Mr. Antonio Lugo, NHSN Board Co-Chair Interviews Mr. Gabriel Najera

Why did you decide to join NHSN?

I have been involved with NHSN almost from the beginning.  I took NSHN on as a pro-bono client and assisted them in developing their initial strategic plan.  I immediately saw the value of joining an organization that facilitates the identification and connection with other sales and marketing professionals who happen to be Latino.  The sales function is one of the highest paid positions in business.  I want to support NHSN in attracting Latinos into this profession and assisting Latinos to be successful in sales and marketing.

What are you looking for from NHSN either through its various members, events, and website?

Although my education and training has been as an engineer (Gabriel later received an MBA from the University of Chicago) I never thought of myself of ever going into sales and marketing.  During my twenty (20) year career with Amoco, I was promoted to Manager of International Business accountable for sales and marketing of Amoco’s commercial and industrial lubricants.  I remember how it felt to close my first sale and felt that “wow” sensation.  I’ve been excited about sales and marketing ever since.

I’m looking to connect with experienced sales and marketing professionals to share “best practices” and also to support NHSN in attracting Latinos into the sales and marketing profession. 

What’s your approach to sales and marketing? 

It not so much an approach as it is a philosophy.  I view sales and marketing not as selling, but as helping people buy a product or service that puts them in a better situation.  Everyone wishes to bring into their life something good that is not there today.  You’ve got to believe you’ve got a valuable product or service that you feel people should buy.  Not by being a “huckster,” but by getting people to see that you have a valuable product and service. 

Unfortunately the “used car” salesman comes to mind when people think of sales and marketing.  Sales and marketing is a noble profession. 

Given your experience in corporate America and as an entrepreneur, do you feel things are different today than they were back when you started, in terms career growth and opportunities, particularly for Latino professionals?

I started my professional career in 1969 and I’ve been around long enough to see a lot of changes in business and in the way they are organized.  A big influence to this change is due to globalization and high technology.

I remember how all of the sudden the economy went global.  On top of that, more and more businesses started using computers, electronics and robots.  The first companies to experience global competition and the impact of technology were in the steel, auto, machine tool and electronics industries.  Others soon followed.  Suddenly these industries began to realize that the way they were organized was too expensive and too slow to react to these market changes.  They began to lose money. 

Today’s companies are organized around a set of core competencies.  They focus on what they do better than any one else in the world.  They look to joint ventures, strategic alliances, partnerships, outsourcing, contractual and temporary employment.  In this structure lower to mid-level managers are being thrust into decision-making roles as they interact with similar managers outside their organization.  The ability to influence others is critical.  This model has changed the rules of business.  The key to business success and profitability isn’t only contained in the power of the organization anymore.  The key is the ability to manage relationships and work well with others. 

The ability to develop and nurture relationships is a significant part of the Latino culture. It’s not a skill that we need to learn how to do.  In my opinion, it’s an innate social skill that needs to be developed and applied to the workplace.  This cultural attribute coupled with the growing importance of managing relationships gives Latinos a competitive edge.  

Also, high technology has leveled the playing field and has reduced the barriers of entry for Latino entrepreneurship.

Given these two facts, opportunities are much greater than in the past for those who know their value and uniqueness and organize themselves around that.  

Do you think an organization like NHSN is needed? Why? 

Yes, the NHSN is needed!  Good marketing and sales people know how to work the “magic” that creates leads and closes sales.  If you ask them how they do it, however, they may not be able to explain it.  Many sales and marketing veterans operate through an intuitive feel they have created through observation and experience, but it is not something very easily defined or described.  I would want the NHSN to help define and describe this process for the benefit of its membership.

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