Excuses, Excuses, Excuses!
What’s the real reason you didn’t hit that goal—too busy, or just too many excuses?
In this Secrets in Medical Device Sales episode, The Girls of Grit tackles the fine line between taking a much-needed break and letting excuses derail your progress.
Whether missing quotas, balancing work and life, or letting fear get in the way, excuses are often our biggest barriers. We all need a breather sometimes, but when "I'm too busy" becomes a habit, it's time for a mindset shift.
Tune in to learn how to overcome excuses with SMART goals, accountability, and celebrating small wins. It’s time to stop letting excuses sabotage your success and control your career.
Episode Chapter Markers
00:00 Introduction to Overcoming Excuses
01:05 Identifying Common Excuses
03:31 Real-Life Example: Overcoming Excuses
05:05 Understanding the Root of Excuses
09:36 Strategies to Eliminate Excuses
14:14 The Power of Positive Affirmations
17:00 Celebrating Small Wins
20:50 Conclusion: No More Excuses
4 Tips for Cost Objections
Tip #1: Find an accountability partner:
Having someone to check in with you regularly helps hold you accountable and keeps you on track with your goals.Tip #2: Set SMART goals:
Make your goals Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. This creates a clear path and makes your goals easier to achieve.Tip #3: Use positive affirmations:
Remind yourself of your strengths and abilities. Positive self-talk can help boost your confidence and motivate you to act.Tip #4: Celebrate small wins:
Recognize and celebrate even small achievements along the way. These small victories can build momentum and keep you toward your larger goals.
Words of Wisdom: Standout Quotes from This Episode
“There's a difference between taking a break and constantly having an excuse for something.” — Anneliese Rhodes
“Recognize those patterns of where you start to make excuses.” — Anneliese Rhodes
“People like to work with people that they enjoy being around, so be positive.” — Anneliese Rhodes
“Our secret is to shift this mindset.” — Cynthia Ficara
“Find an accountability partner, find a buddy and a mentor.” — Cynthia Ficara
“Don't decide an outcome before you try something.” — Cynthia Ficara
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Blog Transcript:
Note: We use AI transcription so there may be some inaccuracies
Recognizing Everyday Excuses
Anneliese Rhodes: Welcome everyone to another exciting episode of Secrets in Medical Device Sales brought to you by The Girls of Grit.
We are so happy you guys are here with us every single week tuning in. And today we are talking about something that I think we all go through, and it's a topic that plagues everyone at some point, whether it's in your sales career or even in your personal life.
We all do this. Don't we, Cindy?
Cynthia Ficara: Oh, heck yes, we do. We can hold ourselves back, self-doubt, and justifications all we want. So what are we really saying? Aha. Excuses, excuses, excuses.
We make excuses for everything. Like, not all the time, but honestly, it is so easy to make excuses like "I'm too busy" or, "Gee, I forgot to send that email" — a classic move in the excuse book, right? I mean, how many times have you heard "I can't do that. I need to do something else." Am I imagining this?
Anneliese Rhodes: Oh no, not at all. I think we all probably do it for different reasons, and that's what we're going to talk about today. But for me, I think sometimes I could just physically be tired. You know, I'm like, "Oh my gosh, I'm so tired. I had such a long week." Didn't have time to work out every day or every other day, or I forgot to send that email to that physician about this course that we have coming up because I'm so busy during the day that I just don't think about it until late at night, and then it's too late. Oh, but I'm watching Netflix.
So like, why don't I send the email instead of watching Netflix, right? We definitely could come up with example after example. And Cindy, you have a really great story that I think will help tie all of this in today for our listeners.
And then y'all, we're going to talk about some of the things that we can do to overcome these excuses because we understand that everybody out there is working as hard as they can.
Facing Excuses and Committing to Big Goals
Anneliese Rhodes: And sometimes we need a break. But there's a difference between taking a break and constantly having an excuse for something.
Cynthia Ficara: Exactly, because what we want to prevent is excuses holding you back from a promotion, moving forward in sales, or achieving a great result or goal. And you know, this is a funny story.
One real-life moment when I was making excuses, and I got called out on it, is a good example. So, I'll share the story with you. This was years ago when I was thinking about signing up for the Ironman triathlon.
