How do HealthTech founders solve the Long Sales Cycle problem in Healthcare?

Lloyd Price
10 minutes ago
6 min read

How do HealthTech founders solve the Long Sales Cycle problem in Healthcare?

HealthTech founders face long sales cycles in healthcare due to complex decision making processes, regulatory requirements, and risk averse stakeholders like hospitals, NHS Trusts insurers and government bodies. Sales cycles can range from 6 months to over 2 years, especially for enterprise solutions targeting NHS trusts or large providers.

Below are 10 strategies HealthTech founders can use to address these challenges based on Nelson Advisors 10+ years of experience selling healthcare technology solutions.

1. Understand and Navigate the Stakeholder Landscape

The NHS and private healthcare systems involve diverse stakeholders (clinicians, procurement teams, IT departments, finance, and C-suite executives) with different priorities. Mapping these stakeholders early prevents delays from misaligned pitches or approvals.

How to Implement:

Conduct stakeholder mapping to identify decision-makers, influencers, and gatekeepers (e.g., clinical leads, NHS trust CEOs, or integrated care system managers).

Tailor value propositions to each group: cost savings for finance, workflow efficiency for clinicians, and data security for IT.

Engage early with NHS innovation hubs (e.g., NHS England’s Innovation Service or Academic Health Science Networks) to understand procurement pathways.

Example: Healthtech-1 (founded 2023), a UK startup automating GP practice administration, shortened its sales cycle by targeting practice managers first, demonstrating immediate time savings, which secured buy-in from GP partners faster.

2. Leverage Pilot Programs and Proof-of-Concept Studies

Small-scale pilots or proof-of-concept (PoC) trials allow healthcare providers to test solutions with minimal risk, generating real-world evidence that accelerates trust and adoption.

How to Implement:

Offer low-cost or subsidised pilots to NHS trusts or private clinics, focusing on a single department or use case.

Collect quantitative data (e.g., time saved, cost reduction, patient outcomes) and qualitative feedback (e.g., clinician satisfaction) during pilots.

Use pilot results to build case studies that address stakeholder concerns, making it easier to scale to larger contracts.

Example: Lindus Health (founded 2021) accelerated adoption by running pilots for its clinical trial platform with smaller biotech firms, proving 3x faster trial timelines, which led to faster enterprise contracts.

3. Focus on Quick-Win Solutions with Clear ROI

Solutions that deliver immediate, measurable benefits (e.g., cost savings, reduced admin time) are more likely to gain traction than those requiring long-term validation or cultural shifts.

How to Implement:

Develop lean MVPs targeting specific pain points (e.g., appointment scheduling, patient triage) that don’t require extensive integration or regulatory hurdles.

Quantify ROI in proposals (e.g., “saves 10 hours of clinician time per week” or “reduces no-show rates by 20%”).

Prioritise solutions that align with NHS priorities, such as reducing waiting lists or improving primary care efficiency.

Example: Healthtech-1 focused on automating patient registration, a low-hanging fruit for GP practices, showing immediate time savings, which shortened sales cycles compared to broader practice management tools.

4. Build Strategic Partnerships

Partnering with established healthcare players (e.g., EHR vendors, consultancies, or existing NHS suppliers) provides credibility, access to networks, and faster integration into workflows, bypassing lengthy vetting processes.

How to Implement:

Partner with EHR providers like EMIS or SystmOne to ensure interoperability, making adoption seamless.

Collaborate with consultancies (e.g., Deloitte, Accenture) that advise NHS trusts on digital transformation.

Join accelerator programs like DigitalHealth.London, which connect startups with NHS decision-makers.

Example: Cogs AI (founded 2022) partnered with NHS trusts through DigitalHealth.London’s accelerator, gaining direct access to mental health leads, which expedited pilot deployments and contracts.

5. Invest in Clinical Validation and Evidence

Healthcare buyers, especially the NHS, require robust evidence of efficacy, safety, and cost-effectiveness. Early investment in clinical studies or real-world data reduces delays during procurement.

How to Implement:

Conduct small-scale studies with academic partners or NHS trusts to generate peer-reviewed data.

Align with NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) evidence standards for digital health technologies.

Use real-world evidence from early adopters to build credibility for larger contracts.

Example: MindSens (founded 2022) invested in early dementia screening trials with UK universities, producing data that convinced NHS trusts to fast-track evaluations, shortening the sales cycle.

