What Reps Gets Wrong at the Scrub Sink
Picture it: surgeon at the scrub sink, mentally walking through the case. And there you are, pitching your device.
Congratulations. You just made yourself unforgettable, for all the wrong reasons.
Lisa and Cindy unpack the unwritten rules of selling in the OR. When to speak. When to disappear. Why the scrub sink is sacred. And the small moves that quietly decide whether you ever get invited back. They share the habits top reps build before they ever walk through the OR doors, and the missteps that quietly close them off from future cases.
The OR isn't where you close the deal. It's where you prove you deserved to be there in the first place.
Must-Hear Insights and Key Moments
The Scrub Sink Is Sacred – Lisa and Cindy reframe the scrub sink as a surgeon's mental warm-up, like prayer or yoga. Talking through it doesn't make you helpful, it makes you forgettable.
The Patient Is the North Star – Every decision in the OR should orbit the patient. The moment your agenda jumps in front of theirs, your credibility takes a hit.
Early Isn't On Time, Early Is Early – Showing up 30 minutes ahead doesn't just look professional, it opens the door to hallway conversations, surgeon check-ins, and the real selling moments.
Read the Room or Lose the Room – Some surgeons want quiet, some want chatter. Top reps read the cues and let the surgeon lead the conversation, not the other way around.
The Hard Sell Mid-Case Is the Fastest Way Out – Pitching while a surgeon is operating is unprofessional, distracting, and the surest way to never get invited back.
Don't Bash the Competition – Trashing another rep's product makes you look small. Position your device on its merits and stay out of the mud.
Access Is the Beginning, Not the Win – Being in the OR means you've already sold something. Now your job is to support the case, not stack another pitch on top.
The Real Sale Happens Before and After – The OR is where you deliver on what you promised. The conversations that move business forward happen in the office, the hallway, or the follow-up.
Words of Wisdom: Standout Quotes from This Episode
"You being invited into the OR is your opportunity to build credibility. It does not mean you need to sell everything under the sun that's in your bag." – Anneliese Rhodes
"The fastest way you could lose credibility in the OR is to think about your own agenda." – Anneliese Rhodes
"Stop worrying about your next sale and worry about the fact that you're walking into a case right now and you need that case to go extremely well." – Anneliese Rhodes
"Talking too much about your product does not make you look more credible. It actually makes you look less credible, less knowledgeable, and it makes you look new." – Anneliese Rhodes
"Even if your product is amazing, if you're off-putting, surgeons will call the other rep the next time. They're not gonna call you, even if they liked your product more." – Anneliese Rhodes
"The scrub sink kind of becomes their mental mantra. It's their holy moment. That's where they're thinking." – Cynthia Ficara
"Sometimes a sale is just the next move." – Cynthia Ficara
"Silence in an OR is extremely powerful at times. Getting out of the way beats trying to impress somebody with what you're trying to sell." – Cynthia Ficara
"You are a salesperson that earns the spot in the OR. The selling happens before. Selling happens after. The OR is a stage that is controlled by the surgeon." – Cynthia Ficara
"Being in the OR is a privilege. And what you do with that will determine whether or not you're ever invited back." – Cynthia Ficara
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Blog Transcript:
Note: We use AI transcription so there may be some inaccuracies
Anneliese Rhodes: Welcome everyone to another episode of Secrets in Medical Device Sales, brought to you by The Girls of Grit. We are bringing you guys episodes every other Tuesday, so please don't forget — and if you need us every week, go listen to some old episodes because we've got so much great stuff for you guys to listen to.
So, anyhow, today is another question from the field, and I'm gonna let Cynthia read it for y'all.
Cynthia Ficara: Yes. I'm gonna read this word for word. So thank you again for writing in, and the question says this. Okay. So what are the do's and don'ts of selling in the OR? Things like not selling at the scrub sink anymore. Using the OR to build familiarity, and understanding that the OR may not be the right place to prospect or close new business. I gotta say, the insight of this question I really like as she asks and expands a little bit. So this is what makes our podcast awesome.
This gives us an opportunity to talk about, you know, again, Anneliese and I have had years of experience doing this, and we still do it. So yeah, we see this. We see these people do right things, we see people do wrong things, so we'll listen in today to steer you in the direction that is much more favorable.
