The brief.
A medical device distributor needed one X-Ray Sales Specialist to sell an ultraportable X-ray device across Hyderabad. This was field sales, not inside sales: meeting radiologists, doctors, biomedical engineers and purchase teams in private hospitals, diagnostic centers and government institutions, running product demonstrations, and carrying deals from first conversation through procurement.
There was no room for a learning curve. Imaging sales is a small specialist market, and hospital and government buying runs on committees, tenders and long approval cycles. The role meant daily travel across the city, office days in between, and conferences and CME events. The client needed someone based in Hyderabad who could join within 15 days, with 3–5 years of experience and existing credibility with clinical and technical buyers.
- 3–5 years in radiology, medical device, biomedical or digital health sales
- Prior experience selling X-ray, imaging or similar capital equipment (strongly preferred)
- Working knowledge of hospital procurement and government tenders
- Relationships with radiologists, doctors, biomedical engineers and purchase teams
- Confident demonstrations for clinical and technical audiences
- Daily field travel, plus conferences, symposia and CME events
- Disciplined activity reporting and expense claims
- Based in Hyderabad, able to join within 15 days
The funnel.
The problem.
Medical sales looks like a big pool until you ask what someone actually sold. Many profiles came from pharma, consumables, diagnostic reagents or general hospital supplies. Those are repeat sales to individual buyers. Capital equipment is different: the buyer is a committee, the price is high, and one deal can take months. A title or an industry keyword cannot separate the two, so a large share of apparently relevant profiles fell away once we looked at what they had sold and to whom.
Credibility with three audiences was the second filter. The specialist would discuss image quality and clinical use with radiologists; specifications, installation and maintenance with biomedical engineers; and pricing, tenders and compliance with purchase teams. Candidates who spoke easily about "hospital relationships" often could not describe how a government tender progresses, who signs off on an equipment purchase, or how they had run a demo for a skeptical clinician.
Then came the practical filters: Hyderabad only, daily field work, a 3–5 year band, and a 15-day joining window. Each one removed strong people for reasons that had nothing to do with skill, which is why the funnel narrows steadily from 220 at résumé evaluation to 45 at the second internal round.
What we did.
Before sourcing, we split the brief into what the client could not do without (imaging or capital-equipment sales, procurement knowledge, a Hyderabad base, quick joining) and what it could train (its own product). We sourced 700+ profiles across radiology, device, biomedical and digital health sales and screened to 350+. During résumé evaluation we separated capital-equipment and imaging experience from adjacent healthcare sales, which left 220.
110 candidates reached our first internal round, which tested product and domain knowledge, hospital sales experience and procurement understanding. 45 cleared a second round, held as a live conversation, on selling approach, stakeholder handling, appetite for field work, location and notice period. Domain depth and sales ability were separate pass marks at both rounds, so neither could carry the other.
15 candidates reached the client, 6 made its final round, and one was hired.
What changed.
The client hired an X-Ray Sales Specialist with working knowledge of medical imaging and hospital procurement, and the field-sales habits to build relationships and run demonstrations across private and government accounts in Hyderabad.
Out of 700+ profiles, one fit every filter: has sold imaging or similar capital equipment, can work with clinicians, biomedical teams and procurement, lives in Hyderabad, and could join quickly. That is about 0.1% of the pool. In a territory where every account runs on trust, the client got someone who could walk into hospital meetings with credibility, and its own team only had to meet 15 candidates to find them.
What it was worth.
What the same engagement would mean for a company hiring into a small, specialist sales market.
The client's team met 15 candidates and ran a final round with 6. We screened the rest.
Imaging, device, biomedical and digital health sales profiles, in one city's specialist market.
Pharma, consumables and reagent sellers removed at résumé evaluation, before they cost the client an interview.
Plus quarterly and annual variable pay.
How we ran it.
Brief and calibration
Separated the must-haves (capital-equipment sales, procurement, Hyderabad, quick joining) from what the client could train.
Source and screen
700+ profiles to 350+, then 220 after separating capital-equipment sellers from adjacent healthcare sales.
Domain and sales rounds
110 tested on product, hospital sales and procurement. 45 cleared a live round on selling approach, field work, location and notice.
Client rounds
15 reached the client, 6 made the final round, and one specialist was hired.
What made this work.
In a small market, the temptation is to widen the pool with adjacent experience: a strong pharma rep, or a diagnostics seller with good hospital contacts. It feels like progress and usually costs the client weeks of interviews with people who have never been through a tender. Holding the capital-equipment line at résumé evaluation is what kept the client's 15 interviews worth having.