Meet the Capital
Electric team:

"I love that Capital is a tight-knit family company. Coming from a large corporation, it’s been refreshing to know everyone in the company and not have many people over me."

Meet the Capital Electric Team: Nathan Flater, Outside Sales Rep

Nathan came aboard recently and has been a breath of fresh air, helping us create new connections and develop compelling solutions for the Industry 4.0 world we’re moving into.

Let’s get into the conversation

What brought you to Capital Electric?

I’d been working in the industrial market as an account manager before, managing accounts I was handed. I wanted to be somewhere where I could build relationships and be challenged more. Capital Electric was an ideal fit.

What’s your role at Capital Electric and what are your primary responsibilities?

I’m an outside sales rep, focused on finding and connecting with new customers to see if the solutions we have at Capital would be a good fit for them.

How do you contribute to the overall goals and mission of the company?

In addition to sales, where we’re aiming to onboard and help customers get what they need daily, I’ve been focused on becoming an expert on Industry 4.0.

This is really the next industrial revolution, where digital technology is being integrated into all aspects of manufacturing. The connection between people, information and processes is moving incredibly fast and at Capital, we’re making sure to stay at the forefront so we can help clients reap those benefits.

A heavy focus at the moment is our brand new partner VoltServer and their product Digital Electricity.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

The freedom!

I arrive in the morning and how I go about the day is left up to me for the most part. Of course, there are things I’m required to get done, but I schedule my own tasks and choose what to prioritize allowing me to create a workflow that fits me well.

It’s a testament to the trust across the team from top to bottom and the accountability we all have to each other to make sure all bases are covered.

How would you describe the team culture at Capital Electric?

In a word: Helpful.

The team strives to help everyone they meet, whether it’s me as a new member or the customers they interact with every day.

I’d also say, knowledgeable.

Everyone at Capital Electric is in learning mode, we have group training sessions and share ideas in meetings to always try to elevate one another.  That extends to our lunches, where we’ll talk shop in the conference room here, a great vibe.

What challenges have you faced in your role and how did you overcome them?

Coming from an inside sales role, I didn’t have much experience with prospecting.

Luckily, a couple of things worked in my favor.

One, working with Doug has been huge. He’s been doing outside sales for decades and took me under his wing, showing me how he builds relationships

And two, we just got new lead sourcing software which I was the first to learn and test out.

Take those together and not only do we have a great new tool for finding relevant folks to reach out to, but I also have the guidance of a pro who knows the region so well.

Are there any habits that contribute to your productivity?

Keeping good records and tracking.

I record as much as possible in our CRM, which makes it way easier to track who I need to contact or follow up with.

Through that record keeping, I noticed a lot of people are more open to chatting in the afternoon…so if you hear from me in the afternoon, it’s no accident!

How do you personally resonate with the values of Capital Electric?

This was sort of an a-ha moment.

During my initial interview, I was asked “How would you describe sales?”

My answer was simple: Problem-solving.

Turns out, that’s exactly how Capital looks at sales too.

We’re here to help, not just sell, striving to find the best possible solution for our customers even if it means we don’t make the sale.

That was huge.

Is there a piece of wisdom or a lesson you've learned that you'd like to share?

Always be considerate of people's time and thank them for it. Customers and prospects are just as busy as us so we need to think about their time and not waste it.

What are your hobbies or interests outside of work?

I’m a big outdoors guy, love hiking and am a huge movie and video game fan too.

I also try to keep a regular workout schedule, which helps with my career oddly enough. It keeps me healthy, teaches discipline and helps me develop routines.

What makes working at Capital Electric special for you?

I love that it’s a tight-knit family company.

Coming from a large corporation, it’s been refreshing to know everyone in the company and not have many people over me.

Things also move much faster here since they don’t have to go through multiple channels for approval like in my previous position, which means we can move swiftly to find solutions.