Anneliese Rhodes: Yeah, absolutely. You know, I was sitting here thinking, did I ever sell at the scrub sink? You know, maybe I did years ago, Cynthia. I can't remember. I don't know. I mean, it's been 25, 26 years now, but I don't know if I remember wanting to talk to a surgeon at the scrub sink about, like, benefits of my product. It was more like case review type thing. So, anyhow, I'm glad we're talking about it today.
Cynthia Ficara: You know, I'm glad you said that, because I can think back, I'm thinking like, when do I use the scrub sink the most? Like, I know that I have asked before — and maybe this wasn't always the right thing to do — but, you know, maybe asking before, like, could I see you later today? Or a follow up. But you know what? Here's the thing I've learned. I think this is really important before we dive into this. I've talked to two other surgeons who say the scrub sink kind of becomes their mental mantra. It's that moment. It's like yoga. It's their prayer.
If you think of a scrub sink like a church. Okay. You don't talk in there. That's their holy moment. That's where they're thinking. Many times they visualize the case. They go through what they're gonna do. Like, so I love that he or she that wrote in mentioned scrub sink.
The Scrub Sink Is Sacred
Anneliese Rhodes: I could not agree more. I actually don't talk to anybody at the scrub sink at all anymore, unless they ask me. I don't think I do either. Walk with me while I scrub, but literally — I've already had the conversation with them about the case review prior to the case. So we've already talked about this. We already know what our plan is. That is the time for the surgeon to think like you just said. What this case is gonna involve, envision the way it's gonna play out. Do I have all my products there that I need? Is the rep here if I need the rep? You know, that kind of thing — because they've got millions of things going on in their head. The last thing they need is you in their ear going, "Hey doctor, can you tell me…" Like, they're like, get out. Right?
Cynthia Ficara: Yeah, you know, I think that it's like if you're gonna go take a test and somebody's sitting there asking you all these questions before, and you got your pencil in hand and you're ready to start taking it — I'm so nervous, stop talking to me. Talk to me after. Disrupting, mean.
Anneliese Rhodes: Honestly, I feel like the best time to talk to a doctor and kind of maybe drive home a good thing or two about your product — number one, hopefully you've had a good case. But number two, wait for the case to be over altogether, over, the surgeon unscrubs, before you start to talk to him or her. Like, let's not do it as they're closing up — unless that moment feels good, but that's kind of a different subject for a different day because that's a lot of buy-in there. So let's just talk about this.
The OR Is a Privilege, Not a Pitch Floor
Anneliese Rhodes: You know, we understand all of you want access into the ORs. Yes, you wanna take advantage of every opportunity you get. But you gotta understand that not every single place in your world is an opportunity for you to sell. Right? Like, I am sure people have been told that, but there are some — like you just said, Cynthia — sacred moments that you have to respect with your surgeons. They are surgeons. Keep that in mind.
Cynthia Ficara: Absolutely. You gotta build that credibility. And, you know, when you have access into the OR, you do have visibility. But you said it — the credibility is key here, and it gives you opportunity. But just because you're standing in the OR doesn't mean it's the right time to pitch a product or to close a surgeon or to ask them about something else.
I mean, again, there is a patient on the table, and our job should always be focused around that. It's like the North Star of your entire day. That patient is always what you're working around. And all the best reps know this. But everybody else needs to understand how to read the room about a patient.
So I think that leads us into our secret. I think it's really good as we dive into this — but to really reveal the secret that we want you all to take home as a good take-home message. So do you wanna reveal the secret this time?
Anneliese Rhodes: I can reveal it, 'cause I kind of already said it. Which is — our secret is there is a time and place for everything, including selling. And the scrub sink is not that time. There are plenty of opportunities, but not at the scrub sink.
Patient First, Agenda Second
Anneliese Rhodes: You know, I think one of the main things that everybody needs to remind themselves — the OR is a clinical environment first. Why are you there? You are there to treat the patients. You are not there to sell your widget. Okay? If you're in that OR with them, they've already bought off that your product is going to be used in this procedure, and they value you enough to have you there. Okay? Don't take that for granted.
Your patient comes first. Again, that is the most important thing that you need to remain focused on. Know that the physician has remained focused on the patient, and so do you. You need your case to go well. Stop worrying about your next sale and worry about the fact that you're walking into a case right now and you need that case to go extremely well. So this is the time where you think about yourself second.
