This month we welcome Darren Clarke to the Retail Pharmacy team as Commercial Sales Manager. A few days ago we sat down to talk about his experience of heading up national sales teams, the value of data and analytics, and how the Star OUTiCO Retail Pharmacy offering is that little bit different.
Hi Darren, first off, just outline your career history to date.
Having been in pharma for over 27 years I’ve seen it change and diversify over that time. I started by carrying the bag (for want of a better phrase), in wholesale, selling into retail pharmacies and groups; getting promoted throughout the years; looking after key accounts, national accounts, then regional sales management and National Sales management; changing roles going into Generics and PIs to managing award winning teams for launching new products, and helping grow other categories such as services.
Throughout my career I’ve worked with retail partners such as Proctor and Gamble, Kimberly Clark, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals, and other medical devices companies.
You’ve joined Star OUTiCO as Commercial Sales Manager within our Retail Pharmacy division: tell us what you’ll be working on day-to-day.
My role at Star OUTiCO is a very exciting one and I’m looking forward to it immensely. I help train and manage our experienced Sales Team, helping our clients and partners grow their businesses using all the resources at our disposal.
From my time heading up national sales teams, I can hear direct from Pharmacy where the pressures are, what they need from suppliers and manufacturers, and help link the two. There are over 12,000 pharmacies in the UK, which we have access to, so the market is huge if accessed correctly – that’s what I’m here to do.
There are over 12,000 pharmacies in the UK, which we have access to, so the market is huge if accessed correctly – that’s what I’m here to do.
Traditional Retail Pharmacy teams’ primary objective is to sell, but the Star OUTiCO Retail Pharmacy offering is a bit different, isn’t it?
Here at Star OUTiCO we have a different way of doing things. We are not the traditional sales company, as we can help our clients with training, merchandising, distribution, along with sales and sales launches, raising awareness of new services, products, and markets.
We understand that Pharmacy Business Development teams are an expensive commodity and want to help our clients with a ready-made package to go into the Pharmacy sector, depending on their business needs. In my opinion it doesn’t make commercial sense to hire and train a new team of people to go into pharmacy when we have one readily available here, for our past and future clients to use.
We are not the traditional sales company, as we can help our clients with training, merchandising, distribution, along with sales and sales launches, raising awareness of new services, products, and markets.
Everything we do at Star OUTiCO is underpinned by data and analytics: what affect does that have on the quality and depth of service that we can offer our Retail Pharmacy clients?
For me this is where we stand out as a company: using our Omni-Channel capability, we can access data to help launch products in target markets, be it service-driven, demographic-driven, or data-driven.
Why use a blanket affect when you can be more targeted in the channels that you want to enter?
Our data analysis can be used for many different areas, and having seen the effects of targeting the right areas using data, I am very excited about what can be achieved. This ensures our teams are best placed to achieve optimal engagement with both professionals and clients, as and when they prefer.
… using our Omni-Channel capability, we can access data to help launch products in target markets, be it service-driven, demographic-driven, or data-driven.
Lastly, what are your first impressions of Star OUTiCO as an organisation, having recently joined?
First impressions of Star OUTiCO are great. Even though we are a huge company with over 2,000 employees it feels like a family, all wanting to help strive for the best outcomes of our clients, their customers and employees.
Everybody I’ve met has been helpful, all wanting our company to be the best it can be within a huge industry. I’m fully convinced the future is bright here at Star OUTiCO: if anybody needs a solution to help access Pharmacy, we are it.
Connect with Darren on LinkedIn here.
Read one of our Retail Pharmacy case studies here.
