Blog

03May 2026 by cesare ferrari No Comments

How to Build a Sales Funnel That Works in MedTech

Sales

I recently had an enlightening discussion with a sales leader from a medical device distributor. Like many in the sales field, he faces challenges with his sales funnel not producing enough customers to meet his targets. This conversation inspired me to revisit the critical topic of sales funnel management, which I have previously explored in a two-part series. Here you can access part 1 and part 2. Understanding the Sales Funnel A sales funnel visually represents the journey prospects take from initial awareness to final purchase. It is characterized by several stages, which can vary depending on the medical device segment, customer buying cycle, product characteristics, and company sales model. In medical equipment sales, defining and understanding these stages is crucial. Stages of the Sales Process There are several CRM…

21Mar 2026 by cesare ferrari

My top 6 learnings from mentoring MedTech start-ups

Other

Thanks to an old colleague, a few years ago, I started judging and mentoring MedTech start-ups for a well-known Swiss accelerator program. This experience has been incredibly enriching, providing me access to an interesting ecosystem and allowing me to meet young founders and their entrepreneurial ideas. Over the past few years, I've mentored several early-stage startups in the MedTech field. Some were at the idea stage, while others were more advanced. Here are the top six lessons I've learned through my experience as a mentor, combined with my sales and marketing professional know-how. 1. Getting Out of the Building Steve Blank, author, entrepreneur, and educator, coined the term "get out of the building," which means getting to know your customers in their environment. Blank says, "there are no facts inside…

26Jan 2026 by cesare ferrari

The Importance of Customer Centricity: Lessons from Henry Ford and Alfred P. Sloan

Upstream marketing

Today, I would like to start with two famous sentences attributed to Henry Ford to discuss the topic of customer centricity and its importance in medical innovation. While the exact authenticity of these quotes may be debated, their implications provide valuable insights into innovation and customer orientation. The Visionary Myth “If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.” Henry Ford This sentence is often cited by supporters of innovations (medical or not) created by visionaries who ignore customers and instead develop highly innovative products based solely on their instinct and vision of the future. However, I believe this idea is flawed. Innovation cannot rely solely on a visionary leader’s intuitions. The true source of innovation lies with the customer, and customer centricity is the…

09Jan 2026 by cesare ferrari

Do Not Miss This Point When Building a Customer Journey Map

Downstream marketing, Upstream marketing

After publishing my posts on how to build a customer journey map and the importance of customer journey maps, during my Christmas holidays I had an engaging discussion with a former colleague. During our conversation, I realized he was missing a major point. I may not have been clear enough about the relationship between customer needs and customer journey maps, so I decided to revisit the topic. Recap: What Is a Customer Journey Map? A customer journey map outlines the stages of the customer journey and the actions customers take at each step. It identifies the touchpoints where customers interact with the company and brand, and it captures the emotions and sentiments experienced at each stage. The goal is to uncover areas for improvement and enhance the overall customer experience. …

24Dec 2025 by cesare ferrari

MedTech Pricing Wrapped for the Holidays

Other

As we head into the holiday season and wrap up another year in medical marketing and sales, it’s a great moment to pause and reflect. Pricing remains one of the most powerful and underestimated levers for sustainable growth. Over the past months, I’ve shared several perspectives on how companies can navigate this complex topic. For anyone who missed them or wants a refresher, here are the key pieces: Navigating the Pricing Labyrinth: Pricing Strategies for Success in MedTech Key Factors to Consider for Successful Medical Device Pricing Cost vs. Competitive Pricing: What’s Best for Medical Device Companies Maximizing Profit: The Art of Skimming and Penetration Pricing Maximizing Profits with Value-Based Pricing in the Medical Devices Sector Wishing you all a peaceful holiday season and a successful start to the new year.

06Dec 2025 by cesare ferrari

A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Customer Journey Maps in Healthcare

Downstream marketing, Upstream marketing

I recently discussed customer journey maps and why I believe they are valuable in medical marketing. In this post, we’ll explore how to build an effective and actionable map. Here are the four major steps to building a customer journey map: Define your customer and user personas Perform user research Create an empathy map Build your customer journey map Let’s examine each stage in detail. 1. Define Your Customer and User Personas The first step is to identify the customers and user personas you’ll be mapping. Personas are fictional profiles that represent key audience segments and serve as reference points. This helps tailor and focus your journey map on the correct target. You should create user segments based on existing customer data or previous research. Defining your customer segments or…

23Nov 2025 by cesare ferrari

Seeing Through the Customer’s Eyes: The Power of Customer Journey Maps in MedTech Marketing

Upstream marketing

As a marketer working in medical product development, chances are you’ve already heard of customer journey maps—and perhaps even created one. This tool is widely used among UX researchers and is gaining popularity across product developers, designers, and marketers in many industries. In this post, we’ll explore how customer journey maps can enhance customer experience and support the development of better products in the medical field. What Is a Customer Journey Map? A customer journey map (CJM) visually represents the customer’s experience with your product and company. It is a diagram that outlines the customer’s interactions with the organization, including emotions, touchpoints, pain points, and areas for improvement—plotted in sequential order. The goal of a well-crafted CJM is to identify problems, resolve them, and enhance the overall customer experience. Customer…

10Nov 2025 by cesare ferrari

How MedTech Can Benefit from Amazon’s Working Backwards Method

Upstream marketing

There is no doubt that Amazon is an extremely successful company. Among the unique elements that characterize Amazon’s culture and processes, one stands out as particularly interesting, valuable, and applicable to various sectors—including medical device companies. The methodology I’m referring to is called Working Backwards. In today’s post, I’d like to explain what Working Backwards is, its advantages, and how it can be applied to the medical device environment. Amazon’s Working Backwards Method The Amazon Working Backwards method is a systematic approach to identifying and validating customer needs before developing a new product or service. If you're interested in tools for collecting customer insights in MedTech, please refer to my previous articles on interviews, Voice of the Customer (VOC), and ethnography. Working Backwards involves starting by defining the ideal customer…

25Oct 2025 by cesare ferrari

Stop Sending Mixed Signals: Define Your Company Positioning Statement

Downstream marketing

The company positioning statement determines how a company is perceived in the market, defines its competitive advantages, and influences its overall success.  It’s surprising how many medical device companies fail to recognize the importance of a compelling positioning statement.  Without a clear positioning statement, your communications lack focus—and there’s a real risk of inconsistency.  What Is a Positioning Statement?  As mentioned previously, a product’s value proposition can be expressed through a positioning statement, which typically refers to the sector, target customers, and key differentiators. If it’s important for a product to have a clear positioning, the same applies to the company itself.  A company positioning statement is extremely useful for internal alignment, but it can also be used externally to ensure coherent communication. If your management team isn’t aligned on…

10Oct 2025 by cesare ferrari

When Innovation Isn’t Enough: Why Smart Inhalers Struggle with Adoption

Upstream marketing

This final article in the innovation and adoption series explores a real-world example of a device struggling with market acceptance. Smart inhalers fall into two categories: clip-on devices that attach to a primary inhaler, and integrated models where the sensors are built into the inhaler itself. Smart inhalers are often presented as a breakthrough in managing chronic respiratory conditions such as asthma and COPD. These devices promise to improve medication adherence, reduce hospitalizations, and empower patients and healthcare professionals with real-time insights. However, despite growing clinical evidence and enthusiastic media coverage, smart inhalers have not achieved widespread adoption and remain a niche technology. Let’s explore why—through the lens of Everett Rogers’ five key factors for innovation diffusion. Relative Advantage While effective inhaler medications are available, nearly half of all asthma…