You are carrying two different games in one bag.
Most reps I work with cover a hospital and a set of private clinics in the same week. The ones who struggle bring the same habits to both.
Here is how the two differ:
Who decides. Hospital: a committee, a formulary and a head of department. Retail: one doctor, then the pharmacist at the counter.
The pace. Hospital: slow, listing and tenders take months. Retail: fast, habits change call by call.
What wins. Hospital: evidence, protocols and relationships across many departments. Retail: frequency, reminders and a clear patient benefit.
Where it breaks. Hospital: listed but never prescribed. Retail: prescribed but not on the pharmacy shelf.
In the hospital you sell to a system. In retail you sell to a habit.
A hospital call planned like a clinic call wastes the head of department's time. A clinic call planned like a hospital call is too slow to change anything.
“Know which game you are in before you walk through the door.”
Lesson 8 of 12 in Step 1: Planning your territory, with the full guide and a checklist for this week. Discuss this lesson on LinkedIn.