The fastest way you could lose credibility in the OR is to think about your own agenda. You know, it's not about you. It is about that patient. And so see what's happening in front of you before you put your agenda first.
Cynthia Ficara: Here's something to think about. You need to ask yourself a question when you're in the OR before you speak: is what I'm going to say gonna be helpful to this moment in this case? And if it's not important at this moment, then guess what the answer is? No. Save it for later. Time and place for everything. And if what you're asking is impertinent to the moment — patient first — say it. Come up with something later.
What Top Reps Actually Do in the OR
Cynthia Ficara: So I think, why don't we just really focus on what we should do in the OR. Because I want you guys to be driving down the road, walk away, and maybe you're heading into the OR today and think about what's important.
So I'll start. The first thing that you should do is be prepared before you walk in. Okay. So what am I being prepared about? What do I need? You have to think about — okay, knowing which case you're gonna do. Maybe you're one of those reps that do five different cases that have 'em all stacked. Which one's this one? Focus. Know your case, know your product. Know specifically the anatomy for this patient in this case.
And then remember — you might be at one hospital, and you may have like six surgeons you work with. Who are you working with today? What are their favorites? What do they need? And if you don't know, perfect time, go ask the circulating nurse or the scrub tech. Hey, I haven't worked with Dr. So-and-so lately. What is he like? What particular ancillary device does he choose to use? What order does he like things to happen?
And then I think this is so key in preparation. You may always have a plan, but don't forget to have a backup plan. So this is not the time to figure this out. You gotta walk in prepared from A and have B and maybe C.
Anneliese Rhodes: Yeah. So a number of things are running through my head right now. This question was asked because they wanna be able to sell in the OR. And I think first of all, you being in that case is building your credibility. You're already selling the product by being there in the room with that surgeon. It is not the time to give all the key benefits of your product. You're there to support the case.
But — and this is kind of going a little not off topic, but it came to my mind — Cynthia, we did an episode not that long ago about taking advantage of every opportunity you have. Be early to your case, and guess what that buys you? Other than being credible and being professional, you might run into another surgeon who isn't racing off to a case, who isn't scrubbing in. And they may stop you in the hallway on your way up. And guess what? Maybe then is your time to sell. There's your opportunity to finally have a way to talk and sell your product — not during the case.
So another key thing about being in the OR is being early. You can check your inventory like you and I have talked about before in other episodes. Make sure that everything you have for that case is ready. Is it sterile? If it needs to be sterilized, is it ready to go? Do you have everything you need? Have you confirmed your plan with the doctor? Make sure that the circulator knows where everything is — all the things you're supposed to be doing. That's all prior to the case starting. So be early, don't be late. Rushing in, that's when mistakes are made. Be early. It's not on time, you be early.
So again, with this question, it's not about selling all the time. It's about being professional, being credible — and that in and of itself sells who you are. And that simple act of coming in early is seen by other people. There's a physician that I know that says, "I'm just gonna say seven o'clock, you know, meet me in the office at seven o'clock." 7:01 is 16 minutes late. He was a military doctor, so 6:45 is pretty much on time. So it's known that if you're there at seven o'clock, you're late.
Cynthia Ficara: Yeah. And so then this doctor thinks, can I trust this person? I asked this person to come in at seven and they came in at 7:01. I mean, I know we're saying something simple, but what Anneliese just said is probably one of the most obvious things you can do. Everybody sees when you come in or not.
Anneliese Rhodes: Think about it, Cynthia. How many times have you been early, and the doc's early too, and they're like, "Hey, do you have five minutes to meet before the case? We can talk about some things." If you weren't early, you wouldn't have gotten that opportunity. There's your selling moment. Not at the scrub sink.
Cynthia Ficara: Also — you know what else you just made me think of? Think of how you feel when you're late. Okay. People that frazzled, that stress — oh my gosh, what about this? What about that? That's when mistakes happen. If you come early, then you can have your plan, go over your backup plan. Things go so much steadier and you're more in control.
Anneliese Rhodes: You know, one other thing I'm gonna mention here — this may sound very simple, but it is something that can make or break your day. So again, how do you sell in the OR? How do you be credible? You introduce yourself short and simple. "Hey, I'm Cynthia. I'm here to support Dr. So-and-so in this case. Do you need any assistance? Do you need help? Are we on time?" That is not when you walk in there and you start pitching, whether it be a doctor or staff. You are not walking in there and taking over their space.