A friend of mine brought it up while we were sitting at our kids' swim meet in the gym. I remember everything about that day. She said, "Okay, Ironman Texas sign-ups open today. Are you signing up?" And I was like, "Well, what day is it?" And then I started making excuses: "When is it again? Oh, it's in May, but it's only September. I need to check the kids' schedules and see where I'll be. I came up with probably four excuses, and she, so funny, put her thumbs in her ears like a little kid, waved her fingers, and said, "All I hear is excuses, excuses, excuses."
Immediately, I got defensive. I was like, "They're not excuses, they're facts." And she laughed even harder, calling them excuses. I realized she was right. I was finding ways to avoid committing. Yes, the kids have school and activities, but what are they going to do? Stop growing up? Yes, I have a job, but what am I going to do? Stop working?
It came down to a decision—if I actually wanted to do this race, I needed to commit. I had to carve out time and figure out how to make it work.
That little competitive side of me kicked in. I hate it when someone calls me out, so the next thing I knew, I had the computer in my lap, pulled out my credit card, and signed up for the race because, well, I was making excuses.
Anneliese Rhodes: And, okay, a full Ironman—that’s daunting. It’s not like doing a 5K over the weekend. We’re talking about a life-changing decision because it requires changing your entire routine—your kids, your work—everything has to fit in the training.
Cynthia Ficara: Exactly! And to give some backstory, I had done various lengths of triathlons before, including a half Ironman. My friend had also done those races. We had talked about it many times. It’s like, you say you want to do it, but this was the chance, the moment to commit.
Think about that in sales. How many times have you built up to something, you know you’re capable, and yet, what’s stopping you from just committing and doing it? And I think it’s an excuse.
Overcoming Fear and Common Excuses in Medical Device Sales
Anneliese Rhodes: Absolutely. Let's dive right in and understand what these excuses mean, as they can vary for different people and at different times.
For you, Cindy, part of it may have been fear—fear of the daunting challenge of training for a full Ironman. I've done a half and know how tough that was, but a full Ironman is a huge commitment. It’s daunting, right?
One reason you might be making excuses is that you’re scared—literally scared. We've talked about fear being false evidence appearing real. Although that fear may feel real in your mind, you embraced it and said, "Challenge accepted."
Cynthia Ficara: Fear takes many forms. You just reminded me of someone who worked in a hospital and wanted to enter the medical device industry as a clinical specialist. He was offered a job and was ready to accept, but then called his future manager and said, "I don't think I’m going to take it." When asked why, he said, "My current manager will be upset." That’s not a valid excuse.
You can’t base decisions on how you think someone might react. He needed to dig deeper and realize that excuse wasn’t the real reason. We all do that sometimes—letting fear trigger our excuses. It's a perfect example.
Anneliese Rhodes: Exactly. Let’s consider more excuses. Take him, for example—he’s coming from a hospital or jumping into medical devices, and in the final interview, he says, “I don’t know if I have enough experience.”
Well, duh—none of us had experience when we started, but you’ve got to grab the opportunity. You have to jump in and face it, even if you’re up against tough competition. "My competitors have been here for 20-plus years," might be another excuse.
Well, you still have a leg up on something. It's easy to let excuses pile up.
Or the classic, "I can’t reach my quota." We hear this all the time. Quotas will always grow—they never get smaller, and we all feel that pressure. This is so funny, Cindy because I do this all the time!
My old manager would say, “Oh, here she comes again. The quota is too high.” But I still beat it every quarter. He’d say, "I don’t know why you keep saying that. Maybe you need to say it to perform." It's like reverse psychology. It’s easy to say, “My quota is too big. My territory is too small. My doctors left.” You can go on and on. These are common excuses, but you need to recognize that they’re just that—excuses.
Cynthia Ficara: If you're relating to any of those excuses, which I think we all do at times, remember you're listening because we always reveal a secret. And guess what? There's an easy way to fix this.
Excuses are real, they're out there, and we’re all guilty of them. So how can we change? How can we eliminate these excuses and start hitting our goals? The secret is simple: a shift in mindset.
