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Lori RichardsonJoanne BlackMichelle VazzanaDeb CalvertDiane HelbigLinda RichardsonJulie HansenBarb GiamancoLorraine FergusonKrista MooreTamara Schenk
Special Women In Sales Edition
Jonathan Farrington Interviews Tiffani Bova, author of GROWTH IQ
TOP SALES MAGAZINE AUGUST 20182
Why WomenDon’t Want toWork for YouJoanne Black
13The DirtySecret AboutWomen in SalesMichelleVazzana
1618 How to Avoid
Causing Buyer’sRemorse Diane Helbig
21
Selling in theCyber Age:Why YourListening SkillsMatter MoreThan Ever LindaRichardson
22
5 Ways toImprove YourExecutivePresence andIncrease YourInfluenceJulie Hansen
24
MakinPrioriMorein SalBarb
2
Maybe It’s Notabout Gender Deb Calvert
ng it aty to Get
e Womenes Giamanco
26I am aProfessionalSales Woman.No ApologyNeededLorraineFerguson
28 30 Editors: Jonathan Farrington [email protected] Richardson [email protected]: Bill Jeckells [email protected] by: Top Sales World A JF INITIATIVE
The One Thing Is ... It Is NeverOne Thing When It Comes To“Growth”Jonathan Farrington interviewsTiffani Bova, author ofGROWTH IQPAGE 10
Featured Top Partnerof the Month MereoPAGE 34
Together We Are Moving theNeedle Toward More Womenin SalesLori RichardsonPAGE 8
TOP SALES MAGAZINE AUGUST 2018 3
Winning WithChange (“Don’t wish it
were easier,wish you werebetter.” JimRohn) Krista Moore
Getting MoreWomen inSales: Do WeHave aLanguageBarrier? Tamara Schenk
32
ContentsAUGUST 2018
TOP SALES MAGAZINE
Top Sales PostJuly 2018PAGE 35
©2018 Sandler Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. S Sandler Training (with design) and Sandler are registered service marks of Sandler Systems, Inc.
Create A World-Class Third-Party Selling ProgramA Partner-Centric Approach to Channel Sales
A channel sales manager’s job is one of the toughest in an organization. An effective channel sales manager needs to have superior project management skills, be able to influence without formal organizational power, and operate effectively at every level within an organization.
In the latest Sandler® book, MAKING CHANNEL SALES WORK: Seven Tools to Create a World-Class Third-Party Selling Program, you will learn: • How to identify the appropriate partners • Principles to build and nurture winning relationships with value-added resellers• Formulas and tools to train your sales team and your partner’s sales team to work together seamlessly
Download your free chapter today so you can be on your way to building a premium channel selling program in your organization!
MEET THE AUTHORS
Marcus Cauchi is a Sandler trainer located in the southeast region of the United Kingdom where he has been successfully serving his clients since 2004. He is an engaging and challenging speaker on sales, sales management, company turnaround, achieving maximum cash at exit and successful recruitment of salespeople. David Davies is the owner of Thames Valley, a Sandler center in the United Kingdom. With more than 25 years of international sales and business development experience, Davies has been instrumental in helping organizations achieve lasting sales success. A passionate, innovative, and award-winning sales coach, he is recognized for transforming potential into profitable performance.
“A partner-centric approach respects your partners as equals and understands that they are your extended sales force.” —Marcus Cauchi & David Davies
2018 Columnists
TOP SALES MAGAZINE AUGUST 2018 5
For 2018, our regular columnists will provide thought-provoking commentary on a widerange of sales issues, specifically, the hot-topics that are the most relevant and indeed, themost significant.
2018 Columnists
Tiffani Bova is the globalcustomer growth andinnovation evangelist atSalesforce. Tiffani is a highlysought after keynote speakerand also a regular contributorto HuffPost, Harvard BusinessReview, and Forbes.
TiffaniBova
Tony Hughes is an experiencedCEO and teaches 'modernizedselling' within the MBA programat the University of Technology,Sydney. His first book was TheJoshua Principle, LeadershipSecrets of Selling and his second,COMBO Prospecting.
Tony J.Hughes
Founder of Richardson, Lindais a thought leader in the fieldof sales performance. She isalso the author of numerousbooks including Changing theSales Conversation whichfocuses on technology and thenew buyer.
LindaRichardson
Brian Sullivan is Vice Presidentof Sandler Enterprise Selling atSandler Training. He is also thecoauthor of Sandler EnterpriseSelling: Winning, Growing andRetaining Major Accounts.
BrianSullivan
Jim Dickie is a CoFounder andResearch Fellow for CSOInsights; an independentresearch division of MillerHeiman Group and has servedas an advisor to numerousacademic institutions.
Dave Kurlan is the founder andCEO of Objective ManagementGroup, Inc. (OMG) and Kurlan& Associates, Inc. He is alsothe author of the bestsellerBaseline Selling.
DaveKurlan
Tamara Schenk is researchdirector at CSO Insights, andone of the world’s leadingexperts on sales enablement.Prior to joining CSOI, Tamaraled the global sales forceenablement and transformationteam at TSystems.
Tamara Schenk
Michelle Vazzana is a foundingpartner and CEO at VantagePoint Performance, and the coauthor of Cracking the SalesManagement Code: The Secretsto Measuring and ManagingSales Performance. Michelle
Vazzana
JimDickie
TOP SALES MAGAZINE AUGUST 20186
We have also brought together some of the most experienced, successful and forward-thinking sales experts on the planet, to contribute regularly.
2018 Feature Writers
Dr Tony AlessandraHallofFame Keynote Speakerand Founder ofAssessments24x7.com
Joanne BlackFounder, No More ColdCalling® Best selling author.
George BronténFounder & CEO of Membrain,AwardWinning Blogger &Software Pioneer.
Deb CalvertPresident, People FirstProductivity Solutions. Authorof DISCOVER Questions GetYou Connected.
Frank V. CespedesTeaches at Harvard BusinessSchool; author of AligningStrategy and Sales.
Kevin EikenberryChief Potential Officer, TheKevin Eikenberry Group.