Have you ever watched the OR staff set up? That's their time. And they have checklists, and they've gotta count things, and they've gotta make things exact. They're focusing. Don't distract them. It's simple. Just introduce yourself: "I'm here, I'll step back. Do you want my number? When do you want me in?" Like, give them options to run you in the room. You don't run them in the room.
What Not to Do — and How to Sell Without Overstepping
Anneliese Rhodes: Well, you're talking about things not to do. So let's talk about a couple of those other ones. Oh God, Cynthia, this drives me absolutely insane. One of the worst things that I cannot stand — this happened more when I was in peripheral and vascular, when there was multiple reps in the room. They are out for the kill during the case. They are hard selling their doctors during the cases. "Doctor, you need to use me for your next five cases. Look how amazing my case was. You should be using me for all of your cases. Let me tell you why we're better than Joe Schmo's down the road." And it's like — God, those doctors do not wanna hear that crap. They're like, "Let me get through my case. Let me do what I'm supposed to do."
And if you really wanna sell me, let's do this offline. Let's do this on a day where I'm not heavy with cases and stressed out and I've got patients waiting and I've got a patient on the table. Do not hard sell during a case. I don't know who does that, but that is the worst, most unprofessional, most childish thing to do.
Cynthia Ficara: And what happens? You've interrupted his focus. Okay, what if that was your family member? Do you wanna distract your surgeon? Because this is what happens. Do not interrupt a surgeon's focus on the patient. Now here's the other thing — reading the room about how surgeons work is important. Some surgeons will talk to you, and this is the time that you answer. Don't try to lead the conversation. Let them lead you in the conversation. Some wanna work in silence, some ask a lot of questions, some don't. But your job is to read the room, and the best reps know when to talk and when not to.
I'm telling you, that is one of the most key things — even saying the right things at the wrong time can break your opportunity to build credibility and ultimately sell in the OR.
Anneliese Rhodes: Yeah, I agree. And we could go on and on. One last thing — if you are standing in that OR and the surgeon does say something to you and you got another rep in the room, don't crap on the other rep's product. Being professional. Yes, they make a great device, we make a great device. I do that all the time, Cynthia. I may point out different indications or differences within the devices, but I'm never like, "Oh, his or her product is total crap and mine is amazing." Like, I would never do that. Right? Because they're like, really, dude, grow up. You're working for a major medical device company. That's not what I wanna hear coming outta your mouth.
Cynthia Ficara: On that note — some people, when they bash the competition, they over-promise their own device. So just make sure you are positioning as you should be. Don't promise — "Oh, I'll get you this great price. Oh, this'll be approved. All these great outcomes" — just because you're trying to one-up them. Don't do that. That's definitely a no-no.
Anneliese Rhodes: Alright, so I was thinking, what are some ways to create an opportunity to sell in the OR without overstepping? Because we're talking a lot about how reps can overstep. You being invited into the OR is your opportunity to build credibility. It does not mean you need to sell everything under the sun that's in your bag currently. It means you concentrate on the case that you are currently in. You provide the physician with the support that they need during the case.
If the physician asks you something about your device — "Hey, why do I need to do this step?" — "Well, sir or ma'am, this is why. This is because it allows the device to do X, Y, Z." That's kind of selling in a way, but it's also providing some support. So be aware of how to do it. Again, the scrub sink is not the place to sell. Can you be in the OR and that will lead you to business? Absolutely. Supporting your cases, being credible, being before — not on time, but before. And then if you are early, try and find another physician or another customer that you wanna call on that's not walking into the OR. There's a sales opportunity, right? And that's when you have your planning available to you and you already know what you're gonna talk to those doctors about.
Cynthia Ficara: Well, let's think about this. Sometimes a sale is just the next move. Right? So maybe the only sale you have in the OR is, once you finish your case, if you get a moment, if they're not rushed, you can just have a quick — "Hey, can we follow up on this case? That was challenging. Its anatomy was challenging. Can I meet you in your office after this today, or tomorrow, and let's go over it?" That is a sale.
