Most sales training teaches people what to pitch. This one teaches people how to think — and what to say instead.
Sales is the service of helping others balance where they are at and where they want to be.
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Qualify the Lead
Is this real — and is it ours? A coverage gap, a specialty we staff, a market we serve.
Your judgment
Understand the Account
Markets, health systems, service lines, shortages. Know something before you ask for something.
Your homework
Set Up the Opportunity
A warm, informed conversation handed to the BDE or Client Advisor — with context they can use.
Your handoff
I. Intentional Awareness
There are three kinds of awareness. Tap each to open it.
🧭
Internal Awareness
Know for Yourself
How clear are you on what's important and why?
Before every call, email, or handoff.
Open ▾
Clarity
- What coverage gap are they actually trying to solve?
- What would make this call worth a busy clinician’s time?
- What do I want the BDE set up with when this ends?
Motive
- Why does this gap matter to them — patients, providers, or the bottom line?
- Why now? What changed — a departure, a surge, a new service line?
- Why should they trust Medicus to fill it?
People
- Who has a say — Hospital exec, Impact Owner, Guardian, Coach?
- Who lives with the gap day to day — the providers covering extra?
- Who haven’t I accounted for yet — credentialing, VMS, scheduling?
Measure
- How will they know coverage is working — shifts filled, fewer gaps?
- How are they covering it today — internally, through an agency, or both?
- What are they judged on — time-to-fill, cost, continuity of care?
Movement
- What’s the next step I’m asking for — a call, a CV, an intro?
- What’s the smallest commitment that moves this to the BDE?
- What do I owe them when we hang up?
CreatesClarity→Focus→Action
👁️
External Awareness
Read the Room
Who has a say & what role do they play?
What mode are they in & what's their win?
Open ▾
Who has a say?
Decision Maker — Hospital execGuardian — Credentialing / complianceImpact Owner — Physicians / staffCoach — Internal champion
What matters most?
What they thinkHow they feel
Let’s stop asking “What question gets me a meeting?” & start asking “What question uncovers their Mode?”
The best questions are simple, conversational, and easy to answer — the kind that don’t feel like discovery. Work them in this order, and each answer opens the door to the next:
Situation→Mode→Improvement→Hook
Establish context without sounding like discovery.
- What do you know about…?
- How are you currently handling physician staffing?
- What does your recruiting team look like today?
- Are you handling this internally, through an agency, or both?
- Has anything changed recently?
- What specialties are hardest to cover?
- What are you focused on this quarter?
Where most BDRs struggle. Instead of asking about facts, ask about experience — these seven tell you almost everything about their Mode.
- How’s that been working for you?
- How do you feel about where things stand today?
- What’s been the biggest challenge?
- What’s been the most frustrating part?
- What’s taking more time than it should?
- Where do you feel the most pressure?
- If you could change one thing, what would it be?
People don’t buy staffing. They buy improvement.
- What would success look like?
- What’s most important to improve?
- If this went exactly right, what changes?
- What would make the biggest impact?
- What’s costing you the most today?
- What would free your team up?
- Where do you think the greatest opportunity is?
Timing separates a real opportunity from a someday.
- Why is this important now?
- What’s driving the timing?
- What happens if nothing changes?
- Is there a deadline you’re working toward?
- What made this move to the top of your list?
Help the BDR identify who matters before the BDE joins.
- Besides yourself, who else is involved?
- Who ultimately decides?
- Who will use the solution every day?
- Who else would want to weigh in?
- What does success look like for them?
🪝 The HookOnce you’ve heard their Situation, Mode, and Improvement — the hook writes itself. Offer a next step that fits what they just told you, and hand the BDE a warm, informed conversation.
Build the Hook
“It sounds like [Situation] is creating [Impact]. If there were a way to [Improvement], would it be helpful to see how?”
“It sounds like the coverage gaps are putting more pressure on your existing providers. If there were a way to stabilize coverage so your team wasn’t carrying that additional load, would it be helpful to see how we might help?”
Mode detection shapes how you ask — to gain their permission:
- Growth “It sounds like you’re looking to…” → improvement
- Trouble “It sounds like this is creating…” → relief
- Even Keel “It sounds like things are working, but…” → possibility
- Overconfident “It sounds like you’re comfortable with where things are…” → curiosity
Know before end of conversation
Whatare they looking to improve, solve, or accomplish?
Howare they covering the gap today?
Whereis it breaking down, falling short, or a pain point?
Ifit were solved — what changes today, in six months, in a year?
CreatesContext→Understanding→Alignment
🤝
Ready to hand it off? Turn what you uncovered here into a clean brief for the BDE with the Handoff with Intention builder.
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Situational Awareness
Solve for Improvement
Is this account worth pursuing?
The right account — and a real reason to reach out today.
Open ▾
Right Fit
Is this account ours to help?
- A coverage gap or vacancy exists.
- It's a specialty we staff.
- There's a real clinical need behind it.
- More than one opening, or a repeat need.
- Facility type and size fit what we do.
- It's a market we serve.
- I can reach the right person.
- We have providers in this specialty.
- There's a relationship, referral, or way in.
Right Now
Is there a reason to reach out today?
- New posting, expansion, or service line.
- Turnover, retirement, or a departure.
- A shortage story in their market.
- Which department is carrying the gap.
- Who's covering the extra shifts.
- Who has to fix it.
- A start date or schedule is posted.
- Patient access is being affected.
- They're already looking.
Right Fit+Right Now=A Qualified Handoff
II. Simple Shifts
Change the word. Change the answer.
Same question. Different door. Curiosity opens it.
Select a shift above to open it.
✕ Instead of
“Why are you using that agency?”
✓ Try
“What led you to that agency?”
“What went into that decision?”
Why it works
“Why” asks people to defend a decision. “What” asks them to describe one. Same information — without the wall going up.✕ Instead of
“Tell me about your coverage gaps.”
✓ Try
“Help me understand where the gaps are.”
“Help me get up to speed on your service lines.”
Why it works
“Tell me” is a command — it puts you above them. “Help me” makes them the expert and you the student. People are wired to help.✕ Instead of
“Why do you say that?”
✓ Try
“What makes you say that?”
Why it works
You get the story behind the statement instead of a defense of it. Use it any time they say something you don't understand yet — it never sounds like a challenge.✕ Instead of
“Why did you go with them instead of us?”
✓ Try
“Help me understand — what made that the better fit vs. this?”
Why it works
Asks about the choice, not the person. You learn the actual criteria they buy on — which is exactly what the BDE needs from you.You're not softening the question. You're removing the reason to guard the answer.
Curiosity + Empathy = Context
How you show up before the conversation earns you the right to ask.
Belief + Trust = Content
What you say only lands when belief and trust are already in the room.
Role + Mindset = Reality
Role = how they see the problem. Mindset = how they feel about the problem.
III. Gold for Ghosting
A Communication Framework
Awareness earns the meeting. This earns the reply.