For DETECTO Vice-President of Sales Maryellen Cullity, serving the needs of the medical field has been a lifelong passion.
“I started selling medical supplies back in 1992 for a company named General Medical. General Medical was acquired by McKesson during my tenure and my focus was physician offices,” says Maryellen. “Over the years I have been fortunate to work for both distributors and manufacturers. This has provided me with a unique perspective, enriching my understanding of the entire supply chain.”
Maryellen says marketing in this field is particularly challenging because it is not as simple as just getting the attention of a single customer; there are many decision-makers and layers to consider.
“The medical field is unique in the world of marketing because you have many different targets,” she says. “Obviously, you have the patients, who are benefiting from the use of your products, and you have your healthcare workers who are using your products, but you also have decision makers at the facilities who are the ones placing the orders. In addition, there’s the dynamic of engaging with medical distributors, where educating and marketing your products become essential components of the mix.”
“Navigating the medical supply acquisition process often entails engaging multiple layers of decision-makers. Identifying the right marketing approach and target audience can significantly impact success,” says Maryellen.
With the complexity of the industry, Maryellen learned early on that being part of the right team was critical to success, and for the past eight months, she has been a part of the growing team at DETECTO.
“I had heard from friends in the industry DETECTO had an opening,” she says. “I loved the culture at DETECTO, how involved the leaders are, and how they are vertically integrated and made in the USA. Once I spoke to company leaders, I knew it was a company I wanted to be a part of.”
And as she expected, joining the team was quickly rewarding.
“There are many things that stand out to me that make DETECTO unique, but number one is the team approach I see. Every employee I have been exposed to has the team approach and works together to get the job done and take care of the customers. Working hard is always more fun and rewarding if everyone is doing it.”
While marketing has evolved (moving from printed catalogs and mailings to new digital marketing and social media), one thing that has not changed is the importance of offering unique and innovative products. Maryellen says medical devices like DETECTO’s SONARIS, which uses sonar beams to measure a patient’s height, show the company’s ability to incorporate new technology. She has been overly impressed by the RFID technology incorporated in DETECTO’s new MobileCare cart line and points out that they are cutting edge and require engagement with a distinct decision maker.
“DETECTO products are state of the art. We have a new 6745 pediatric/infant scale coming out soon that will continue to push the innovation envelope. I am so excited for the release of this scale. It is going to be super fun to sell!” she exclaims.
“Maryellen is a joy to work with on a daily basis and a constant flow of positivity,” says Jonathan Sabo, Vice-President of Marketing. “She knows the medical distribution sales industry on a very deep level and always gets back to everyone quickly with articulate answers. We work together in real-time on projects every day and have formed a fantastic synergy between our Sales and Marketing departments. We’ve been working our way through building up content and forming tighter integration with all of our major and mid-size medical distributors over the past eight months, and we’re just getting started.”
Most of Maryellen’s time is spent working from her home in Foxboro, MA, the same town she grew up in just outside of Boston, and, of course, the home of the New England Patriots.
“I live very close to Gillette Stadium, where the Patriots play and have players and coaching staff as my neighbors,” says Maryellen. Football is great but Maryellen’s favorites sport is ice hockey. She loves to attend Bruins hockey games with her husband, who has been with the Boston Police Department for 40 years.
“I am a Boston girl, so we enjoy the sports and the pubs!” she says.
One thing Maryellen’s sports teams have in common with DETECTO’s sales team is the need for hard work and cooperation.
“We have done a lot of Marketing in the past months, and Sales is working laboriously to get in front of as many people as we can to tell the DETECTO story and get our products in front of them so when there is a need, they think DETECTO,” she says. “The Marketing piece will always be important and in play, but now we are shifting to more strategic priorities with our larger customers and have an initiative to build strong end user relationships while entrusting our valued distributor partners with the order fulfillment process. The end goal is always more sales.”
And eight months in, Maryellen says she and the DETECTO team are able to tackle anything thrown their way.
“I am truly grateful for the consistent support I receive at DETECTO. When challenges arise, I know I can rely on my teammates for support and solutions!”
