“

Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.
- Theodore Roosevelt

”

McElroy Profile –
Sarah Davis

Sarah grew up merrily in Houston, Texas with an older sister. Her mom was a housewife and her dad worked as a delivery driver for a cookie company which added up to lots of free cookies! She describes her childhood as adventurous and fun until the tragedy of ’89—the birth of her younger sister. Life changed drastically. No longer the baby and forced into the uncomfortable role of middle child, Sarah established identity by choosing a path as the black sheep of the family. She delights in this role to this day. Over time and with lots of therapy, Sarah has learned to love and appreciate her little sister.

Naturally McElroy attracts individuals with an interest in other cultures. Sarah is one of those whose work supports her wanderlust as she maps out future plans. The travel bug was nurtured early when Sarah spent a month after high school graduation visiting family that lived in Paris. She confesses that she “grew” a lot in the month she spent wandering around the city eating Häagen-Dazs every day.

Restless and convinced in her late teens that her family was completely crazy, Sarah made her escape to Austin when she was 20. She arrived with determination and not much else, pursuing employment through a temporary agency while sleeping on a friend’s couch. Sarah rolls her eyes about her youthful “great choices” including support of a deadbeat boyfriend for some time. Her truly good choice during that time was trip she took to England and Ireland. Taking the trip was magical for her and helped to bring many things about life into perspective. She knew then and there that whatever she did when she “grew up” travel had to be a part of it.

Sarah started working for McElroy part time last year while pursuing her undergraduate degree in Anthropology at Texas State. Anthropology is an obvious choice for someone like Sarah who loves to travel and is a tree-hugging, vegetarian, feminist, liberal. Her main area of interest is in Pre-historic art and possibly museum studies. Studying anthropology has already presented Sarah with opportunities to travel. Last summer she was scheduled to take a trip to Chiapas, Mexico to study Mayan Indians. The week before departure she made a last minute trip to New Orleans to see her sister. While there she fell UP some stairs and hurt her foot. It wasn’t until after a week of denial that she dragged herself to the ER only to discover that she had broken her foot for the second time in 2 years. The trip was cancelled. Sarah has high hopes for an injury free summer 2005. She has the opportunity to do some museum work as well as work on an archaeological dig. She will also have the opportunity to study Mayans in Tulum.

Sarah lives with her dear friend Susan. They have been roommates for over a year and are attached at the hip. They have 3 cats together, George, Mama and Rootie. Craig, her boyfriend and not be left out, also plays an important role in her life and luckily (for him) he loves Susan and the cats, too.

McElroy Translation appreciates the business of the following clients and announces the anniversaries of these client relationships:

15 Years

• Amgen – Regulatory Affairs
• Nelson & Roediger
• York Graphic Communication

10 Years

• Aventis Pasteur – Swiftwater, PA
• Bundy Corporation
• C.R. Bard
• Glaxo SmithKline – Drug Information
• Aventis – Clinical Research
• Young & Basile, P.C. – Troy , MI

5 Years

• Edwin C. Levy Company
• Engelhard Corporation
• Fay, Sharpe, Fagan, Minnich & McKee –
  Cleveland, OH
• Landes Bioscience
• Procter & Gamble – Retail Marketing
• UCB Pharma
• Voyager Expanded Learning
• Yukevich & Sonnett

Mexico

The People

Mexico is a very class-conscious society where social stratifications are well-defined. Upper class Mexicans will not dirty their hands with tasks they find beneath them. A sense of fatalism is quite strong among many Mexicans, who feel that their path through life is largely preordained. Macho attitudes are inculcated in Mexican males almost from birth, and machismo plays a pervasive role in shaping Mexican culture.

• Shake hands or give a slight bow when introduced.
• Bow when greeting a Mexican woman. Shake hands only if she extends her hand first.

Body Language

• Mexicans generally stand close together when conversing. Don’t show signs of discomfort, which would be considered rude by your Mexican counterpart.
• Mexicans often “hold” a gesture (a handshake, a squeeze of the arm, a hug) longer than Americans and Canadians do.
• Don’t stand with your hands on your hips; this signifies anger. It is considered rude to stand around with your hands in your pockets.

Corporate Culture

• Punctuality is expected of foreign businesspeople. Your Mexican counterpart may be late or keep you waiting. Thirty minutes past the scheduled meeting time is considered punctual by Mexicans.
• Spanish is the language of business. You may need to hire an interpreter (preferably a native speaker who understands the language as it is spoken in Mexico).
• Meet with top executives first. Top-level Mexican executives may not attend subsequent meetings, which often take place with middle-level management and technical people. Don’t feel insulted; this shows that discussions are proceeding positively.
• Negotiations move slowly. Be patient. For Mexicans, the building of a personal relationship comes before the building of a professional one.
• Expect approximately ten to fifteen minutes of small talk before getting down to business.
• If offered something to drink (usually coffee), don’t refuse. This would be seen as an insult.
• Take some time for consideration before agreeing to anything. Quick decisiveness is often seen as hasty.
• A promise does not mean that your request will be carried out. You should always ask for written confirmation of any agreement or commitment.
• Management or other important people may sometimes make unreasonable or overly aggressive demands to demonstrate their importance within or to their own group. Be aware of such hidden agendas.
• Personalize everything. Explain how all proposals will benefit a Mexican’s country, community, family and, most important, the Mexican personally.
• Your local contact person or representative is very important and should be chosen very carefully. A low-level representative will be taken as an affront by status-conscious Mexicans, who will assume that you are not really serious.

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How Will You Reach Them?

¿Cómo piensa llegar hasta ellos?

March 31st General Manager Shelly Orr Priebe had the enriching opportunity to collaborate with Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (GAHCC) President Eliza May in presenting “How Will You Reach Them? ¿Cómo piensa llegar hasta ellos?” at the CSN Expo in New Orleans. McElroy Marketing Manager Lisa Siciliani contributed excellent research, Eliza May brought valuable perspective and passion for her constituency, and Shelly moderated the session.

The joint message made by McElroy and GAHCC is a powerful and relevant one. The business case for marketing to the Hispanic population within the U.S. is solid. Companies who recognize the potential of this target market and craft the right approach realize increased market share, revenues, and profits. In a departure from the usual ROI approach to the business model, Eliza also introduced the “human perspective.” She shared the real stories and physical journeys of immigrants who have successfully made their lives in the U.S. – real people who are thriving as U.S. consumers.

Texas has a leading edge in understanding and addressing this market because of our history and our demographics. Just like GAHCC, McElroy is committed to educating the marketplace so that commerce flourishes and the needs of the U.S. Hispanic community are met. We will continue to support GAHCC and champion the needs of our Hispanic consumers and businesses. McElroy intends to support and actively grow this established segment of our business.

We thank Eliza May for taking the time to share her message with CSN Expo attendees. In her words, she “got us out of our skin” as we considered not only why, but when, where, and how to effectively reach the U.S. Hispanic population. When that is accomplished translation becomes localization, and everyone benefits.