CASE STUDY
Alegeus' Strategic Sales Advantage
How Authenticity Became
Alegeus is a B2B healthcare technology company that brought
Erin in for multiple keynotes, then partnered with her to infuse authenticity as a strategy into their sales process.
The result? 5,759% YoY growth the following year. 🤯
%20(2)-min.png)
THE CHALLENGE
Alegeus had a problem that many successful companies eventually run into: How do you stand out when your competitor sells a very similar product (or at least claims to)?
Chief Revenue Officer Melanie Hallenbeck felt her team was getting a little stuck. Some people were naturally comfortable being authentic; others defaulted to the more buttoned-up version of “professional.”
And in a competitive sales environment, Melanie believed being memorable mattered.
“We compete with a company that has a very similar in-market product, and I felt it was extremely important to be memorable when we left a meeting.”
MELANIE HALLENBECK
CHIEF REVENUE OFFICER, ALEGEUS
So in 2024, Alegeus brought Erin Hatzikostas in to deliver a Strategic Authenticity™ keynote for its leadership team.
But Melanie didn't stop there. The engagement expanded into four months of bi-weekly “Win Rooms”, where sales leaders brought real deals, client challenges, and awkward conversations into the room and explored how authenticity could help them sell differently.
Not “be more authentic” as some fluffy corporate aspiration. Actual stuff they could do differently.
They infused humility moments into sales presentations, found ways to tell more stories, and even rewrote some of their customer proposal language to be more authentic.
%20(2)-min.png)
Melanie started noticing a shift.
THE SHIFT
“I saw conversations shift. A bit more free, not as ‘stuffy’ and realizing it was okay to be yourself. You can be professional without being stuffy.”
One example: messy string as a gift.
One night at dinner with a new-ish client, the team presented them with a clear box simply filled with messy string (a joke between them after a funny “incident” in Boston). Think: a box normally reserved for a professionally signed baseball or your first hole-in-one golf ball.
Melanie said they normally would have brought an expensive gift. Instead, this ridiculous little box of string not only made the client laugh but was also displayed proudly on the client's desk.
The gift wasn't expensive. It wasn't polished. It wasn't something you'd find on a corporate gifting website.
Instead, it was theirs. It created a unique bond. It was authentic.
Their client told them she had previously “hated” salespeople. But she didn't feel that way about them.
They were the same people
before and after the sale, and she felt genuinely close to them.
THE RESULT
The year after their work, Alegeus achieved its strongest sales year in history, with 5,759% YoY growth (not a typo!), which helped build momentum for an acquisition by Optum.
Of course, authenticity didn't single-handedly create those results.
Business doesn't work that simply.
But Melanie saw it as a meaningful contributor to how her team showed up – with clients, prospects, and each other.
STRONGEST SALES YEAR IN HISTORY
5,759%
YoY GROWTH
When Erin asked her what she'd say to another CRO considering this kind of work, she said:
“You have likely done the trainings centered around consultative selling, telling a story, negotiating, qualifying—but have you had a training about how to show up as your authentic self and show up better than ever? I doubt it.”
For Alegeus, their investment in authenticity as a strategy became less about philosophy or personality traits and more about a practical way to create differentiation, build trust, and strengthen relationships (and grow their business as a result).
ABOUT ERIN HATZIKOSTAS
Erin Hatzikostas is a former turnaround CEO turned global keynote speaker. She is an expert on authenticity in the workplace. Erin is a 2x bestselling author, TEDx speaker, and podcast co-host. You can learn more about her work, research, and keynotes at erinhatzikostas.com.
ABOUT ALEGEUS
Alegeus is a leading B2B healthcare technology platform providing white-labeled consumer-directed healthcare (CDH) solutions. The company powers third-party administrators, health plans, and financial institutions with SaaS technology for HSAs, FSAs, HRAs, and COBRA administration. With decades of experience, Alegeus streamlines benefits administration and optimizes the healthcare payment ecosystem. You can learn more at alegeus.com.
THREE WAYS
TO WORK WITH ERIN
Most keynote speakers offer one thing: a talk. Erin offers three engagement levels — because what your audience needs depends on what you’re actually trying to move. Each level builds on the one before it. Each can be quoted directly or through a bureau.
LEVEL 1: INFUSION
THE
SPARK
Investment:
starting at $15,000
BEST FOR:
Companies and organizations looking for a high-impact moment that ignites momentum — sales kickoffs, annual conferences, ERG events, leadership summits.
WHAT'S INCLUDED:
-
One Keynote , including Phase 1–4: Discover, Prepare, Deliver & Activate
-
Erin stays for one event-day activity of your choice (dinner, signing, Q&A, breakout)
LEVEL 2: APPLICATION
SUSTAINED MOMENTUM
Investment:
typically $20,000–$50,000
BEST FOR:
Companies that want the keynote to be the start of something — not the whole thing. Best when you have one specific outcome to move (sales effectiveness, leadership trust, employee re-engagement) and want hands-on follow-through.
WHAT'S INCLUDED:
-
Everything in Level 1
-
Plus one of: a 50% Rule (I)nnovation Session, an executive roundtable + half-day workshop, sales team
-
Enablement + live deal coaching, or a Refreshing Your Ass(ets) review
-
Two additional check-in calls with Erin over 90 days
-
Quarterly group coaching cohort for up to 15 attendees (optional add-on)
LEVEL 3: IIMMERSION
STRATEGIC TRANSFORMATION
Investment:
starting at $75,000
BEST FOR:
Companies ready to make authenticity their #1 strategic advantage — inside and out. The keynote becomes the catalyst for a 6–12 month transformation across leadership, culture, and go-to-market.
WHAT'S INCLUDED:
-
Everything in Level 1 and Level 2
Plus your choice of: the H.U.M.A.N.S. Authentic Leadership Training (6 weeks virtual or 2-day in-person) OR the Intriguing Identity Blueprint consulting engagement
-
12 weeks of group coaching for a cohort of your top leaders
-
1 x 1 Coach-sulting for up to 3 senior executives
-
A second keynote or executive offsite anchor moment at the 6-month mark to mark progress and recommit