For most international healthcare and aesthetic brands, the distributor is the market. Your product will be only as visible, trusted and well supported as the partner who carries it. Yet distributors are often chosen quickly, on the strength of one introduction or a long product list, and the contract is written before anyone has agreed what success looks like.
What a good distributor actually does
In aesthetic medicine, a distributor does far more than import and deliver. The best ones run education, support early users, manage key accounts and feed market intelligence back to the brand. So the question is not "who can sell this?" but "who can build adoption for this?"
A scorecard to compare candidates
| Criterion | What to look for | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Portfolio fit | Complementary products, no direct conflict, same customer type | 15% |
| Customer access | Active accounts in your target segment, not just a contact list | 20% |
| Education capability | Trainers, training space, a track record of running workshops | 20% |
| Regulatory and logistics | Registration experience, storage, delivery and traceability | 15% |
| Commercial discipline | CRM use, reporting, forecast accuracy | 15% |
| Commitment | Named team, launch budget, willingness to agree targets | 15% |
Adjust the weights to your product. A device that needs heavy training should weight education higher; a consumable with simple use can weight access and logistics higher.
The clauses that protect both sides
- Territory and channels. Define countries, customer types and online sales clearly.
- Exclusivity tied to performance. Exclusivity is earned by meeting agreed minimums, reviewed on a schedule.
- Ramp-up targets. Realistic first-year targets that grow, rather than a single annual number set on day one.
- Education commitments. Number of trainings, trained staff and events per year, and who pays for what.
- Reporting. Monthly sell-out, account list and pipeline, in an agreed format.
- Exit and transition. Notice periods, stock buy-back and handover of registrations if the partnership ends.
The first 90 days
Most partnerships succeed or fail early. In the first 90 days, agree a joint launch plan, train the distributor's team properly, open the first accounts together and hold a monthly review. Brands that disappear after signing usually return a year later to a partner who has quietly prioritized other products.
A review rhythm that works
- Monthly: sell-out, new accounts, trainings delivered, pipeline
- Quarterly: scorecard review against targets, joint plan for next quarter
- Annually: exclusivity and targets reviewed against performance
A distributor relationship run this way stays honest. Both sides know where they stand, and problems surface while they are still easy to fix.
Questions to ask every candidate
- Which comparable products have you launched in the last three years, and what happened by month six?
- How many active accounts do you have in our target segment, and how often do you visit them?
- Who on your team will own our brand, and what else do they carry?
- How many trainings did you run last year, and who delivered them?
- How do you report sell-out, and can we see an example?
- What support would you need from us in the first year?
- What happened in a partnership that didn't work, and why?
Red flags
- Strong relationships with decision makers but no training capability or trainers.
- A portfolio that already includes a direct competitor, "managed separately".
- Reluctance to agree targets, reporting or performance-linked exclusivity.
- No named person for your brand, only the owner's personal commitment.
- Requests for long exclusivity across several countries before any track record.
Exclusive, non-exclusive or hybrid
| Model | Works best when | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Exclusive per country | The product needs investment in education and market building | Exclusivity without performance conditions |
| Non-exclusive | Simple products with established demand | Price competition and weak commitment from all partners |
| Hybrid | Key accounts or institutions are served directly, the rest through a partner | Unclear account ownership and channel conflict |
Target setting for year one
Set targets in stages rather than one annual number. A realistic first year usually has a slower first quarter while registration, training and first accounts are established, then growth as early users reorder and teach others. Tie the targets to leading indicators too: trainings delivered, accounts opened and reorder rate. Those show whether the partnership is on track long before annual sales do.
Your first-year calendar with a new distributor
- Month 1: joint launch plan, distributor team training, CRM and reporting set up.
- Months 2 to 3: first accounts opened together, first hands-on workshops.
- Months 4 to 6: first quarterly scorecard review, local cases documented.
- Months 7 to 12: scale trainings, review exclusivity conditions, agree year-two plan.
For the wider launch plan around the distributor, see the 12-month adoption plan, or the go-to-market service for how I support market entry.