Know when it's time to play hardball
Know when it's time to play hardball
Don't be afraid: Shop for the best pump deal
When you're ready to make the final decision about buying a pump, the ball is in your court.
"See how willing the company is to negotiate," recommends Pat Berberich, a sales rep for Clinical Technology, a Broadview Heights, OH-based wholesaler. "If you have a pump you want to get rid of, will they let you trade it in?"
There are several ways to limit your expenses when shopping for a pump.
Ciarniello notes that you shouldn't have to pay to study a pump's capabilities.
"We look for the companies to provide the pumps free for evaluation, although we'll pay for the disposables."
Once you've made your selection, it's really time to get serious at the bargaining table.
"After we selected the Sabratek, I asked the company for references and called several to get an honest spin on the pumps in the field," he says. "I got three or four good questions, and I went back to Sabratek and said, `People in the field are telling me this. What are your answers?' It enlightened. I feel our process was very thorough."
That's not all. Nelson also negotiated a trial rental period with Sabratek.
"We're going to get the first 30 days free, then we're going to lease for three months with no strings attached," notes Nelson. "We got that upfront in our negotiations, so don't be afraid to ask for things. It's a competitive market out there."
The three-month trial allows Infusion Solu-tions to get a true feel for the pump without a long-term commitment. In essence, it makes Sabratek put its money where its mouth is.
"We're doing the three month trial lease with no strings attached, so if we don't like the pumps, we can move on to another or change to another financial structuring," says Nelson. "So even at the point we made our decision, we really wanted to try these on our patients and make sure that what we found in our research is a reality in the field."
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