MediPurpose® Blog

Let’s be honest: Very few of us had childhood dreams of becoming part of medical product industry. If you had asked me as a kid if I thought I’d be working in this business, I’d probably roll my eyes and laugh. Medical products? Nah, I had more romantic notions of becoming a professional baseball player or writing for Rolling Stone magazine.

Before I became a medical product marketer (which I am now), I was a medical product copywriter. Before that, I was a hospital and healthcare marcom copywriter. Before that, I was a general copywriter that made the successful jump from old school “traditional”/print media to “new” media and online. And before that, I was a journalist. And even before all of that, I was an aspiring academic with fantasies of being a scholar of media and culture. Of course, all of it was prefaced with the dreams I had as a kid.

Some people never stop pursuing those childhood dreams…even if that means a nightmarish adult reality. Comedian Louis CK is a shining example. After graduating high school in the early 1980s, he went after one specific goal: to become a successful comedian. And, as a result, like so many others that share that dream, he toiled in obscurity for decades in that ironically lonely and depressing world of standup comedy.

Skip ahead to last week when he announced that his self-produced and distributed online video netted him more than $200,000 in profit in less than four days. As impressive as the profits might be, what’s perhaps more intriguing is how he made it.

By his own admission, Louis CK could have made even more money had he produced and distributed the video through the traditional path of working with a major entertainment company. But that would have resulted in even more overhead—which gets passed on to the customer—and the sticky tangle of digital rights management (DRM) and DVD region complications (which provides even more hassles for customers).

Instead, he kept it painfully simple: Go to his remarkably low-tech Website, pay $5 (through PayPal), and either stream the video or download it and do whatever you want with it (e.g., burn your own DVD, watch it on your computer). Compare that to what a commercial DVD costs and the process of having to acquire it.

But back to the headline: What can we in the medical product business learn from Louis CK?

Being Good is Not Good Enough

Louis CK is widely regarded as one of the best comedians today. However, it took him years to rise above a very crowded and competitive market.

Whether it’s comedy, baseball players or medical devices, being “good” is never enough. For every good—great, even—comedian, athlete or medical device out there, there are countless others that are just as good, if not better.

For medical products, the basic algebra of having low prices and high quality is not enough to succeed. Rather, it requires tremendous belief in your product just to get it brought to market, and then even more dedication to improve it and market it so that it even has a chance of being competitive. And then there’s the intangibles, the x factors, the je nais se quoi, luck, etc.

You’ve Got to be Innovative in Your Marketing And Distribution

Nothing stays the same. Whomever—or whatever—is “good” today is mediocre tomorrow. Best practices for marketing and distribution can quickly become obsolete.

The music industry—which, due to increasingly vertical integration in the past couple decades—controls the distribution of most other complementary entertainment products, such as DVDs. Because it failed to recognize and embrace radical shifts in how entertainment is distributed channels (e.g., peer-to-peer file sharing, Napster, torrents, the ease of duplicating DVDs), it watched its profits erode—and perhaps worse, its power. This is precisely what Louis CK exploited with his relatively marginal investment in a $34,000 Website that is the portal to his video.

Twenty years ago, MediPurpose didn’t even exist. As illustrated in its success stories, ten years ago, it was a struggling startup in Singapore that would soon find a niche in the U.S. medical product market for its new SurgiLance safety lancet (a niche opened, in part, because of the 2000 U.S. Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act). The company leveraged emerging online communications with an aggressive independent sales force and got itself on the map.

Ten years later, it’s a profitable company that has since introduced two successful product lines—babyLance infant heelsticks and MediPlus Advanced Wound Care—with zero guarantees that it will be here in 10 years unless it remains dedicated to finding innovative solutions for its manufacturing, distribution, marketing and new business development.

You’ve Got to Put the Customer First

Good economy or not, people value their money, and they don’t want to feel ripped off. They also don’t want to be inconvenienced. Louis CK’s innovative use of the Internet to deliver product drastically simplified the process of acquiring (and using) a product and significantly reduced the cost—and his customers responded in kind.

MediPurpose is constantly striving to find ways to keep the customer first—which creates unique challenges because we not only offer several distinct products and services, but also because our customers are diverse. Along with the obvious “end users” (e.g., patients, nurses, doctors), we also serve our distribution partners, inventors and innovators, manufacturers and others.

