"I cannot get into that hospital."
Every manager has heard it. And the usual response is some version of "try harder" or "leave it to me".
Neither helps much. Trying harder at a closed door wears the rep out. And a manager who takes over the hospital leaves the rep with nothing to build on.
In my experience, the manager is most useful somewhere in between.
Start by naming the real barrier. Is it the formulary? The timing of a committee? A gatekeeper? A policy on visits? Each one needs a different answer.
Ask the rep first. They know the building, the corridors and the people far better than I do. I start with their map.
Then look for the door at my level. A head of department or a pharmacy director the rep cannot easily reach alone.
Bring the right colleague when the questions go beyond sales. Medical and access colleagues often open conversations a sales visit cannot.
Follow the hospital's rules, always. Appointments, procurement processes, visiting policies. There is no shortcut worth the damage.
And once the door is open, hand it back. The rep walks through it and builds the relationship.
The most useful conversation is often the first one: agreeing with the rep which barrier is mine and which is theirs.
“Do not go around the rep's hospital. Open the doors the rep cannot.”
Lesson 12 of 16 in Step 3: The field day, with the full guide and a checklist for this week.