Member Spotlight: Julie Hatfield of Texas Gas Service

Each month AWC Austin highlights one very special member making a difference in the communications industry in Austin, Texas. This month, we sat down with Julie Hatfield, who runs on quick Chicago time with a friendly Austin attitude. Take a moment to learn how Julie can turn a mere acquaintance into a trusted business partner.

AWC AUSTIN: How long have you been a member of AWC Austin and what originally prompted you to join?
JH: I joined February of this year. I had been a member of the San Antonio chapter when I was with Diamond Shamrock. When I returned to Texas, I thought it would be a perfect time to reconnect with AWC in order to network, see what jobs are out there, and get to know other people.

AWC AUSTIN: Tell me the most rewarding aspect of the organization.
JH: Being around inspiring, creative, and powerful women. I find it exciting and rejuvenating. When I attend the luncheons, I’m always amazed with how many great women are there; women from nonprofits, startups, private companies, and so forth. Getting to know the women of AWC Austin can help you realize how much innate potential you have to grow as a professional.

AWC AUSTIN: What’s the most challenging part of your job as a Customer Development Specialist at Texas Gas Service and how do you tackle it?
JH: I manage a program called the ‘Appliance Alliance’ that has been very successful. All of the Austin Sears stores have allowed me to educate their sales staff on the benefits of our rebate program as well as the lower operating costs of natural gas and energy efficient appliances. The challenge has been to leverage the success of the program and move forward with other big appliance vendors, such as Lowe’s and Home Depot. The way I do that is by tapping into my sales experience and simply making some cold calls. I also have to draw on my event planning experience in order to effectively execute events with our new partners. Overall, I have to make sure I can communicate previous successes to new possibilities like Home Depot and Best Buy.

AWC AUSTIN: In your career, you have excelled as a liaison between the company and the customer or client. What is the most important focus in order to successfully build those relationships?
JH: Actions speak louder than words. You really have to build trust with the client and try to think one step ahead in order to anticipate their needs. You should always over deliver on your promises to build confidence and relationships.

AWC AUSTIN: Describe a moment during your career where you really felt like you nailed it. And how did you do it?
JH: Our event that we had with the Sears Grand location. The store management really saw the benefits of joining Appliance Alliance. They were generous and easy to work with. We also landed some excited Texas Gas Service Volunteers that did a great job in the store. Sears increased their overall appliance sales 173% compared to the prior year. We capitalized on the foot traffic brought in by Tax Free Weekend and provided additional incentives to purchase. Sears was happy and felt like it was a positive partnership for them.

AWC AUSTIN: Tell me how you got started writing for the AWC Austin blog and what you like about that.
JH: I love to give my opinion; who doesn’t? I also love keeping in touch with what’s going on in communication. For instance, my blog article on Google+ gave me a good excuse to give my personal feedback. I am by no means an expert on these things but I think I’ve formed enough of an opinion through my experience and my career that my feedback would ring true with other people. I’m sort of “Joe Public” when it comes to this stuff and the blog is the perfect outlet to give my opinion but keep it open to receiving other opinions.

AWC AUSTIN: How has a strong writing ability aided you in your career?
JH: It has been the foundation of my career. If you know how to write and communicate, you can always find a job in communications. If you don’t have that basic, it’s going to be tough to be taken seriously in a lot of positions. Learning how to write professionally is very important. Creativity is important too but if you can’t communicate creativity through written word, it can be tough. I attribute a lot of my writing abilities (straight out of school) to my years on The Texas Lutheran newspaper staff [Lone Star Lutheran]. I was a copy editor and a contributing writer. My newspaper advisor recommended me for my first internship at Diamond Shamrock. It paid off!

AWC AUSTIN: Those who don’t “sell” sometimes say that they work in marketing, PR, or advertising and can discount sales from the equation. In what ways are sales and almost any form of communications intertwined?
JH: The reason why I even jumped into sales was because I had already done it when I pitched the media as part of my PR and marketing agency experience. There is absolutely no difference between a sales call and a media pitch…except that you get paid a bonus from making the sales call. In almost any case, you’re selling an idea, you’re selling a concept, or you’re putting a spin on something. The only difference is the interpersonal relationship building; having that confidence and ability to form a relationship, convey benefits verbally, and close them on buying the product.

AWC AUSTIN: What advice would you tell someone looking to build a stellar track record like yours?
JH: My biggest piece of advice is to not be afraid to fail at something you’ve never done. I’ve found that when you put yourself out on a limb, a net appears. Work really hard and don’t let fear stop you from moving forward into something that might fulfill you.

AWC AUSTIN: I don’t get the sense that you’re “all work and no play.” Tell me how you like to kick back!
JH: I forget about work and any demands and focus on my family and friends. It really fuels me and gets me out of my work environment. I go to a park with my husband and little boy, getting back in touch with friends, having family come visit…it’s really very simple but it brings me a lot of joy.