Hemofarm - News - Super Story #6 – Living Legend of Sales in Hemofarm

’Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life’, Confucius, a Chinese philosopher said, and if that job connects you also with other loves, then you are sure you are in the right place. Dragan Dogović, Sales Associate, has been working with Hemofarm for more than 32 years. During all that time, not even the most experienced colleagues in Marketing and Sales could remember whether it has ever happened that colleague Dragan has not met the targets. However, it has never stopped him from devoting himself to his hobby. Whenever he catches a moment, even on the field, colleague Dragan fishes.

When he was nominated for the Super Story, Veljko Pešić, Senior Director of Marketing and Sales for the Cluster of Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia and Albania, had only one request, and it was that Dragan should not find out anything until he sees the text. And it was just like that.

His friend and colleague Damir Mimica, Medical Representative of Pharmacy Team, said that Dragan always likes surprising his friends, and now his friends have surprised him.

Dragan has several nicknames. He is usually called Dogi, and that nickname is derived from his surname.

’Dogi is above all a good man’

’That is the way our Dogi is. He wants to help everyone and he doesn't need any special moment or motive for that’, Miloš Pecikoza, leader of the ’Center’ pharmacies team in which Dragan works, said and immediately added, ’When I moved from the Novi Sad sales representatives team to Belgrade, I was in the team with Dogi. I have learned most about this job from him. He knew more than I did, but he wanted to help me at all times. As for sales, he can still give a lecture on the job and representative work to all of us in Hemofarm’.

According to Gorana Obradović Kustudić, Senior Associate, Dragan is above all a good man. ’He is very emotional, although sometimes it cannot be seen, and he is totally honest. He is honest without hesitation or calculation. Not matter whether it will be good or bad for him, he will say what he thinks. It is his greatest virtue’, Gorana said.

Veljko Pešić, Senior Director of Marketing and Sales, added that his colleague Dogović is ’a living legend of sales. He has been with Hemofarm for more than 32 years. It has never happened that he did not achieve targets at least since I have been in Marketing and Sales. He is persistent, dedicated and thorough. According to many colleagues, he is the synonym for our company. He works more than younger associates, as if he has just started working and building his career. He is a role model due to his attitude to work and colleagues. Dragan is not vain, but he does not miss an opportunity to say what he thinks’, Veljko Pešić pointed out.

Super priča #6 – „Živa legenda prodaje” u Hemofarmu

Dragan as one of the ambassadors of the last year's jubilee award ceremony in the company.

STADA encourages the so-called Speak-up culture, i.e. an approach whereby opinion and position can be openly expressed, believing that it is ultimately in the company's interest. Some of the employees learn that, some don't, and some, like Dragan, simply have it.

It is also confirmed by Branislava Daskalović, Sales Director for OTC/CHC Portfolio for Western Balkans: ’Dogi has never gossiped or spoke badly of colleagues. Never, no matter how much he agrees with someone or not. But when he has something to say, he will say it in front of everyone. Even if someone is wrong sometimes, he will always find a way to stand by, and try to balance somehow’.

Branislava, Dragan and Damir have been together in the team since 2005. Dragan worked in Zorka company, and Branislava and Damir in Hemofarm's affiliate ’Panpharma’. When someone has been collaborating closely for so long, then his words have extra weight.

’Dogi is very dedicated to his friends. He likes to surprise you and he doesn't need any special reason for that. Few people have that trait. He does it in an instant and it fulfills him. He has delighted me several time slike that’, Damir said.

Damir has recounted an event that happened after the workers' sports games a few years ago. At that time, Dragan, Damir and Miloš Gajić were working together in the office.

Guess who the sheik is on Branislava's birthday.

In the workers' games at the time, colleagues competed in the discipline - swimming. Namely, Damir and Miloš won the joint trophy, but it was handed only to Miloš. The whole situation became one more reason for joking to the main prankster in their office. ’After two months, during a break over the course of a lecture in the company, Miloš brought me a trophy and told me - Here, I'm giving you back the trophy, after all, you are the younger and first swimmer, and he starts laughing. I realize that something is wrong, because there is no engraved swimmer on the trophy. And I find out what actually happened. Dogi ordered another cup and told Miloš to hand it to me telling me that he was returning the real trophy to me. He always has a trick, so he persuaded his colleague Miloš to invite me home after that, and when I come and see that Miloš also has a trophy, nothing will be clear to me. The trick failed because Miloš could not lie and he admitted to me that Dogi came up with it all by himself’, Damir said.

Harmless tricks like these are not uncommon among friends and good colleagues. In Dragan's case, it is not possible to be completely ready when something like that awaits you. However, when it comes to work, colleagues immediately identify Dragan with one trait – perseverance.

Although it may be hard to believe, none of the colleagues could remember whether it has ever happened that Dragan did not achieve his goals or, as it is often referred to in sales jargon - targets. ’Although he is on vacation in Krčedin where he likes to walk the dog or go fishing, we heard from each other and commented on the results. Dogi asked me if I saw that he was ‘bad’, and I told him that I knew it would be all right. Rhetorically, he asked me if it ever happened to him that he failed to achieve the quarterly result. He had already had a plan what customers he would visit. He is in Krčedin at home, but he opens his laptop, picks up his phone and works. He still has a passion greater than in younger associates’, Gorana added.

