What If Youβre Doing All the Right Thingsβ¦ Wrong?
What if doing all the βrightβ things is actually holding your territory back?
Lisa and Cindy rapid-fire 20 everyday activities medical device reps often do, from physician dinners and OR visits to cold calls, competitor research, and the infamous βI was just in the areaβ text.
But being busy doesnβt always mean being productive. Lisa and Cindy break down why intentionality matters more than simply checking boxes, sharing real-world examples around planning, delegation, and chasing big accounts.
The challenge? Pick one activity youβre doing and turn it from rapid-fire to intentional. Your territory doesnβt need more activity, it needs better attention.
Must-Hear Insights and Key Moments
The Rapid-Fire Trap β Being constantly busy can feel productive, but activity without purpose can keep you spinning your wheels without creating results.
The Secret Is Intentionality β Every sales activity can be valuable when there is a clear reason behind it. The goal isnβt to do more, itβs to do what matters with intention.
Make Physician Dinners Count β A dinner shouldnβt simply be a nice meal or a chance to βget to knowβ a physician. Go in knowing the physician, defining the business goal, and knowing what you want to accomplish.
Stop Doing Everything Yourself β Delegating can feel uncomfortable, especially when you know you can do something faster. Lisa and Cindy discuss starting small to build trust and protect your time for higher-impact work.
Donβt Reinvent the Wheel β If your company or another successful rep already has a system that works, use it. Being smart with your time isnβt laziness, itβs strategy.
Chasing the Big Account Strategically β Landing a major account takes time, patience, and multiple intentional steps. Donβt put your entire territory at risk by betting everything on one βwhale.β
Every Step Needs a Next Step β Showing up at a big account isnβt enough. Know who you need to meet, where you are in the process, and what action moves you forward.
Turn Activity Into Action β Go back through the 20 activities and identify one you could approach differently. The challenge is to pivot from simply being active to being intentional.
Words of Wisdom: Standout Quotes from This Episode
βYour territory doesnβt really need more activity, but it just needs better attention.β β Cynthia Ficara
βEvery single thing weβve listed is a valid activity as a medical device rep if you do it the right way.β β Cynthia Ficara
βWhen you are intentional, itβs being intentional in all your activities.β β Cynthia Ficara
βRapid-fire activity does not give you a rapid-fire return.β β Cynthia Ficara
βGo back to the list, pick one of the 20. I want you to change, pivot, alter what youβre doing to make it go from rapid-fire activity to intentional activity.β β Cynthia Ficara
βSometimes it actually takes a load off of you when you stop trying to do it all yourself.β β Anneliese Rhodes
βAre you being intentional? Is there a purpose to what youβre doing?β β Anneliese Rhodes
βYou better have a plan. What are you looking to accomplish at this dinner?β β Anneliese Rhodes
βYou canβt put all your eggs into that basket. You have to go out and find other accounts.β β Anneliese Rhodes
βDo things in smaller accounts that prepare you for the big one.β β Anneliese Rhodes
Follow The Girls of Grit:
We'd Love to Hear Your Stories!
Have you ever caught yourself doing all the βrightβ things in your territory, only to realize they werenβt actually moving the needle? Think about a time when you stopped doing something just to stay busy and become more intentional with how you spent your time. What changed? Weβd love to hear the moment you realized that better attention mattered more than more activity.
Blog Transcript:
Note: We use AI transcription so there may be some inaccuracies
Are You Busy or Are You Being Intentional?
Cindy: You're making the calls, showing up, following up, doing all the things a great rep is supposed to do. But what if doing all the things is actually the problem?
Lisa: In this episode, we rapid fire on all the everyday moves we make in medical device sales, and we will uncover the question that might make you rethink how you're running your territory. Welcome, everyone, to another episode of Secrets in Medical Device Sales, brought to you by the girls of grit, Cynthia Ficara and Anneliese Rhodes, here to entertain you guys- ... and teach you things and inspire you on your daily rides to work, calling on hospitals and customers and, I don't know, laboratories, and all the places that you guys go. We are here to inspire y'all, and today is gonna be fun. It's gonna be a little different because Cindy and I got together and we're like, "You know what? We have never done a rapid fire type situation of different things that people do in their territories." And so that's what we're gonna do today, and we're gonna talk about a couple of them.
