Real stories. Real conversations. Real lessons from pharmaceutical and healthcare sales.
RelationshipsOne of My Greatest Sales Lessons Was Taught at the Front Desk
One of the earliest lessons pharmaceutical sales taught me was simple: every person in the office matters.
One lesson pharmaceutical sales taught me early on is this...
Never underestimate the importance of the front desk staff.
When you're new, it's easy to believe the whole job happens in front of the physician.
That's the conversation you prepared for. That's the call you'll be asked about. That's where it feels like the real work happens.
So many new reps focus all their attention on getting in front of the physician.
Everyone else in the office can start to feel like a step along the way.
But the people at the front desk often know everything that's happening in the office.
They manage schedules.
They help keep the practice running.
They understand the rhythm of the office: when the morning has been difficult, when the physician is running behind, when it may be worth waiting and when today simply isn't the right day for a conversation.
Front-desk staff, nurses, medical assistants and office managers are part of what keeps a busy practice moving.
When we walk through the door, we are stepping into their workday.
Over the years, I've learned to treat everyone in the office with the same level of respect.
Not because I'm trying to get something from them.
Because they matter.
Learn their names.
Acknowledge their workload.
Be kind.
Be consistent.
None of that is complicated. But it's easy to forget when your attention is fixed on the one conversation you came for.
One thing I've always found interesting is that some sales professionals see gatekeepers as obstacles.
I've always seen them as people.
What can we learn from this story?
There is a real difference between respecting someone because they can help you and respecting them because they matter.
People can usually feel that difference.
Respect that only appears when you need something isn't really respect. And it doesn't build trust.
That's why relationship-based selling has never been about “working the gatekeeper.”
It isn't about finding clever ways around the front desk or around an office's policies.
It is about building genuine relationships throughout the office.
A name remembered.
A busy day acknowledged.
The same courtesy on every visit, whether or not you see the physician that day.
Consistency is what turns courtesy into trust.
For newer pharmaceutical and medical sales representatives, this may be one of the most valuable habits to build early.
Learn to see the whole office, not only the person who makes the final decision.
Yes, know who your decision-makers are.
Yes, understand the structure of your accounts.
But never become so focused on reaching the person you came to see that you stop seeing everyone else along the way.
If you'd like to explore this further, I've written a practical guide on relationships with gatekeepers in medical sales. The thinking behind it is part of the Relationship-Based Selling philosophy, and you'll find more practical resources and additional stories across From the Field.
Some sales professionals see gatekeepers as obstacles.
I learned to see them as people.
And in my experience, the reps who build the strongest relationships are the ones who understand the difference.
Every person in the office matters. Treat them that way.
Real stories from the field. Real lessons from a career in pharmaceutical sales.
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From the Field is an ongoing collection of real experiences from pharmaceutical and healthcare sales, exploring the relationships, conversations and lessons that shape better professionals.