I was 22 years old when I took on my first territory as a medical device sales rep in the very competitive New York marketplace. Every morning when I went to visit my customers, the head operating room nurse would greet me and say, “You’re never, never gonna get this business”. Actually, she said “neva, neva” because well, she’s a New Yorker.
I would respond with my naïve big smile and say, “That’s ok, Mary. I just need a little bit of the business”. In the end, that "little bit" let me to win a President’s Club trip and win a multi-million-dollar contract. I was 22 years old, and I looked like I was about 13. I still don’t know how anyone allowed me to enter an operating room, but that’s beside the point.
You may not have someone overtly discouraging you, but oppression and discouragement is always there. Either from external sources or from your own self-doubt. What did I do? It’s what I still do today when I face a big, scary challenge.
Get the right people in my corner
There were many days when I didn’t want to get out of bed to go to work because I was so intimidated. I would call my dad in tears saying, “I can’t do this. These doctors are old enough to be my parents. What right do I have to think that I can have a conversation with them?” My dad would pray for me and give me encouraging words and that was enough to get me out of my apartment and off to work. It’s ok to be vulnerable and ask for help.
Keep showing up
One of my field sales trainers shared a great piece of advice that provided a lot of motivation for me. He said that we would have a lot of temptation to make excuses not to go out into the field. You could convince yourself that you needed an office day to study or analyze your business. But every time you show up on a day when you don’t want to, good things will happen. I found this to be true. Especially on days when I didn’t want to be there but forced myself to go, I bumped into a customer that led to a sale or a commitment to try our products. Don’t lie to yourself so you can avoid doing hard things.
Prepare Relentlessly
After a full day, sometimes 12 hours or more in the field, I would spend hours studying my craft. I called tenured sales reps for advice. I watched videos to better understand surgical procedures. There are no short cuts; you’ve got to know your stuff. And now even more so in an age of AI where your customers or colleagues can readily access robust information, you’d better be thinking of how you can add differentiated value. I still carry this philosophy with me today. A few years ago, I was interviewing for my first Director role. I was going in as the lead candidate with a lot of leadership support. I still did 8 hours of mock interviews with mentors plus the additional hours I spent preparing on my own. There are no short cuts!
Is the world changing at a rapid rate? Yes. Are you worried you’ll get left behind? Yes. Do you have more control over your life’s outcome than you realize? Also, yes! You must believe that you can succeed even if it’s as I told Mary, by just a little bit.
Tell me what you're never gonna give up on! I'll be cheering you on.
Elisa
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