Thinking About Pain Points

Orthodontia. Sharp metal bands and wires yanking teeth. It’s expensive, it hurts. It’s torture for kids. When an orthodontist suggested my son get a first set of braces at the age of about 8, I remember thinking, this is a scam. “If you start early he might not need braces later.” Yeah, right. 

So September 12, there was a $1.3 billion IPO by SmileDirectClub, which is a leader in the “clear aligners” industry. Like all good disruptions, it’s aimed at a pain point. Industry pioneer Invisalign’s patents expired recently and this company, and others, are creating a different model where patients (after initial x-rays and exams) use apps so patients make fewer visits than they would to a traditional orthodontist — at about half the cost of traditional treatments.

Many orthodontists responded like cab companies did to Lyft and Uber: It’s a scam, it’s not safe, trust us we know what’s good for you. Pain builds character. It’s a great example of what happens when you stop paying attention to your customers.  

At Inxeption we offer companies an eCommerce platform that does a lot of things, but one of its most important benefits is it helps companies understand customer desires, needs, and issues.         

In a way, orthodontists are like distributors and other middlemen. Clear aligners don’t solve every alignment problem and sometimes pain is inevitable. But did the orthodontists think their best growth path was taking advantage of insurance companies and devoted parents to prolong kids’ torture indefinitely? Today, we find that business customers are demanding a better way to buy, and they know the kinds of pain they want to end. We’re focused on becoming our customers’ advocates — and our customers’ customers’ advocates — in reducing that pain.

Visit www.inxeption.com to learn more.