From Staffing to Solutions: Bluetree’s Go-To-Market Success
Overview
Founded in 2012, Bluetree Network grew rapidly, providing highly experienced IT staffing to health systems and large group practices, building a base of more than 40 health systems nationwide.
As Bluetree expanded its offerings to include more value-added consulting solutions, it required a shift in its go-to-market (GTM) and sales strategies to align with its service model.
That’s when SalesSparx stepped in—helping Bluetree transition from a staffing-centric approach to a more consultative sales strategy that better supported its expanded offerings. This strategic shift, guided by SalesSparx, ultimately positioned Bluetree for long-term success, culminating in its acquisition by Providence Ventures as part of Tegria, a healthcare transformation company.
SalesSparx’s Impact on Bluetree:
- 100% improvement in sales close rate—from 20% to 40%
- Increased deal sizes from $150,000 to $1 million or more
- Closed the two most significant deals in company history
- Improved brand image and achieved significant growth, contributing to Providence Ventures’ acquisition of Bluetree as part of Tegria
HEAR FROM
John Evans and Jeremy Schwach of BlueTree
The Challenge
Bluetree’s early growth had been significant, with Inc. Magazine naming it the 569th fastest-growing private company in America in August 2017. However, by the time Bluetree engaged SalesSparx, growth had slowed to just a few percentage points. Bluetree was transitioning from transactional, staff-augmentation deals to more strategic, value-based solutions, which required a different approach to sales and marketing.
“Bluetree was at an inflection point,” said John Evans, former Vice President of Client Service at Bluetree. “We were transitioning to more strategic deals and needed to rethink how we communicated our capabilities to customers.”
Bluetree’s teams, spread across offices in Madison, Denver, and New York, needed to be unified in their approach to the market. Bluetree tasked SalesSparx with developing a strategy to improve sales performance, refine market messaging, and position Bluetree for acquisition.
“SalesSparx helped build the trajectory that ultimately positioned us for acquisition. Their unique combination of expertise in scaling consulting services and building go-to-market strategies was instrumental in our success.”
The Solution
SalesSparx took a personalized approach, evaluating Bluetree’s tools, teams, communication strategies, and developing a comprehensive GTM playbook that transformed Bluetree’s sales and marketing strategy.
“SalesSparx came in as we were evaluating a new CRM. They helped us design it to track more nuanced deals—more complex than just selling staffing by headcount or hours. These deals had variable revenue based on results, with longer sales cycles and higher stakes.” —John Evans, former Vice President of Client Service at Bluetree.
Key elements of the solution included:
- Go-To-Market Playbook Development: SalesSparx worked closely with Bluetree’s teams to create a unified GTM strategy, aligning sales, marketing, and delivery efforts. The strategy focused on improving close rates, enhancing customer relationships, and driving growth.
- Implementing a New Way to Sell – Shared Vision Selling (SVS): SalesSparx’s ready-made sales process was seamlessly integrated into their CRM and effectively supported the complex sales cycles of consulting services. The customer-facing team was then trained on the SVS process.
- Targeted Messaging: SalesSparx helped Bluetree refine its messaging, shifting from broad service descriptions to specific deliverables in revenue cycle solutions. This re-education of clients made it easier for them to understand Bluetree’s value and capabilities beyond staffing.
- Team Alignment and Strategy Execution: SalesSparx helped Bluetree’s distributed teams focus on a shared vision, empowering them to execute the GTM plan consistently across all regions.
- Iterative Market Strategy: SalesSparx’s approach emphasized continuous refinement based on customer feedback and market shifts.
“Bluetree was at an inflection point. We were transitioning to more strategic deals and needed to rethink how we communicated our capabilities to customers.”
— John Evans, former Vice President of Client Service at Bluetree
Results
The impact of SalesSparx’s strategy was immediate and significant, helping Bluetree accelerate its growth and prepare for acquisition:
- 100% Improvement in Sales Close Rate: Bluetree’s sales close rate increased from 20% to 40%, directly improving the company’s revenue and market positioning.
- Increased Deal Sizes from $100,000 to $1 million or more.
- Closed the Two Largest Deals in company history.
- Doubled Web Traffic.
- Successful Acquisition: With a more substantial sales pipeline and improved operational alignment supporting the consulting solutions, Bluetree was well-positioned for its eventual acquisition by Providence Ventures as part of Tegria, a healthcare transformation company.
“During our ten-month partnership with SalesSparx, we improved our sales close rate from 20% to 40%, doubled web traffic, and successfully implemented a new CRM. These improvements in branding and our sales process helped us close the two largest deals in our company history.”
— Jeremy Schwach, former CEO of Bluetree
CONCLUSION
SalesSparx was pivotal in Bluetree’s transition from plateaued growth to a successful acquisition. Their personalized approach stood out for its ability to blend strategic planning with hands-on execution. Their process, which emphasizes real-time feedback and iterative improvement, provided a unique advantage over traditional consulting approaches.
“SalesSparx helped build the trajectory that ultimately positioned us for acquisition. Their unique combination of expertise in scaling consulting services and building go-to-market strategies was instrumental in our success.” — Jeremy Schwach, former CEO, Bluetree.
By developing a customized go-to-market strategy and sales process that aligned teams and drove sales, SalesSparx enabled Bluetree to improve its market position, streamline operations, and double its sales effectiveness. SalesSparx’s strategy prepared Bluetree for acquisition and set the foundation for long-term success and sustainable growth.
“SalesSparx helped build the trajectory that ultimately positioned us for acquisition. Their unique combination of expertise in scaling consulting services and building go-to-market strategies was instrumental in our success.”
— Jeremy Schwach, former CEO of Bluetree
