Molly Portela

$8.1M in pipeline for a Series A healthtech co. in 6wks Here's how we did it with 1 BDR and systems. The client said they were struggling with leads What they were actually struggling with: • Competitors could easily put their name on messaging. • They were automating outreach like everyone else. • They were struggling with inconsistent positioning. • They glossed over their GTM motion. We took a different approach: • Human intelligence over automation. • Revenue operations fundamentals. • Revenue marketing strategy. • Scaled down tech stack. • Precise segmentation. The problem? • They treated all "providers" the same. • Generic messaging missed crucial nuances. • Engagement and conversion rates sucked. Our approach: • Redefined the "provider" category. • Segment by specialty and sub-specialty. • Develop tailored messaging for each group. • Taught social selling basics. • Cut off mass automation. We dug deep: • Sifted through industry benchmarks. • Gathered data on practice-specific KPIs. • Built business cases for each sub-specialty. • Addressed operational and financial outcomes. Our secret weapons? Perplexity and Telescope • Used these for persona-specific research. • Empathy maps + customer journey for EVERY persona. • Built out persona specific account approaches. • Opened the whole buying committee. • Uploaded directly to CRM for BDR reference. We systemized everything: • Lean tech stack focused on revenue ops. • Integrated call transcripts and outreach data. • Analyzed and refined strategies in real-time. Copywriting got a makeover: • Crafted messages based on empathy maps. • Uploaded scripts and FAQs to JustCall. • Enabled real-time conversation adaptation.    The tech stack was slim: • Lavender 💜  for optimized email crafting. • Close CRM and JustCall integration for consistency. • Clay insights available at every touchpoint. The results? • $8.1M in pipeline. • Higher engagement rates. • Increased conversions. Our edge? • Healthcare expertise. • Precise segmentation and messaging. • Systemized, quality-over-volume approach. Tools that made it happen: • HUMANS (not robots) leading campaigns. • Perplexity for up-to-date healthcare trends. • Telescope for refined prospect lists. • The Org to unlock buying committees • MillionVerifier for email validation • Clay for persona enrichment • CloseCRM as our central data hub. • JustCall for personalized cold calls • Lavender for crispy copywriting. The takeaway? • Generic approaches don't cut it. • Tailored strategies drive real results. • Human touch + smart tech = winning combo. Want to unlock revenue today? Then you need to work with experts. Shoot me a connection and a DM if you want to see the flow.

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The secret weapon of successful med tech sales reps isn’t a generic email or another cold call. There’s too much focus on: • Sales pitches • Targeting • Product demos And not enough on: • Personalized videos • Authentic connections • Delivering value from the start Here’s the truth: A compelling, personalized video cuts through the noise like nothing else. Investing in personalized videos isn’t a gimmick. It’s a way to stand out, build trust, and engage decision-makers on their terms. So ask yourself: How many more prospects would respond if your outreach felt human? Join Virtual Sales Rx and learn the step-by-step insights on using personalized videos to amplify trust, increase engagement, and scale sales. Virtual Sales Rx isn’t about more cold tactics — it’s about strategies that resonate. Bonus: We’ve trained top 2 Billion Dollar Med Tech companies, we can train your sales team, regardless of size. Schedule 15 minutes w/me to discuss at https://lnkd.in/enG5VQB

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I was an BDR for 20 months, and now I've been a CSM for 35 months. Some skills that helped me hit and surpass targets as an BDR are still driving my success as a CSM. Here is what I carried over and continue to use: - Understanding customers' needs and goals and being able to speak about them clearly. - Account mapping effectively, but not getting stuck in the process. - Implementing strategies quickly, and refining them with ongoing feedback and testing. - Focusing on quality over quantity. - Following up with value and keeping communications easy to digest. - Setting daily personal activity targets to help stay on track. - Consistency is key — one-time efforts won’t sustain success over time. Skill development is like climbing a staircase — many skills or steps build on the last. That's why it's important for me to put my best effort into each new step as skipping steps now will make it harder to reach higher later on.