Colleen FrancisPresident and Founder ofEngage Selling Solutions andbestselling author of NonstopSales Boom.
Barb GiamancoKeynote Speaker, Author,Corporate Webcast Host SocialCentered Selling CEO.
Julie HansenPresident, Performance Salesand Training, Author of SalesPresentations for Dummies.
Jill HarringtonPresident, SalesSHIFT. Authorof Uncommon Sense , 2017 TopSales Book of the Year.
Joe GalvinChief Research Officer VistageWorldwide.
Jim CathcartBestselling author ofRelationship Selling + 17 otherbooks. Top 1% TEDx video.
2018 Feature Writers
TOP SALES MAGAZINE AUGUST 2018 7
Graham HawkinsCEO & Founder, SalesTribe.Author of The Future of theSales Profession.
Dan McDadeCEO, Founder of PointClear.Awardwinning blogger(ViewPoint), author, speaker.
Mark Hunter“The Sales Hunter,”prospecting thought leader andauthor of bestselling book,“High-Profit Prospecting.”
Jason JordanPartner at Vantage Point andAuthor of Cracking the SalesManagement Code.
Jill KonrathKeynote Speaker, Author, 3 Bestselling Sales Books,AwardWinning Sales Blogger.
Bernadette McClellandHead of Sales Transformationand Enablement at SalesLeaders Global Pty Limited.
Dave MattsonCEO & President of SandlerTraining.
Cian McLoughlinB2B Win/Loss Analysis Expert,Award Winning Blogger &Author ‘Rebirth of the Salesman’
Keith RosenAward winning author, CEO ofProfit Builders and founder ofCoachquest.
Colleen StanleyPresident of SalesLeadership,Inc., Best Selling Author ofEmotional Intelligence for SalesSuccess …”
Dan WeinfurterDan Weinfurter is currently themanaging partner of ChicagoGrowth Consultants LLC.
Jay MitchellPresident, Mereo LLCRevenue Performance Advisorand Board Member.
TOP SALES MAGAZINE AUGUST 20188
Together We Are Moving the NeedleToward More Women in Sales
First, I must thank Jonathan Farrington and TopSales World – a publication that, from the verystart, was cognizant of sharing diverse
viewpoints and whose regular columnists are 50%women, plus many female feature writers. It wasnever done to “hit a quota” but rather for a wealth ofopinions and discussions – thereby making it abetter, richer publication.
That’s not unlike what an inclusive sales team
exhibits – diverse ideas, strategies for different waysto grow a relationship with a buyer, and new ordifferent ideas to work with future buyers on theirjourneys.
In my early sales career I was hired as the firstwoman seller at a particular tech company. Withinthree months I closed a multimillion dollar deal mymale predecessor could not even get a meeting for– because the buyer didn’t like his aggressive andegotistical style. They had excluded us from thestart. I had no big ego and I was determined to atleast get a meeting. One thing led to another andwe won this high visibility opportunity. To this day Ibelieve it wasn’t because I was a woman, butbecause I had a different approach – an approachneeded after reading the situation throughempathy.
Today I’m thrilled to see so many efforts in
It is an honor to write aguest editorial again thisyear for Top Sales World’s“Women in Sales” issue –
so many things are happening thatdeserve sharing.
Editorial
addition to TSW happening to encourage morewomen in sales than ever:
l The AAISP (for inside sales professionals)regularly including Women Sales Pros andencouraging discussions in chapters around theworld about more women in sales. Meet us inDublin on Nov. 13.
l Research being done to understand root issues ofthis business challenge which might seem like awomen’s issue but is really a business issue.Thanks to Dr. Joel LeBon of University ofHouston who partnered with me and WomenSales Pros this year, and to companies likeGong.io who are spending dollars and time ondata collection and will be reporting on the datasoon. The data always surprises audiences –especially when we share that the number offemale sales leaders has been flat for over 10years – even though more women are collegegraduates, women can be great in sales, andwomen can be great leaders.
l New podcasts like Conversations with Women inSales with host Barbara Giamanco to let otherwomen (and men) hear the journeys of womenwho are succeeding in a big way is sales andleadership roles.
l New programs like #GirlsClub which will trainhigh potential women to sales leader roles upongraduation. This program is nearly free forparticipants, is supported by sponsorship, and isthe brainchild of Lauren Bailey, President ofFactor 8.
l The Enterprise Sales Forum declaring October as“Women in Sales” month (watch for events)
l Services like Innovation Women which is aspeaker’s bureau of women who speak oninnovation, technology, sales, change and more.
l NAWSP (National Association of Women SalesProfessionals) led by Cynthia Barnes
Male allies in thousands of companies who willspeak up – that there should be women on a panel in
addition to men invited, or who not only know howto be a mentor or sponsor to future talent butencourage it. They are not phased by other menwho are now not willing to meet at work privatelywith a rising star (who happens to be female) for fearof backlash. This is a real issue. Thank you to themen who have found ways to keep supportingwomen. They may choose to have a small group tomentor instead of a oneonone situation now, orthey are confident enough and professional enoughto simply mentor people. They know what isprofessional and what is not professional. We needmore allies like that.
There is still a lot of work to be done. I amhopeful because of all of the positive support I’veseen from companies wanting to sponsor women insales events, and who are actively making changesinternally, so women feel more comfortable to join asales organization and grow in a sales organization.
Please share your successes and stories onTwitter – notify us via @womensalespros and#WomenInSales.
If we are successful with inclusion in sales teams,it will be due to a group effort.
Men in sales leader roles find out what theright actions are to make a difference.
Women, keep supporting other women. Shareyour story about how a sales career has helped you.
Sales is an admirable profession, and nothinghappens until someone sells something in acompany.
We can do this. n
Lori Richardson is a sales strategist with hercompany, Score More Sales and President
of Women Sales Pros. As the Voice for MoreWomen in Sales and Sales Leadership in
industries with male majority salesorganizations, she travels around NorthAmerica and Europe teaching what the
research shows for inclusive salesteams and more ROI.
