Clinician to CEO : Export Your Medical Device With Confidence By Overcoming Go To Market Roadblocks For Medtech Growth

You've appointed an export distributor for your MedTech product, but how do you get them to prioritise selling it over the other products in their portfolio?

As a clinician founder looking to commercialise your MedTech product in international markets, appointing an export distributor is an important milestone. But securing a distribution agreement doesn't guarantee sales.

Your distributor may already represent several established medical device companies, each competing for their time, attention and resources. So how do you make sure your product doesn't get overlooked?

In this episode, Hakeem speaks with Nishant Varmer about what motivates MedTech export distributors, why some partnerships struggle to deliver results and how manufacturers can work more effectively with distributors to drive sales.

Today you'll discover:

• Why appointing an export distributor doesn't automatically mean they'll prioritise your MedTech product, and what influences where they focus their sales efforts.
• How building stronger distributor relationships, providing the right support and aligning commercial incentives can encourage distributors to invest more time and effort in selling your product.
• How to recognise when your export distributors aren't delivering the results you expected and take practical steps to improve performance.

Listen now to discover how to make your MedTech product a greater priority for export distributors, strengthen your commercial partnerships and increase your chances of generating consistent international sales.

Book a 30min Healthcare Export Accelerator discovery call

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This podcast is for clinicians and solo founders feeling stuck in turning their medical devices into real businesses, with practical insight on go to market strategy, sales strategy, product launch, sales plans, business growth, exporting, selling internationally and how to scale up their international sales in MedTech.

When choosing an export market for your MedTech product, are you basing your sales forecast on evidence or assumptions?

When you're a clinician founder looking to commercialise your MedTech product in export markets, identifying a large market can make your sales forecasts look incredibly attractive. After all, capturing just 1% of a £100 million market would generate £1 million in revenue. But market size doesn't tell you who will buy your medical device, why they'll choose it, how you'll reach them or how long it will take to generate those sales. In this episode, Hakeem explores why relying on market share assumptions can lead clinician founders to overestimate their commercial potential and what it takes to build a more credible export sales forecast.

In this episode you'll discover:

• Why assuming you can capture just 1% of a large export market doesn't necessarily mean your MedTech sales forecast is commercially achievable.
• How clinician founders can look beyond market size to understand the customers, competition, purchasing decisions and commercial barriers that influence their ability to generate sales.
• How working backwards from your revenue targets to customer numbers, purchasing behaviour, conversion rates and sales cycles can help you build a more realistic MedTech export commercialisation strategy.

Listen now to discover how to move beyond market share assumptions and build a more credible MedTech export sales forecast based on the customers you can realistically reach, convert and retain.

Book a 30min Healthcare Export Accelerator discovery call

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This podcast is for clinicians and solo founders feeling stuck in turning their medical devices into real businesses, with practical insight on go to market strategy, sales strategy, product launch, sales plans, business growth, exporting, selling internationally and how to scale up their international sales in MedTech.

As a clinician founder, how do you know when your MedTech business is genuinely ready to scale?

Growing your MedTech business isn't simply about acquiring more customers, appointing more distributors or entering new export markets. Before you scale, you need to know whether your existing customers are successfully adopting your product and whether you have a commercial model that can deliver those results repeatedly. In this episode, Hakeem speaks with Spencer Jones, a nurse turned MedTech entrepreneur and CEO of Lapovations, about why building a strong foundation for growth can be more important than expanding too quickly.

In this episode you'll discover:

• Why acquiring more customers or entering new export markets doesn't necessarily mean your MedTech business is ready to scale, particularly if existing customers aren't consistently adopting your product.
• How working closely with your early customers can help clinician founders understand what drives adoption and develop a repeatable commercialisation model.
• Why testing, learning and refining your go-to-market strategy before expanding can help you avoid costly mistakes and build a stronger foundation for international growth.

Listen now to discover how clinician founders can build a repeatable MedTech commercialisation strategy that supports customer adoption, reduces the risks of scaling too early and creates a stronger foundation for success in export markets.

Book a 30min Healthcare Export Accelerator discovery call

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This podcast is for clinicians and solo founders feeling stuck in turning their medical devices into real businesses, with practical insight on go to market strategy, sales strategy, product launch, sales plans, business growth, exporting, selling internationally and how to scale up their international sales in MedTech.

How long should you keep pursuing a potential MedTech customer before deciding your time might be better spent elsewhere?