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🖼️ Picture this: A health system uses Talkdesk to run its patient contact center and spots a pattern with AI-powered analytics—patients who take over 5 minutes to reschedule appointments are more likely to no-show. 🛠️ To fix it, they lean on Talkdesk’s Epic integration. Proactive notifications remind patients ahead of time, cutting down inbound calls. For those who do call, agents get pre-filled patient details and smarter workflows, speeding things up. 😍 The results? ✔️ 20% boost in containment rate (fewer calls, happier agents) ✔️ 15% faster resolutions ✔️ 10% drop in no-shows thanks to faster, proactive scheduling ✔️ Better agent performance insights to keep teams crushing it 🏁 Bottom line: fewer headaches, better patient outcomes, and revenue stays intact. (numbers for example purposes)

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Medical sales reps, your job is to bring your customers options and ideas, not to convince. Instead of this: Hey Doc, check out this awesome “XYZ Product” that does (insert feature list). 🤮 Do this: Hey Doc, this was presented to me as a potential solution to (a specific problem) others have faced when treating (a specific condition). Then, ask questions: Have you struggled with this? What’s your current strategy? Are you happy with the results? If there was an easier solution would you be opposed to hearing about it? Open the door, then let them walk through. The quickest way to lose credibility is to try to convince a customer you know what they need. You don’t… Thoughts? #medicalsales #orthopedics #cardiovascular #repdaily #stryker #arthrex #zimmerbiomet

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Most Medical Sales interviews last 60-minutes. That means, you have 1-hour of time to: ✔️ Connect with a stranger (hiring manger). ✔️ Prove you can positively IMPACT the open territory. As a young interviewee, I failed during the one hour interview. Why? My interview strategy was to “FEATURE DUMP” my experiences. That didn’t work! After 12 stressful months of interviewing incorrectly, I changed my interview tactics. How? I practiced communicating my career story to STANDOUT during the interviews. Use my 60-minute “What’s in it for THEM” strategy in your Med Rep interview: ⏰ Share your ability to successfully manage a territory. ⏰ Share your capacity to solve complex problems. ⏰ Share your trust building skills in action. ⏰ Share your collaboration examples. ⏰ Share your business acumen. This will help YOU receive the offer! ➝ Because PROOF is in your story. Are you feature dumping during a Medical Sales interview? <><><><><><><><> DM me to discuss receiving a “YES” after your Med Rep interview.

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Salespeople: Stop Chasing Ghosts! Here’s How to 2X Your Reply Rates Let’s talk Warm Calling vs. Cold Calling in life sciences lead generation. Cold emails and cold calls—sound familiar? For many organizations, it’s just generic templates and scripts. But here’s the harsh reality: First name and company don’t count as personalization anymore. Your prospects can tell when it’s not personal or relevant. And when they do, they tune out. So, what should you do instead? As scientists, we start with the data: A well-crafted, highly targeted email can get you replies. But here's the kicker—if you follow up with a phone call or voicemail, you can DOUBLE your reply rates! Why? This is the magic of Warm Calling: 1. Your email has already introduced you. 2. Your call feels familiar and trustworthy. 3. You’re not a stranger—you’re building rapport. The best salespeople don’t just sell—they add value to the scientific community. So, when you reach out, bring insights, solutions, and understanding. Ready to ditch the cold approach? Try warm calling and let me know how it works for you. Share your wins (or challenges!) in the comments!

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Want to catch the WinsDay replay? Matt Calhoun and I chatted about... ➡ Pre-Sales Strategies ➡ Demand Gen: Avoiding Failure When Outsourcing ➡ First Go-to-Market: Pivoting Your Startup  ➡ SDR Success: Leaders' Role in Prospecting Some themes popped up.... ☑ being data driven ☑ getting your ICP right ☑ documenting your processes ☑ what does good like ☑ what clues does customer success tell us ☑ culture ☑ people first leadership ☑ know your worth (mindset) ☑ trust and candid conversations .....and so much more Check out the comments to catch the replay! #sales

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With Q4 a week away and revenue leaking Most people will: - Miss their targets - Hope they will close - Keep all deals in their pipeline - Feel overwhelmed and frustrated - Waste time on deals that won't close This is scattered efforts team. Fat pipeline does not equal healthy pipeline. It's why most are not hitting their sales goals. They feel LOST. I've been there. → My message to you: Please STOP wasting time on deals that won't close. This time of year is about FOCUS. There’s never been a better time to clean up your pipeline. Do it now to hit your targets: - Review your entire pipeline → list all active opportunities - Establish criteria for "closeable" deals → priority, engagement, timeline - Assess each opportunity → review communication, deal age, stage - Categorize deals → high potential, nurture, remove - Update deal information → verify contact info, update estimates, record notes - Conduct outreach for clarification → reach out, ask direct questions, confirm budget - Make decisive actions → focus on high potential, transfer nurture, archive removed - Reallocate resources → increase focus, reduce time on nurture/removed, reassign team - Create action plans for high-potential deals → outline steps, set milestones, identify blockers - Implement a nurture strategy → develop communication plan, schedule check-ins, add to campaigns - Analyze removed deals → identify patterns, improve qualification, consider final revival attempt - Update sales forecasts → revise projections, adjust quotas, communicate changes - Establish regular pipeline cleaning habits → schedule reviews, set deep-dive sessions, encourage updates Perfect time to take a hard look at what you're doing. Are you using priority as a qualifier for your deals?