Cindy: And we chose the word rapid fire because sometimes, I mean, come on, you all are driving in the car. You know what it's like when you feel like you're pulling your hair out and you're running around and you're just boom, boom, boom, boom. And how many times have you picked up the phone and a coworker says, " I gotta go here, I gotta go there," and you're almost out of breath saying it, you know? So we think rapid fire is a really good term. So here's what we're gonna do. We are actually just going to rapid fire list activities. I want you to pay attention. Do you do this? Mm-hmm. Is this something that you're taking up your time with? After we're done listing all of these, we'll tell you the significance and why we're saying these things.
Lisa: Yeah, for sure. We'll pick some. So, okay, I'll go first. All right. I do this a lot, which is showing up in the OR when you don't have a case.
Cindy: Next one, taking physicians to dinner.
Lisa: How about bringing breakfast to an office?
Cindy: Sending the just checking in text
Lisa: Oh, boy With
Cindy: air quotes.
Lisa: The good old text. Being available 24/7, and I will just say in some jobs we are available 24/7, but being available all the time, even on weekends.
Cindy: Next rapid fire, knowing every clinical detail about your competitor.
Lisa: Hmm. How about this one? Trying to be friends with your customers.
Cindy: Hmm. How about going to every case?
Lisa: Yep. Cold calling.
Cindy: Dropping off literature.
Lisa: Yep. Always saying yes to your customer. No matter what, your answer is always yes.
Cindy: Doing something yourself because it's faster.
Lisa: Oh. Being the rep that everyone calls when there's a problem.
Cindy: Working while you're on vacation.
Lisa: Chasing the biggest account in your territory.
Cindy: Quarter-end discounting.
Lisa: Over-preparing for a physician meeting.
Cindy: Talking business in the OR.
Lisa: Following your competitor into an account.
Cindy: And the last one, the very infamous, text air quotes, "I was just in the area."
Lisa: I love that one. I just love that one. All right. So most of these are really actually quite good, Cindy. I mean, as we're reading through them I'm like, " Yep, yep, yep, yep." I want you guys, when we read through those, and if you need to review or rewind and go back through them, you should, because I want you to be thinking about this in a very, strategic way. What we're gonna talk about, we're gonna pick out a couple of these and talk about them in depth. But we want you guys to really be thinking about one thing, which is our secret. So should we give away our secret now? Because I think it's important that everybody's thinking about it this way when we're talking about things.
Cindy: I agree. Yeah. So do you want me to reveal it?
Lisa: Yes, you reveal it.
Cindy: Okay. So the secret to not losing your time with rapid fire activity is to be intentional, and we really think the sole purpose of this episode- Oh, yeah ... is for you to understand that your territory doesn't really need more activity, but it just needs better attention. Every single thing we've listed is a valid activity as a medical device rep if- You do it the right way. If you're intentional, and don't just do things to do things, and check the box, and say you did them.
Lisa: Yeah, 100%, Cindy. How many times do you see reps and they're... It's just like they're spinning their wheels, and they're just constantly doing all this stuff. They're like, " but I don't... You talk about all this stuff, and I'm doing all of it, but I'm not seeing results." And it's like, are you being intentional? Is there a purpose to what you're doing?
The Difference Between Activity and Progress
Lisa: So let's pull a couple of these out, and let's talk about it. Sure. Let's give people examples, and we'll go through this for you guys. So the very first one is that I really like, that I do not infrequently, right? I'm not doing this all the time, but when I am doing it, I'm extremely purposeful in doing it. That is taking physicians to dinner.
First and foremost, we all know that everybody in this life is busy, right? I'm busy. You're busy. Our physicians are busy. They're busy with their families at home. They're busy with their patients. They're busy with their practice. Maybe they just moved practices. Maybe they're new to your territory. This is a great way for you to pull them out of their daily norm activities and get them into a setting where you probably have their undivided attention for a little bit of time, right?
Make Every Physician Dinner Count
Lisa: I mean, even those guys and gals that are extremely busy, most of them will give you an hour, right? An hour and a half, maybe two hours sometimes. So don't just take it for granted that, number one, they said yes to you, but also have a plan, a purpose, an intention of what you are going to achieve when you take them to dinner because it's not just about the nice dinner and the wine or whatever you're gonna do with that dinner. It is about what is your business focus, and there's an art to doing that.