But don’t worry, we’re not just going to tell you to shift your mindset; we’ll give you strategies to help you make that shift and get back on track to where you need to be.
Anneliese Rhodes: Absolutely. The first step is to realize you are making excuses, right? Sometimes, there’s a pattern. Like I said earlier, every time a new number would come out each quarter, the first thing I’d say is, "Oh my gosh, that’s such a big number. I’m never going to hit it." It was a knee-jerk reaction.
But I had to recognize that and tell myself, "Okay, Lisa, seriously, you’ve got to stop." Because if you keep putting that out there, you're going to keep thinking about it. Instead, I shifted my mindset: "Here’s my opportunity. I need to write down my goals, identify where I can go to hit them and move forward." The first step is recognizing when you start making excuses.
Cynthia Ficara: Absolutely. For you, one of your triggers was a quota. Maybe it's a defense mechanism—if you say, "I’ll never hit my quota," and then if you don't, you can say, "See, I told you." People do that. But today, we’re shifting that mindset.
Finding Accountability and Setting SMART Goals
Cynthia Ficara: What can we do? One of the easiest is finding an accountability partner.
I encourage you to find a buddy or mentor. For example, Lisa shared one of her excuses with me. You can share yours with a coworker or friend and say, "Every time I make an excuse, hold me accountable. I need to take action." If you recognize an excuse and want to move past it, tell someone and ask them to help keep you accountable. So, step one: find an accountability partner.
Anneliese Rhodes: Cindy is a great accountability partner. You’re absolutely right. Now, on to number two: setting SMART goals.
These are goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. This is something I think you do well, Cindy, and I do too.
For me, it could be on a sticky note, but it’s about knowing where I'm going, not just for the week or quarter, but who my targets are, why they’re my targets, and what products I’m going to talk to them about.
So, if it’s Dr. Smith and I want to talk to him about a stapler. I need to figure out his office hours, when to set up a meeting and go step by step to get him to trial the product. These are measurable goals. You write them down, put them somewhere visible, and hold yourself accountable. Once you've completed the first step, move on to the next.
Cynthia Ficara: Exactly. One important thing about SMART goals is that they’re time-bound. It’s crucial because when you write something down, you're more likely to commit to it.
I think it's been proven—those who write down their goals are more committed. So, for example, if your goal is to sell a stapler in a specific account, you know which account it is, and you aim to achieve that by the end of Q3. Then, you break it down into actionable steps: I will find the office manager, set up a lunch, do an in-service, follow up, and set dates tied to those steps.
Share your SMART goals with your accountability partner so they can check in and hold you to them. If you’re tired on a Wednesday and want to make excuses, you’ll think, "Someone’s going to ask if I did this on Friday," and that’ll push you to get it done.
Anneliese Rhodes: That’s such a good point. When someone is holding you accountable, you’re much more likely to follow through. Regarding time management, if you know your quarterly target and have 11 or 12 weeks left, you need to space out your tasks. For example, set up the lunch in the first week, get the doctor onboard by the second, and aim for hospital approval by a certain week.
When you manage your time effectively, you’re more likely to hit that number by the end of the quarter.
Cynthia Ficara: Exactly. That’s the realistic, achievable, and relevant part of SMART goals. Hospitals have value analysis committees—find out when they meet, whether monthly or bi-monthly, and set your goals accordingly. You’ll be amazed at how achievable they become. So, SMART goals are number two.
Embracing Positive Affirmations for Success
Anneliese Rhodes: Okay, number three. I love this one because it makes me think of a Netflix show—Positive Affirmation. Cindy and I are both really into this. I think it’s so important. It reminds me of watching Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team on Netflix. Oh my gosh, I’ve never seen it. But in another life, I would’ve been a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader!
I mean, I have no cheering experience. And by the way, you do not want to see me try a cheer! But here’s the thing—it’s an excuse. I wasn’t born with a cheerleader body to do what they can do. The flexibility? Forget it! But all these women are beautiful, young, vibrant, and super talented because they made it into this elite program.
Now, the same thing applies to you in medical device sales. You’re in these companies for a reason. People hired you because you deserve to be there. Sometimes you have to remind yourself. One of the girls in the show had positive affirmations posted on her mirror that said, "I am worth it, I am beautiful, I am talented."
