Page 88 - IEC Insights Nov-Dec21_WEB

FEATURE

Marketing

Basics: Quick

Tips for Building summer position at the local Square D

sales office. By the end of the summer, I
Your Business had a job offer to stay. This industry has
a way of sucking you in and not letting
go – so I am still here and loving it.

BRENDA: Our talk covered branding,
marketing, targeting, and team
BRENDA ANDOLINA, COMMUNICATIONS alignment. Let’s start with branding.
Why is branding something every
DIRECTOR, SONEPAR USA business should think about?

ALLISON THRASH, MARKETING MANAGER, TASHA: Branding = ID. A business has an
SOUTHWIRE COMPANY ID even if they aren’t actively marketing
it. The ID is a living thing. Every day,
TASHA HICKS, MARKETING DIRECTOR, that ID is being honed by how you run
ONESOURCE DISTRIBUTORS your business and what type of business
you focus on. You wouldn’t go to a job
TARA CANFIELD, MARKETING DIRECTOR – interview not being able to talk about
CONTRACTOR SEGMENT, SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC who you are and what you’re able to do.
Even the smallest business can create
a clear and lasting impression with a
customer or prospect. Think about what
core service or specialty you offer and
if your signage, the way you answer the
BRENDA: Such a pleasure to have TASHA: On the opposite side of that, phone, how your trucks read – line up to
met you three through the IEC Annual I came from a career in tech to join that notion of who you are as a company.
Conventional panel. I’m excited to recap OneSource Distributors. The tech All those things are working for or against
our live discussion. Let me start by asking opportunities moved from Southern you in cutting through the competition.
you how you came to work in the industry. California to Northern California, and I
found myself redefining where I could TARA: Customers like to see your services
ALLISON: I am a third generation take my skills. I found a very good and solutions story line up with how
associate at Southwire. My grandfather home in electrical distribution. you are presenting your company.
worked in the copper refinery, my mother
was employed as an administrative TARA: It was somewhat accidental for me. ALLISON: Word of mouth is the best
assistant, and my father retired as chief I was a Chemical Engineering major and way to grow your business organically.
engineer of Overhead Conductors after through my intern experiences realized You want to make it as easy as possible
a 45-year career. I think at this point, the actual work was not something I to get recommended, so you want to
you can say Southwire is in our blood. was interested in doing. I took a summer make your communications simple
It’s a great employer in Carrollton, GA off from my classwork to figure out and consistent across every medium
who treats their employees very well. my next step and ended up taking a your customer may find you.

86 Insights Magazine | November/December 2021 | www.ieci.org