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Med tech sales/marketing sticks w/script installed in 1994. It's a race to the messy middle: • exclusive face-to-face sales • sea of sameness product marketing • sales reps "fit-in" and don't "stand out." It's not scalable/differentiated today, tomorrow, or in another years time. Today marks 178 attempts (YTD) where I send a med tech VP, Sales/Marketing a personalized video sequence (3 videos) asking if they watch these videos (avg length is 1m and 47s) and consider a 15 minute virtual chat at their convenience. In total 173 unresponsive (nothing), 4 acceptance, 3 not interested) I keep count. If you're a frontline W2 sales rep, you're boss has not answered my question: what is your strategy to scale sales in 2024? I've never received an answer when I pose this question. Never ever. Pretend I'm a reconnaissance pathfinder - like in the Army, but for med tech sales/marketers. Here's my report and compass setting for you... How are you earning attention and building trust at scale? Not enough windshield time or #hustle for you to be a solution to my question. I'll tell you what you're not realizing as someone in your shoes, got promoted to VP, Sales, and helped sell our business to Medtronic for 16x earnings, and works with some of the top surgeons in the world. Let's go back to the question: How are you earning attention and building trust at scale? Your leadership doesn't seem to want to answer. It's not your fault, you've not been taught to compliantly earn attention and build trust. More product knowledge, blah/blah/blah. Make more calls, blah/blah/blah. In my 30 + years of med tech, I've never experienced a more fierce resistance, on an issue, to sell like it's 1994 and a refusal to answer the question. The silver lining - you can keep your job, and to date, you don't have to evolve your sales enablement skills - but, every year, your quota is going up and territories are being split. Most everyone sells the same exact way, so as long as you "make more calls" you should be fine. Most of you are not ready to hear this... but you're not marketable if you can't virtually increase engagement, deliver virtual sales enablement that scales sales, and differentiate from the sea of sameness. Respectfully, 97% of you will not be trained by us. Our approach, at least the past 4 years - 97% of med tech sales/marketing are indifferent. I've conceded that "change" is our real competition and we are considered too unconventional for the old guard. Every week, I'm contacted by great people - more layoffs. [Back to the question that goes unanswered] How are you earning attention and building trust at scale? If you were laid off today, do you have an answer and the confidence to depend upon emails/personalized videos to help you become face-to-face (at scale)?

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If your med device CFO doesn't LOVE (yes, possibly a mild romantic interest in) "THIS" account...you're doing it wrong! No price erosion negotiations for market share... No rebates... No "foot in the door" sales statements to the Pricing Committee... Just high profit margin pricing that remains stable...and can even be contractually increased Year-over-Year. Companies that reward "winning" sales people with lavish trips...shouldn't be surprised when the CFO wants to help carry the bags of those selling to the VA! Yes, the VA should be every CFO's secret crush! Despite the rumors, stereotypes and an occasional ill-intentioned lie, the Veterans Affairs healthcare network is the biggest and, if done correctly the most profitable account for medical device companies. Pro-Tip: Those who say the VA is too "complicated" are the same people who falsely believe the VA requires the "best prices". #medicaldevice #sales #meddevice

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2🔑-- Alignment + Customer Obsessed The full SalesIntel.io podcast drops tomorrow but here's a sneak preview.... 🗝 Alignment You must get aligned on your metrics. If you're not all working toward the same goal, how can you expect success. 🗝 Customer Obsessed There are a lot of companies who talk about being customer-centric but do your action speak louder than your words. Can your customers articulate how you've delighted or exceeded their expectations? This will lead to referrals and help with partnerships! What is your favorite tip to unlock growth? #randispeaks #sales #GTM

