Yesterday, I discussed lessons learnt building and scaling our brick and mortar diagnostic centers. Today, I will be sharing lessons from building SentinelX, our virtual-first preventative health platform.

In case you didn’t know, SentinelX is a digital health membership program that combines an annual health screening with nutrition and fitness coaching as well as continuous access to clinicians.  We created SentinelX after recognizing that many patients only seek medical care when they fall sick and have limited access to or awareness of preventive health screenings. With the rise of lifestyle diseases across the continent, early detection and proactive healthcare becomes more critical.

Now that you are up to speed, here are the 4 key lessons I have learnt building this platform.

1. Lower tech = Higher engagement

We launched with a web portal, mobile app as well as low tech channels such as phone calls and Whatsapp. But then we quickly realized that the vast majority of our members prefer engaging with us via the lower-tech channels rather than our higher-tech platforms. 

2. Upfront value = Satisfied customers 

When people sign up and pay for digital health platforms, they expect a lot of value upfront. Luckily, SentinelX delivers on that front, and as a result, we have high customer satisfaction. Whenever possible, deliver and/or demonstrate value to your patients quickly after purchase and not just when/if they fall sick.

3. Personalized sales process = More sales 

Healthcare is deeply personal, and different folks have different health needs. That makes selling healthcare products more complicated than selling other kinds of services. We have found that it is easier to convert leads through in-person events and 1-on-1 conversations rather than through digital channels alone.

4. HMO/Corporate = Better payer for digital health services

Convincing an individual customer to pay out of pocket for a digital health service can be a challenge, especially if they aren’t currently dealing with an urgent health need. To help get your health service in the hands of more people, you can sell to corporates and HMOs who have a vested interest in keeping their employees and beneficiaries healthy. Not surprisingly, the top tele-health ventures in Nigeria sell primarily to corporates or HMOs.