Anticipation: The Hidden Advantage No One Taught You
You walked in prepared. Data ready. Product knowledge sharp. Then the surgeon drops one sentence and the entire call goes sideways. Sound familiar?
That moment exposes the gap between reps who react and reps who anticipate. In this episode, Lisa and Cindy unpack the quiet skill behind every elite performer: seeing the objection, the breakdown point, and the next move before anyone else in the room does.
You'll learn how to pivot under pressure, address pushback before it lands, and stop leaving your territory up to chance. Because the reps who win aren't the luckiest. They're the most ready.
Must-Hear Insights and Key Moments
The Surgeon Who Flipped the Script – Lisa shares the sales call where a physician revealed he sat on the safety and efficacy board, and how she pivoted in real time to save the conversation.
Anticipating Objections Before They Land – Why cost is almost never a surprise, and how recognizing patterns lets you address pushback before your customer even raises it.
The Difference Between Reacting and Anticipating – How elite reps stop waiting for customers to dictate the pace and start steering every conversation themselves.
Spotting Breakdown Points – Inventory gaps, FDA timelines, VAC committee delays. The hotspots where deals fall apart, and how to stay ahead of them.
Trust Is Built in the Hard Moments – Why upfront communication during problems builds more credibility than smooth sailing ever will.
Always Be Thinking Three Steps Ahead – From the surgery scheduler to the next follow-up, how to leave every conversation with the next move already locked in.
Three Questions Every Rep Should Ask – The simple framework Cindy lays out to turn preparation into anticipation in any setting.
Running Your Territory Like a CEO – Why anticipation is the foundation of self-led performance, and how to stop leaving your business up to chance.
Words of Wisdom: Standout Quotes from This Episode
"I know what he's about to say to me, because I know what the safety and efficacy board found on that product. That's research. That's preparedness." – Anneliese Rhodes
"You always wanna leave your conversations on a good note. Maybe you're not getting them to use the product tomorrow, but you're not leaving them with a crappy feeling." – Anneliese Rhodes
"Most of this stuff shows up in patterns. It's not the first time it's ever shown up in your sales world." – Anneliese Rhodes
"Recognize not only what is going to happen or what is happening, but also how to pull yourself back out." – Anneliese Rhodes
"Don't wait for somebody to tell you. Call the surgery scheduler. Get the patient information. Find out when the case is gonna be. Are your products even available?" – Anneliese Rhodes
"How to be an elite high performer is to respond to an objection before it even exists. That's not putting ideas in their head. That's steering the conversation as it should be." – Cynthia Ficara
"Trust isn't built when everything's perfect. Trust is built in how you handle the situations you didn't see coming." – Cynthia Ficara
"Ask yourself what could go wrong, and have I already solved it. Anticipate what you need to do to make it go right." – Cynthia Ficara
"Defining the next move doesn't leave things up to chance." – Cynthia Ficara
"Anticipation is not about being perfect. It is about being ready." – Cynthia Ficara
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Blog Transcript:
Note: We use AI transcription so there may be some inaccuracies
Cindy: Welcome back to Secret to Medical Device Sales. You've got Anneliese Rhodes and Cynthia Ficara here, and yes, Lisa, do look at my background, right? Do you notice I am sitting somewhere different today?
Lisa: I like your...
Cindy: I moved, I moved from my normal spot down to my office, so you'll have to tell me if I echo in here though. But anyway, okay. In front of you watching, you can see that. But welcome everyone for listening to another episode and I'm excited for today because sometimes in our podcast we talk about things that may seem so simple yet overlooked, but when we put some focus on it, we've had people write back and say, hey, thanks for bringing that up. You know, sometimes the most obvious things are overlooked. So today's conversation is really kind of one of them. Would you agree, Lisa?
Lisa: Yeah. So, you know, Cindy and I were talking about this and I thought, this is a great episode because it's something that you and I do extremely well. Right? But we don't really think about it because we've been doing this for so long and we are high elite performers. And so, but it's our job to teach all of you. So that's why we do this stuff. And this one sounds pretty simple, but it actually takes a little bit of brain power, right? Like it takes you caring and it takes brain power. And so I like what we're gonna talk about today. I think it solves some problems.
Cindy: And actually it's kind of like three subjects of problems. So if you're listening right now, are you someone who reacts to what's happening, whether it's in an OR or in a sales call? Are you someone that waits for a customer to just tell you what you need? Hey, I need this. Oh, now it's time to go to work. Or are you somebody also that gets blindsided, whether it be cost objections or any objection in your sales call. Were you delayed by something or anything that kind of loses momentum? I feel like all of those problems make us feel like we're a step behind.
Lisa: Yeah. Now, you know, sometimes things can happen and nobody knows it was gonna happen, right? Like a case gets delayed or a case gets canceled, or you know, surgeon needs you for an emergent case. Like those are things that maybe you had no idea that they were gonna happen, but the key is, do you know how to handle it? So that's kind of what we're gonna talk about today. So should we... what are we talking? Do you wanna tell them what we're talking about since you're leading?
