It’s the wee hours of Sunday, November 8, on the banks of the world’s seventh largest natural harbour. The latest instalment of the Hennessy V party series, Metropolitan: City Of Couture, is in full swing and Shanique Mongal has only just made her entrance. Fashionably late for some, right on time for us, the Carreras trade marketing representative — fabulous in Shenna Carby (more on that anon) with her familiar brunette pixie hair now flaxen — summons for wine from the J Wray & Nephew bar. With Moët & Chandon goblets subsequently in hand, we talk shop, love, family and style, plus, tap into her blonde ambitions!

What are you drinking?

Voga Moscato.

What are your beauty essentials?

A good night’s sleep and lots of water along with L’Oréal Revitalift eye cream.

Describe your personal style.

My personal style is a mixture of bold defiance and timeless chic. My corporate style is more relaxed.

Who does your hair?

Tanesha at Denise’s Perfectly Polished, located at Lane Plaza, cuts and styles my hair.

Who does your nails?

Denise from the same salon.

LBD or jeans?

Jeans.

Flats or stilettos?

Flats generally, but heels when the occasion demands.

What perfume are you spraying?

Ange ou Demon by Givenchy for Women.

In affairs of the pocket, what is your best piece of financial advice?

Pay yourself first. Putting aside money each month helps safeguard your future. It’s non-negotiable especially in a society where we cannot trust social programmes to adequately take care of us should ill health or some other misfortune befall us.

What are the essential ingredients of an effective point-of-purchase display?

Visibility, differentiation, as well as the communication should be relevant to the space/environment or the shopping behaviour of the customer.

What skill set does marketing to retailers, wholesalers, and distributors pull on that perhaps takes a backseat when marketing to end-users/consumers?

Trade marketing usually requires the same skill sets: assertiveness, negotiation skills, empathy, confidence, knowledge, and the ability to build rapport, irrespective of whether the interaction is with a retailer or consumer. The conversation differs depending on the needs of the customer but usually employs the same expertise needed to close the sale.

The salesperson who can sell ice to an Eskimo is a long-standing business trope. Is this a positive attribute to be emulated or one that you think reflects a lack of integrity?

Being great at what you do is something for which one should be proud. It’s another matter, however, if a salesperson is unscrupulous and is prepared to close a sale at whatever cost, whether it be through misinformation, manipulation or other underhanded tactics. At the end of the day, marketing is about capturing the lifetime value of a customer and not just the one-time sale of a product.

You have emerged a muse for fashion designer and Mission Catwalk alum Shenna Carby. Walk us through that collaboration from the conceptualisation of a piece to the big red carpet reveal.

Shenna and I have a great relationship where she understands my personal style and I trust her talent. I will have an idea of what I want, which I then share with her. She’ll come up with a design, which we discuss and make any necessary adjustments. She then follows-up with fabric suggestions until we’re on the same page. I leave her to work her magic, and once the garment is ready, it’s then time for fittings. After the final tweaks, I hit the red carpet with confidence knowing that I’m in a fabulous designer piece!

At the supermarket checkout counter, what’s the one item that always makes it to the conveyor belt at the last minute and why?

That’s usually gum because it’s just right there!