You’ve Got to Embrace Online Communications

Social media, online/inbound marketing, etc. are not trends, fads or options. On the other hand, traditional marketing techniques—print advertising and direct mail, for instance—are both expensive and very low ROI.

Louis CK more than demonstrated that it no longer requires cutting-edge Websites or bloated marketing campaigns to move product.

For medical product companies, the same holds true. Although the diminished importance and value of print advertising might seem the obvious example, trade shows are perhaps an even better example.

Even to just attend a show as a non-exhibitor to “walk the halls” is expensive. Factor in airfare, hotels, per diems, entry fees and the lost productivity from not being in the office, and the cost to attend can quickly becoming a pricy investment. With a tight economy and the impact of inexpensive global communications (e.g., Websites, Skype, GoToMeeting, LinkedIn), and it’s not hard to understand why trade show attendance seems lower (in general) or scaled down (by exhibitors).

There is perhaps more than can be extrapolated from Louis CK’s recent success, but the point should be clear: Being and staying competitive in business is not for the uninspired and unimaginative. The keys for success are always out there; the challenge is with finding and knowing how to use them. 

Tags: Medical Product Distribution, Medical Product Marketing & Communications, Medical Product Sales Read More

When I was growing MediPurpose in the early days, many blogs and articles that I read about the difficulties facing startup medical product companies only motivated me to beat the odds. Now it’s the beginning of 2011 and our second decade in operation, and it is no small measure of success for me that MediPurpose has not only survived, but also flourished.

Among other factors, the MediPurpose success story has been made possible by the dedication of certain key employees who have worked with the company for more than five years. At our company’s annual dinner on 8 January 2011, we acknowledged three such employees whose contributions have not only been instrumental for our growth, but have demonstrated some of the traits that I feel define a good employee. Three of these traits include:

• Taking personal ownership of the job by working as you would for yourself, family or close friend.

• Demonstrating a commitment to the company by being selfless and able see the big picture.

• Communicating openly and honestly about personal and company matters—especially contentious issues.

Stephen Yi

Stephen Yi, Group CFO (with MediPurpose since 2003)

Three years after launching our SurgiLance® safety lancet in the American medical device market, we needed a trusted person to establish a beachhead in Europe for MediPurpose. In November 2003, I reached out to my brother, Stephen Yi, who agreed to move from his familiar accounting job to do sales and business development for a new medical device in a drastically unfamiliar industry and geography.

However, his personal commitment and his faith in MediPurpose’s potential soon paid off. Within six months, Stephen secured our first NHS contract that put us on the map for medical products in Europe.

As MediPurpose expanded its medical device distribution capabilities in Europe, additional resources were brought in. Today, as the group’s CFO, Stephen focuses on operations and accounting.

Cheryl Channell, Customer Services Manager (with MediPurpose since 2005)

Patrick Yi, Valerie Yi and Cheryl Channell

Cheryl has been the heart of our superior customer service since 2005, looking after our medical device customers with the warmth and care that she naturally shows to her friends and family. Not only is Cheryl committed to doing her best, she also takes personal ownership of her responsibilities and treats the company as her own.

Cheryl’s dedicated service was interrupted briefly in 2007 when she left MediPurpose for two weeks. A new manager I had hired was creating a lot of stress for her, and she resigned just as I was about to ask the manager to leave.

Serendipitously, Cheryl’s new job did not turn out as she expected, and she enquired about returning to MediPurpose when she found out that her former manager had left. I welcomed Cheryl back, and since then, our entire company has been committed to maintaining open channels of communication so that we never again risk losing top employees at the peril of keeping those that create stress and tension.

Randy Prather, President & COO (with MediPurpose since 2006)

Randy Prather, Patrick Yi and Valerie Yi

Randy joined MediPurpose as VP of Sales & Marketing in February 2006 and swiftly established productive relationships with a growing network of medical product distributors.  In June 2008, Randy was promoted to president and chief operating officer (COO).

Over the years, Randy assumed additional responsibilities in New Business Development, Operations, Quality and International Business—always without complaint, even when he didn’t have the experience in some of those areas. For a small entrepreneurial company, Randy was prepared to do whatever was required to further the cause of the company.