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When Proof Isn't Enough Here's the math: 3x more meetings 2x revenue 4 years running 15 minutes of effort And they shrug. It's not that your med tech sales team doesn't want better results. It's that they don't want to feel like beginners again. Because a video means being vulnerable. It means watching yourself. Hearing your voice. Risking imperfection. And in an industry where everyone presents themselves as an expert, being a beginner feels like going backwards. But here's what we miss: Doctors don't want polished. They want personal. They don't want perfect. They want present. Your competition is still sending the same emails. Making the same calls. Stalking surgeon at the scrub sink! Following the same playbook. Getting the same results. While your team has proof - actual proof - that there's a better way. But proof doesn't beat pride. Data doesn't beat discomfort. ROI doesn't beat routine. The real competition isn't other med tech companies. It's the status quo. It's the comfort of "fit-in" don't "stand-out." It's the fear of looking foolish. What if we stopped selling the tool? And started selling the transformation? What if instead of teaching video techniques We taught compliant courage? Because that's what it really is. Not a video strategy. But a vulnerability strategy. And in a world of polished presentations and perfect pitches, Vulnerability might be the only differentiator left. The numbers prove it works. But numbers never changed behavior. Stories do. Courage does. Pride does. Maybe the key isn't showing them how to make better videos. Maybe it's showing them how to be brave enough to try. When was the last time your best results came from your comfort zone? Will the next Chris Grosse/Alex Archer/Jerry Ennett/Amanda Pinney-Kolon/Dan Gallagher/Joe Cavallo/Adam Griggs please STAND UP!

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Medical Sales Reps: Don't be too quick to pitch to your physicians . . . Be different Imagine the scenario when you have been doing discovery with your accounts/prospects, and have identified a physician who would most likely prescribe your product. You are still trying to figure out the compelling reason for them to switch or start using your product. While you are talking to one of their nurses to learn more about the patient population or practice . . . the doctor comes down the hallway right toward you and his nurse. What do you do? A. Pitch your product and hope they agree to start using it? B. Ask the Doctor about their protocol for a certain condition. C. Ask if you can bring lunch for the entire office next week and if they would be open to a chat? Try a permission-based opening instead, "Hi Dr. X, I am (insert your name) with (insert our company). I am here learning as much as I can about you, your patients, and your practice. Once I find something that would be valuable to you and your patients, would it be okay if I schedule time to meet with you? The doctor is so used to getting "pitched", they oftentimes will agree and now you have permission to keep coming by, develop rapport with the staff, and eventually, you will get that meeting when you are prepared and ready. Don't be too quick to pitch. . . you may only get one real shot. - Embrace technology - Document everything in your CRM - Be different How would you handle this?

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The Death of the Cold Pitch: How Med Tech Reps Are Using Personalized Videos/Content-Based Prospecting to Stand Out w/Busy Doctors. Your old-school sales manager will disapprove of our approach. If you're willing to stand out and not fit-in, here are the questions you're seeking answers: 3 Most Obvious Questions 1. How can I use LinkedIn to engage more effectively with prospective clients? 2. What kind of content should I post to build credibility and thought leadership in med tech? 3. How can I use personalized videos to differentiate myself from other sales reps? 3 Less Obvious But Necessary Questions 1. How do I avoid coming off as too salesy while still advancing my business goals on LinkedIn? 2. How do I tailor my content to resonate with different decision-makers in healthcare (surgeons, purchasing managers, etc.)? 3. How can I build relationships with prospects before they’re ready to buy, without overwhelming them with information? 3 "How to Without / Even If / When / In / That / So Questions" 1. How can I create engaging content "without" feeling like I’m always promoting products? 2. How can I integrate personalized videos into my sales strategy "in a way that feels natural" to prospects? 3. How do I overcome the belief that LinkedIn is only for job seekers, "so I can leverage it as a sales tool"? 3 Emotional Questions 1. How do I handle the fear of putting myself out there and getting little to no engagement on my posts? 2. What if I’m not good enough at creating personalized videos and it negatively impacts my reputation? 3. How do I manage the frustration of wanting to be seen as a thought leader but feeling overwhelmed with where to start? Questions Behind The Questions (QBQs) 1. Am I doing enough to stand out from other sales reps in a crowded marketplace? 2. Will my content really make a difference in my sales numbers, or am I wasting time? 3. Am I missing something that would help me connect more deeply with my prospective clients? These questions tap into both the practical and emotional challenges med tech sales reps face when trying to build thought leadership and engage effectively on LinkedIn. They provide a roadmap for addressing their frustrations and motivations in your content. Want to put your name on our upcoming Content Crib 2.0 (25-26 October) waiting list? The first meeting of its kind where surgeons and med tech sales reps unite and learn the art and science of earning attention and building trust.

