Could This ONE SIMPLE Sales Secret… Be That Simple?
Could the secret to long-term sales success really be this simple? The answer is YES.
In this episode, The Girls of Grit reveals one of the most powerful yet underestimated secrets in medical device sales: showing up. It’s not just about physically being there; it’s about consistently positioning yourself in front of your clients, being present when opportunities arise, and actively engaging with your network.
They dive into how simply showing up—whether at a hospital, office or by making yourself available—can spark conversations that lead to new opportunities and insights. They also stress the importance of having a plan, knowing your clients, and being prepared to engage meaningfully.
If you're looking for an easy yet effective way to elevate your sales game, this episode is a must-listen.
Episode Chapter Markers
00:00 Introduction
03:16 The Importance of Showing Up
07:16 Building Relationships and Gaining Insights
11:05 Mastering Pre-Call Planning
12:38 Effective Hospital Presence
15:35 Building Trust and Partnerships
Must-Hear Insights and Key Moments
Show up physically – Be present at hospitals, offices, or relevant locations. Your presence reminds clients of who you are and what you offer.
Be strategic – Don’t just show up, have a plan. Know your clients, and their needs, and have clear objectives for every visit.
Engage meaningfully – Be ready to have conversations that matter. Use your time wisely to ask questions, gather information, and build stronger relationships.
Be consistent – Regularly positioning yourself in front of clients keeps you at the top of your mind and opens doors for opportunities you wouldn’t get through emails or phone calls.
Be available – Make yourself accessible when needed. Sometimes, being there at the right time leads to new opportunities or important insights.
Words of Wisdom: Standout Quotes from This Episode
"The easiest thing is just to go to the hospital, just show up at the hospital, strategically plan there, but go get a cup of coffee." — Anneliese Rhodes
"Just by sheerly being there, you are reminding them who you are and what you sell.” — Anneliese Rhodes
"If you're there to specifically try and meet with physicians, you better have the full day blocked out." — Anneliese Rhodes
"You gotta be able to sit back a little bit and listen to others and hear their opinions and their thoughts." — Anneliese Rhodes
“Just getting your physical body out of your house or your office or your car, whatever it is—that in and of itself will propel you toward success." — Anneliese Rhodes
"The secret to continual success is showing up.” — Cynthia Ficara
"You want to be in sight, you want to be top of mind." — Cynthia Ficara
"When you take ownership of your business and become that CEO of your own job, you are responsible for the timeline." — Cynthia Ficara
"When they trust you, you become partners in their business, and that is the equation for a successful sales rep." — Cynthia Ficara
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Blog Transcript:
Note: We use AI transcription so there may be some inaccuracies
Anneliese Rhodes: Good morning, good afternoon, and good evening to everyone out there. Thank you so much for tuning in to another episode of Secrets in Medical Device Sales.
Cynthia Ficara: Hello everybody. Yes, we are excited to have you all listening. Today, we are discussing a topic where we've had people write to us. We’ve received a few requests and emails about success, and it got us thinking—how do you make yourself better every day? What does it really look like to be successful? That really sparked an interesting conversation between Lisa and me because I love that. It makes us think, right? Lisa, didn’t that make you go, "Wow"?
Anneliese Rhodes: Yeah, absolutely. I mean, obviously, we talk about all sorts of things, and every time you and I talk, it sparks a little thought in my head. I'm like, "Oh yeah, I do that!" But we don’t really think about it because what we’re discussing today is such a simple thing to do.
Yet, I think sometimes we forget to do it, or we get so caught up in our own thought process, like, "I can’t seem to get this doctor to reply to me." You know, I’ve emailed, I’ve texted, I’ve tried to get in touch with them, and they just don’t return my calls or emails. Or you’re trying to get in front of the person purchasing, and you email them because you don’t want to disturb them. Whatever the case, you need to be successful in these sales calls.
The biggest thing is super simple and Cindy, I mean, I think it's time for you to just reveal that.
Staying Visible and Present for Sales Success
Cynthia Ficara: Before you do that, I just want to expand a little bit because I think you're right. Everything that you said, I am sure everybody out there has felt like that. Like they've had that moment of not being stuck, or I want to go forward, but then you stop.