With such a diverse role in the company, Randy and I have often worked through many difficult issues at MediPurpose. The key to our successful working relationship has been our open and honest communication—occasionally heated, but always respectful and professional. More specifically, Randy has the ability to argue with me without us getting personal, offensive or angry. This speaks a lot about Randy’s communication skill, which I guess is the hallmark of a world-class salesperson!

Three Great Employees for Three Great Reasons

Stephen, Cheryl and Randy are unique individuals with unique roles and responsibilities at MediPurpose. Yet, each has thrived at MediPurpose for as long as they have because they care…about themselves, about each other, and about the company. As a result, they make it very easy for me to reward them. But as much as I can reward them with mementos, titles and money, I have a sneaking suspicion that their pride in who they are and what they do is beyond any material or financial award.

What other attributes have you found in your loyal and dedicated employees? Let us know in the comments.

Tags: Medical Product Distribution, Medical Product Sales, Medical Product Marketing & Communications, Medical Product Customer Service Read More

Although the MediPurpose business model is primarily structured to distribute our medical products through a multitude of domestic and international healthcare distributors, over the years, MediPurpose has become completely proficient and skilled as a distributor in its own right.

This notion of being able to facilitate, manage and direct all areas of medical product distribution is something that Webster might say makes us a master distributor.

However, calling ourselves a "master" distributor is a pretty strong claim—especially when considering the magnitude of our competitors and the strength of our medical product distribution partners—but I believe it is an appropriate label, particularly in the context of our medical product distribution capabilities. For instance:

• In a previous blog, I wrote about our ability to enter multiple channels through multiple medical product distribution partners for the same medical product, thereby increasing market penetration, eliminating channel conflict and maximizing our products' availability.

• Our extensive partnerships allow us to get our medical products into virtually every department within an acute care setting—as well as within alternate care, POS and long-term care facilities.

• As the manufacturer of the SurgiLance® Safety Lancet, we have established both the contract manufacturing relationships and logistical capabilities to get our medical products from them to our warehouse...and then again out to our customers.

• Our medical product acceptance has driven the inclusion of our products within most major medical GPO contracts.

• Our comprehensive understanding of the regulatory requirements (both from a manufacturing/ISO and FDA/CE perspective) is clearly established.

So, as I discover what it truly means to completely proficient or skilled at marketing medical products, MediPurpose will continue to develop its position as a master distributor.

Tags: Medical Product Marketing & Communications, Medical Product Sales, Medical Product Distribution Read More

So here’s an interesting situation with which you might have experienced or even be currently experiencing. Say that you manage a sales representative that is a consistent top performer…but unfortunately is also disrespectful to others in your office and disliked by virtually everybody at the company. This rep knows that he or she is an asset to the company—and possibly thinks of him or herself as irreplaceable.

This is precisely the type of paradox that was recently shared by member of a LinkedIn Group to which I belong. It was a compelling question, and I thought I’d share my response with you because it’s certainly an issue that challenges sales managers at medical device companies, as well as businesses in virtually every industry.

I wrote:

“Most behaviors are learned and reinforced through a system of rewards. Unfortunately, the bad behavior ‘reward’ most typically plays out with the manager not doing anything ‘for the good reward of his/her bottom line.’

The unintended consequence of doing nothing is reinforcement of that bad behavior in that person—coupled with the company-wide reinforcement that bad behavior will be tolerated at the company. As noted earlier by another discussion participant, that is a seriously destructive cancer within a team.

Now the world of HR must also be addressed. If the ‘bad apple’ has always been rewarded for his/her bad behavior with good reviews, someone has to start the process to ensure that all are treated equally.

I would immediately and definitively address the problematic performer with observations that very specific examples with dates, times, etc. If that ‘history’ has not been built, it would need to done quickly. In no uncertain terms, the understanding and acknowledgement that such actions are not acceptable must be relayed in writing.

I might also suggest involving HR in a thought process if that ‘problematic performer’ is high profile. A little FYI and CYA are never a bad mix!

My experience has been that most good HR department managers often wonder ‘Why didn't somebody do something with that person earlier?’ and are very supportive when these types of matters are brought to their attention.

