Medical Sales Accelerator

On your best days, you feel like there's nothing you couldn't sell—so why are you still selling yourself short when new job opportunities arise? As president of Fallstaff Search, a recruitment firm that specializes in medical device sales, Hilary Trader never ceases to be amazed by how many qualified reps make easily avoidable blunders in the hiring process. All too often, reps unknowingly spoil their chance to graze in greener pastures when they turn away recruiters or don't take a proactive approach to career advancement. We caught up with Hilary to discuss how reps can better market themselves as a company's plug-and-play option for overcoming immediate and future pain points, why it always pays to be brutally honest with recruiters, and what it means to confidently (and not cockily) play by "the rules of the game."

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why you should leave humility for first dates and dinner parties
• The kind of research and outreach you should be doing after the first interview
• The importance of itemizing call points in your resume so you're searchable in a database
• How to stop psychologically guarding yourself and make a strong ask for the job
• The kinds of questions you should be asking MedTech hiring managers

Plus, we explore the subtle ways recruiters sniff out half-hearted (or otherwise problematic) candidates.

Are your brain's hard-wired "survival shortcuts" hampering your success? It's no secret that medical sales reps and sales team leaders have to endure rejection, redirection, misalignment, and countless external roadblocks—the chief culprit being other people's behavior. But knowing what they can control saves them time, energy, and sanity. In this week's special episode, we're featuring TrackableMed CEO Zed Williamson's recent guest appearance on the podcast "Your Best Day Yet," hosted by Eric Guy of the Center for Victory. Eric and Zed discuss how little-known—yet deeply ingrained—psychological triggers can sabotage our opportunities and why it's imperative to recognize our own biases. Join us to explore actionable ways you can start building habits that bring out the best in your brain.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why communication means taking ownership not of what you say, but what others hear you saying
• Why the human brain is built for shortcuts, and how those shortcuts can sometimes hurt us
• Why you don't have to stifle or repress your emotions to control them
• The evolutionary origins of negativity bias and confirmation bias
• How neurological "shortcuts" help us—and hurt us—in our modern daily lives
• The power of applying the word "Why" to yourself—and not others

Plus, we explore why most people's relationship with the word "If" is dangerous.

If a physician chooses a competitor's product over yours roughly 80% of the time, have they still earned your help? SPR Therapeutics Regional Sales Manager Mase Bowman always knew there was more to medical sales than carrying a bag and opening a box, but it wasn't until he dared to take a more consultative approach that he discovered the only question worth asking: "What do I need to do so we can all win?" We invited him to share how he's been implementing behavior change principles in the neuromodulation and interventional pain space, helping once-skeptical docs do more procedures. Discover why reps should work to uncover the dynamics of the C-suite in charge of value analysis, what it means to care for the end user, and when to do stuff that's not necessarily in your (immediate) best interest.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why the greatest professional sin is a lack of a curiosity
• The post-meeting technique for keeping yourself honest
• How to mask your "commission breath" in conversations
• Simple ways to make better use of your "windshield time"
• How to build sturdier relationships with the mantra of "slow is fast"

Why physicians fall back on what's comfortable, and how you can make sure they're properly trained

Plus, we explore how Mase was able to turn a year-long dialogue into new business.

Are you inspiring people on your team, or are you just hoping they’ll stick around for another quarter? In his first MedTech job, Jeff Bajorek was given sample bags, brochures, and an obligatory pat on the back. But like most reps, what he really needed from his team was transparency and the guarantee of support. After several years as a top-performing rep, Jeff became a leading consultant helping companies identify blind spots in their sales processes and align their teams with a signature no-BS approach. He joins the show to discuss key differences between accountability and micromanagement, what it means to be a vulnerable leader, how start-ups can stop being at the mercy of “mercenaries,” and more.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why praising solid performance matters just as much as critiquing poor performance
• What it means to view your entire team as an extension of yourself (aka “you at scale”)
• When performance improvement plans (PIPs) can work as originally intended
• Why not enough companies are taking a disruptive stance in their go-to-market strategies
• What monkeys, typewriters, and Shakespeare have to do with your trusted rep’s rough patch

Plus, we explore how—and why—so many medical sales teams lean toward self-sabotage.

We’re taught that referral networks are the lifeblood of private practices, but what happens when they’re not enough? Jeremiah Jorgensen, physical therapist and principal owner of Fyzical Therapy and Balance Centers in Lincoln, Nebraska, sat down with us to share his story. Like many specialty practices, Jeremiah found that his relationships with just a handful of referral sources had begun to completely define his business. Rather than continue at the mercy of others, he took back control of his patient flow, scaled strategically, and dodged a high-volume tidal wave after the pandemic hit. We discuss how practices can responsibly manage staff as they scale, what it takes to reach a patient population that isn’t already self-selected, and why “brand” should take a backseat in their growth-driven strategy.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

- Why specialty practices end up at the mercy of their referral partners in the first place

- How to leverage social media algorithms to reach new audiences

- How to help set realistic expectations for growth and avoid staff burnout

- Why specific, experiential messaging trumps general “head-to toe” slogans

-Why aligning with the right business partner—e.g., a savvy accountant—makes all the difference

Plus, we explore the diminishing returns of community involvement as a marketing strategy.