And on the flip side, you see those people that day after day, or year after year, after year, they make it happen. So, you know, what is that common denominator? What makes them successful? Why are they successful? Well, that brings us to revealing our secret for today, which you said it, and I agree. It is very, very simple.
The secret to continual success. I wish I could do a drum roll. Can you do a drum roll? I can't. The secret is showing up. I said it, it's that simple. And actually, Woody Allen talked about—he's been quoted saying that 80 percent of success is showing up and it's true. I mean, if you think about that, if your presence, just your presence, is 80 percent of success, then that presence plays a role in an effective sales meeting by showing up.
But actually, I think we're just going to take some time to break down how you can show up in two ways. Because number one, right? Wouldn't it be physically being present?
Anneliese Rhodes: Yeah, absolutely. Showing up is physical, you're driving to the hospital, you're driving to the OR, you're driving to the outpatient lab, you're driving to the office, and you're going there with a purpose in mind. And we're going to talk about this and be strategic in showing up, but you're going there to meet with the physicians and just your sheer presence alone does so many things.
First of all, you're in front of them. They see you physically. So they're like, "Oh, hey Lisa, I haven't seen you, you know, in a couple of weeks" or "Gosh, I feel like it was just yesterday that we did that case" or, "Hey, what's going on? What's new?" You know, and, and some of the things in our other episodes that we talk about, like the elevator pitch or cold calling, you know, all of those questions we answer.
But just your sheer presence reminds the physician who you are, the product that you sell, and if they don't know the product that you sell, now you're going to go talk to them about it, but it's just a fact that you're there.
I mean, it's so funny. It's just so simple. But like, I will admit, Cindy, that a lot of times I will find myself, you know, in years past where I get really frustrated. I either haven't had cases, I've been slow, you know, slow is like the dreaded word, the four-letter word. I mean, it's just awful. And you're like, "What do I do? What should I do?" And you just start spinning your wheel, spinning your wheels.
The easiest thing, you guys, is just to go to the hospital, just show up at the hospital, strategically have a plan there, but go get a cup of coffee, go sit at the coffee, you know, place or where the doctor, outside the doctor's lounge, or go to the OR, make sure if your product's on the shelf, they're stocked. I mean, have a reason to be there.
And then you have that agenda behind you. But just getting your physical body out of your house or your office or your car, whatever it is, that in and of itself will propel you towards that success. And it sounds so simple Cindy, but it's like, sometimes it's like, duh.
Cynthia Ficara: You know what the old saying is? Out of sight, out of mind. 100%! Yeah, I mean, sales, you want to be in sight, you want to be top of mind. Yes. And is it so easy to sit back and be like, "Well, I don't have an appointment, and they didn't respond to my email, so I'm not going to do that?" Well, how many times has it been like, you go there and you're surprised with like, wow, what did I just learn today?
The Power of Consistency and Showing Up
Anneliese Rhodes: Oh my gosh. Yeah. Like you're saying everything. First of all, when you see them they're like, "Hey, I haven't seen you in a couple weeks or a month, or we haven't done a case in two months, three months." They're like, "Really?" Doctors are really busy. They have their patients, their surgeries, their office, and then they have their family at home.
So, they are constantly— or they're writing papers— they’re constantly doing things. To them, three months, maybe three days. They're not really connecting, nor are they checking off in their little checklist of things to do, "Oh, I haven't worked with so and so in a while." That's not what they do. So it is your job as the sales rep to be back in front of them, reminding them, making sure things are: Are they good? Have you had good patient outcomes? Is there some clinical paper you can talk to them about? Are any cases coming up?
Just by being there, it triggers their mind like, "Oh, hey, Lisa, guess what? I think I have a case coming up for you. Hit up Sarah in my scheduling office and she’ll tell you the patient's name, and you can get the information and the date of surgery."
So, just by being there, you are reminding them who you are, what you sell, and that you haven’t seen them in a while, and you want to work with them again.
Cynthia Ficara: To take that a step further, I like what you just said because you talk about that gap of time, right? Where they say, "Oh, it’s been three months." So honestly, as part of being a sales rep, when you take ownership of your business and become the CEO of your own job, your career path, and your entire territory, ultimately, you are responsible for the timeline. You are responsible for making sure that three months doesn’t seem like a week ago. Every week should seem like a week.