The Secret Is Preparation
Cindy: I love this such an organized conversation. So ultimately, we are talking about anticipation. Something that is so simple that you may do and not realize, but when you focus on it, you can really move the needle. And I'm actually gonna plant our secret in on this because it's really going to be the foundation for the three simple things that we're gonna break this down to today.
The secret to anticipation is preparation. And not just preparation on do I know what I'm doing? We're gonna dive into this a little bit more so you understand how we do things. So Lisa, you and I were talking about this, that we thought it was something overlooked and you mentioned when you spoke to one of your physicians about something that you could have anticipated. So do you wanna share that with everyone?
Lisa: Yeah, sure. So it was not a case, even though you could absolutely throw a case into this mix real easily. It was actually a sales call and I was getting ready to talk to the surgeon about this specific product. I had all the data, I had all the research, I had the product itself. I knew the features and benefits, like I had everything lined up perfectly. Like I knew the physicians that were already using the product, like I had everything lined up for a great sales call until he threw at me something that I didn't know that I probably should have known, but that he was on the board for the safety and efficacy part of the trial of the product years and years before.
So number one, I should have known that, which I did not. So I did not do my homework. But number two, boy, did he already have his feelings on that? Right? Really, he already had everything mapped out on how he felt about the product, how he felt about the results, how he felt about the trial, and I basically got quote unquote blindsided by the fact that I was not prepared.
And so that can absolutely happen in a sales call and it's kind of unnerving, right? When you all of a sudden have this entire thing laid out and then poof, it's gone because they just gave you a little bit more information that you didn't know. So I think this is really important, and we're talking about this today, because sometimes we're not prepared for it. But what did I do? Well, I was able to quickly think on my toes. I was able to pivot from the situation that I was currently in to a better situation and understand how I was still gonna leave on a good note, right? Because you always wanna leave your conversations on a good note. Maybe you're not getting them to use the product tomorrow, but you're not leaving them with a crappy feeling of, oh well that was a terrible sales call. Like you never wanna do that.
So I was able to pivot in that specific moment in conversation to something positive. Even though it wasn't the outcome that I was expecting, I still was able to change that sales talk and end on a good note. So I think that's a really good example of what we're trying to talk about today.
Cindy: And I agree. I think that what you just described is those that have experience, you know, you can recognize when you need to pivot and you can be aware, okay, so you didn't know something and then how you steered that conversation. And I think that what you mentioned though is that's a common mistake. Like, I don't know if I would know every little bit about every single surgeon, but when we talk about preparing for sales calls, especially if you're trying to do something new, I think a great takeaway is when you're listening to this, really know the backgrounds of your customers. Know where they come from. Remind yourself, Google them real quick. What were they on? I mean, especially when it comes to things like trials or new products. Before you try to introduce something new to somebody, make sure it's not new to them. Maybe it is, maybe it isn't, but you can't always anticipate if it's not written down, like how they're gonna react.
Anticipating Objections Before They Happen
Cindy: But let's kind of focus this on how we can use anticipation to our advantage. So let's think about this. You're gonna go into a sales call, right? How do we anticipate an objection before they ask? So I'm sure all of us have been in rooms enough where you know there's gonna be a common objection. That's not a surprise, right? It's like recognizing a pattern. When I bring this up, they're gonna say, oh, X, Y, Z.
Lisa: Right.
Cindy: So one of the most common objections we hear, of course, is price, which is why Lisa had... we go to the Big Impact Academy and Lisa has an entire mini course on how to handle a cost objection, and that pulls in anticipation. When you are anticipating one of your customers may object to the cost, this is a great way to do things. So by anticipating, listen to that course. So something else is knowing what the other objections could be. It's not always cost. Maybe it's like a delay in getting things into the hospital or, you know, your certain customer's very hesitant, so when you become a good sales rep is when you can bring these things up before they even do. So how to be an elite high performer is to respond to this objection before it even exists. Now that's not putting ideas in their head.
Lisa: Yeah.
Cindy: It's steering the conversation as it should be.
Lisa: Yeah. Nope, I agree with you. You don't wanna put any ideas in their head, but at the same time you need to be thinking ahead.
Cindy: Absolutely.
Lisa: Yeah, so, okay. So you know, I think one of the things that sometimes people can get in their own heads, right? Like they start like second guessing everything. They're like, ooh, well the customer might say this. The customer might say that. They might push back on price, they might push back on the product itself. So I think another thing that you guys need to keep in mind is like, yes, it's important to be prepared. Yes, it's important to pivot when necessary, but don't try and psych yourself out during the sales call or during the situation that you're faced just because something arises. Like you still need to be chill, understand, and here's the deal. Most of this stuff like shows up in patterns, right? Like it's not like the first time it ever shows up in your sales world, right? Like you probably have had absolutely something like this before. So recognize, oh, this is probably gonna lead me down this path with this customer. Here's how I'm gonna handle it. And that's what I did in the conversation with that customer. As he's telling me the story that he is on the Safety and Efficacy Board, now I know what he's about to say to me because I know what the Safety and Efficacy Board found on that product. Right? I did know that.