After the process and documentation has begun, how it plays out will and should always be determined by the actions of the employee against the fair and equal expectations of the organization.

The result will hopefully be a good message for the rest of the

Tags: Medical Product Sales Read More

"Seems like just yesterday" to coin a phrase, but that is how fast 10 years can fly by—as it has since MediPurpose first launched the SurgiLance® Safety Lancet in 1999.

Once just an idea for an innovative healthcare safety product and today a solid market leader in safety lancets, it almost seems unlikely—considering the dominance of some large companies like Roche and B-D—that a small medical product startup like MediPurpose could not only exist, but actually be successful.

I'm not the first author in this blog to say it, but it can't be stated enough: MediPurpose's good fortune is not only a credit to not only the product, but also to the founder, Patrick Yi, for his unwillingness to allow the company to fail.

Achieving this success has meant providing a quality product at a competitive price. It has also meant his personal sacrifice of moving his family halfway around the world...and then asking people that had never heard of this product to "trust me."

As with all small and young organizations, there were the usual struggles early on (some of which will soon be revisited in this blog), but having weathered them, MediPurpose is now spreading its wings to help new and exciting medical device inventions, products and companies discover their own success.

Ten years is something very few startup companies ever experience, and being a witness and participant to some of that growth is something for which I am very proud.

Changes are happening all around us, but this organization continues to stick with its original philosophy of quality products and great customer service. I can only imagine what the next 10 years will bring, but am excited to seeing it unfold!

Tags: Medical Device Innovation, Medical Product Sales Read More

As MediPurpose celebrates its first 10 years in business—and perhaps because this is also the end of the year and the close of a decade—there's been a lot of reflecting around the office.

Like with MediPurpose founder and CEO Patrick Yi's recent blog, my contemplations have toggled between reviewing our company's success and the trajectory of my own career—including the last four years that I've spent at MediPurpose.

Similar to most senior sales and marketing professionals, I have worked for a range of companies that span a spectrum of sizes, scopes and requisite responsibilities. Although I don't have any illusions of having complete clarity with how MediPurpose achieved its success, I do believe that my experiences have given me some perspective.

More specifically, my current perspective is that there are three fundamental reasons for why MediPurpose has not only survived, but has thrived and is poised to continue doing so for another 10 years and beyond. After all, an estimated 50 percent of startups fail, and MediPurpose has had the additional challenge of being a single-line medical device company in a field of Fortune 50 healthcare titans.

Reason #1: MediPurpose has Always Been Customer-Centric

This exceeds the standard "the customer comes first" credo. Any business that doesn't put the customer first is doomed.

A company that wants to do more than "not fail" and truly achieve success must be customer-centric. To me, "customer-centric" sensibilities means:

• Embracing an honest, straightforward approach to problem solving that simultaneously puts in a fix to prevent the problem from resurfacing.

• Always assuming accountability in the eyes of our customer.

• No excuses. No fluffy explanations.

Reason #2: MediPurpose Founder CEO Patrick Yi has Never Forgotten His Experiences as a Struggling Entrepreneur

Remaining grounded to those early years-in spite of our 10-year success-has produced a unique workplace culture.

Not only is there still a sense of excitement and discovery in our ongoing business our first product, the SurgiLance® Safety Lancet, but it's fostering a sense of empathy and understanding for new medical device inventors within our Medical Device Innovation division, as well as with medical product companies looking to bring medical product innovations to the market through our Medical Product Distribution Services division.

Reason #3: People Come and Go in All Companies

The litmus test for a company that claims to provide the nurturing environment for the good to get better is when its talent comes back after spreading its wings.

I've seen it at MediPurpose quite recently with the return of VP of Sales and Marketing Mark Stoppenbach. His return reinforces the notion that although we will always learn from our mistakes, we fortunately make more wise decisions than not.

Pleasin' Reasons

Although I would agree that this is certainly not an exhaustive list of factors for success at our company, I will say that they are essential elements.

In my entire career, I have seldom seen them all come together as consistently and effectively as they have at MediPurpose, and that alchemy has me very excited for the next 10 years.