And think about it— if you don’t show up one week, you’ll be missed. So, how do you present yourself to be that person who’s noticed when you're gone, and as much as noticed when you're on top of their mind in sight? That is part of building that relationship and being that important because showing up— oh my gosh— it's so important. I mean, 80%, I might even make it like 84%. It's so important.
Anneliese Rhodes: It is. And you also mentioned something else. You know, by just showing up— I keep saying that word, I don't know why— sheerly showing up, you might learn something that you would have never honestly otherwise known.
Maybe one of the partners just left. Maybe they’ve switched their healthcare systems. Maybe they just had a big buyout. Maybe the patient mix has changed. Maybe they learned a new procedure. There are so many things that an email or a text message is not going to give you.
That is a face-to-face conversation you need to have with your physician. And the only way you’re going to do that is by showing up at the hospital or their office, talking to them, and asking them those questions. And that in and of itself is a small success because from there, you build, right?
If there is an issue and you guys haven’t done a case in a while, now you may uncover why. And you wouldn’t have figured that out if you had just emailed or texted. You only figured it out by showing up.
Showing Up Effectively and Building Relationships
Cynthia Ficara: A hundred percent. And there was something you said that just triggered a memory from when I worked at a company a while back. I remember looking at the trends going down. They had just emailed me about something, and I was like, I feel like we're having a conversation, but what is going on behind the scenes? So I had to go in there for something else.
I went down the hallway to speak to them and just said, "Hey, you know, where are you guys? How are you doing?" Just a simple conversation. She went over, shut the door, and sat down with me, and she was like, "This is awful. We’ve lost TRICARE insurance patients." That’s military insurance if you’re not familiar. This particular hospital had a big feed of its patients. Their ER numbers drastically declined. They had a meeting with the administration.
All of a sudden, I'm sitting there becoming her sounding board and supporting her. I never would have known this, and it wasn’t something she would have blasted in an email. So all I did by showing up was prevent myself from assuming something was wrong and going down the wrong path. I clearly knew where I was. It was one of the best, weird, but it’s like being a detective— you don’t know until you see something.
Anneliese Rhodes: Yeah, we tend to really— as sales reps— boy, do we assume! We completely go down that path so quickly. It’s like, "Oh, well, I must’ve said the wrong thing or did the wrong thing. The case didn’t go well. They don’t like my product, or my competitor’s product is better." I mean, we’re our own worst enemy. It’s so true that it really helps stop you in your tracks when you gain this information.
And then, like I just said, you gain knowledge, and from there, you build. That kind of leads into the next thing we talked about: not just showing up physically, like getting your body inside the hospital or OR office, but showing up effectively, right?
Cynthia Ficara: A thousand percent.
Anneliese Rhodes: Yes. I hinted at that. One of the things I always try to do is make a list of the doctors at the hospital and what I need to accomplish with them. Is it picking up a case? Great. Is it finding out more information? Are they attending a meeting coming up, and do I need to secure a meeting with my VP? Maybe we need to discuss inventory, or maybe they had a great patient outcome, or we’re writing a paper together.
Whatever it is, you need to have that planned out before driving there— well, you can do it while driving— but before walking into the hospital. You need to have that kind of plan of action ready to go so that when you see those doctors, whether it’s at the coffee shop, walking down the hall to the OR, or wherever, boom, you’ve got it. You’re on point, with no distractions. You know what your agenda is, and you talk to them about it. That in and of itself is another sales success when you're able to hit that.
Cynthia Ficara: It’s unbelievable. I remember when I first started in sales, we had to write out a pre-call plan. To me, it felt like busy work. But I’ll tell you, over the years, instead of writing it out in this algorithm that I had when I first started, I now mentally do it so quickly. I’m like, this is my point. Who do I need to see? And I always pre-call the plan thinking, "What will the objection be?" You have to prepare.
Anneliese Rhodes: Oh, I like that. You're ready to go in because it’s not all about your agenda. It’s a conversation. It’s two ways. Anticipate where they may object. And now, like you said, the second part of showing up is really being effective. But this kind of falls into a subcategory of how you execute effectively. What do I mean? I mean, you’re showing up physically.
Cynthia Ficara: Okay. Hopefully, you’ve showered. You don’t smell. You look clean. You’re wearing the appropriate attire. Got that. That’s simple. But then how do you show up in your conversation? For example, when that lady shuts the door, suddenly the conversation becomes confidential and private. I become empathetic. I sit and listen. This is how I’m showing up for her as her customer. I am now empathetic because that’s what she needs.
