How I help specialist care providers get more clients

In this episode of the Care Home PR And Marketing Podcast, host Adam James of Springup PR talks with Simon Blunden, a business development consultant specialising in the care and healthcare sectors, including specialist care services, care home providers, general hospitals, and mental health services.
 
 His consultancy draws upon a long career helping major providers achieve sustainable and strategic growth. Simon’s journey began in the NHS, where he trained as a manager and developed an early understanding of how clinical quality underpins operational success.
 
Simon transitioned into marketing and sales within private healthcare, leading to senior roles with leading organisations including Priory, Huntercombe, Castlebeck, and Chartwell Private Hospital., designing strategies to open new services, add bed capacity, and improve revenue and margins while maintaining high standards of care.
 
This experience shaped his focus on targeted growth within complex, specialist services.
 
In this episode he Simon shares his expertise on getting more clients for your specialist care providers including:

• Why every growth plan should start with quality of care — clinical excellence is the engine of commercial success because, “if it makes good clinical sense, then it makes good business sense.” 
 
• Why business development works best when you integrate within operations, “embed yourself alongside those operational teams and you’ll learn what makes those services tick.”
 
• The evolution of marketing, from mailshots and meetings to digital platforms, Simon explores how the tools have changed — but the principles haven’t.
 
• The power of a CRM system and using integrated platforms like HubSpot to manage databases, track campaigns, and measure impact.
 
• Strategic lead generation, targeting a small number of key decision-makers in local authorities and Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) and the importance of, “doing your homework before you try to approach them.”
 
• Understanding public sector stakeholders and using published board papers and meeting notes to inform your approach.
 
• Avoiding ‘analysis paralysis’ by using data to act, not overthink.
 
 • How specialist care relies on a relatively small number of key commissioners and placement leads.
 
• Implementing database discipline to keep your contact lists updated — “it’s still the most valuable sales tool you have.” 
 
 • The double-phone call technique, “phone once, they won’t pick up — phone again straight away and they usually do.”
 
• Using the ‘Nine Before Nine’ and ‘Five After Five’ rule to, “catch key people before and after the day starts.”
 
• Why face-to-face still matters through in-person meetings and impromptu drop-ins, “armed with a box of biscuits.”
 
• Using strategic open days to stand out by hosting CPD sessions and events outside of busy industry weeks to attract decision-makers.