When you're trying to grow MedTech sales in export markets, every potential customer can feel like an opportunity worth pursuing. But an enthusiastic meeting, a request for a proposal or repeated assurances of interest don't necessarily mean a sale is going to happen. In this episode, Hakeem explores how to distinguish genuine sales opportunities from customer interest, what to do when promising deals stop progressing, and why knowing when to redirect your efforts can be an important part of your commercialisation strategy.

In this episode you'll discover:

• How to establish whether a potential customer represents a genuine MedTech sales opportunity by understanding their need, priorities, budget and purchasing decision process.
• How to investigate why a qualified opportunity has stalled and distinguish a genuinely long healthcare sales cycle from a deal that's no longer progressing.
• Why deciding when to pause an opportunity and focus your resources elsewhere could help you generate more sales without permanently closing the door on a potential customer.

Listen now to discover how to qualify MedTech sales opportunities, make better decisions about stalled deals and focus your time on the customers most likely to deliver commercial results in your export markets.

Book a 30min Healthcare Export Accelerator discovery call

Connect with me on Linkedin

This podcast is for clinicians and solo founders feeling stuck in turning their medical devices into real businesses, with practical insight on go to market strategy, sales strategy, product launch, sales plans, business growth, exporting, selling internationally and how to scale up their international sales in MedTech.

If an overseas distributor approached you tomorrow wanting to sell your MedTech product, how would you decide whether that market was worth entering?

An unexpected enquiry from an overseas distributor can feel like an exciting opportunity to grow your MedTech business internationally. But distributor interest alone doesn't tell you whether the market is commercially attractive, whether it's the right priority or what it will take to succeed there. In this episode, Hakeem shares a real client scenario and explains why successful MedTech exporting requires a deliberate market entry strategy rather than simply reacting to opportunities as they appear.

In this episode you'll discover:

• Why interest from an overseas distributor doesn't automatically mean you've found the right export market for your MedTech product.
• How to evaluate potential export markets by considering market opportunity, growth potential, competition, regulatory requirements and commercial viability.
• How asking where, which and how can help you prioritise export markets and understand what it will take to succeed before committing your resources.

Listen now to discover how to evaluate unexpected MedTech export opportunities, choose the markets worth pursuing and make more confident international market entry decisions.

Book a 30min Healthcare Export Accelerator discovery call

Connect with me on Linkedin

This podcast is for clinicians and solo founders feeling stuck in turning their medical devices into real businesses, with practical insight on go to market strategy, sales strategy, product launch, sales plans, business growth, exporting, selling internationally and how to scale up their international sales in MedTech.

Before spending thousands on your next MedTech export exhibition, how do you know whether it's actually worth the investment?

International exhibitions can be a valuable part of your MedTech export strategy, whether you're looking for distributors, entering new markets or growing existing sales. But attending the same exhibitions year after year doesn't necessarily mean they're delivering commercial value. In this episode, Hakeem explores why exhibitions should be treated as a deliberate commercial investment, how to decide whether they're the right activity for your business, and why measuring their return should start before you book the stand.

In todays episode you'll discover:

• Why attending the same MedTech exhibitions year after year, or simply because your competitors are there, doesn't necessarily make them the right investment for your export business.
• How to decide whether an exhibition supports your commercial objectives, whether that's finding distributors, entering new export markets or generating more sales from existing customers.
• Why defining what success looks like and how you'll measure it before booking an exhibition can help you understand its true return on investment and make better decisions about your export budget.

Listen now to discover how to evaluate your next MedTech export exhibition, measure its commercial value and make more informed decisions about where to invest your time and money to grow your international business.

Book a 30min Healthcare Export Accelerator discovery call

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This podcast is for clinicians and solo founders feeling stuck in turning their medical devices into real businesses, with practical insight on go to market strategy, sales strategy, product launch, sales plans, business growth, exporting, selling internationally and how to scale up their international sales in MedTech.

When choosing an export distributor for your MedTech product, is bigger always better?

Finding a distributor with a large sales team, an established customer base and an impressive portfolio can look like the safest route into an export market. But size doesn't necessarily mean your MedTech product will get the attention, commitment or resources it needs. In this episode, Hakeem speaks with Beau Zorn about what really matters when selecting an export distributor—and why the right partner may not be the biggest name in the market.