There are few pharmacies that do not know about Dogi

Dragan has been working with pharmacies for 16 years. He is Hemofarm for many of them. ’Everyone knows him. Before Dragan's time, the legend of Hemofarm was Dule Vučković. Dogi is the only person who is in Dule's rank. There is literally no any small pharmacy that has not heard of him. Where Dogi appears, everyone sees Hemofarm’, Miloš said.

Sometimes the word stubbornness is replaced by persistence, but the essence is the same - for Dragan, there is almost nothing in sales that is impossible to achieve. ’After so many years of service and all that target chasing, Dogi still has so much desire and motivation that it can only be described as perseverance and passion. It's probably something innate in him. I cannot say that he is overly competitive. He gets to the bottom and always finds a way to fulfill a target which is set for him. Nothing and no one can shake him. If today is Friday, and Monday is in the end of the quarter, he is able to get in the car at six o’clock and go to a city to wait for someone who should finish some work for him. He will wait for that person as long as it takes and he will finish the job’, Miloš said.

Patience has its advantages, especially in combination with perseverance. As much as Dragan has met his targets, he never sacrificed long-term partnerships for short-term gain. ’He meets the needs of customers as much as possible and as much as it is allowed. Dogi still treats customers with a partnering attitude. There is less and less of that in this business of ours. No matter what pharmacy chain is concerned, he will establish great contact with them and pass on his knowledge to them’, Damir said and added two more qualities that make Dragan successful and they are ’Thoroughness and precision. He doesn’t skip things. He doesn't have that - I'm going to put this aside now. No, he will go step by step. He will not skip anything and will almost always finish ahead of time.’

Dragan (in the middle) with Veljko Pešić and Saša Urošević at the jubilee award ceremony for 30 years of service in Hemofarm.

A role model

In addition to all that has been said, the interlocutors point out another feature of Dragan's personality – being focused, which is quite a success after 32 years of service in sales. Dragan uses every moment and opportunity, sees chance everywhere and does not lose focus. Gorana has immediately recalled an anecdote.

’It was the annual assembly of the Serbian Pharmacy Society. I was not able to attend it for private reasons, so Dogi attended it. In addition to long-lasting sessions, there are also smaller lectures which are held. It all happens before dinner to which we are invited as guests. Dogi felt bored but he went to a lecture and sat down. He listened to them all. When they asked if anyone had any question, Dogi stood up and started: ’I have to say that we have Hedrin which…’, he started talking about a product that was launched at that time. One of the few pharmacists which did not know about Dogi asked him who he was. Everyone else knew that there were no idle hours with Dogi. Opportunities are everywhere, even if it was the annual assembly’, Gorana explained.

Branislava added that Dragan had never asked to be anything more than an Associate. ’That job is simply something that he is fond of, he loves it and it suits him. He neither wants nor has the inspiration to manage people. He likes sales, the job of sales representative, having a direct relationship with customers. I believe that he is satisfied with what he is, but it does not mean that he exerts less effort. On the contrary! He gives new ideas and proposes improvements. I've never heard him say - I don't care; I have no more strength; I have no nerves; This is too much pressure for me. We can hear that from younger associates, but Dogi is a different generation. It is a generation used to fighting through everything that has befallen it. And he has been fighting all his life’, Branislava said.

Dragan perceives work precisely this way - work, not the meaning of life, not a result due to fame and position, but a simple satisfaction of a job well done. ’Dogi is still modest. He never asks for special recognition or awards, nor does he glorify it. He has his salary, bonus and plan. It is somehow natural for him to accomplish them’, Gorana emphasized.

Does such commitment have health consequences? Possibly, it does. Probably. However, Confucius’s words at the beginning of the story, connected with his other loves, are perhaps true for Dogi.

Miloš has also testified about all this: ’After a meeting in a pharmacy in Vršac, Dogi and I went to Požarevac. We decided to go by ferry to Ram, avoiding the main road. We parked the car onto the ferry. I see Dogi get out of the car, opening the trunk. What is he up to now? He takes out his fishing rod, carefully places the bait, stretches the nylon and swings the rod. Dogi was fishing undisturbed, as long as we crossed the river. Good person.’

Dragan (on the right) and Miloš Pecikoza on the Ram ferry.

A fishing rod is available where Dragan is.

What is Hemofarm’s SUPER Story?

These are intimate stories about people and teams from our environment, some of which can eventually become company legends.

These are stories of collegiality, courage, sacrifice, responsibility, thoughtfulness, stories we exchange with each other when we want to praise someone, not because it is expected, but because it is deserved.

These are our super stories and as such they deserve to be heard and shared both inside and outside our organization.

If you missed SUPER stories, you can read them here: SUPER Story #1, SUPER Story #2, SUPER Story #3, SUPER Story #4, SUPER story #5