Commercial support for health and healthtech businesses

I help health and healthtech founders sell to employers, insurers, and the wider benefits world.

I've spent 20 years in commercial roles across health, healthtech and workplace wellbeing, working with HR teams, cash plans, occupational health and insurers like Bupa, AXA Health and Aviva. I've learnt a lot about these buyers, often the hard way, and Principl is how I now share that with founders growing their business.

A free 30 minute call on Google Meet. Pick any time that suits you.

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Simon Jay, founder of Principl
Simon Jay Founder, Principl
20 years in health/healthtech

Some of the companies I've worked with and for

Thriva
JAAQ
Thrive Mental Wellbeing
Vitrue Health
Tellmi
Smart About Health
Outset
The Advisory ND
PVL
Meal IQ
Ocushield
Real Talk Studio

Is this you?

Who I work with

Most of the businesses I work with are between £0 and £5m in revenue, and sell to employers, insurers, cash plans, occupational health, EAPs or the public sector.

It's usually a good time to talk if a couple of these sound familiar.

Revenue is growing, but it's hard to predict
The founder is still leading most of the sales
The board would like clearer forecasting
A senior commercial hire feels like a big step
Partnerships and channels aren't quite working yet
The team is working hard but could use more structure

How I help

Ways we can work together

Every business is at a different stage, so there are a few different ways in.

Fractional commercial leadership

Hands-on commercial leadership for a set number of days each month. I'll help build the plan, work the pipeline with you and support board conversations, creating clarity, rhythm, and measurable growth. Usually as either the first hire, or as a trouble-shooter to an existing commercial team.

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Commercial advisory

A regular sounding board for the bigger decisions, like pricing, partnerships, hiring or opening a new channel. Support with opening new markets/territories, new product launches, or commercial culture. Useful if things are running well and you'd value an outside view.

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Hiring your commercial team

Help finding the right commercial people, and support once they start. I only take on one client's hiring at a time, and I coach new hires for three to six months so they settle in well, reducing your risk and improving their chances of delivering quickly.

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Coaching and sprints

Focused coaching for founders who still sell, or for salespeople who need some support. Both focused on specific problems to solve within a set period of time (6-13 week sprints), or ongoing mentorship to support faster learning.

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The buyers I know best

Selling health solutions is quite different to selling traditional software. Each of these buyers makes decisions in its own way, with different people, budgets and timescales involved. 

  • Enterprise Employers and HR
  • SMEs
  • Health insurers
  • Protection insurers
  • Health cash plans
  • Occupational health
  • Telehealth & EAPs
  • Benefits platforms
  • Unions and memberships
  • Public sector (NHS/Gov)
  • Medical Labs
  • Hospitals & Clinics

Working with me

A bit of background

Principl is young, but I've been doing this work for 20+ years. A few things I've been lucky enough to be part of:

100+

People hired in commercial teams I've built from scratch, across sales, marketing, customer success and revops

£0 to £3m+

Annual revenue growth in just one business I've led, without investor funding and achieving profitability.

£ millions

in partnership contracts opened from a standing start, including international joint ventures in Australia, Portugal & Germany

What people have said

Working with Simon has been one of the highlights of my career. I can't recommend Simon highly enough, as a leader, as a colleague, and as a person.
Cillian De Roever, Account Executive, JAAQ
Simon is a great sales / commercial director and an even greater human. He cares, he listens and knows how to push the right buttons to get the best out of someone like me as a sales person.
Aiden Smith, Account Executive, LearnDirect
Simon helped me see the strengths that I had, and helped me move over into a more commercially focused role without fear.
Dale Tomlinson, Senior Customer Success, Thrive Mental Wellbeing
He has true talent in spotting strengths and putting them to best use, as well as supporting people as they try to improve.
Thomas Freeney, Account Executive, Tellmi
A monthly email on how health gets boughtWhat I'm noticing across insurers, employers and benefits buyers.

About

A little about me

I'm a dad of two, recently married, and I coach my son's grassroots football team at the weekend. My interest in health is a personal one, shaped by my own & my family's experiences of the healthcare system over the years.

Principl is just me, so you'll always be working with me directly. I like working with people who care about doing the right thing for the people they serve.

Read more about me →

How I like to work

HonestI'll tell you what I think, kindly, even when it isn't what you hoped to hear.
People firstGood commercial teams are built on trust, not pressure.
Evidence ledI'm big on clinical evidence and real impact, for you and for the people you serve.

What happens next

Getting in touch is simple

  1. 1

    A 30 minute chat

    We talk through where things are and what you're hoping to achieve. No preparation needed, and no hard sell.

  2. 2

    A short written plan

    If I think I can help, I'll send a short plan with a couple of options and clear costs, so it's easy to share with your board or investors.

  3. 3

    We get started

    Once you're happy with the plan, we agree a start date and get going, at a pace that suits you and your budget.

Book an informal chat

If any of this sounds useful, feel free to book a 30 minute call. We can talk through where things are and whether I can help. 

Book a call