Cindy: I love how you put that. I'm gonna take this a step further because everything you said is spot on. So think about this. How many of you are like, "Okay, my manager's gonna come ride with me for these so many days, and I need to get a dinner."
So you just- Yeah ... plan a dinner. Okay? So your manager comes in and the question is, " This is excellent. We get to meet this physician. Tell me about this physician. And so what is our goal? Where are we in the sales process with this? Are they a customer of ours? And if you don't have an answer other than, "Well, we're just gonna get to know them." Okay.
Lisa: Nope.
Cindy: Even that you can take further. Get to know what? And if you don't have an answer, you don't need to be doing this. All you're doing is adding rapid fire activity to make you busy with no intention, to waste money that shouldn't be spent, to have your manager then doubt that you even have control of your business.
Lisa: Oh, my gosh, yes indeed.
Cindy: So I think it's really important.
Lisa: Yes.
Cindy: And, even if you're not gonna bring your manager to a dinner, here's what I want you to think about the next time you plan a dinner with a physician. If I were to bring my manager, what purpose would I be explaining, telling, and meeting them for?
Lisa: 100%-
Cindy: That's the secret, intention ...
Lisa: yeah, intention. I mean, I don't know about you, but you're exactly right. Most of the time if you have the manager, the VP or whoever is with you at this dinner, even if they're not at the dinner, but especially if they are, you better have done all your homework on your physicians or physician, the one that you're taking out. You better know where he or she went to school, what they studied, where they did their internship, their fellowship, all that stuff, right? Who are their mentors? Who do they admire? What is their favorite surgery to do, right? Are they a CT surgeon, do they just like doing cabbages, or do they do total arches, or are they do lungs? Like, what do they do, right?
And it's important for you to know this before you sit down with them. This is not the let's get to know you, "Oh, l- you're part of the transplant team." No. You should've already known that, right? This is not the time for you to sit down and, you know, it's like in school, right? When you have your first day of school, the teacher goes around the room and she's like, "Okay, everybody. Tell me your name. Tell me something about and all the things and you're telling people for the first time. This is not the place to do that. This better be a place, no matter if you've never met the surgeon or you've known them for years, you better know everything there is to know about them.
Now, that being said, you may or may not have ever learned their wife or husband's name, and you may or may not know about their personal life, so that you could ask potentially. If they've already given it to you, then you better rack your brain and figure it out. Personally, I usually ask other people that know the physicians so that I know everything about them before I even sit down at the dinner. But this is so important. And then the next thing is to have a plan. Like, what are you looking to accomplish at this dinner?
Again, it's not just to get a good steak dinner, right? Like, what are your business goals? If it is a new physician that you've never met before or that you've met one time, maybe it's as simple as you talking to them about your procedure, a little bit about your product, and where does it fit into their practice, right? But also, what are their beliefs, right? Do they believe in the things that you do or you sell? Are they innovative? And you should know some of this from where they practiced at currently or prior to you meeting them.
So you need to make sure, though, that you have a business goal, and you never leave that meeting, dinner, lunch, whatever it is, without having gotten that goal. Maybe the goal is just to set up in-service at the OR because the product's on the shelf. Maybe it's to get the next case. Maybe it's to, I don't know, you know, meet the rest of their partners. But you should have goals prior to your dinner.
Cindy: And when you make a plan, it can really, really have a great ROI. I will say one of the reasons we pulled this one out of the list is that, especially if you're working with physicians in the OR, getting this time to dinner is priceless. Because sometimes an hour to an hour and a half to two hours at dinner is six months worth of work, if you plan ahead. And because you listened, now you will be thinking twice. So I think that was a great conversation to steer away from rapid fire, and don't just go to dinner to go to dinner. Yeah. So let's see.
Stop Trying to Do Everything Yourself
Cindy: Another one that we can just take a minute to just have you question a way to make it a little bit better for your day. I'll do the doing something yourself because it's faster, so. I can't even say that without laughing because I am so guilty. Now, there are times when I realize it and I fixed it. This is something I think I still struggle with. I think as reps, there's times where you just want to take control. You know how to do things, and you can do it faster.
Mm-hmm. But here's what you need to remember. When you are intentional, it's being intentional in all your activities. Let's say you're planning for the week. Many reps get to work with clinicals. One of the best things to do is have a wing man, is have a team partner, and it might not even be clinical. It might be another rep.
