Jared Reitzin, CEO of mobileStorm, Inc., has sage advice for startups hoping to penetrate the healthcare marketplace.
In advance of a recent talk to entrepreneurs, Reitzin penned a comprehensive bookmark-worthy blog post detailing the things he thinks are essential.
So how can you get in, leave your mark, and make your impact felt? Some of Reitzin’s counsel, of course, can apply in a myriad of fields.
For starters, Reitzin says, you’re not looking for just a “client” or “a job,” but rather a relationship.
“It’s all about the relationship: If you are building an enterprise level SaaS or software company, aimed at the fortune 1000, you really do not need a marketing budget,” Reitzin explains. “Your marketing is you; your marketing is your customer. You need to gain people’s trust by being an expert at what you do, and work hard at creating meaningful relationships. It took us 7 years to become a standard at Kaiser, and it would have never happened if we acted like a vendor.”
Customer service still counts, too. Reitzin believes going above and beyond always makes a difference.
“We have a core value at mobileStorm that says “Provide Legendary Customer Service,” Reitzin says. “It’s about going above and beyond what’s expected of you to blow the customer away. If you focus on blowing them away, they will do your marketing for you and trust you with their goals.”
Penetrating any field — including healthcare — will take persistence.
“Persistence is everything,” Reitzin admits. “The typical sales cycle for an enterprise deal with a healthcare company is 12 to 18 months. I have seen 3 months and I have seen 24, although those are typically outliers. It’s going to take you time. Literally plan on doing nothing for the next 4 to 5 years of your life. Data also shows that exit multiples increase up after being in business longer than 4 years. It simply takes time to gain the industries trust, so you have to believe you are going to succeed and just stay with it no matter how tough it gets.”
The essay is both informative and a must-read. To check it out, click here.