Here's The Truth...
Ever walked into a hospital or doctor's office behind a rep who looks like they just stepped off a magazine cover? I'm talking about the type of good looks where every head turns to look at them and you're thinking, "Well, there goes my chance today"?
If it hasn't happened to you, you must be one of the good-looking people (or you have a lot of self-esteem).
While I consider myself firmly in the "average looking" camp, many of my competitors could have had successful side gigs modeling. Truth be told, most were taller and better looking than I was.
Let me share a humbling anecdote: I once had an orthopedic surgeon abruptly end our productive meeting when "Tiffany from [Pharma Company]" arrived. His brutally honest reason? "This woman is gorgeous and I'd really like to look at her for a few minutes." I couldn't even be mad—the sheer honesty was refreshingly absurd.
So yes, let's acknowledge the elephant in the room—looks can matter in medical sales. Some doctors and stakeholders are susceptible to the "halo effect" of attractive people. It's not fair. It's not right. But it's reality.
However, here's where the plot twist comes in...
While some of my competitors may have had an edge in the looks department, I discovered I had a much bigger edge in competency and reliability. When that gorgeous rep couldn't answer technical questions or wasn't available at 7 PM for an emergency case, guess who got the call? The average-looking rep who knew their product inside out and never let the customer down.
The secret weapon I developed wasn't a better skincare routine—it was learning how to make people feel genuinely confident about working with me because I knew way beyond what I was expected to know and kept my thinking ahead of the customer's. Also, I did whatever I said I was going to do, when I said I was going to do it—without fail! While some reps were checking their reflection in surgical lights, I was anticipating the surgeon's next move and making sure everything proceeded without any surprises.
Beauty fades (especially after long OR days on your feet), but competence compounds. Once you're in the territory for a few years and customers know and trust you, the playing field mysteriously levels out. The doctors who once scheduled meetings based on appearance start scheduling them based on who consistently solves problems.
For those of you blessed with both beauty and brains—congratulations, you've hit the medical sales jackpot! Just remember that when a customer is making inappropriate advances (as many of you unfortunately face), your ethics and integrity may be tested (as well as your ability to let a customer down gently).
For the rest of us "aesthetically average" sales warriors—embrace it! We don't have to worry about whether we got the business because of our jawline or our value proposition. And we've developed personality, humor, and expertise to compensate.
So the next time you're waiting in a surgeon's lounge while Dr. McDreamy spends extra time with your runway-ready competitor, remember: they might have this round, but you're playing the long game. And in this game, competence always trumps cosmetics.
Keep focusing on solutions, not superficiality,
To your success,
Mace
P.S. If you happen to be both extremely attractive AND highly competent, please stop making the rest of us look bad. At least develop an annoying laugh or something to level the playing field.
Why Did I Write My Latest Book: Mastering Medical Sales—The Evolution?
Medical sales has become increasingly complex over the years, and continues to do so. Medical sales professionals didn't have a reliable reference for how to maximize their influence and sales in 2025. I'm not talking about just new, emerging medical sales representatives, but also tenured medical sales professionals who've been carrying the bag for decades.
A new resource was needed...so I decided to distill my 40+ years of medical sales expertise and experience into an easy to read book that tells it like it is.
Check out what some readers are saying about Mastering Medical Sales—The Evolution.
I'm pretty confident in saying you won't find more tactical wisdom and strategies about modern medical sales in any other book.