I agree - people buy from people. By and large the role of the...

I agree - people buy from people. By and large the role of the salesperson is to make that process easy.

If you are selling to a large organisation there are usually 2 or 3 influencers (old term really - not the current online variety) who can sway a sale. These are usually more important to cover than the final decision maker - but you have to be across them as well. This all takes time so if you already have those contacts it makes life easier.

What makes life hard for a salesperson is usually one or more of the following:
1 Lack of support from HO
2 A poorly priced product - cost does matter
3 A poorly designed product
4 a complicated product
5 an unnecessary product that you have to create demand for (see point 1)
6 A poor company reputation

IPD has managed to refine the SOZO to make it easy to use so point 3 shouldn't apply
It has the support of the medical community so point 5 shouldn't apply
It may be complicated as there is an online data base aspect as I understand it - but that should be basically automated so point 4 shouldn't apply

So it comes down to 1 and 2 and maybe 6.
6 comes into play when you need to provide financials for tenders etc and to show company stability.

With a step up pricing model you pay more each year.
You have to find someone that needs the product.
You have to show them that the insurance reimbursement is a way to make money - so it becomes a profit centre.
You have to have a seamless installation process and good support and references.

If however those price step ups are large - and they seem to be - it becomes a hurdle. Maybe something that can be pushed out another year as health budgets are under a lot of pressure everywhere.

If Head Office is not competent or not doing there bit to create the market and provide the ammunition for the sales team (eg references - there don't seem to be any on the website) things stagnate.
If the wrong style of sales people have been employed they may not be able to sell in the consultative way required for this system style sale.
If it is the price point of the product or the complexity of the environment that it goes into that is the problem, it will be a much longer sales cycle.

I think it is a combination of the last 3 points. The new SM will be key to improving sales but management and PB in particular have to step up.

It won't hurt to review the pricing model to make it easier to get over the line as well. I just have a problem with charging a customer more the longer they are with you. Perhaps it should be free and just charge by the test. The old user pays. This eliminates the "what if " .... not enough patients use it etc.


I would love to go in and look under the hood.
Might upset 2dogs and accilivity though by sacking their mate.
Where are they btw?