Tags: Medical Product Sales, Medical Device Innovation Read More

There’s an old saying that “the first million is the hardest.” Presumably, that “million” refers to money and wealth, accumulated by individuals, businesses, or both.

For MediPurpose, the first million in medical product sales was achieved quickly. I started MediPurpose (then known as SurgiLance Pte Ltd) in Singapore in 1999 to sell SurgiLance® Safety Lancets (then known as One-Step Safety Lancets).

By 2001, the first full year of sales, MediPurpose had made its first million; by the end of the next year, that figure had tripled.

I can’t say which million was easier or harder to make as every million and every year in business has presented its own unique challenges.

Reflections on the 10th Anniversary

Yesterday, we published a news release that officially announced our recognition of our 10th year in business, and that has put me in a reflective mood. Ironically, the more I think about the past, the more I think about the future. It also has me thinking about that old saying.

Although money is always on the mind of most people, it is only a small part of the motivation for medical device inventors and medical product innovators and entrepreneurs—or at least myself and the successful ones that I’ve met or read about.

Both then and now, my motivation has mostly been in the quest to achieve something meaningful.

For me—and for that matter, MediPurpose—that has meant solving the riddle that we like to call “from concept to commercialization.” More specifically, it involved taking my brother-in-law’s innovative safety lancet from the “good idea” phase in 1999 to what it is now: one of the world’s most popular safety lancets.

Prior to MediPurpose, I had zero experience with medical products—developing them, marketing them or distributing them. However, I did have experience in taking things “from concept to commercialization” such as the Singapore NETS debit card service. The opportunity to test my intuition and the versatility of my problem solving skills with my brother-in-law’s innovation was too tempting to resist.

Ten years later, after selling millions of dollars and more than a half-billion SurgiLance® Safety Lancets, that urge to test myself has never faded. In fact, it’s as strong as ever, especially as I look back on the past 10 years and continue to focus on the next 10 years and beyond.

It may be true that the first million was the hardest. The same can be said for the first years. During that period, I was too busy trying to get MediPurpose into the black to think much about whether I was doing things right, and the thrill of achieving each milestone sustained my efforts.

Now that I have some security and confidence with what I do in the medical product arena—especially as I now guide MediPurpose into new directions with our Medical Device Innovation and Medical Product Distribution Services divisions—I don’t expect the next 10 years to be any less difficult, stressful or challenging. Then again, I wouldn’t be doing this if it weren’t!

Tags: Medical Product Distribution, Medical Device Innovation, Medical Product Sales Read More

If you follow the news at the MediPurpose Website, you probably read or saw the media release about my return to MediPurpose as their VP of Sales and Marketing last month.

Although the release covered most of the "who/what/where/when," it didn't touch on the "why."

So, why did I return to MediPurpose?

The story starts with when I first came to MediPurpose in December 2006 as their director of sales for the United States and Canada.

Although small by industry standards, MediPurpose had great desire to expand within the medical product arena, which was one of the main reasons why I accepted their offer for the position.

It was also an opportunity—my first—to work for a manufacturer of a medical safety product that had been developed as a direct result of the Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act of 2000.

In 2007, I was recruited away from MediPurpose by a small startup company that also sold a safety product (a safety syringe). As their VP of sales, I was presented with an exciting challenge to develop a medical product sales team and grow their business, primarily in acute care. Although the opportunity was well suited for my qualifications and ambitions, the company failed to develop, due to many factors.

However, I never lost touch with my former boss, MediPurpose President and COO Randy Prather. Randy recognized that my best long-term opportunity was back here at MediPurpose, and I readily accepted his offer to become MediPurpose's VP of sales and marketing.

Nevertheless, that only partly explains why I returned. As I ultimately discovered after I left, there are great opportunities everywhere, but the great companies are fewer and farther between. MediPurpose is indeed a great company that:

• Has a highly respected medical product
• Is a solid medical product company with a vision for the future
• Offers unparalleled opportunities for both personal and professional growth

Finally, as cliché as it may seem, MediPurpose feels very much like a family...and there is no greater thing in life than a family.

I'm very excited about the coming months at MediPurpose. With several new medical products in the pipeline, being back is more exciting than ever. After all, no one enjoys new products more than a salesman!

Tags: Medical Product Sales, Medical Product Distribution Read More