6. Adopt a Consultative Sales Approach

Healthcare buyers value partners who understand their challenges and co-create solutions, rather than pushing generic products. A consultative approach builds trust and aligns solutions with buyer needs.

How to Implement:

Train sales teams to act as advisors, focusing on listening to stakeholder pain points rather than pitching features.

Offer workshops or discovery sessions to co-design solutions with clinicians and managers.

Provide flexible pricing models (e.g., subscription-based or pay-per-outcome) to reduce financial barriers.

Example: Flo Health (significant growth 2020–2025) engaged women’s health clinicians in co-designing app features, building trust that led to faster partnerships with private UK clinics.

7. Target Non-NHS Markets Initially

Why It Helps: The NHS’s slow procurement can be bypassed by targeting private healthcare providers, insurers, or direct-to-consumer markets, which often have shorter sales cycles and can provide traction for later NHS deals.

How to Implement:

Sell to private hospitals (e.g., Bupa, HCA) or insurers (e.g., AXA, Vitality) that have more flexible budgets.

Launch consumer-facing products (e.g., wellness apps, wearables) to build a user base and revenue stream.

Use private sector success as a case study to approach NHS buyers.

Example: Dotplot (founded 2022) targeted direct-to-consumer sales for its breast health monitoring device, building a user base and brand recognition that later attracted NHS interest for pilot programs.

8. Streamline Regulatory and Procurement Alignment

Missteps in regulatory compliance (e.g., MHRA, UKCA) or failure to meet NHS procurement frameworks (e.g., G-Cloud, Dynamic Purchasing Systems) can delay sales. Early alignment prevents rework.

How to Implement:

Hire regulatory consultants to ensure compliance with MHRA and GDPR requirements from day one.

Achieve certifications like ISO 27001 for data security to boost credibility.

Example: Untap Health (founded 2021) prioritised ISO 27001 certification for its sewage-testing tech, enabling faster inclusion in public health tenders.

9. Hire Healthcare-Experienced Sales Talent

Sales professionals with NHS or healthcare experience understand procurement nuances, stakeholder dynamics, and jargon, enabling faster relationship-building and deal closure.

How to Implement:

Recruit sales leads with a track record in healthtech or medtech, ideally with NHS contacts.

Train teams on NHS-specific sales frameworks, such as the NHS Commercial Framework.

Leverage advisors or non-executive directors with healthcare sales experience to open doors.

Example: Insight Surgery (founded 2023) hired a former NHS trust executive as a sales advisor, leveraging their network to secure early meetings with surgical departments.

10. Lead with evidence based marketing

Healthacre stakeholders are becoming more skeptical of the continous marketing material based around operational efficiencies and productivity benefits. Lead with clear evidence based features and benefits to build trust and credibility in a short period of time.

How to Implement:

Reference your evidence and the impact your product or service is having over a 3, 6 or 12 month cycle

Educate potential buyers on the clinical, operational, financial and patient benefits they can expect.

Model the short term and long term impact customers can expect.

Example: Zesty (founded 2012) designed all of their NHS focused marketing campaigns targeting new customers for their integrated hopsital patient portal based on evidence they generated at Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Trust and Guy's and St Thomas NHS Trust.

Key Takeaways from 10 Recommendations

Prioritise Relationships: Engage stakeholders early, co-create solutions, and build trust through pilots and evidence.
Focus on Speed: Target quick wins, private markets, or streamlined regulatory paths to show traction.
Leverage Networks: Use partnerships, accelerators, and experienced hires to bypass bureaucratic delays.
Data is King: Robust clinical and economic evidence accelerates buyer confidence.
NHS-Specific Context: The NHS’s 2023/24 budget constraints and focus on digital transformation (e.g., NHS Long Term Plan) mean solutions tied to cost savings or waiting list reductions are prioritised.
Private Sector Advantage: Private providers in the UK (e.g., Bupa) often have 6–12 month sales cycles, making them a faster entry point.
Scalability: Strategies like pilots and partnerships can scale to international markets, where sales cycles may be shorter (e.g., US private healthcare).

Metrics to Track Progress

Time to Pilot: Aim for pilots within 3–6 months of initial outreach.
Stakeholder Meetings: Secure meetings with at least 2–3 stakeholder groups (e.g., clinical, finance, IT) within 2 months.
Conversion Rate: Track how many pilots convert to full contracts (aim for 50%+ with strong evidence).
Sales Cycle Length: Benchmark against industry averages (12–18 months for NHS) and aim to reduce by 20–30% with strategies above.

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