Learn about Women Sales Pros here
TOP SALES MAGAZINE AUGUST 2018 9
TOP SALES MAGAZINE AUGUST 201810
The One Thing Is ... It Is Never One ThingWhen It Comes To “Growth”
JF: Tiffani, let’s begin by you telling us about yournew book, GROWTH IQ.TB: Growing your company has become morecomplex than ever, but throughout my experience atSalesforce and Gartner, as well as fifteen yearsrunning sales, marketing, and customer serviceorganizations, I’ve realized two important thingsabout growth: 1) there are really only ten paths toachieve it, and 2) the real challenge isn’t knowingwhat those strategies are, but knowing when,where, and why to use each one. In GROWTH IQ, Ioutline the ten key paths to growth and teachcompanies to make the right series of choices at theright time to soar past competitors on the growthcurve.
JF: How can companies determine which growthstrategies to use when?
TB: This is where context is key. Understanding yourcurrent economic climate, existing product mix,competitive landscape and customer base isessential to creating a growth strategy that sets youup for success. What is happening in consumerspending patterns? What technology advancementshave happened which you can capitalize on? Howare people engaging with brands? What is thesentiment towards big social issues? The insights wecan glean from these questions are invaluable.
It’s also important to remember that context isnot a onceinayear topic to review. Companiesshould always be looking for patterns and signalsthat change is on the horizon and be willing tochange their strategies accordingly.
JF: Optimizing sales is one of the paths you outlinein the book. How can companies use salesoptimization as part of their growth strategy?TB: It has always amazed me how muchmisperception there is about the role that sales playsin a company’s ability to grow. Sales is the momentof truth for any company. All of the sweat and tearsthat have gone into developing products and
Jonathan FarringtonInterviews Tiffani Bova,author of GROWTH IQ
The Jonathan Farrington Interview
executing marketing campaigns hopefully lead tosales.
Companies have to be good at bringingcustomers to their products, and especially as thecustomer experience continues to play a greater rolein buying decisions, companies need to pay as muchattention to how they sell as to what they’re selling.It is more important than ever to meet customerswhere and how they want to buy, with the rightproducts and services, at the right time, in aseamless, frictionless manner.
JF: What are some potential pitfalls companies canfall into when they attempt to use salesoptimization as a path to growth?TB: Optimizing sales should be a constant,underlying focus for any company that “sells” aproduct or service, but companies that make salesoptimization a key focus for their growth strategyneed to be careful that they don’t get trapped by theparadox of hitting numbers now versus improvingsales for future quarters or years ahead. I coined theterm “Seller’s Dilemma,” playing off ClaytonChristensen’s The Innovator’s Dilemma, to describethis paradox while at Gartner many years ago—andthis concept is still relevant today. Because salesexecutives are often pressured to work harder andharder to achieve revenue goals, they aren’t able tocome up for air to look at how they are selling. Thismeans that current sales practices, processes, andorganizational structure may in fact be hinderingtheir growth more than any external factor theybelieve they are facing.
This isn’t a new issue, but what has changed isthe ease with which companies can now identifyareas to improve because of new technology. Nowmore than ever, we have the potential to be smartersellers if we leverage AI, machine learning, CRM,marketing automation, and the other tools at ourdisposal.
JF: How did sales optimization play out forSalesforce as a growth strategy?
TB: Salesforce was built around the one main ideathat software should be delivered 24/7 to peopleover the cloud by taking the benefits of the“consumer Web to the business world.” But beingfirst doesn’t always guarantee success. Salesforceknew that it needed to be better not only at itstechnology but at the way it sold if it was going towin against market leader Siebel early on, andeventually Oracle (which purchased Siebel) and SAP.In order to win against these much larger softwarecompanies, Salesforce knew it needed to focus onbuilding a highperforming sales culture.
Not only did Salesforce’s cloudbased serviceallow customers to learn about it, subscribe, and getstarted easily, but Salesforce also embraced“freemium” in a way that was unheard of forcompetitors like Oracle, Siebel, or SAP at the time.By offering a free functional trial for five users for ayear, Salesforce allowed customers to try out itsservice while generating buzz and creating anopportunity to receive live customer feedback. n
TOP SALES MAGAZINE AUGUST 2018 11
Tiffani Bova is the global customer growth andinnovation evangelist at Salesforce and author
of Growth IQ. Tiffani is a highly sought afterkeynote speaker and also a regular contributor
to HuffPost, Harvard Business Review, andForbes. She has interviewed guests ranging
from Dan Pink to Arianna Huffington on her“What’s Next!” podcast and her insights have
helped companies—Microsoft, Cisco, IBM,Oracle, SAP, Dell, and AmazonAWS amongthem—expand their market share and growtheir revenues. Tiffani is also a top Twitter
influencer in customer experience, sales, AI,the future of work, cloud, and marketing with
more than one million Twitter impressions permonth, as well as over 150,000 LinkedIn viewsper month. Her book GROWTH IQ: Get Smarterabout the Choices That Will Make Or Break Your
Business will be published by Portfolio onAugust 14. You can preorder it here
There’s always been bias against women insales, and anyone else with different colorskin, ethnicity, or beliefs. Today’s rallying cry is
to attract more women in sales. But what if womendon’t want a career in sales?
Sales is a fulltime job, which today means almost24/7. It wasn’t that way in previous generations.Women and men worked, but they were home fordinner with their families—precious time that’s beentaken away from us in today’s world. Perhaps that’swhy Millennials are more likely than their parentsand grandparents to pause their careers to care forchildren. A Harvard Business School alumni surveyfound that 37 percent of Millennial women (42percent of those married) and 13 percent ofMillennial men expect such career interruptions.
There’s an even bigger problem for women intech sales. If they pause their careers, they might
have trouble restarting them. Technology advancesso quickly that these women might never catch up.What are companies doing to keep these valuablewomen current? Obviously, not enough. What theyshould be doing is developing a program to keepthese valuable employees uptodate on technologyadvances, policy changes, customer feedback, andanything else they need to know. How often and inwhat format? Ask them what they need and want.