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If a med tech sales rep from 1994 woke up today, they'd probably feel right at home. And that's the problem. The good news... We've mastered the art of the cold call and perfected the 'grip and grin' photo op at trade shows. The bad news... It's not 1994 anymore, and buyers have evolved faster than our sales tactics. The med tech sales playbook is grinding to a halt. Today's physicians are drowning in a sea of reps doing what it takes to gain access - scrub sink stalking and plenty of free food. And our sales reps? They're still leaving voicemails that sound like they were recorded on a Walkman. Because while trying to master the art of the perfect handshake, we took our eyes off the most important ball in the game. We forgot we're trying to connect with people. Not 'leads' or 'prospects' or even 'key decision makers'. People. Revenge of the busy indifferent doctor/ As we all clung desperately to our rolodexes, a new breed of physician emerged - post-Covid 19. They don't answer phone calls from unknown numbers. They don't read unsolicited emails. And they certainly don't want to sit through your 100-slide PowerPoint presentation. But then things got weird. Because as we finally started to analyze our sales data, what it showed—clearly and unequivocally—is not what the VP of Sales expected... Anyone who has gone deep into modern sales techniques has discovered a very strong signal, hiding in the noise: Personalized video messages run circles around cold calls and generic emails every day of every week. And the struggle between traditional sales tactics and embracing new sales enablement is BULL%hit. You need both. Make no mistake: Personalized video is the future of face-to-face (at scale) med tech sales. But not the cheesy, one-size-fits-all video that your marketing team made three years ago. The new personalized video is not just about saying the prospect's name. It's a clear, concise message (that shows you've done your homework). With a clearly articulated value proposition (that speaks directly to their pain points). And a compelling call-to-action (that makes it easy for them to take the next step). Today, great sales outreach is woven into the entire buyer journey. It's not a one-and-done cold call, it's an ongoing conversation. So why are med tech sales reps still chronically under-utilizing personalized video? Because creating videos feels harder than making phone calls. And, somehow, 'hard' became synonymous with 'not worth it'. And because sales teams are addicted to the illusion of productivity. Despite knowing that 100 ignored voicemails don't actually lead anywhere. And because we still think our only job is to recite feature lists and price points. Instead of also connecting with people by showing our human side. The new med tech sales imperative is “radical personalization” is modern worth of mouth marketing at scale.

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For #medtech reps, emailing doctors can be a great way to get your foot in the door, but you have to be strategic about it. Random emails with no value, or just spamming physicians will get you blocked instantly. Learn how to do it the right way here

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One of the most common prospecting mistakes reps make when reaching out to scientists: You think like a scientist. Most life science sales reps were scientists who fell into sales. This leads you to think like a scientist when prospecting. "I need to share a bunch of data" "If I tell them about our product and what it can do, they will want to meet with me" "My messaging needs to be written formally like a scientific paper" "If I share a publication about our product that's relevant to them, they will want to use it" Let's break down the problems with each of these assumptions. ❌ "I need to share a bunch of data" ✅ Nobody has the time to go through a bunch of data in a cold email. Save the hard data for when you meet with them so you can show them how your offering will uniquely solve a problem they have. Your job when prospecting is to get a reply. Not sell your product. ❌ "If I tell them about our product and what it can do, they will want to meet with me" ✅ Nobody cares about your product. They care about the problems they have. Flip your messaging from you to them. What are the problems they likely face and how can you uniquely solve them. ❌ "My messaging needs to be written formally like a scientific paper" ✅ Formal writing is not how people respond to emails. It lacks emotion and uses too many words when fewer will do. You want your emails to be short and punchy and filled with emotion that compels someone to act. ❌ "If I share a publication about our product that's relevant to them, they will want to use it" ✅ I hate to break it to you, but nobody has time to read your highly curated publication or case study. Tell the story of how someone had a problem and solved it using your product and the outcomes they were able to achieve. Do it all in 2-3 sentences. Once you have them interested, use the publication as a proof point to back up your story. Do you disagree with any of these?

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