Goulven Vetele joined Perrigo 4 month's ago to lead our newly created Sell-Out Function based across Perrigo France. Below he shares some insights into how the team operate and how important their role is in driving business success for Perrigo!
Can you tell me a little bit about the Sell-Out team at Perrigo? Previously the actions of this function were split across each regional area! The challenge of creating a strong team spirit and improving our effectiveness everywhere in France was what attracted me to join. Each person on the team is doing something amazing (relationship building, visit preparation, visibility, training, product tips, etc. ….), I want us to be inspired by these examples and develop our personal skills. We always need to keep in mind our target: developing the sell-out of our customers and becoming their partner in excellence.
Does Perrigo differ from your previous experience? If so, then how? The complexity of product and legal constraint are definitely a challenge. We need to be innovative and righteous in our actions. Each member of the sell-out team is at the centre of all interactions with the customers (Sales, Marketing, Trade Marketing, Supply, Legal, etc. …). We are very cross-functional in order to be able to satisfy customers and maintain a relationship of trust.
What is a typical workday like as part of the Sell-Out Team team? Collaboration with the sales representatives is key. We need to match their priorities in order to go to the right customer, at the right time. Once you plan your route, you will visit between 2 to 5 customers during the day. Most of the time, we start with a training on the top priority brands and then you will also train on additional brands. After providing a range of tips about our products, you will also improve the visibility in the pharmacy. Even if pharmacists are advising their customers most of the time, good visibility is also the key to increase sell-out.
How would you describe the Sell-Out Team culture? We love people and sharing knowledge. It’s impressive to see the commitment of the team to train all these pharmacies across France. We are very passionate as we like when all of our products are in the best place in the pharmacy and perfectly ordered. We are afraid of Out Of Stock ….
Tell me about the other teams your function works closely with on a day to day basis? They are working closely with the sales rep on their area. They need to know when a new product will arrive to the pharmacy in order to plan a training and visibility action. They also need to be aware of trade terms for Key Account customers in order to gain even more visibility. Finally, they are also a huge source of information for our Trade Marketing team. We are their eyes on the market in order to develop new visibility tools and adapt our training content.
How would you describe the leadership style within Sell-Out function? It’s mostly based on trust. The team are in the field every day and they are very independent. There is no need to control everything - the company is supportive of their work as it’s the key for business success!
What has been your biggest work-related highlight so far? When I joined, each action weighed the same in their target. Now we have priorities depending on: the time spent in pharmacy to do it, and the impact on the sell-out. It was a big demand from the team and I’m sure it’s only the first step to really increase our results.
What can a prospective employee expect when joining the Sell-Out function? For sure you will be welcome by all of your colleagues and this will start with a huge personal training plan. The onboarding is the key to know the products, and the customers you will work with. After a while, you will be become both the product and customer expert. This may allow you to move to a sales rep position and start working directly on the sell-in.
What does someone need, to be successful within the Sell-Out function? Team spirit, communication, empathy and patience are all very important. For the rest, we will coach you.
What is your favourite part about being part of this team? We have a direct impact on company results. It’s important to be customer oriented and we are the perfect example of a cross-functional team.
We are always looking for passionate, dedicated people to join our teams at Perrigo. Take your next career step today and check out our live vacancies!