There’s another wrinkle. Women aren’t applyingfor sales positions. Sales leaders tell me it takes anintentional effort to find women who even want asales career. Lack of work/life balance might be onefactor. Some might be turned off because sales has abad reputation (think about the usedcar salesmanstereotype). Others just probably never thoughtabout a career in sales. I never did. Or maybe they’veheard stories from women who applied for salesjobs, went through many interviews, and lost out tomen. Unfortunately, that’s not uncommon.
Making progress is tough when governments andbusinesses are dominated by men. Where are therole models for today’s women? Remember thecenturies of smart, talented women who refused tobe secondbest, who fought their way to the top andpulled other women up with them? It’s up to us toencourage and support the women in our lives andcreate a workplace for them to thrive—sooner,rather than later. n
It was 1936. My mom graduated with a degree in finance from SyracuseUniversity, but she couldn’t get a job at a bank. They didn’t hire women,even as tellers. That was 16 years after the 19th Amendment to the U.S.Constitution granted suffrage for women. We’ve come a long way sincethen, but some industries and professions still have miles and miles to go.
Why Women Don’t Want to Work for You
Joanne Black
TOP SALES MAGAZINE AUGUST 2018 13
Joanne Black is America’s leading authority onreferral selling. To learn more, visit
www.NoMoreColdCalling.com.
Top 50 SalesBooks 2018
Sales Enablement: A Master Framework to Engage, Equip, andEmpower A World-Class Sales Force by Byron Matthews and Tamara Schenk“Sales Enablement: A Master Framework to Engage, Equip and Empower a WorldClass Sales Force” is the turnkey roadmap for sales leaders and sales enablementprofessionals who are serious about building a stateoftheart sales force. Thiscomprehensive guide shows you how to orchestrate a sustainable system ofcontent, training, coaching, and technology along with proven best practices forequipping your sales teams with everything they need to succeed. Buy Here8
Stop Selling and Start Leading: How to Make Extraordinary SalesHappen by James M. Kouzes, Barry Z. Posner and Deb CalvertIn the Age of the Customer, sales effectiveness depends mightily on the buyerexperience. Despite nearlyuniversal agreement on the need for creating value inevery step of the buyer’s journey, sellers continue to struggle with how to createthat value and connect meaningfully with buyers. New research bridges the gapand reveals the behavioral blueprint for sellers that makes buyers more likely tomeet with them — and more likely to buy from them. Buy Here8
The Long-Distance Leader: Rules for Remarkable Remote Leadershipby Kevin Eikenberry and Wayne TurmelLeadership First, Locations Second. As more organizations adopt a remote workforce,the challenges of leading at a distance become more urgent than ever. The authorsshow leaders how to guide their teams by recalling the foundational principles ofleadership whether their teams are scattered globally or just working from home afew days a week. Their "ThreeO" Model refocuses leaders to think about outcomes,others, and ourselveselements of leadership that remain unchanged, whetheremployees are down the hall or halfway around the world. Buy Here8
It really has been a bumper year so far and the quality of writingexceptional. There are 17 new entries and we do hope youenjoy our selections. Please don’t hesitate to pass this on to afriend, colleague, superior or significant other …
Download Your Copy Here
And here we have selected some of our favorites that have been published or aredue to publish in 2018
Growth IQ: Get Smarter About the Choices that Will Make or BreakYour Business by Tiffani BovaTiffani Bova travels around the world helping companies solve their most vexingproblem. Whether she's presenting to a Fortune 500 board of directors orbrainstorming over coffee with a startup founder, Bova cuts through the clutterand confusion that surround growth. Now, she draws on her decades ofexperience and more than thirty fascinating, indepth business stories todemonstrate the opportunitiesand pitfallsof each of the ten growth paths, howthey work together, and how they apply to business today. Buy Here8
Sales Leadership: The Essential Leadership Framework to CoachSales Champions, Inspire Excellence and Exceed Your Business Goalsby Keith RosenImagine a world where you're excited to go to work without fear, stress or worry.Your boss is always available to provide unconditional support. At the end of theday, you feel acknowledged and accomplished; knowing you've done meaningfulwork. Most important, you don't sacrifice your priorities, values, family, happinessor life for your job. If this sounds like a crazy, polyynic fantasy, this is a reality inmany thriving organizations. Buy Here8
Rule of 24: The Future of B2B Client Engagement by Robert D. Riefstahl and Daniel J. ConwayMassive change is upon us and business to business (B2B) sales organizations arebreaking down. The old sales strategies aren’t working like they used to—you usedto know exactly how to be effective, but now you’re not so sure. Competitorshave raced ahead and there are only two options left: Embrace the change. Orignore it and fall behind. Inside Rule of 24, authors Robert D. Riefstahl and DanielJ. Conway show you how to not only survive but thrive and dominate sellingsoftware in the new digital landscape. Buy Here8
Race To Amazing – Your Fast-Track To Sales Leadership by Krista MooreToday's top sales leaders realize that if they want to implement change in theirpeople and their organizations, they have to be selfaware enough to changethemselves. There is an urgent need for companies to have outstanding salesleadership, in order to innovate, continue to create customer loyalty, strategicallycompete in global economies, and win new business against disruptivecompetitors. Race To Amazing is your fast track to sales leadership development. Buy Here8
Combo Prospecting: The Powerful One-Two Punch That Fills YourPipeline and Wins Sales by Tony HughesUnleash a killer combination of old and new sales strategies. How do you breakthrough to impossibletoreach executive buyers who are intent on blocking outthe noise that confronts them every day? Oldschool prospecting tactics or newschool techniques alone won't provide the answers This book reveals today's newbreed of Chief Executive Buyers, the channels they use, the value narrative youneed, and the mix of methods that works. Buy Here8
TOP SALES MAGAZINE AUGUST 201816
The Dirty Secret About Women in Sales
However, this line of thinking was largelyunsatisfying because it doesn’t accuratelyreflect the very unique challenge we face as
women in sales. The biggest and most poignantchallenge we face is the very real problem of beingtreated in ways that are less than professional andpersonally demoralizing, not only by men in thecompanies in which we work, but also by men in theclient organizations to whom we sell.
While I truly believe women in today’s sales
forces have it better than I did, it is still a tale thatneeds to be told and a problem that needs attention.Yes, I’m talking about sexual harassment. Although Iwould need more than a mere blog to regale theunwanted attention I received, I’ll share a few thornyexamples of the challenges I faced as a woman insales.
