“Our platform can reduce hospital readmissions by 20%.”
I’m sure you’re been there, pitch deck glowing, heart hopeful.
The hospital innovation chief nods politely, maybe answers a few follow up emails. And then…crickets.
If you’ve ever tried to sell a digital health solution to a hospital, payer, or health system, you’ve probably lived some version of this story.
Here’s the hard truth: selling into healthcare is less like a sprint and more like a chess match. A very slow one, where you’re playing multiple opponents at once—each with their own win conditions.
This blog is your cheat code. Built on years of experience closing deals with some of the biggest names in healthcare, I’m pulling back the curtain on how to actually get digital health deals done—and why so many sellers stall out before they even get to contract.
Who Are You Actually Selling To?
Healthcare isn't one monolithic buyer. It's a dense ecosystem of decision-makers, each with distinct motivations:
- Hospitals & Health Systems want to improve outcomes, retain staff, and drive operational efficiency.
- Payers & Insurers prioritize cost containment and risk management.
- Medical Groups & Practices care about revenue, retention, and streamlining day-to-day operations.
- Employers want healthier workforces and lower benefit costs.
- Life Sciences Companies seek tools that drive trial efficiency and data insights.
Despite their differences, most share these core priorities:
- Reduce operational costs
- Increase revenue
- Improve patient outcomes
- Retain clinical staff (especially post-pandemic)
Insider Insight: Don’t just sell your “cool tech.” Show how it directly hits one or more of those targets. If you can’t tie your value to a CFO’s spreadsheet or a Chief Medical Officer’s quality metrics, your chances seriously diminish.
The Real Buyer Map: It's Not Just One Person
Selling into healthcare means navigating a labyrinth of stakeholders beyond the business unit you may be targeting:
- Clinicians care about patient safety and workflow fit.
- IT wants secure, low-maintenance, EHR-compatible systems.
- Compliance scrutinizes data privacy, AI transparency, and fraud and abuse risk.
- Finance/Procurement wants predictable pricing and clear ROI.
- Legal may want their paper—not yours.
To win, your solution must pass all their tests.
Translation: Your pitch needs multiple dimensions—one for each stakeholder. And ideally, one trusted champion on the inside to shepherd you through.
What Healthcare Buyers Are Actually Buying
Buyers aren't just shopping for features—they’re investing in outcomes. Popular categories include:
- Patient engagement platforms
- Workflow optimization tools (e.g. ambient note takers)
- Remote patient monitoring and virtual care
- Analytics and AI-driven insights
- Claims and billing tech
- SaMD (Software as a Medical Device)
Pro tip: If your tech is regulated (or might be), you must understand how a few key healthcare laws apply to you. Noncompliance is an automatic deal-killer.
Regulation = A Sales Tool (Not Just a Legal Hassle)
Too many founders treat compliance like a box to check. But in healthcare, it’s a core buying criteria. Get this wrong, and even your strongest champion will have their hands tied. Healthcare is as regulated as nuclear power, but a few areas of scrutiny surface more than others.
Critical regulations to nail:
- HIPAA: You need airtight data privacy and security protocols.
- Anti-Kickback & Stark Laws: Your business model must avoid even the appearance of improper financial incentives.
- FDA Oversight: If your product is SaMD, your buyers will need to see your regulatory roadmap.
AI regulations are in their infancy, but gaining traction—many healthcare buyers have adopted AI governance frameworks already, so if that applies to your company, be ready to answer questions about this as well!
Bonus credibility builder: Bake compliance into your product onboarding and sales decks. It can be a game-winning differentiator.
Cracking the Procurement Process
Healthcare procurement is a slow-motion dance:
- Discovery & education
- Multiple stakeholder reviews
- Pilot program (*sometimes)
- Legal & IT security review
- Budget approval
- Contracting
- Implementation
That process? It can take up to 12–18 months. Plan your runway accordingly.
To win, you must:
- Align with the org’s strategic priorities
- Show clear ROI (clinical, operational, or financial)
- Anticipate integration needs (especially with legacy EHRs)
- Address security & compliance early
- Cultivate a champion who can push internally
The Power of Pilots (If Done Right)
Pilot programs are your secret weapon—but only if you treat them like a mini-contract with:
- Clear success metrics tied to the buyer’s priorities
- Automatic conversion clauses that trigger a full contract when KPIs are met
- White-glove support that ensures flawless execution
Think of pilots as the audition for your long-term role. If you crush the metrics and make the buyer look good, the full rollout is a no-brainer.
Smart Pricing for Healthcare Budgets
Healthcare organizations love predictability. Price like a partner, not a startup guessing at value.
Common models:
- Subscription (flat monthly/annual)
- Usage-based (per clinician/patient/visit)
- Outcome-based (value delivered = revenue earned)
Pro tips:
- Offer phased or milestone payments for large deals.
- Understand fiscal cycles.
- Know your buyer’s reimbursement model—if they bill CMS or insurers, speak that language.
Common Pitfalls That Tank Deals
Let’s talk about landmines. Here’s what kills deals before they close:
- Integration fears (EHRs are scary—and buyers are gun-shy)
- Long security reviews due to vague AI/data security policies
- Too many cooks (internal buyer misalignment)
- Runway burnout during the 9–12 month sales slog
- Lack of follow-through post-pilot
Your survival guide: Build a sales engine that expects long cycles, backs champions, and speaks every stakeholder’s language.
Legal Docs That Don’t Suck
Contracts matter more than you think. Why?
Because a healthcare buyer can’t just click “I accept.” Their lawyers are reading everything—and if your docs are generic or half-baked, you’ll stall.
Must-have terms:
- Data ownership & use rights
- IP protections
- Regulatory compliance language
- Limitation of liability tailored for your risk
- Business Associate Agreements (BAAs)
Final Takeaways: How to Win the Healthcare Game
Let’s recap this cheat code:
Know your buyer’s priorities—ROI, compliance, efficiency, patient care
Tailor your pitch—one size doesn’t fit all
Build relationships and champions—your internal allies matter
Use pilots to de-risk—but structure them for success
Price smartly—align to budgets, cycles, and value
Lead with compliance and security—it’s a trust builder
Don’t send weak contracts—legal docs can close or kill a deal
Plan for long sales cycles—build your runway accordingly
Looking to break into a big health system—or need help structuring compliant deals that actually close? Let's talk.
We help healthcare companies build go-to-market strategies, pilot programs, and contract frameworks that work in real-world healthcare.