A lot of companies have reps that work in teams and share. When you can most effectively divide up something that doesn't have to be you, the times when it has to be you, you have more energy, more presence, and more impact because you're not just running around And-
Lisa: Yeah.
Cindy: Yeah ... it's hard though, Lisa, isn't it, β¦I knowβ¦ to delegate a little bit?
Lisa: I know. I'm sitting here thinking, "Oh, my gosh." That's, like, literally one of the worst things that I struggle with, at all times, right? At home and at work is- Yeah ... not doing everything yourself, to delegate out. It's hard because for me it's a trust factor, right? Like, for me- Oh, yes it's can I trust this next person to handle the situation that I could totally handle, but I need to be able to trust that my, I don't know, customer service is gonna handle this for me, or my, clinical is gonna handle it for me, or, you know, the rep is gonna handle it for me.
Like, it's tricky. But I will say that, you know, they say the best leaders are also able to delegate appropriately. So, I think this is probably one of those things you gotta learn to do over time. So if you're a new rep- Mm-hmm ... it may be harder for you because you want to, you're out to prove yourself, right? So you're like, "Oh, I can handle all of it." Mm-hmm ... if you're a tenured rep, you have controlled it probably for a long time and you're like, "I don't wanna give up that control." So I think you need to also be really strategic and smart in this situation, where if you are gonna delegate something, make sure, maybe try it out with a smaller task first. Like, maybe it'd be something that a customer service rep can absolutely do for you. So you put that in their court.
You see what they produce for you. You review it, obviously. You always review everything before it's sent to a customer, and then you see, oh, look, they actually managed this quite well. Now I can move to a bigger task and trust the customer service rep that they're gonna handle this for me. Or the clinical, right? Like, maybe you don't hand a clinical a case right away that's super advanced. Maybe you give them, an easy case. I don't know. If we're in orthopedics, maybe it's a screw in a foot. I don't know. I've never done orthopedics, but my point is when you're delegating, start small and then build from there so that you can build the trust level not only with that person, but inside yourself as well.
Cindy: And I think what you said is key. If you just start small, it's almost like triaging the tasks, you know? Like, find something that's not super important, something that, worst case scenario, it wasn't done the way you would do it, but you need to ask yourself, is that bad? I mean, if it's still gonna get done, does it matter? There are things that do matter. There are things that are especially you, but like I said, protect that time, and don't get to the point where you're really needed and now you ran out of time and the week's over, the quarter's over, and you missed it.
Lisa: Ooh, good point. That's a great point.
Cindy: Yeah. So it's intentional. Yeah. Knowing the most important things first, and share when you can.
Lisa: Well, and I don't know if you said this, but, you know, like, in reinventing the wheel, don't reinvent the wheel- Oh, I didn't. Yeah ... if it's already out there, right? So I don't know, let's just say, like a business plan. Or hey, the planner, right? Yes. Like, instead of you reinventing the wheel with a planner, buy our planner. We've already done it for you.
Do things that have already set a precedent. If there is some precedent already set, just take that. You're not being lazy. You're being smart with your time. So instead of reinventing it and creating your own system, if somebody else has a system that really works well, just use theirs and personalize it for yourself. I mean, every single sales rep out there has to hit a number.
We are all held to a certain amount of sales quarterly and yearly, and if somebody has a really good system that works well, take theirs and then just make it your own, instead of you trying to do it all yourself just so that you can look better. Sometimes it actually is, it takes a load off of you when you just take something that's a little easier, and then you can concentrate on something else.
Chasing the Biggest Account Without Losing Your Territory
Cindy: Absolutely. Okay, so now that we know that, our very last one that we're just gonna put a little focus on to help you not rapid fire is something I think is really important. The topic to discuss for this one is chasing the biggest account in the territory, and I feel like some of the things that we're gonna discuss in this will be because we've done multiple episodes all tied in to what it takes- Mm ... to chase a big account. Do you agree?
Lisa: You're right. We did those two on whales, right?
