When Raquel (Kelly) Chapa walked onstage to accept her Primary Care Rep of the Year award, she brought a crowd with her -- because she was representing not just herself, but also Abbott Park, IL-based Abbott Laboratories; her managers, teammates, family and friends; and the Rio Grande Valley, where she was born and raised and now works as a Level 3 sales representative. Though it was her product knowledge, presentation skills and rapport-building abilities that ultimately won her the prize, you could say that the contest was a team effort for Chapa, who enlisted a host of customers, family and friends in her preparation process. "I wanted to be extremely prepared," she says. "I studied every possible scenario that could be presented to me during the contest. I also scheduled appointments to see my local physicians because I wanted their feedback on my presentation skills, and that was very beneficial. And finally, I practiced so much with my family; I practiced with my husband, with my parents, with my aunt, with my cousins -- anybody and everybody who would listen." And Chapa's sense of community and dedication to the people around her not only contributed to her success this October; they have marked her entire career.

A true resource

Chapa got her start in the pharmaceutical industry seven years ago after speaking with area representatives about the job (and at the behest of her mother, who thought it would be a good profession for her). She had been working as a seventh-grade English teacher, and though it took some time for her to feel confident in her medical and product knowledge, she enjoyed the transition, especially the challenges of learning about so many different therapeutic areas and interacting with clinicians. And having mastered the art of "selling" learning concepts to a room full of seventh-graders, she found that many of her skills as a teacher carried over into pharmaceutical sales. "I had to learn to creatively present concepts and ideas, and I had to be able to be flexible and adapt to the various personalities of my students," says Chapa. "That's very similar to my role as a sales representative."

Building on the skills she acquired in her previous career, Chapa is adept at communicating product information, as her district manager, Melody Brunnemann, can attest: "She has extremely strong communication skills; she knows how to make immediate impact when presenting information to physicians, which in turn helps physicians in providing quality care for their patients."

Chapa's dedication to helping physicians care for their patients sets her apart as a rep and serves as the foundation of her sales philosophy. "One thing that my former district manager always stressed to me was, 'Always try to be a value-added presence at each physician's office,' " she says. "In other words, my goal is to always serve as a value-added resource to both physicians and their staff by providing not only my products, but valuable clinical information -- so that when I walk in the door, the physicians will be happy to see me and know that I'm going to provide them with something that's going to make their job a little bit easier."

For example, the population in her lower Rio Grande Valley territory is largely Hispanic, and being a native of the area and of Hispanic descent, Chapa brings physicians a special understanding of the patient population. "When physicians come from other areas, they try to get a firm grasp of the patients and what they're experiencing. They often want to try to understand the culture, how the patients view their treatments and what's important to them. I feel that I'm truly an asset to them because I was born and raised here. I know exactly what their patients are lacking in terms of education, and I can be a true resource."

Chapa's commitment to customer service also manifests itself in her willingness to go beyond the basic requirements -- and often the typical working hours -- of her job. "There are a lot of urgent care clinics open in the evening here in the Rio Grande Valley area, because of the fact that many parents can't bring their children in or patients can't come in during the normal working hours," says Chapa. So she commonly visits physicians' offices on Saturday mornings and during their evening hours, when customers often have more time to talk with her.

She also makes sure to develop relationships with nurses and supply them with the information they need to serve their patients. "A lot of times they're the ones who are responsible for making sure the patients understand the dosing," she says. "I think it's very important to communicate information to the nurses so they're also ready to answer any questions patients may have about your product."

Chapa's commitment to customers and patients in her community has served her well, winning her access and rapport with doctors, nurses and office staff, as well as Abbott's All Star award for sales performance in 2002. Says Brunnemann, "Kelly has exceptional rapport with physicians and their office staff. Physicians just welcome Kelly into their offices because of her high energy level, positive attitude and excellent knowledge base of her products."

And the same thing that has brought Chapa much of her success is also what has brought her the greatest sense of fulfillment in her work. "My favorite part of the job would have to be the people I interact with and the relationships I've formed," she says. "Number one would be the physicians I interact with on a daily basis. There's a time when they come to look upon you as part of their staff, truly as a resource."

On the line

After Chapa completed her five product presentations at the Rep of the Year Contest, she went back to her room and ran up a hefty phone bill. "I called my husband, my parents, all my close family members, my close friends and my district manager," she remembers. "And I said, 'I just want to thank you for your support.' Because I felt it was because of their support that I was so confident and so prepared." Her family asked her to call them back after the banquet, certain that she would win.

Chapa's district manager had the same feeling. Says Brunnemann, "Kelly called me on the phone right after her presentations were completed, and she was so excited because she truly felt like she had performed at her best. It was at that moment that I just knew Kelly could be the first person at Abbott Laboratories to win Primary Care Rep of the Year."

Chapa herself wasn't so sure: "I was competing against the top representatives in the nation. I felt comfortable that I had done well, but I'm sure everyone else had done well. I was very surprised when they read my name."

Now that Chapa has proved her family and her manager right, the phone calls haven't stopped. "I've been inundated with so many phone calls, so many words of congratulations, so many voice mails from people within my company, my family and close friends," says Chapa. "It's an amazing feeling to know that I've had so much support. It truly feels like this accomplishment was a highlight of my professional career that I won't forget."