continue wearing masks.”
• Credentials — As a result of Covid, as a rep, Gunter explains that to even enter a hospital, “We’ve now got to be credentialed.” This presents a potential financial burden for a small business like an independent rep agency. According to Gunter, “The typical requirement for credentials requires a criminal background check, a letter from a manufacturer attesting that you are of ‘sound mind,’ proof of flu and vaccination shots, etc. The problem is, however, there’s no single authority regulating the granting of those credentials. On top of that is the cost. With several different companies granting credentials at a cost of up to $350, that can be very costly.”

Requirements such as these aren’t the only challenges facing Gunter. “Reps in the health care industry are faced with the same challenges as other reps when it comes to getting to see customers. But complicating matters is the fact there exist group purchasing organizations (GPO). These organizations serve to get beneficial pricing for the customers. However, the difficulty lies in getting your product on their approved list. I’m a pure rep and I concentrate my efforts on serving the needs of the principals and customers I work with.”

Putting Forth the Effort

Along with that thinking, while not exactly a challenge or a problem, Gunter admits that she’s always been concerned that she can be counted on to put forth 100 percent effort on behalf of her principals. “I’ve made it a practice to never represent a line that I didn’t believe was worthwhile. If it doesn’t meet my standards, I simply won’t represent them.”

On top of that she notes that she works with a number of manufacturers that she would term “emotional favorites.” “I’m a communicator, and I thoroughly enjoy making calls. When I let the manufacturer know that I have an idea on how to better sell and market his product, I like the ones who appreciate what they hear from me. Everyone needs and wants a pat on the back, and that’s what I get from them.”

The Gunter Medical File

• Location: San Antonio, Texas
• Founded: 2010
• Products and Services: Healthcare equipment and consumables, including but not limited to: PPE, infection prevention, EKG, SPIRO, scales, surgical equipment/instruments, furnishings, lab analyzers, dopplers/ABI, microscopes, patient warming/cooling, disinfection systems.
• Territory Covered: Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas & Louisiana, sub-reps cover other parts of the U.S.
• Trade Associations: MANA, HIRA, Professional Women in Healthcare, The Health Cell, TASCS, TALA, APICS, ASHE, Women Reps 2020, GSAHRMM, Women in Medicine & Law.

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