Yeah. Capturing the whales. I forgot about that. Yeah, yeah. You're right. I feel like especially with new reps I see this, where they tend to wanna go after the big dogs, right? Like very first. They just are so hungry, they're so excited. "Ooh, I can break into this account. I know all the tricks of the trade. I'm gonna get Dr. So-and-So because he's the biggest, whatever surgeon, whatever specialty you call on, in the US, right? And I'm gonna go get him." Okay, well, that's a great goal, and I'm never gonna tell you not to go after your biggest dreams and goals, but there's a lot that goes into it. It's not just about the dollars that you see at the end of the trail.
And by the way, the people that do have those accounts, they've worked their butt off to get there. So don't kid yourself that you think you're just gonna stroll in there one day and you're gonna win it all, 'cause it doesn't usually work that way. And if it does for you, then great, but that's usually not the way it goes. It takes sometimes years, right, Cindy? Yes. To break into these massive accounts. And that's fine, that's okay, but you can't put all your eggs into that basket.
You have to go out and find other accounts. I was telling Brady the other day, I'm like, "Buddy, you gotta go out and meet new friends.I know it's uncomfortable, and I know it's out of your comfort zone, but you really need to go out and meet new friends," 'cause he just started college. And it's like the same thing for sales reps.
I get that you wanna go after that big dog or that big account, but like have some others there as well, some feeders as well, to lift you up, give you the sales that you're gonna need for your quarter or for your year before you actually hit the big one. Do things in smaller accounts that prepare you for the big one. Yeah. Because the big one can swallow you up if you're not careful.
Cindy: Exactly. Back to our whale episode. But-
Lisa: Yeah ...
Cindy: I think, but I think the secret really is important. Being intentional, that is for chasing a big account. And here's what I mean by that. It is multiple stages. So it is like a long-term plan and a short-term plan. So if you are intentional and you're chipping away, that's a good analogy that people use for a big account, it's gonna take time. So intentionally say, " This part of my day I'm gonna work on this account," but have checkpoints. What do I mean by that?
Lisa: Hmm.
Cindy: I mean, okay-
Lisa: Good, Cindy ...
Cindy: I've gotta start in this small area, right? Now I'm learning how does the system work? Who do I need to meet next? Have I met the people I need to meet? Okay. And then, but am I just going back into the account to meet the people I met already and we're not doing anything, or do I need to find the next person? How do I get to committee? What's the next step? Do I find a physician champion?
So you may be like, "Oh, I'm doing my job, rapid fire. I gotta go to this account. It's my big account. Look, I'm showing up." Congratulations. But you gotta show up with intention- Yeah ... to keep going forward. Like, you ever see those, I can't remember the guy's name, but he's pretty famous and he does those tightrope walking in these crazy places. No. What? Like, he'll
Lisa: be on
Cindy: like... Oh my gosh. He's like a magician. No. And it was where he walked across the Grand Canyon.
Lisa: I keep thinking of that David Blaine guy.
Cindy: All right. So you gotta go for this guy
Lisa: That's not the David Blaine guy, is it?
Cindy: So, what?
Lisa: David Blaine? David Blaine, is that the, is that the guy's name?
Cindy: Maybe that's who it is. I'm gonna know. Where he, like, did tightrope and he walked across the Grand Canyon, and he walked across, like-
Lisa: He sounds crazy. E- exactly ... unless there's like some, like, magic attached.
Cindy: But, like, it-
Lisa: No, thank you, by the way ...
Cindy: I'm thinking of this person who's halfway out there, and you're standing there. Well, like, the only way you're gonna get back is to keep going. But you can't run, you can't jump, you can't knock yourself off. You have to intentionally figure out each step you take to get you to that goal, which is to get to the other side without falling and dying.
Lisa: Yeah.
Cindy: Maybe it is David Blaine. Anyway. It could be. Okay, tangent on the analogy, but my point is, each step matters. Yeah. But if you don't check to see what steps you're in, where you're going, and do you need to pivot, 'cause a lot of times just by driving to the account, getting a parking ticket to put on your expense, say hi to the people you know, what does that do? If that wastes- Yeah ... your time, you fit into the rapid fire, like we said at the very beginning, just blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Congrats.
Lisa: Yeah.
Cindy: You drove there.
Turn Rapid-Fire Activity Into Intentional Action
Lisa: You didn't really do anything. Okay, I got an idea. So now that we've talked about three of them in a little bit more detail, let's run back through this list again, Cindy, and this time I want everyone listening to do this, 'cause this is what I would do if I was listening to this episode and driving. When we talk about it, I want you to think about an example. Like, where are you with each of these statements?
