Inside Sorcero’s Enterprise Sales Evolution: From Vision to ROI
When selling to enterprise customers who spend billions on drug development, generic tech promises don’t cut it. In a recent Category Visionaries episode, Sorcero founder Dipanwita Das revealed how they transformed their sales approach to achieve 400% year-over-year growth in the complex life sciences market.
The Messaging Evolution
Sorcero’s messaging journey reflects the reality of enterprise sales in regulated industries. “We went from very wide vision to very narrow,” Dipanwita explains. “And now, again, it’s gone to somewhere in the middle where we still speak to that transformation, but we’re still very specific about the ROI that people can get from each of our applications.”
This three-stage evolution wasn’t random. It responded to how enterprise buyers in medical affairs actually make decisions. Initially, they needed a vision big enough to justify change. But vision alone wasn’t enough – they needed proof the solution would work.
Building the ROI Framework
Rather than relying on abstract promises, Sorcero developed a three-part ROI framework that resonated with medical affairs teams:
- Speed: “They’re now spending 2 hours doing the same thing” that used to take three days, Dipanwita notes. Their platform achieves “92% faster” execution of key tasks.
- Cost Efficiency: “It’s cheaper for them to use a single piece of software rather than have a collection of tools and data subscriptions, and also pay consultants and also hire people.”
- Quality Improvement: “They are able to have insights into their data, their customers and their products in a way that they were never able to do before. And they can measure it.”
The Partnership Approach
A crucial insight shaped their enterprise strategy: “Our customers have traditionally bought services and have depended on expert consultants to be able to do their job,” Dipanwita explains. Instead of trying to replace these relationships, Sorcero integrated with them.
This led to a hybrid go-to-market approach combining direct sales with strategic partnerships. “In marrying software with the services that they’re very used to and in fact need, it’s made it easier for them to adopt us.”
Network Effects in Enterprise Sales
The team discovered another powerful dynamic: “It’s both a big and a small industry. Everyone talks to each other,” Dipanwita shares. “Which means once the top three customers begin to use us and start talking about us, the other ones follow.”
This insight shaped their focus on reference customers and case studies. Each successful implementation created ripple effects throughout the industry, accelerating adoption among similar enterprises.
Lessons for Enterprise Founders
Sorcero’s evolution offers valuable lessons for founders targeting enterprise customers:
- Balance vision with specifics: As Dipanwita notes, you need both “transformation of the industry” and “very specific about the ROI.”
- Respect existing workflows: Instead of disrupting, look for ways to enhance how enterprises already work.
- Build measurable ROI: Create frameworks that connect directly to business outcomes customers care about.
The results validate this approach. From their first product launch in early 2021, Sorcero has expanded to three products and achieved remarkable growth. More importantly, they’ve built the trust needed for long-term success in enterprise sales.
For founders targeting enterprise customers, especially in regulated industries, Sorcero’s journey shows that sales success comes from understanding not just what customers need, but how they need to buy it.