Cindy: Yes. That's...
Lisa: ...research. That's preparedness. So I already know what he's gonna go down. I already know the rabbit hole that he's going down. I'm gonna meet him there. I'm gonna pull him back out of the rabbit hole. Now that I anticipated it, I was prepared. I brought him back out of the rabbit hole and back into a better sales discussion to leave it on a good note. So that's recognizing not only what is going to happen or what is happening, but how also to pull yourself back out. I think that's really key in these types of situations when you are, quote unquote, pivoting from one to the next.
Spotting Breakdown Points Before They Break You
Cindy: Yeah, exactly. So anticipating an objection before it happens is huge. I think the second thing is anticipating... how do I put this in words? It's called like breakdown points. So whatever you are selling, you know, there might be a hotspot where things seem to usually fall through the cracks, right? And so maybe it's that you have this great product, but maybe you're running into an inventory situation where we're low on inventory, we've got back orders. These are all things you need to anticipate. And what's so key in this is being able to communicate that.
So it's not like there's anything bad. I mean, you know, being upfront, communicating with your customer is huge to begin with, but a lot of times trust is built on what you can say because it's not like trust is built when everything's perfect, you know, and nothing goes wrong because you're the company that always does inventory and yeah, things always go right. It's more about, trust can be built about how you handle situations that you may or may not see coming.
So if there are gaps in things that you're trying to sell in your industry, if things going on, if you know something is going through the FDA, if something's not approved, or maybe you're about to bring in a product that's not through their VAC committee yet, you need to anticipate where these breakdown points are so that when you're discussing this and say for instance, let's just say you're trying to bring a product in...
I think ultimately when we're really trying to anticipate a breakdown point, I think it's very simple. Lisa, I think we should just tell everybody to ask yourself a question. What could go wrong, you know, and have I already solved it? Have I put the places, put the things in order that I need to, to prevent this from going bad? I need to anticipate what I need to do to make it go right.
Lisa: Well, and what you're talking about leads us into the next, which is anticipating the next move after you're on what's gonna go on, you know what's gonna happen. Like my conversation with my surgeon, I know it's going down a rabbit hole. How do I pull him back up and get him to the next move? Which at this point was just let me end this conversation on a good note and move towards maybe talking to him again later on down the road or something like that.
So that's really number three. And it's you just constantly thinking, what's my next step? What's my next follow up? Always be thinking ahead, right? Like even for meeting somebody for the very first time at the end of that conversation, that sales call, you wanna already have the next sales call lined up, the next meeting with the VAC committee. Maybe you're gonna meet the staff the next time, or maybe it's a case that you got. You're gonna line the case up, get the case date, speak to the surgery scheduler like you always need to be moving forward.
Don't wait for somebody to tell you, "Hey, would you like to meet on your product in my office? Hey, I have a case for you, you know, it's next Tuesday." "Oh, okay, great." No. Call the surgery scheduler. Get the patient information, find out when the case is gonna be. What are you gonna need for the case? Like, are your products available for crying out loud? Like all the things that are important that go along with this preparedness of anticipation that we've been talking about this entire episode.
Three Questions and Your Call to Action
Cindy: What you're describing literally, there is somebody that I knew this has been years ago, but I literally know this person. Never thought about the next move. Like it was always just, okay, I came here today, I showed up, and now everything else is just left to chance. So I don't want any of you leaving this episode without some really concrete things, because this is a really, this is a topic that can be overlooked.
So I'm gonna give you three things to ask yourself. All right, three situations. Ready? Pay attention.
Number one, how preparation can help with anticipation to move your suit. So after a meeting, I want you to ask yourself this question. What is the next step, the next situation?
Let's say you're in a case, you're in an OR, an OBL. You need to say to yourself, what follow up drives momentum to carry this forward?
And in another situation, this one's gonna be a little more abstract, is sometimes you're in a hallway, sometimes you're in a parking lot, and you get a moment, an elevator pitch that you grab somebody's interest. The question you need to ask yourself after that is, how do you move to action?
And defining the next move doesn't leave things up to chance. And I think that's what is so important, because anticipation is not about being perfect. It is about being ready. How do you get ready, Lisa?
Lisa: I love it. You prepare.
Cindy: You prepare. I love it. This is good. So I just wanna kind of end all this and wrap this up, that if you wanna stop feeling reactive in your business...
Lisa: Mm-hmm.
Cindy: You want... what is the thing we say all the time? Run your territory like a CEO. Right? So I just think that, how do you do that?
Lisa: Our call to action today for all of you to anticipate your next move. To buy our courses on our website, go to thegirlsofgrit.com. There you will see Big Impact Academy, and we have put together a series of courses for you guys. We are continuing to build. Tune in, keep listening to us, digest all the information we give you, write it down, and write into us, ask us more questions. We are here to help you guys become CEOs of your business and of your life, so keep being prepared.
