AACC Review – Companies like Abbott, Beckman, Roche, Thermo, and Ortho Clinical were there….

AACC was in Chicago this year….I always like Chicago as a trade show location.  The AACC usually draws 20k + visitors, but I thought there were fewer attendees than usual.

I agree with Robert at the Dark Report – the mood was somber.  I saw unemployed candidates looking for jobs who said that they weren’t seeing the jobs they would have expected.  And I spoke with employees of these medical diagnostic companies and even if they’re dissatisfied with where they are, they aren’t moving (it’s a case of “the devil you know vs. the devil you don’t”).

As for business and revenue, they said that the hospitals had very little capital available for purchases.  The capital they do have they are reluctant to spend because they are concerned something will break and they won’t have the funds to replace it….which means jobs selling capital equipment are more difficult than ever.  And tiny startups whose business models are based on capital revenue are in deep trouble.

The big men of the AACC sell the pathology systems for testing urine, blood, tissue and stool samples.  Typically, tests that the physician orders are sent to the lab (sometimes in the basement of the hospital).  The clinical technologists, histotechs, cytotechs, etc are the unsung heroes of the pharmaceutical arena.  Companies differentiate testing systems through these benefits:

• Ease of use
• Training
• Service
• Space required
• Labor required
• Cost of product

The biggest booths were Abbott, Beckman, Roche, Thermo and Ortho Clinical. 

Usually, I am “wowed” by at least one exhibitor who has come up with a worthy idea.  Not so much this year.  The Siemens booth was nice-looking modern and white, Abbot had the cheesy “tear down the walls”, OCD (Ortho Clinical) had a new blonde chick giving their little “speeches” about their products…(I always wanna ask them questions, but they are just models.  Why can’t they use a real expert instead of the bobbing head?  And did the blonde lady that had done this for the last Ten years just get too old?  There was one manufacturing booth in the back that had a racing theme – guess what?  Only men were interested…I wonder what percentage of the decision-makers are women?  Are these calculated marketing decisions or just stupid?)

Anyway, I saw a lot of friends, chatted with customers and have to know new candidates, so it was fine.

Call me if you need a great laboratory sales rep – I know ‘em.

Peggy

Article courtesy of  Peggy McKee - Owner / Senior Headhunter at the nationally
recognized medical and pharmaceutical revenue recruiting team of PHC Consulting.
© Copyright 2008 PHC Consulting | All rights reserved

AACC Review – Companies like Abbott, Beckman, Roche, Thermo, and Ortho Clinical were there….