Daniele Greco started his career as a nurse in an Intensive Care Unit in one of the hospitals in Milan. While working there, he discovered his passion for technology, especially the devices that help save patients’ lives, and decided to join the world of business. After being Comarch’s client for a few years, he decided to take on another professional challenge and launch a career as a Business Developer Manager at Comarch Italy.
Daniele told us what’s necessary to become a successful BDM, how to build a lasting relationship with a client and how the Italian e-Health market going to change in the nearest future.
You’re working as a Business Development Manager in the e-Health sector. How’s the e-Health market in Italy developing? What do you think will change in the future?
The Italian e-Health market is evolving continuously and quite rapidly. Back in 2014, the Central Government published a Guide Line for Telemedicine. Unfortunately, these rules had not been applied until the outbreak of the current global pandemic has made it necessary to use systems that would allow a patient to get the help he needs without a doctor present. Now visits provided via telemedicine receive the same reimbursement as a visit or an examination carried out in the clinic.
In my opinion, telemedicine will again undergo a change in the upcoming future. Society is also changing. In the past elderly patients often didn’t accept the idea of a tele-visit, but luckily now, according to many polls, the opinion on telemedicine is beginning to change. In order to establish that shift, cooperation between different actors, both technology producers, and service providers is required.
We want to lead the ongoing change in the Italian e-Health market, so right now we’re facing the challenge of reorganizing the Sales office in Italy in the Healthcare Sector.
Tell us a bit about your story. How did you become a part of the Comarch Italy team in Milan?
I knew Comarch for several years because Comarch was the provider of telemedicine solutions for my former company. I figured out that Comarch offers a lot of opportunities for further professional growth, especially in the Healthcare industry, so I decided to join the “other side”.
How did you become interested in e-Health technology in the first place?
I’m a nurse, and I worked for many years in the Intensive Care Unit in a big public hospital in Milan. There I discovered my passion for devices, how they work how we can use them to help patients. After this experience, I started to work in a Pharmaceutical Company that produces Oxygen and other gases and provides it directly to the patient’s home as well as pulmonary ventilation devices for patients who can’t breathe on their own. Then after talking to my CEO we decided to invest in Telemedicine Services. So first of all I participated in various industry events to understand what was going on in the field, who was the player-competitor and who could provide us with the right technology to start. During one of those congresses, I discovered Comarch and its solutions and I have optimized the service based on the request of the first lead. During that period I’ve learned how to approach a lead and how to help clients get what they needed. And in February 2021 I’ve landed in Comarch for a new challenge!
What are your day-to-day duties as a Business Development Manager in the e-Health industry?
One of the most important tasks is to understand the client’s needs during the course of the first two meetings. It’s crucial because in that time the customer establishes an opinion – he knows whether he can trust you and your proposal. To do this I try to get as much information as I can about the customer even before we first meet in order to know his background and the specifics of his business. I can also tell if this very client is worth fighting for and investing my time.
Another thing that is really important is to follow up on the leads you think are important for each company. That means calling them periodically, staying in touch, not making them wait too long to get an answer.
What do you think is crucial for being a successful Business Development Manager?
In my opinion, a successful Business Development Manager needs to have at least these 6 skills:
1. Supreme knowledge of the solution they are selling – without that, one cannot answer the market’s demands.
2. Be the first to appreciate the solution they are selling – you should always believe in what you do, otherwise, the client will know that immediately.
3. Knowing the company you are approaching – it makes contacting and establishing a lasting relationship with a client much easier.
4. Knowing the interlocutor to whom you need to present your product and empathize with him – there are many possibilities to do this. One of them is to check their social media channels or mutual connections. Knowledge is power here
5. Know your limits and get out of the comfort zone – every successful Business Development Manager needs to be courageous and comfortable enough to talk to various stakeholders both internally and externally.
6. Know how to make your boss understand an opportunity – internal PR, as well as open and effective communication, is really important to carry out a sales project successfully.
What do you like most about your job?
It gives me a lot of satisfaction to guide a customer while he’s choosing a solution that is most useful for his needs. It’s great that I can convince him to appreciate the solution I’m offering, connect businesses and participate in the ongoing digital transformation of the Italian e-Health market that nowadays is so much needed.