An Open Letter To GN

Why You Are Wrong With The Jabra Enhance Plus

I wrote a review of the Enhance Plus earbuds fom Jabra on Know recently. In the article I mentioned two issues which I felt may hinder wider adoption of these devices. The first was the lack of in-the-moment customisation and the second, the provision method. I want to explore both of those concepts because I think it is worth investigating them. Before I do, killer product, I really like them.

The Customisation Dilemma

I think I understand why you have limited the options for customisation in the Jabra app. Your consideration is probably based on these devices being starter hearing aids, somewhere below traditional entry level devices. With that in mind, it makes sense to limit the customisation below what would be available in entry-level devices in order to reduce any possibilities of canibalisation.

The Provision Dilemma

You have also restricted the sale of these devices to hearing healthcare practices and are ensuring that prospect purchasers buy a service package. Again, I understand that there are considerations that you feel you have to take. If you went completely DTC, you would have to consider the fall out from the wider profession. You would also have to consider the impact on your own captured retail.

That's where the problem lies, the decisions and planning were made with wider traditional hearing aids and the distribution channel in mind. In doing so, you have limited the possibilities of the devices. I feel you have hamstrung yourselves and the experiment may well fail. It won't be like the Bose failure, where the device offering let them down, because the device offering is pretty good.

It will fail because you sabotaged yourselves with decisions based on how business has been done in hearing aids, as opposed to how business will be done in hearing aids in the future. You know that relying on hearing healthcare professionals to drive what is a new segment that needs a different business model is lunacy at best, you know that right? You've met these anally retentive, rigid, luddite folk right?

The ones who have been actively sabotaging their own profession through a refusal to change for the last god knows how many years. The ones who have actively refused to even introduce proven best practice because you know, it's like work right? Anyway, I liked your product, I am really sorry it's probably going to fail.

Alternatively, you could just say to hell with it, make that app sexy and begin selling those devices through multiple channels. Like I said, my feeling is the product won't let you down, but your strategy might.