By Brian Sullivan
Reps say they want to earn like professionals. But do they train, recover and review like one?
Let’s be honest – if your sales career were a tryout, would you make the team?
Not “the team” as in “you have a territory and a line card.” The team – as in the starting lineup. First call on the new facility. The rep they trust when the contract is on the line.
Every salesperson loves to say they’re a “sales professional.” But here’s the question most won’t ask: Would your habits – your preparation, training and mindset – actually earn you a spot? Or would you be riding the bench, waiting to get cut when a competitor out-hustles you at the hospital, the surgery center, or the long-term care facility down the road?
Here’s the thing: pros don’t just show up and play. They prepare. They watch film. They condition. They recover. They rehearse. And they do it every damn day – without someone begging them to.
Let’s call it what it is: most reps aren’t professionals. They’re recreational players with a quota.
Want the money? Match the mindset.
A pro athlete gets paid based on production. So do you. They wake up thinking about how to get 1% better – faster, sharper and more durable. You should too.
I don’t have a study for this, but after two decades in sales rooms, here’s my gut: if we judged medical distribution reps the way we judge athletes, 80% would be cut by the second week of camp. Another 10% would get called up on “potential.” And the top 10%? They’d dominate – because they act like professionals before they earn like professionals.
It’s not about talent. It’s about how you train between calls and contract cycles.
Want to raise your game? Steal these habits from the pros
1. Practice more than you perform
In sports, the ratio is obvious: 90% training, 10% game time. In medical distribution? Most reps barely practice at all.
Audit yourself: When was the last time you rehearsed your opener for a new account? Dry-ran a pitch before a value-analysis meeting? Roleplayed your toughest conversion objection until you owned it?
If you’re winging it in front of directors and materials managers, you’re not a pro. You’re hoping. And hope is not a strategy – it’s a prayer with a quota attached.
2. Watch the tape. Every week.
Pro athletes watch film – a lot of it. Why? Because growth doesn’t come from experience alone. It comes from studied experience.
Review one recorded call per week. With a peer or manager. No skipping. Ask yourself: Where did I lose energy? Where did I take a shortcut? What would a closer have done differently?
Here’s the uncomfortable truth: reps who avoid watching themselves usually have the most to learn.
3. Recover like it matters
Ever notice how your voice flattens after a day of running between hospitals, physician offices, and surgery centers? That’s not burnout – that’s depletion. Athletes call it “leaving it on the field.” You’re doing it every Tuesday by 2 p.m.
Groggy reps skip questions and miss buying signals. Stress from a tough call at the long-term care facility bleeds into your next stop – and customers hear it.
You want more share? Fix your fuel tank first.
4. Have a pre-game routine
Athletes don’t jog into the stadium and start scoring. They warm up. Stretch. Lock in mentally before the whistle.
Your version: Review your call plan before you walk in. Set one learning goal. Visualize the objection you fear most – whether it’s from a CNO, a materials director or a practice manager.
Write down a question you haven’t asked yet this week.
No more “let’s see how it goes.” That’s amateur hour.
5. Train with people who push you
Ask any athlete – your environment shapes your output. Sit next to lazy reps, you become one. Train with closers, you get better.
Find one training partner – someone who’ll roleplay and debrief calls with you weekly. Spend more time with reps who make you feel behind, not comfortable.
In medical distribution, it’s easy to hide behind relationships and legacy contracts. “They love me over there” becomes an excuse to stop sharpening the blade. But that friction – competing with sharper reps, getting called out – that’s where breakthroughs live.
Start acting like you’re under contract
Professional athletes don’t wait to be told to train. They do it because not training means losing the job, the income, the dream.
Medical distribution is no different.
If you’re going to call yourself a sales professional, back it up. Show me your calendar. Show me your pre-call plans. Show me how you recover from losses and prep for wins.
You might not wear a jersey. But the minute you decide to train like you’re under contract, you’ll start performing like you deserve the big one.
Brian Sullivan, CSP, is the founder of PRECISE Selling, where he helps companies train, coach, and develop top-tier sales talent in medical and healthcare distribution. Learn more at preciseselling.com.