Young companies must overcome innumerable obstacles to introduce a product to market. Entrepreneurism takes a lot of gut, strategy and talent.
Scottsdale, Ariz.-based Ortho Sales Partners is ready to help small companies navigate that rocky road to commercialization in the orthopedic field. The orthopedic market, especially, contains a flood of small companies with impressive technology and no voice.
"We help create that strategy," explains Josh Sandberg, co-founder and general manager of Ortho Sales Partners. "There are a lot of landmines out there and we try to leverage the experience from seasoned executives for our clients who lack the ability to attract and hire them."
With Ortho Sales Partners in their corner, small companies are able to approach the market with a lower risk burden. The cost of approaching the market from an OUS company or surgeon-developed technology perspective proves daunting.
Specifically, Ortho Sales Partners collaborates well with:
• Surgeons with product ideas and restricted finances, making it difficult to jumpstart sales plans
• OUS companies seeking a U.S. footprint
• Companies equipped with an FDA-approved product, but unsure how to proceed in the market
• More established companies in search of strong marketing execution for a new product launch
By leveraging the insight of high-level executives, Ortho Sales Partners serves as a helping hand for orthopedic companies through the transitional phase from a product-approved development company to a commercialization company.
"We give [small companies] access to that talent level — people who have run successful orthopedic companies — to bring that level of talent and experience to a smaller company on a temporary basis," says Mr. Sandberg. He notes some of these smaller companies then choose to offer positions to these executives, impressed by their leadership. While in other cases, Ortho Sales Partners drives enterprise value that enables the small company to attract a higher caliber leader by mitigating risks and establishing a US presence, explains Mr. Sandberg.
Within the commercialization process, Mr. Sandberg notes orthopedic companies often trip up in their national accounts strategy, dealing with group purchasing organizations and integrated delivery networks.
Additionally, surgeon choice doesn't prove as influential as it did in years past. Mr. Sandberg explains: "A surgeon may want to use the product, but the purchasing manager says no, we don't need it."
Small companies are often unsure how to approach larger organizations, sending their vice president of sales or relying on a sales representative that has no experience.
"How do you create that sense of urgency [to the organization], so the committee has to take you seriously?" asks Mr. Sandberg. "That's part of where we help navigate."
Ortho Sales Partners focuses its services on marketing; project management; market intelligence; and distributor recruitment.