Aclaimant’s Playbook: How to Sell Complex Software to Risk-Averse Industries
Selling innovative software to risk-averse industries presents a unique paradox: the very people tasked with managing risk often view new technology vendors as a risk themselves. In a recent episode of Category Visionaries, David Wald, Co-Founder and President of Aclaimant, shared how they overcame this challenge to build a trusted platform in the insurance and risk management space.
The Credibility Challenge
The first lesson Aclaimant learned was humbling: even minor terminology mistakes could derail sales conversations. “We live in a world that is highly regulated, that is full of expert practitioners who know their stuff,” David explains. “You’d use the word claims or work comp and you get a sideways lesson… these are people who are managing risk, and the first thing they see with you is, oh, my God, this is risky. This guy doesn’t even know the words that I’m saying.”
Building Trust Through Industry Expertise
The solution wasn’t just learning the vocabulary – it was bringing in deep industry expertise. One of Aclaimant’s co-founders, Michael Schultz, brought 35 years of insurance industry experience. As David notes, “He has been part of agencies and carriers and TPAs and all the things that make the world go around in the insurance space.”
This insider knowledge proved invaluable in building credibility, eventually leading to early wins with major clients. “Six months into working this, we had a chance to pitch three huge companies: Kelly Services, CNA and the Navy,” David recalls. “And out of nowhere, nights and weekend project for six months, all three companies said, this is great. Let’s get it in procurement.”
The Empowerment Approach
Rather than using fear-based selling common in the risk management industry, Aclaimant developed a different approach. “You can’t beat people into being safer,” David explains. “You really have to have them understand that they have a choice and they can choose to better.”
This philosophy shaped their thought leadership strategy. Instead of generic content, they focused on solving specific industry problems. David describes their approach: “It’s really about helping people to think about. All right, what are my biggest burning questions of this company and risk management? It can be simple things like understanding how laws are changing and how that’s going to affect my ability to do my job, understanding what other companies are doing.”
Evolving with the Market
Aclaimant’s credibility grew as market conditions validated their approach. “The past five years alone. Pick your poison. COVID, supply chain, severe weather, political instability, you name it, rising amounts of people working, remote wages going up. All these things make it a lot more difficult and potentially risky to run businesses.”
This evolution of risk affected companies of all sizes, from major enterprises to “your 100 person almond farmer or your 75 person construction firm.” Aclaimant’s early investment in credibility positioned them to serve this expanding market.
The Leadership Evolution
Recent moves demonstrate Aclaimant’s continued commitment to industry expertise. They recently brought on Kathy Burns as CEO, someone David describes as “one of the pioneers of the space that we’re in.” This appointment came after years of relationship building: “We had a really fortuitous experience with Kathy in that we got to know her for years… she kind of worked with us basically about half time last year as executive chairperson.”
Key Lessons for Founders
Aclaimant’s journey offers several crucial insights for founders targeting regulated industries:
- Deep industry expertise isn’t optional – it’s fundamental to credibility
- Focus on empowerment rather than fear-based selling
- Build relationships with industry leaders before you need them
- Let market evolution validate your approach
- Invest in thought leadership that solves real industry problems
The company now serves 10,000 organizations across North America, proving that even the most risk-averse industries will adopt innovative solutions when approached with the right combination of expertise, empathy, and execution.