I remember entering the workforce eager,excited to be in sales, and completely unpreparedfor what I was about to encounter. I accepted my
When I first contemplated what to write for Top Sales World’s women insales edition, my mind immediately went to the unique attributes typicallyassociated with the female gender. I began to consider our tendency to begood listeners, show empathy, and patiently guide our clients towardsolutions. `
Michelle Vazzana
first sales job as a sales representative for atelecommunications company selling telephonesystems. I had a wonderful female sales managerwho coached me and helped teach me the ins andouts of selling in the telecom world. I was excited,working hard, and soaking up as much as I couldfrom this heroine of sales. I made my first few salesvery quickly and was on my way to a successful year.Unfortunately, that year was cut short when thepresident of the company propositioned me,indicating that my future success could be stronglyimpacted by a personal relationship with him. I wasstunned. This man was married and more than twicemy age, but there it was. I had a situation to dealwith and my path was clear: Have an affair or moveon. I moved on. A bit worse for the wear, but stillhopeful.
Next, at the tender age of 22 and still naive andhopeful, I had the good fortune to land a job as amarketing representative with a large technologycompany. This was the perfect venue in which tocut my teeth and learn to survive and thrive as awoman in sales. My first real surprise at occurredwhile I was on a sales call. I inherited a territoryfrom a very successful female sales representativewho had been promoted to a major account role.One of our primary sources of revenue was toupgrade equipment in our existing account base. Itwas from one of these “existing accounts” that theworst surprise was delivered. About 15 minutesinto my sales call, I learned that two men I wasmeeting with were quite fond of the priorsalesperson. When I inquired what she had done toearn their trust and admiration, they responded bytelling me that she was quite adept at performing aparticular sexual act. I was speechless. Once I gotmy bearings, I told them that I was going to pretendthat this hadn’t happened, then I cut the call shortand returned to the office. When I returned for mynext sales call, I had my male sales manager in tow.Although one of the men pulled me aside andapologized, it was too late. The damage was done.My scars were adding up.
Another nasty surprise came when I waspromoted to a sales training position at the samelarge technology company. My beloved salesmanager revealed to me that he been waiting forthe time I’d no longer report to him so that we couldproceed with the affair he knew we both wanted. When I expressed my surprise and dismay at his bigreveal, he proceeded to chase me around a table.This marked a new low point in my career. I careddeeply for this man, whom I admired, looked up to,and thought the world of. I just didn’t care for him inthe same way he professed to care for me. I wasdevastated. How could I handle this situation withgrace, maintain my dignity, and not crush him? Idecided honesty was the best policy and let himdown gently. As you might imagine, our relationshipwas never the same. I felt I’d lost my mentor andone of my best friends. It was truly heartbreaking.Although none of my other harassment encounterswere as devastating as the ones I’ve shared, theywere frequent and unrelenting. And I know myexperience is, sadly, far from unique. As women,we’ve had to navigate and endure situations thatleave us vulnerable and belittled.
I believe one of the most positive changes I’veseen in the business environment recently is adedication to sexual harassment training. The olddays when “anything goes” seem to be dwindling,and a new respect for boundaries is emerging. Myhope for women entering the sales professiontoday is that they encounter a more dignifiedenvironment where they are valued more for theircontributions than their measurements. I have seena positive trend toward respectful salesenvironments and a lower tolerance forinappropriate behavior. I sincerely hope that thistrend continues so that women can breathe a sighof relief and get down to the business of selling. n
TOP SALES MAGAZINE AUGUST 2018 17
Michelle Vazzana is CEO ofVantage Point Performance.
Find out more here
TOP SALES MAGAZINE AUGUST 201818
Irecently tested this theory with a group of 22senior managers who represented all functionalareas of an organization. Before we moved into
the workshop topic of “unconscious bias,” I askedthem to draw a picture of a typical salesperson.That’s all they got from me no instructions at allabout stereotypes or perceptions or what else toinclude in their drawings.
Over half of their pictures had prominent dollarsigns (four showed dollar signs in the sellers’ eyes).Seven showed a dominant seller standing over acowering buyer. All 22 pictures featured a man.
I didn’t expect that. The dollar signs anddominating personas weren’t a surprise. But the lack
of female sellers gave me a jolt. I asked the groupwhy they didn’t draw women. Their answers rangedfrom “There aren’t any women who call on me” to“Women are different. They don’t seem so pushy.”
You’ve probably seen some of the data thatsuggests women are more effective in sellingbecause they listen better and empathize more withbuyers. I’m an advocate for all sellers to step up theircommunication and connecting skills, and I don’tbelieve that all women are more effective in sellingthan all men. But maybe there’s something to this,something we can learn from these buyerperceptions about how sellers are showing up.
CSO Insights reported in “The Growing Buyer
Maybe It’s Not about Gender Stereotypes about sellers and the sales profession are not changing for thebetter. After conducting extensive research with buyers about preferredseller behaviors, I’ve started thinking that B2B buyers – now more thanever – have an extremely negative perception about sellers in general.
Deb Calvert
Seller Gap” that 65.2% of buyers in their study foundvalue in discussing their situations with sellers (vs. AIor DIY). In the research conducted for “Stop Selling& Start Leading,” buyers told us that the behaviorthey want to see most frequently in sellers include“the seller answers my questions in a timely andrelevant manner” and “the seller engages me in twoway dialogue about my needs.” Taken together,there is ample evidence that buyers are veryinterested in working with sellers who listen,respond, and dignify what buyers are telling them.
Which begs the question. Are women better ableto have the kinds of conversations that buyers wantto have? Some would say that’s absolutely true.
I’m not so quick to draw this conclusion. I’m afield sales coach and a buyer. I observe sellers. I buyfrom sellers. I also conduct research with buyers.Aside from these hints about seller stereotypes,there isn’t complete and compelling data that proveswomen are “better” in any way or have inherenttraits that better equip them to sell.