And though it may sound a little silly, sometimes you need to sit down, look in the mirror, and tell yourself, "You’ve got this, Cindy. You’ve got this, Lisa. You’re here for a reason. You were hired because you’re smart and talented. Go out there and get it!"
Cynthia Ficara: You can sit in your car. Nobody can hear you. But when you say it. You know, that ties into, we even interviewed somebody last week who talked about the spirit of selling a book that she wrote.
And it's when you put positive things out there, that's what you focus on. So if you're focusing on, "I can do this," then you know what, you're going to go in and you can do it.
Celebrating Small Wins
So, I love that. And actually, number four is one of my favorites. And I'll be honest. I don't even know why I've always done this. Maybe because sometimes big things always seem so big, but number four is to celebrate the small wins.
I mean this if you're trying to sell that stapler. Somebody told you who the gatekeeper was, and it's the wrong person. And maybe the small win was you found who the true gatekeeper is. You know what? Hey, pat on the back. That's a step in the right direction because you know what that means. That means you didn't give up. A small win is just a baby step further toward your goal.
And I think it's so important because when you get to your end goal, that's great. But sometimes it's the journey along the way and look at all the people you get to meet. Like, say, for instance, you celebrate that you found this new gatekeeper. Well, guess what? Maybe 6 months from now, you're launching a new product. You need to go back to that same person. And these small wins. We're in momentum. They drive home that, Hey, I'm trying to sell this stapler. Look, I'm up to the value analysis committee.
Like, I should celebrate that every week for the past six weeks, I've been able to tell my accountability partner that I have attempted to reach these goals. Not all of them are always going to be accomplished, but when you're doing the action steps to get there, that's worth celebrating because it will cause a good outcome. I promise you that.
Anneliese Rhodes: Yeah, agreed. I think those small wins just lead to the big win like you said. Yeah. I forget who said it. Was it like, whoever wins all the battles wins the war or something? I don't know. Maybe I'm messing that up.
Cynthia Ficara: Yeah, something like that.
Anneliese Rhodes: But it's the same in sales. Gotta win the battles to win the war or something.
Cynthia Ficara: It's the same thing in sales. They all lead to the winning of the war, right? Because, and like you said, I mean, the small wins always lead up to big wins. Take every one of them, checkmark that away and say, okay, that's done, moving on. And let that propel you to the next stage of wherever you need to get to in terms of whatever goal it is that you now are telling yourself you're going to hit.
Cynthia Ficara: Absolutely. I think listening to what we just talked about, I kind of almost see excuses a different way now. It's almost like a barrier and you just need to knock that down. It's very interesting.
]Just something that we've always been aware of, but it's fun when we talk about things that really can be roadblocks in our careers. And we just really hope that if any of you out there today have been guilty of making excuses, then I want you to kind of think of it differently. A little shift in your mindset can go a long way.
Shifting Mindsets and Overcoming Excuses
Anneliese Rhodes: Shifting your mindset is key. First, you need to be aware that you are making excuses, right? So what do you do next? The first step is to find an accountability partner—someone who will check on you and hold you accountable, whether it’s a friend, mentor, or trainer. Make sure they check your progress.
Next, set your SMART goals—specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. Time is critical because it keeps you on track. Positive affirmations are also essential. Even a quick self-talk in the rearview mirror before walking into a hospital can remind you who you are, what you stand for, what you’re selling, and why you're there. The positivity you bring to yourself will attract others because people enjoy working with those who radiate positivity.
And finally, celebrate the small wins. Whether it's getting past the gatekeeper or gaining approval from the value analysis committee, take that victory and let it propel you toward your next goal.
Cynthia Ficara: Thanks, Lisa. As we wrap up today, I want everyone to remember that the one thing standing between you and your success is the excuses you allow yourself to make. The good news is, that’s something you can control. Recognize those barriers, shift your mindset, and embrace accountability. You might unlock potential you never knew existed.
Let me leave you with this: don’t decide the outcome before you try something. That, to me, is the essence of an excuse—so, no excuses!