For example, showing up in the OR when you don't have a case. Number one, are you doing it? And number two, can you think of an account where you can actually do this? And then why would you be doing it, right? What was the purpose of you showing up to the OR without a case? For me, it is a number of things. I'm looking at the board to see who's operating. I'm looking to see what day it is, right? I'm looking to see if they're using my competitor. I'm also seeing people. I'm seeing physicians in the hallways. I'm seeing them in the OR. I'm seeing the front desk girls. All the things, right? So let's run back through this list.
Okay. I know we didn't talk about this, but I was just thinking about it. No, I love it. This is what I would want if I were driving. Let's go back through the list this time, and now I want you to think of what account applies to this and action, and what would be your intention doing it, right?
Cindy: Okay. Let's read the list. We'll pause, and if you need to hit pause on the podcast and think, that's fine. So let's do that. Do you wanna start, Lisa? Okay.
Lisa: Yep. All right. All right. So we'll do it. I just said it. Yep. We'll do it one more time. Showing up in the OR when you don't have a case.
Cindy: Number two, taking physicians to dinner
Lisa: Number three, bringing breakfast to an office. Let me, can I just sidebar this one really quickly? Sure. So, you know what breakfast is really great for? You catch them at the beginning of the day before they see their patients. You know why that's important? Because when you catch them for "lunch," guess what that physician can do? A case.
He can have an add-on case. He can have an emergency. He can have a patient that takes so long that his entire lunch break is gone, or he could totally forget and just leave and not see you. And so I love breakfast way better than lunches because you're there at the very beginning of the day, bringing coffee to the staff and biscuits or whatever. Who doesn't love a coffee in the beginning of the day, and who isn't gonna show up for a special coffee? So side note, okay, bringing breakfast to an office.
Cindy: Love it. Number four, sending the just checking in text
Lisa: Being available 24/7.
Cindy: Knowing every clinical detail about your competitor.
Lisa: That's so important. Number seven: trying to be friends with your customers.
Cindy: Going to every case.
Lisa: Cold calling, which we did a whole episode on that I recommend you go back and listen to.
Cindy: Number 10: dropping off literature, which could be amazing if you do it right.
Lisa: Absolutely, if you do it right, 100%. Always saying yes to your customers.
Cindy: Doing something yourself because it's faster.
Lisa: Which we talked about. Number 13: being the rep everyone calls when there's a problem.
Cindy: Number 14: working while you're on vacation.
Lisa: Guilty. Chasing the biggest account in your territory.
Cindy: Number 16: quarter-end discounting.
Lisa: Over-preparing for a physician meeting.
Cindy: Talking business in the OR.
Lisa: 19 is following your competitor into an account, which I've actually never done, but I think is actually quite genius to me. That was a great idea.
Cindy: Stalking, ha-ha. And number 20, our final but infamous: I was just in the area.
Lisa: In the area, which I have used many times.
Cindy: And it is a golden key when it's used right.
Lisa: Oh, 100%.
Cindy: If it's overused, you're done.
Lisa: Yeah. Smashed. You're... I know. Don't, don't tell them you're in the area all the time. Right. But it is a great thing to say when you really need to see someone and you're trying to make plans for the following week. All right. So we gave you guys, we dug into a couple of them. I really think it's important that we close this with just re-emphasizing that everything you do must be intentional and have purpose.
You cannot just spin your wheels just to hit the check mark, because it's not gonna get you to where you wanna be. You will not be at the top of the list. You will not be getting the cases and the sales. You're basically just, I don't know, a little worker bee that's doing nothing, right? Yep. You're not making honey. You're not spinning the honey.
Cindy: Right. Rapid fire activity does not give you a rapid fire return.
Lisa: No.
Cindy: And so here's what I want to say: There's 20 things we rapid fired. I know, there is minimum of one of those things that you do that's not being, intentional. And I'm not saying it's bad, and I'm not saying, "Oh, you're not good at your job." I'm saying we are here to hold you accountable, to help you see things that you don't always pay attention to. So go back to the list, pick one of the 20. I want you to change, pivot, alter what you're doing to make it go from rapid fire activity to intentional activity. Good luck.
