Maarten van Essen describes himself as a person with lots of drive for creativity and innovation. His passion for science and how much can be done with it led him into studying Biomedical Science. He conducted research on viruses related to the SARS at the Utrecht University before joining Novo Nordisk, where he was a sales rep. He started in sales, learning the basics of marketing and had engagements with customers on how their lives can be improved by his company and their products. He later joined Danone (Nutricia), a medical nutrition company, for a short while and then finally got into Takeda where he started expanding his knowledge on digital tools and customer experience for growing the company. He looks forward to improving healthcare services using the customer experience approach in his new company.
Now, he is the owner of Essentancy and he helps businesses in Healthcare and Life Sciences to use the principles of Customer Experience to increase the number of happy patients and happy customers and at the same time boost results.
His company is geared toward healthcare and the businesses within that ecosystem to improve customers’ experience as well as enhance the result of companies and organizations. Maarten believes digital transformation helps to optimize customers’ experience.
He stated that: “like all tools, digitalization should be used to ensure effective operation. Every digital tool should be employed to result in the best customer experience.” In regard to the effectiveness of digital media, he advised it shouldn’t just be on the basis of a marketing strategy or sending across brand message, but look at the questions like: why am I doing digital transformation? What am I aiming for? Should be well addressed. A digital tool should be used by a company to improve their services and help their businesses. The use of digital tools should serve as a means to an end.
Speaking about the impact of the pandemic on customer experience and how it changes with the spread of the virus, he stated that the pandemic has really shaped up the health sector and the employment of digital means to reach the patient is very vital. He said that the current crisis will drive the future of healthcare and strategies will be employed to ensure trust with the patients and create a connection with the patients outside the walls of the hospital.
In regard to how so many activities will evolve after the pandemic, he said that indeed there will be a shift from the normal: a movement of the market from a supplier market to a buyer’s market. In the future patients will be seen more and more as the buyer and then will heavily decide by what means and condition they will be treated. The pharma companies and logistical companies will be involved and will assist the healthcare system and provide information on how and where patients can receive treatment also outside the hospital. He also stated that although there is an emergence of technology trying to severe the human connection between patients and doctors there will still be a need to ensure this connection is maintained from human to human to ensure proper customer experience.
