Selling It Latin Style
Does being located in Texas give you an edge in finding talented employees?
From a Hispanic perspective, Texas is a terrific place to find or lure talent to. Houston, particularly, is an asset. It is a very international, sophisticated city with extraordinary resources and a magnificent arts community. Most people don’t know this – but when they give it a chance, when they come take a look, they’re hooked. Houston is also a great place to raise a family – aside from being a gateway city to Latin America. Yes, I would say being located in Texas, and Houston specifically, have given us an edge in finding the right mix of team members necessary to build our agency and to propel us into the future.
What is unique about a Lopez Negrete employee that you wouldn’t typically find at another Hispanic agency?
You would find someone who isn’t focused on building their own resume or portfolio, but rather someone who is focused on delivering what has been promised to the client. You would find someone who is more intent on making sure that the work works rather than whether it wins an award. You would find someone who, when the work wins awards, is quick to share that credit selflessly with the rest of the team. You would find someone who would be quick to volunteer to help another team member, even if that team member was working on another group or account. You would find someone who cares deeply about coworkers’ and clients’ well-being as human beings, not just workers or clients. You would find someone who genuinely cares about the good of the agency from an operational and a financial perspective. It’s quite unique and very special – and one of the things Cathy and I are most proud of. It’s a precious chemistry and one we work diligently to protect and nurture daily.
What is the process for landing a big client?
Like anything in life, some opportunities come to you and others you have to go and create. It’s the same thing with new business acquisition. Sometimes it’s a matter of engaging in a detailed, lengthy, and oftentimes cumbersome RFP process. Other times, it’s a referral from having done a great job for a client. And most of the time, it’s us pursuing clients we believe have a unique opportunity that they have left untapped and a client that fits on our roster as well as with our own corporate culture. We are very careful about what accounts we pursue. One thing for sure – we believe that success comes from being fearless in pursuing opportunities we feel are right for our agency, and thus, we don’t let the size of the door determine whether we knock on it or not.
What is unique about the Hispanic market and what advantages do you bring to your clients who want to reach that market?
The size and spending power of the Hispanic consumer and business segments are absolutely undeniable. With a community that has almost a trillion dollars a year to spend, and with population numbers in excess of 50 million, any corporation who is not marketing to this segment is doing their stockholders a disservice. Our unique ability is to connect these brands, these companies, with this segment in a meaningful, culturally relevant, lasting, and measurable manner.
