How to turn your struggles into opportunities for growth
“You couldn’t go to the hospitals, you couldn’t meet with nurses – you could only send out emails,” recalls Sal Cheggar, Area manager for Wellspect in Holland when reflecting upon the restrictions that governed his work as a salesperson during the pandemic, the time during which he had just started working for Wellspect and in a field that was completely new to him.
“It was a big challenge, indeed, but it also gave me the opportunity to study the products and to learn from my supportive colleagues and superior,” Sal adds: “As my manager already knew the region and the hospitals, I was well prepared, once the restrictions were removed and we could meet in real life again. Because in this field, relationships with healthcare professionals become quite tight; the urologists decide on the therapy and the nurses prescribe the product, so it became imperative for me to nurture a good contact with the nurses.”
With a background studying law at Tilburg University, Sal discovered early that he also had a passion for sales. Having worked in various roles as a Sales Rep for different medical companies, he received a tip on LinkedIn that there was an open position as Sales Area Manager for Wellspect in southwestern Holland. When he discovered that Wellspect was a global company selling premium products, he applied – and got the job.
“We work in small teams, in an easy going atmosphere – and laugh a lot”
“What’s so special about Wellspect is that we work in small teams, quite close to each other, and the atmosphere is easy going, open and familiar. We support one another in our daily tasks and laugh a lot!” Sal says with a smile, and continues: “And yet it’s a huge, global company, with lots of opportunity to develop your career in different directions!”
Recommended by LinkedIn
“My mission so far has been to get to know my area and give Wellspect a face that brings meaning beyond selling catheters to the healthcare professionals,” Sal tells us. “When nurses see me, I want them to think that I represent a company that is committed to supporting them in helping patients to a better quality of life.
And when I hear users talk about the change that our products have brought to their lives, I feel really good knowing that I’ve been part of it. One recent example is from a nurse that had been treating a patient with bladder cancer for years, who had strictures in the urethra and was very scared and reluctant to try intermittent catheterization.
The nurse suggested he try LoFric Origo Flexible and the patient managed to insert it smoothly and directly, with no problem whatsoever. So the nurse was happy and the patient was even more happy, having overcome his fright and now confident that he could go home and manage on his own in the future. And that is proof of how we make a real difference in people’s lives,” Sal concludes.