What’s more, I’ve yet to hear a buyer say thatthey would prefer to buy from a woman. What theysay, instead, is that they prefer to buy from sellerswho exhibit certain behaviors more frequently. I’mjust not convinced that gender is the differentiatorthat leads to more sales.
This may be an unpopular position for a strong,successful woman in sales to take. Here’s why I’msticking to my position.
First, I don’t believe there are any traits orcharacteristics or skills that are unique to women. Ifsome women have certain tendencies to behave theway buyers prefer, then so do some men. I’ve seenpeople of every gender identity succeed in sales. I’vealso seen women fail in selling because they did notchoose the behaviors that buyers prefer.
Second, based on research with buyers, we knowthat sellers of all genders succeed more when theychoose to step into leadership. Buyers want sellersto guide them using The Five Practices of ExemplaryLeadership® (an evidencebased framework ofleadership developed by Jim Kouzes and Barry
Posner). Leadership behaviors require no specialtalent, skill, or traits. They simply require a choice.That’s accessible to anyone.
Finally, when it comes to comparing men andwomen in selling, we must acknowledge that thestereotypes are more attached to men becausesalesmen still hold the majority of sales roles. Wedon’t have “used car saleswoman” stereotypesbecause we don’t have movies about or experienceswith used car saleswomen. This is patently unfair tomen who are burdened with stereotypes they didn’tcreate and largely reject. The people in my testgroup drew pictures of men because they’reaccustomed to seeing men doing the work of selling.
And that, in my opinion, is why women have anadvantage when it comes to selling. Women aren’tsaddled with these stereotypes. They don’tautomatically compare themselves to or getcompared by others to the “Wolf of Wall Street” and“Glengarry Glen Ross” characters. Women have acertain liberty in selling that men do not. Becausethere aren’t as many examples of women sellers, thisgeneration of women sellers has a uniqueopportunity to make its mark.
Women can lead in our profession by putting anew face on sales. Women who choose careers inselling can reframe buyer perceptions. The morewomen who enter selling, the more the oldstereotypes will fade away. This benefits everyonewho wants to succeed in selling and is willing to putaway those old salesy behaviors and replace themwith leadership behaviors that buyers prefer.
It starts with communicating in ways that buyersprefer. Every seller, regardless of gender, is capableof answering questions, engaging in twowaydialogue, and listening effectively. Every seller iscapable of leading, and every buyer is waiting for theseller who will. n
Deb Calvert is President of People First Productivity Solutions.
Find out more here
TOP SALES MAGAZINE AUGUST 2018 19
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TOP SALES WORLDINSPIRING THE GLOBAL SALES COMMUNITY
Tiffani Bova David Mattson Babette Ten Haken Diane Helbig
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Diane Helbig
You have buyer’s remorse. If you can get out ofthe purchase, you do. If not, you’re stuck.Either way, your relationship with that
company is forever damaged. You don’t evenexplore buying from them again. They’ve lost, notonly the opportunity to do business with you butalso potentially with the people you know.
It’s important as salespeople that we avoidcreating buyer’s remorse with our prospects andcustomers. That can be difficult, especially if we’refocused on making the sale. Buyer’s remorsehappens when the sales person is more concernedwith closing the deal than he is with making sure theprospect’s needs are met.
How do we make sure we aren’t THATsalesperson? Strange as it may sound, the first thingto do is forget about selling. Yep, that’s right! Don’tthink about making a sale. When we are focused onselling we convince ourselves that every person we
speak with is a potential client. Our energy isdirected toward convincing them that we havesomething they need. We miss any and all signalsthey may be sending.
Those signals could telegraph the person is not aqualified prospect. Either they don’t need what youhave to sell, they can’t afford it, or they are a difficultcustomer.
So, rather than focus on selling, think aboutlearning as much as you can. What does theprospect need? What do they want? What are theirpriorities? What’s their budget? How do theyoperate? What do they value?
You get the point! When you focus on discoveryyou really learn where the prospect is, and whetheryou have something they need or want. Matchingyour solution to their situation eliminates the risk ofremorse or regret. They will see and understand thevalue of your product or service. They’ll be eager tobuy from you.
At the same time, when you engage in discoverythere will be times when you will determine youcan’t help them. Wonderful! Don’t try to make itwork. Just tell them honestly what the situation is.Not only will they respect you, but they’ll refer youto others. And there may come a time when yourproduct or service is a good fit. You’ll be the personthey call.
Wouldn’t you rather have buyers who are glad tobuy from you? of course! It makes everyone’s worldbetter, and easier. So, don’t be a salesperson.Instead be curious and open to discovering whetheryou can help. If you can, good. If you can’t, equallygood. You will avoid causing buyer’s remorse. n
Diane Helbig President of Seize This Day, isthe author of Lemonade Stand Selling and
Expert Insights, host of Accelerate YourBusiness Growth podcast, and BusinessGrowth Acceleration internet TV show.
Visit www.SeizeThisDay.co to learn more.
TOP SALES MAGAZINE AUGUST 2018 21
How to Avoid Causing Buyer’s Remorse We’ve all experienced it.You seek to buy something,get an aggressivesalesperson, and grudginglymake a purchase. Within 24
hours you are seriously regretting thepurchase.
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Selling in the Cyber Age: Why Your ListeningSkills Matter More Than Ever
Many questioned how women in sales couldpossibly travel with men, specificallymarried men. That of course was only one
of the innumerable obstacles women faced in sales—starting with the most common one, namely arewomen tough enough to close?
Much has changed since then. Today, women fillsales and leadership roles across industries. Womensuch as Mary Barra, CEO of General Motors, aremaking their mark even in industries that aretypically maledominated. Ms. Barra has changedthe automotive industry by putting the customer atthe center of every decision and by pushing GM todevelop the Chevy Bolt EV, beating rival Tesla in
developing the first electric car with a range of 200. Yet, when I think back to my early sales seminars I
remember how with client after client I could nothelp observing one thing: the women were thestrong listeners able to “hear a pin drop” when itcame to customer needs, while the men were thestrong closers. As coaches, my team and I worked toshow how valuable both skills were across genders.