Now, I’m sure there are other examples of different ways that you show up. Alright, Lisa, give us an example of a different way of showing up.
The Power of Being Fully Present and Committed
Anneliese Rhodes: Well, if you're catching them walking into the OR, you're going to walk with them. Number one, you don’t make them stop and talk to you. You always walk with the doctor. Or if they're grabbing a cup of coffee, you're going to grab the cup of coffee with them. Do you have five minutes to sit down and chat? Or, if they're grabbing coffee on the way to their office or to go make rounds, you can say, "Hey, do you mind if I walk with you and chat about a couple of things real quick?" You make your time fit around their schedule.
And with what you're saying, you read the room. It’s all about making sure that, whatever the situation is, you’re reacting appropriately to it. You did a great job of that with the private conversation. I'll find my doctors anywhere. They may be coming out of an OR, and sometimes that may not be the best time to talk to them right after a case because they’re thinking about how it went and what’s ahead.
So maybe what you can do instead is—since you're at the hospital, you're there physically—send them a text. "Hey, Dr. So-and-so, do you have five minutes to chat? Can we review inventory or talk about what we discussed?" I’ll do that a lot because I know if they’re in between cases, they’ve probably got a couple of hours with room turnover and all the other things. They’re going to talk to the family, make rounds, or look at films, but they’ll have some downtime. So all I do is say, "Hey, I'm here." And you better be ready to be there all day.
They may say, "I don’t have time for you now, but can you meet after my next case?" Your answer has to be yes. You've got to plan for that. You can’t just show up. When you show up, you need to show up fully and completely for the entire day. It isn’t about giving it 30 minutes or an hour, and then saying, "Oh, I didn’t see anybody." No, it’s your job to sit there all day long and connect with as many people as you can. And you know what?
Sit there and do some work while you're at it. But don’t just show up for 30 minutes or an hour and then leave. Unless you've got a case that you need to run to, if you're there to specifically meet with physicians, you better have the full day blocked out.
Cynthia Ficara: That was so huge—showing up committed. You’ve got to be committed. And another thing is, you can communicate. You said something really important. Let’s say it's a clinic day. The doctor sees patients in between, and you’re just going to wait, whether it’s in the waiting room, the lounge, or wherever. Bring your work, but give them a window of time: "I'm here to meet with you, but I have to leave by 1 because I have another case." You’re allowed to have your own schedule, too, but give them that window. Sometimes they’ll text you, "Oh wait, I got pulled away, I know you have to go. Can I meet you another time?"
One of my doctors had a very busy clinic day, but it was a great time to get work done. That’s the bonus—sometimes if you're in the cafeteria intending to be there for someone else, you may run into somebody else you need to see or check on inventory.
You never know. Showing up at the hospital leads to so much more. That’s what makes us successful—it's all about momentum and being present. It keeps everything going, and it gets more fun. You're more valuable, and it makes such a difference.
Anneliese Rhodes: It's so simple. It’s almost silly how simple it is. Sometimes when they see you, they're like, "Oh hey, thanks for coming." We’re all in this together. Sometimes just the simple act of being seen—doing inventory or whatever—leads to unexpected results. Every now and then when I’m at an account, they’ll ask, "Who are you working with? What do you have going on?" And they’ll say, "I’ve got a case for you." You never know how things will play out.
What we’re talking about is simple, but you have to be prepared. Know the topics you need to cover, and where you need to go, and be fully and intentionally available for them when they’re ready. If it’s 5 p.m., and you don’t have another case, well, you’re going to sit there until 5 o'clock because that’s why you came in the first place. That’s your priority.
Cynthia Ficara: That’s a great way to wrap it all up. It’s so simple. When Lisa and I think about someone reaching out and asking, "How do I get there?" Sometimes it's about taking a step back and looking at the things we often overlook—like showing up. It’s that simple. When you physically show up and effectively show up, as we just described, it shows your support for your physician. When they feel supported, they learn to trust you. When they trust you, you become partners in their business. And that’s the equation for a successful sales rep. We want all of you to get on that path, and we were excited to share our simple secret today about showing up.