Why do people make excuses for behaviors that hold them back from what they want most? Chip Helm believes that if you can’t list your guiding business principles on one hand, you’re overcomplicating your approach and making it harder to hold yourself accountable. The author, sales mentor, and 36-year industry veteran rejoins the show to hammer home the five core principles that have shaped his impressive career (sprinkling in a few “Chip-isms” along the way). Join us as we discuss a no-nonsense outlook on follow-up, hard truths about relationships, how to find true North in our personal and professional lives, and misconceptions about attitude.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

- Why follow-up is all about acknowledgement, not answers  

- The futility of trying to win arguments (i.e., being right with facts but wrong with relationship)

- What it means to be a “shark” networker

- How to solve this equation: Energy · X = Motivation

Plus, we dig into the specific behavioral changes required to become a practical, potent optimist.   

From the sales that coax consumers to fill their carts to the hostage negotiation tactics that save lives, the psychology of persuasion dominates our world. Though most medical device sales reps are familiar with at least a handful of these behavioral triggers, surprisingly few know how to weave them into their sales approach. This week, we’re picking up where we left off in Robert Cialdini’s best-seller, “Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion,” to show how reps can more effectively wield the final three “weapons” of influence: liking, authority, and scarcity. Join us as we bring pages of wisdom to life in everyday medical device sales scenarios and discuss how reps can better position themselves in sales conversations.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

- How to challenge the status quo and still be likable   

- Why you should be aware of key differences in your physician partners’ personalities

- Why pointing out all the patients who shouldn’t use your therapy is a smart play

- How to better implement—and gatekeep—your team’s resources and expertise

Plus, we touch on the famous scientific studies that demonstrated the power of these principles. 

For the elite task forces that operate in the most dangerous places on earth, the difference between a process and a system isn’t semantic­—it’s life or death. As former war correspondent Shawn Rhodes argues in his book “Bulletproof Selling,” processes are largely designed around individuals, making them harder to repeat, improve, and measure. Systems, however, are always designed around objectives. But that’s just one of several key distinctions that he believes most salespeople are missing. We caught up with Shawn to discuss how “systematized selling” helps senior and junior MedTech reps alike improve their pipelines, things companies can do to avoid being hamstrung by their own top talent and achieve consistent growth, and the importance of teaching customers “how to buy.”  

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why buying a CRM and shoving it down every team member’s throat isn’t a “system”
• How to incentivize your top performers to systematize their wisdom
• What it means to understand “commander’s intent”
• Why the best systems are “T.R.I.M.” systems
• The power of using Drift and Loom videos as a sale call follow-ups

Plus, we define the difference between an unhelpful gripe and a responsible complaint. 

So, you think medical sales is sexy? Prepare for a wake-up call. Johnny Caffaro, director of sales for the West at United Orthopedic Corporation, found out quickly that making a name for yourself in this industry takes more than the gift of gab and a firm handshake. Whether it’s intensive case planning weeks ahead of surgery, advising surgeons and scrub techs during procedures, or staying till 10 p.m. to clean your instruments, the logistics of medical sales are no joke. We sat down with him to discuss his success with a bold approach to business development: Selling your most complex product first, then backing your way into the primary products. Join us as we explore the psychology behind this tactic, how reps can become technical assets in the OR, and why competency is the best way to win over surgeons.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

- What MedTech companies are really looking for when they ask, “Are you a chameleon?”

- Why you should care about making the scrub tech look like a hero

- How to recalibrate your career if you’ve fallen into the complacency trap

- Why everyone in a hospital—from administrators to custodians—is worth your time

- Why smaller, “hungrier” distributorships are the best places to source talent

Plus, we explore how to get the ‘status quo’ bias working in your favor.

What do sitcom laugh tracks and Hare Krishnas handing out flowers in the airport have to do with MedTech sales? Quite a lot, according to Robert Cialdini’s classic book, “Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion.” They’re all based on one or more of the six principles—or “weapons,” as Cialdini calls them—that we humans use to influence others. This week’s special book review episode is dedicated to exploring the MedTech connection to the first three principles of “Influence”: reciprocity, commitment and consistency, and social proof. Join us as we push beyond the abstract to show how reps can implement these proven psychological tactics in their daily dealings to greater effect.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How simple social experiments revealed fascinating patterns in the human psyche
• Why you should always be asking your customers to “keep tabs on your stuff”
• How overzealous attempts to use social proof can backfire  
• What it means to start out as a giver as opposed to a taker
• Why some physicians may respect—but not follow —KOLs in academia