While the gap between Venus and Mars isshrinking, and certainly many men are very goodlisteners , in general women continue to hold thelead in listening. And today this is especially goodnews. In the age of cyber superior listening skills willbe an extraordinary advantage.
When I founded Richardson over 30 years ago, in addition to designingcontent and selling I taught sales and sales leadership. Most of my clientsand seminar participants were men. In those days, women in B2B saleswere considered an oddity.
Linda Richardson
Over the past few decades the presence ofwomen literally and figuratively has changed theface of selling—especially in B2B sales. Women havebeen a part of the transition from product selling toconsultative selling to insight selling. Today anotherlarge scale change is happening in selling: theinternet has become the formidable competitor. It isthe real disrupter in sales. With the meteoric rise ofconsumerdriven ecommerce, technology isreplacing or supplementing many sales jobs, evenhighlevel ones.
How do you make sure technology does notreplace you? That you must bring relevant ideas andtechnical expertise to your clients is a given. Butwhile technology can or soon will deliver productsolutions to clients more quickly, efficiently, andcheaply, technology is not good at relationships.That is where your edge in listeners comes in.
In the new hightech world, personal connectingwill become more and more difficult. The times tomeet or speak in person will become fewer andfewer, which means that there will be less time tomake a vital human connection. This is why activeand acute listening, whether face to face, by phone,or email/text will give the edge.
Listening is a vestibule to empathy, and in manyways, it is empathy in action. It enables you to buildreciprocal trust. As you listen, you create arelationship in which you, too, are heard.
Selling has come full circle. Old selling waspushing product. As sales advanced, client needsand customized solutions became the watchwords.Next came insights. These are shoulders to build onbut today they are not enough to stand on.
.That today’s professionals lack the ability torelate interpersonally was underscored by LinkedInresearch that identified interpersonal or soft skills asthe number one skill that is lacking in employees inthe job market. The skill gap was three times higherin the U.S. than software engineering. LinkedInresearch also showed that based on descriptions ofjob openings in 2018, the leading soft skill neededwas leadership followed by communication and
collaboration. All of these require listeningwithoutit the empathy and compassion needed to buildrelationships are almost impossible.
Of course you bring technical value to yourclients. But my advice to you is to leverage yourlistening skills and start each sale with your heart—and then to listen to the client’s heart. Ask yourselfwhat does this client need and how can I make adifference? The ability to empathize with clients andshow that you are aware of their needs and feelingsis the key to sales success in the age of technologyassisted and soon to be technologyled sales.
Push beyond how you feel and how the saleimpacts you to find out how your clients feel andthink about their objectives and careers. Withsolutions just one click away and devices taking onthe role of a seller, you will make a difference bymaking the connection personal. n
Linda Richardson is the founder ofRichardson, a best selling author and
consultant, Faculty Wharton Graduate School.Find out more here
TOP SALES MAGAZINE AUGUST 201824
5 Ways to Improve Your ExecutivePresence and Increase Your Influence
While not a gender issue specifically,executive presence is especially criticalfor women who are still struggling to get
a seat at the decisionmakers table in manyindustries and organizations. In fact, executivepresence has been estimated to account for as muchas 28 percent of a woman’s success, according toSylvia Ann Hewlett, the author of ExecutivePresence: The Missing Link Between Merit andSuccess.
For those of us in sales and leadership roles,executive presence can perhaps best be describedas the ability to influence with confidence, credibilityand clarity. Without the ability to successfullyinfluence others, your sales or leadership career willbe shortlived. Can you influence people withoutexecutive presence? Sure. But it’s like trying to makea jump shot with a weight belt on it’s harder than it
needs to be and you’re going to miss a lot of shots.A handful of salespeople have approached me
because their manager specifically said they need towork on their executive presence. But mostsalespeople and sales leaders are unaware that alack of executive presence is at the root of theirproblem. They are much more likely to recognizetheir lack of influence in statements like these:
l “I have a hard time controlling meetings.”l “I am more qualified than my peers yet they’re
getting promoted before me.”l “My team acts like they’re listening to me, but
they don’t take my suggestions.”
The good news is this: If you improve your executivepresence, you improve your influence. Here are fiveways where you can quickly and dramatically
Executive Presence is a fuzzy term that’s often used to describe a host ofsoft skills and qualities, from body language to dress to emotionalintelligence, deemed necessary for selling to the C-suite, moving up in anorganization, or motivating a team or individual to adopt new ideas orbehaviors.
Julie Hansen
increase your EP – and your influence in sales.
Five Ways to Increase your ExecutivePresence:
1. Assume equal status. Authentic executivepresence starts on the inside and radiates outward.Status, or the way you feel about yourself in relationto another person, affects everything from yourbody language (eye contact, gestures, facialexpressions) to the sound, quality and strength ofyour voice, to the words you choose.
You convey status subconsciously to yourlistener before you even open your mouth. Whenyou assume a lower status, your body, voice andwords reflect that low status, and your listener treatsyou like someone with lower status. And vice versa.
To be treated as an equal, you need to assumeequal status with your audience. Seeing yourself as atrusted advisor, subject matter expert orexperienced leader is a vital first step to developingexecutive presence.
2. Cut to the chase. Steve Jobs captivated audiencesby slowly winding his way to a final dramatic revealin his presentations. Abraham Lincoln led thecountry with long, detailed stories before finallymaking his point. But you and I live in a fastpacedworld where clarity and succinctness is not justappreciated, it’s demanded, especially the higheryou go in the organization.
How long does it take you to get to the point? Isyour prologue to help the audience – or is it simplyto make you more comfortable? Increase your EPinstantly by cutting to the chase and starting withwhat’s of greatest interest to your listener. Thatcould be a key issue, a benefit, or an insight.Whatever it is, get there fast – within thirty seconds.
3. Move with purpose. Movement has a hugeimpact on other people’s perception so managingyour executive presence means managing yourmovement. Many business people who try to
emulate the seemingly casual wanderings of SteveJob’s don’t realize that Job’s movement wasanything but casual. His presentations andmovement were purposeful and planned down tothe microsecond.
