The Myth of “Knowing Your Territory”

“I know my territory.”

It’s one of the most common phrases in medical device sales — and one of the most misleading. What does it really mean? And does it still hold weight in today’s complex and shifting market?

If your hiring process rewards this phrase without digging deeper, you may be prioritizing familiarity over adaptability — and in 2025, that’s a dangerous bet.

The Legacy Model: Familiarity Over Insight

For decades, medical device sales hiring has prioritized:

• Existing physician relationships

• Specialty experience in the therapeutic area

• A local “Rolodex” of contacts

This made sense in stable, relationship-driven markets. But things have changed.

Today’s commercial environments are marked by:

• Shifting care delivery models (ASC growth, hospital consolidation)

• Increased access restrictions

• Non-traditional stakeholders in purchasing decisions

• The growing importance of patient pathways and procedural data

A rep who succeeds in this environment must go beyond familiarity. They need to know how to interpret the territory — not just operate within it.

The Risk: Hiring for the Past Instead of the Present

Over-indexing on a rep’s past contacts or experience can lead to stagnation:

• They rely on the same contacts, even as those contacts lose influence.

• They struggle in unfamiliar segments of the territory.

• They miss new market entrants or ASC growth.

• They default to habits instead of strategy.

It’s not that networks don’t matter — they absolutely do. But what separates good reps from great ones is how they adapt when the network doesn’t work.

What “Knowing a Territory” Should Mean

1. Understanding Market Dynamics

Great reps understand what’s happening in the market, even if they’re new to it. They study trends, referral sources, competitive presence, and system-level decision-makers.

Tip: Ask candidates to describe how they stay current with industry and local market trends. Do they reference CMS data, LinkedIn, local health system news, or professional groups?

2. Mapping Referral Networks

Rather than just calling on known physicians, strong reps learn how patients move through the system — from primary care to specialist to procedure.

Tip: Ask: “How would you map the referral pattern for a new procedure in your territory?” Listen for structured thinking.

3. Spotting Whitespace

Reps who succeed today can identify neglected accounts, emerging players, and underperforming geographies. They’re willing to go where others haven’t.

Tip: Ask: “Tell me about a time you grew share in a part of the territory others had ignored. What made you spot that opportunity?”

4. Data-Driven Prospecting

Strong reps use available data — from public records to claims data to competitive intel — to guide their actions. They know how to validate assumptions with real signals.

Tip: Ask: “What’s the most valuable data source you’ve used to prospect, and how did it change your strategy?”

5. Being Comfortable in Ambiguity

In new or changing territories, success often comes down to mindset. Reps who are curious, resourceful, and iterative outperform those who need structure handed to them.

Tip: Ask: “What’s your playbook for launching in a brand new territory where you know no one?”

Interview Questions to Surface Real Market Fluency

Here are a few revealing questions you can add to your hiring process:

• “If we dropped you into a territory where you knew no one, how would you generate your first five opportunities?”

• “Tell me about a time when you uncovered a hidden opportunity others missed.”

• “How do you prioritize your territory on a weekly basis? What signals do you rely on?”

• “When have you been wrong about a territory, and how did you adjust?”

Build for Agility, Not Just Access

The reps who win in 2025 and beyond are not just well-connected — they’re market-literate. They blend curiosity, structure, and action. They don’t just know people. They know how to find problems, position solutions, and evolve their approach.

If your hiring process still rewards surface-level “territory knowledge,” it’s time to raise the bar.

Final Thought: From Operator to Strategist

Great sales reps are no longer just operators — they are strategists. They don’t rely on who they know; they rely on how they think.

That’s the future of high-performance commercial teams in medtech.