In this episode you'll discover:

• Why a large MedTech export distributor with an extensive portfolio may not always give your product the focus and commitment it needs.
• What to look for beyond distributor size, including portfolio fit, market relationships, commercial commitment and their ability to build a compelling business case for your product.
• Why MedTech companies need to understand the export market themselves and demonstrate how they'll support the distributor rather than expecting them to build the market alone.

Listen now to discover how to choose a MedTech export distributor that will prioritise your product and give you a stronger chance of commercial success in your target market.

Book a 30min Healthcare Export Accelerator discovery call

Connect with me on Linkedin

This podcast is for clinicians and solo founders feeling stuck in turning their medical devices into real businesses, with practical insight on go to market strategy, sales strategy, product launch, sales plans, business growth, exporting, selling internationally and how to scale up their international sales in MedTech.

If so many MedTech companies still struggle to achieve commercial success in export markets, are we asking the right question about why?

MedTech companies have access to more market intelligence, better technology, stronger data and more commercial expertise than ever before. Yet innovative medical devices with regulatory approval, clinical evidence and significant investment can still struggle to achieve meaningful commercial success in export markets. In this episode, Hakeem asks whether the problem is really how well companies execute their commercialisation strategy—or whether it's time to question the playbook itself.

In this episode you'll discover:

• Why regulatory approval, clinical evidence and even a great MedTech product don't necessarily translate into commercial success when entering export markets.
• Why choosing markets, appointing distributors and building sales teams based on assumptions and previous experience can lead to expensive commercialisation mistakes.
• How starting with the conditions required for customer adoption—and working backwards—can help you build a more systematic MedTech export commercialisation strategy.

Listen now to discover why rethinking the traditional MedTech export commercialisation playbook could help you build a clearer route from regulatory approval to customer adoption and commercial success.

Book a 30min Healthcare Export Accelerator discovery call

Connect with me on Linkedin

This podcast is for clinicians and solo founders feeling stuck in turning their medical devices into real businesses, with practical insight on go to market strategy, sales strategy, product launch, sales plans, business growth, exporting, selling internationally and how to scale up their international sales in MedTech.

Could asking your MedTech export distributors for less actually help you get better performance from them?

When you want better performance from your export distributors, it's tempting to ask for more reports, KPIs, forecasts, CRM updates and meetings. But distributors are often managing multiple manufacturer relationships, and adding more administration doesn't necessarily give you better visibility or improve results. In this episode, Hakeem explores why simplifying what you ask your distributors to report could lead to better information, stronger commercial conversations and a more productive relationship.

What you'll discover in this episode:

• Why asking your MedTech export distributors for more data and reporting doesn't necessarily give you better visibility into what's happening in your export markets.
• How focusing on just five key metrics can give you the commercial information you need without overwhelming distributors with unnecessary administration.
• How simpler reporting can help turn distributor meetings from chasing updates into more valuable conversations about performance, challenges and where you can help them improve results.

Listen now to discover how asking your MedTech export distributors for less could give you better visibility, stronger commercial conversations and ultimately help you improve performance in your export markets.

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This podcast is for clinicians feeling stuck in turning medical devices into real businesses, with practical insight on go to market strategy, sales strategy, product launch, sales plans, business growth, exporting, and to scale up their international sales in MedTech.

What if there were a clearer route for taking your MedTech product from NHS evaluation to adoption and wider scale?

Getting your MedTech product successfully evaluated in the NHS doesn't automatically create a route to market. The harder challenge is turning that evidence into procurement, funding, routine adoption and eventually wider NHS scale. In this episode, Hakeem explores the newly announced Manchester Sandbox, why its ambition could help bridge this commercialisation gap, and the questions that still need answering.

In this episode you'll discover:

• What the Manchester Sandbox is and why MedTech companies looking to enter or grow within the NHS should be paying attention.
• How its ambition to connect real-world NHS evaluation with adoption could potentially create a clearer route to market for promising medical technologies.
• What still needs to happen after a successful evaluation if the Sandbox is going to help MedTech companies move beyond one NHS Trust and achieve wider adoption and scale.

Listen now to discover whether the Manchester Sandbox could create a clearer route to market for MedTech companies trying to turn successful NHS evaluations into adoption and wider scale.

Book a 30min Healthcare Export Accelerator discovery call

Message me via DM on Linkedin

This podcast is for clinicians and solo founders feeling stuck in turning their medical devices into real businesses, with practical insight on go to market strategy, sales strategy, product launch, sales plans, business growth, exporting, selling internationally and how to scale up their international sales in MedTech.