But interestingly, this question from our listener was, how do you sell in the OR? When I listen to you and me talking, what we're ultimately saying is — you are a salesperson that earns the spot in the OR. The selling happens before. Selling happens after. Great point. But the OR is a stage that is controlled by the surgeon and by everybody else in that room. It is not meant to be a sales platform. All it does, in that moment, helps you execute what you've promised. "Hey, our device can do such and such." You sell 'em on that before. Now you get to go show them that. You get to support them. You get to look at the North Star — that's your patient. You get to have good outcomes for the patient. So the OR really is earned previously. But that's not where you actually have your sale.
Anneliese Rhodes: That is such a great point. You've already earned the place to be in. By the time you're in the OR — being in the room doesn't mean that you have to sell or pitch all the time. And anybody who tells you that is so wrong. It's quite the opposite, actually. Just like you said, you've already earned it. Now is your time to be credible to influence potential decision-makers in the right way toward using your product — not buying or selling your product. Talking too much about your product does not make you look more credible. It actually makes you look less credible, less knowledgeable, and it makes you look new. So if you don't wanna look like that, don't go off and start taking advantage of every single minute of the day trying to sell. Because now you're positioning yourself as that, like, used car salesperson. I swear. Bad.
Cynthia Ficara: It's so true. But a high performer or an experienced rep — these are the things I want you to listen to, to really take home. Understand: access is just the beginning. Silence in an OR is extremely powerful at times. Staff relationships are so, so, so important. And being useful in a room sometimes means stepping back. That's being useful. Getting outta the way beats trying to impress somebody with what you're trying to sell. And ultimately, timing matters — because being in the OR is a privilege. And what you do with that will determine whether or not you're ever invited back.
Anneliese Rhodes: I love that. Alright, so let's give 'em some final do's and don'ts.
Final Do's and Don'ts — Your Move
Cynthia Ficara: Yes. So based on this question, but also just based in sales in general — should we start with the don'ts first and then finish with the good stuff?
Anneliese Rhodes: You do the don'ts. Okay, alright, I'll do the don'ts.
So let's recap what we talked about. We don't want you to hard sell during a case. Terrible. No pitching at the scrub sink. I really like thinking of it as a sacred place, so keep your conversations away from the sink. Never interrupt a surgeon, never talk too much, never promise things that you can't deliver. Don't make promises you can't keep. Don't ignore the staff. And do not make the day about you. Make it about the patient, the surgeon, and everybody else in the room.
Cynthia Ficara: I love that. Now tell us what to do.
Anneliese Rhodes: To do — be early. Like, be 30 minutes early. Be prepared. Have your plan. Know your case. Know what products are gonna be used, where they're gonna be used, and if things go wrong, how are you gonna troubleshoot them? Not only respect the staff, but get to know your staff. I wanna know 'em by name and let them know I care. I'm not selling — I'm personalizing with them. I'm being a normal person.
Read the room. If the room feels tense, that is not the time to be like, "Oh doc, this is where my product really shines." Uh, no. Realize that it's probably not the right time to speak. And keep whatever you're gonna say really shortened and make it useful. Don't say something that is either useless information or totally off-topic of what you're doing. This is not the place. We are not here to chitchat. This is important stuff that we're doing here.
Always remain calm, even when things get nervous and scary. You should try and stay calm and just make sure that you're supporting when you're there. Again, you are building credibility by being in the OR. You were invited in for a reason. You've already done a fair amount of selling to get in there. Now's your time to shine — but be credible. Be wise. Don't be the overzealous salesperson, because you're gonna end up pushing them away.
And even if the case went great, Cynthia, and your product is amazing — a lot of times surgeons will be like, "Thanks, but no thanks." If there's another product that's comparable and that rep isn't off-putting, they're gonna call the other rep the next time. They're not gonna call you, even if they liked your product more. So be aware of these things.
Cynthia Ficara: Well, I love that we had this conversation today. I feel like we did throw a lot of do's and don'ts and back and forth, but it's truly a privilege to work in the OR. And so I hope that you got something out of today. Our secret to remind everybody listening — there's a time and place for everything. So my call to action for you today is this: what will you do today to earn the right to have another conversation with your physician?
Anneliese Rhodes: Love it. Everyone, have a great week, and thanks again for tuning into another episode of Secrets in Medical Device Sales.
