With the holidays approaching, we will hear the saying, “Good things come in small packages.” For women, this usually means visions of diamonds and jewelry and for guys they are fantasizing of a key to the sports car they’ve always wanted.
I recently read an article in Venture Beat about how LinkedIn reorganized their prized data science department and downsizing has been a really good thing for them. Their article states that by eliminating these roles they, “sped up decision-making, benefited the hiring process, and brought together people who perform similar functions.” In other words, they streamlined their processes! When it comes to healthcare staffing software, I feel the same saying holds true… Sometimes bigger isn’t always better.
True Story
A couple of years ago, I was demoing a large public company who was trying to make a decision to go with BlueSky verses our main competitor, whose name shall not be mentioned, but who is MUCH MUCH larger and has the aura of their largeness all around them. Their sales team was using the smallness of our company as a reason why this particular prospective should choose them instead, as they often do when we go head to head.
Toward the end of the sales cycle, with the decision quickly approaching, the VP of IT asked me boldly, “Are you concerned about the size of your company and its ability to handle our company?” I paused for a second, a little frustrated that this was STILL an issue, and said, “No, honestly I think that we are better off and you will be too because we are smaller. We have the ability to be agile and make decisions as they come, we are not held to VC money and haven’t been sold to another company that doesn’t understand healthcare staffing. Ultimately, we have control over our destiny.”
I think that answer in the end won us the deal and we showed this client over and over again how BlueSky does healthcare staffing software right.
Fast forward a few years later and we are still small and agile and have control over our own destiny. This customer in particular is still amazed on how well we take care of them. Our team is still small but has the ability to pick up the phone or walk in to the other room and talk to anyone in our company, including our President. Our customers love this because they get straight answers quicker and easier than dealing with our giant competitor.
And for company meetings, instead of boring board rooms and catered lunches we go to hip spots in downtown Nashville, like the Flipside, where we talk shop, compare pictures of kids, grandkids and puppies and enjoy each others company. I am still amazed on how we can get so much company business done in such a fun way!
Being small is a novel idea in this industry and we are planning to stay that way for a long time to come. So if you are interested in getting away from the giant and aren’t sure how to do it, feel free to contact our small but friendly sales staff and we will be happy to guide your way!
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