While you don’t need to plan out every move,your movement also needs to be purposeful andsupport what you’re saying, not compete with it.Your purpose can be simple, e.g., to connect with anaudience member, or to write on a whiteboard.Whatever it is, tying your movement to a purposewill amplify your executive presence.
4. Eliminate vague language. Be purposeful in yourword choice as well. Decisiveness and confidenceare key leadership traits and language peppered withvague words like “maybe, sort of, kinda…”communicates uncertainty to your listener. Get clearon your message and commit to it 100% by choosingstrong, specific language.
5. Speak with intention. What lies underneath yourwords – your intention – influences as much as thewords you use. Think of all the different ways thewords “I’m sorry” can be said. It’s meaning changesbased on what the intention is. People who speakwith intention are very clear about how they wantyou to feel about what they’re saying. Whether it’sexcited, convinced, or reassured, strong, clearintentions produce strong emotions and passion inyou – and strong reactions in your audience. n
Women in Sales: Want to Unleash YourExecutive Presence?! I’m excited to team up
with Women Sales Pros to help women in salesdevelop their executive presence and
communicate with greater influence, and helpcompanies promote women into leadership and
grow revenues. For information on ourExecutive Presence for Women in Sales
Workshops, coaching and sponsorshipopportunities, click here
TOP SALES MAGAZINE AUGUST 2018 25
TOP SALES MAGAZINE AUGUST 201826
Iwas hired for my first tech sales job by a VP of Saleswho was a woman. My first sales manager was awoman too. I simply thought a lot of women didn’t
pursue a career in sales. That was true then. It is alsotrue now. But that isn’t the whole story. Today there isalso an imbalance because companies often don’t putenough effort into balancing the scales, especially in thesales leadership ranks.
Times are Changing
In recent years, companies like Salesforce, Microsoft,TechTarget, ServiceTitan, SalesLoft, AlphaSense,TINYpulse and many others have made it a priority tocreate more diverse and inclusive sales organizations.
Diverse teams also deliver a better customerexperience because people will work with people theycan relate too.. And research backs them up. In Gainingthe Talent Advantage: Gender Diversity in Sales, aCEB/Gartner Global study, they reported that higherlevels of gender diverse sales teams not onlyoutperformed revenue goals, but deals were muchmore profitable. Diverse teams also deliver a bettercustomer experience because will work with peoplethey can relate too. From a recruiting perspective, morewomen on your sales teams will encourage otherwomen to apply for sales roles at your company, andthey will be more likely to accept an offer if women arewell represented.
Why Women Should Consider a Career in Sales
For me, flexibility and earning power were two bigbonuses to a career in sales. And unlike in years past,not all sales positions require that you work from acentral office. Roles in business development or insidesales don’t always require that you work from a centraloffice to get the job done. If you take on a position infield sales, you are often able to juggle your schedule,so you can attend family events that you might missworking a 95 job.
When I started out as asales representative sellingcomputer software andhardware solutions, Inoticed that I was often
one of just a few women on the team. Atfirst, I didn’t think much about the genderimbalance.
Making it a Priority to Get More Women in Sales
Barb Giamanco
How to Attract More Women into SalesRoles
Put more emphasis on recruiting women. That’snumber one. Next, tailor the benefits message toincorporate those things that will be important towomen. Think beyond the usual recruitment placesyou tend to use, and that will expand your ability toreach more women who are potentials for salesroles.
Get CreativeUse LinkedIn. A quick search on LinkedIn can revealhundreds, if not thousands, of potential candidates.Granted, your job requirements may narrow thepool, for example you need reps to live in a specificgeographic location. And, if you are having troublefinding the right candidates locally, perhaps this is anopportunity to assess whether or not the rightcandidate could work remotely and be just assuccessful in achieving their objectives.
Consider women in B2C sales roles who couldmake the transition to B2B selling. A companylooking to hire a rep to support their retail verticalcould benefit by bringing someone on board whohas experience in B2C retail. They alreadyunderstand the retail world and would require lesstraining to get up to speed.
Don’t overlook women in marketing or financeroles who may be open to making a switch if theyonly knew what that might entail. On my podcast,I’ve interviewed women who started in finance,marketing or engineering and later made the switchto sales without looking back.
Review and Rework Job DescriptionsAppeal to women's desire to be collaborative inworking with customers to solve problems. Reviewthe language used in your recruitment messagingand in job ads when seeking to hire women in sales.Words like aggressive, crusher, killer or hunter turnwomen off and creates an impression that selling is acutthroat business. I’ve been in sales for two plus
decades, and never once did I need to be “cutthroat” to succeed in achieving quota goals.
Adapt Your Benefits OfferingWhen it comes to benefits, the package thatcompanies offer is key to recruitment and retentionbut too often we see benefits offered that are moreattractive to men than women. A good example of acompany who creatively reworked their benefitspackage is SalesLoft, who puts a high priority ondiversity and inclusion. Their package now includesperks for new moms and dads like diapers for a yearand home meal delivery to reduce stress when theirnewborn comes home.
Balance the Leadership Ranks
DiscoverOrg did a survey on gender diversity andfound that only 31% of women were in individualcontributor roles and 26% of women were in middlemanagement or frontline sales manager roles. Theyalso found that when it comes to executivemanagement, such as a VP of Sales, only 12.8% ofthose roles are held by women. A female ChiefRevenue Officer? You won’t find many.
If women join your sales team and aspire to moveinto management, they may become frustrated andleave if they see few women being advanced intothe management ranks. If women are expressinginterest in moving into management, be sure you areproviding training and coaching to help them getthere.
To Sum It Up
As I’ve noted in this article, companies benefit quitea bit whey they place more emphasis in balancingthe gender gap in their sales organizations. Is it timefor your company to ramp up your efforts? n
Barbara Giamanco is CEO of Social CenteredSelling. Find out more here
TOP SALES MAGAZINE AUGUST 2018 27
My entrance into sales was by default.Working for a technology start up, saleswere not rolling in, so I decided to give
sales a try. I bought a suit, shoes to match, and didwhat salesmen did; I walked the streets and knockedon doors.
I wondered, “Who in their right mind would want tobe a salesman?” Every “no” made me feel bad andmore certain that I was going to have to find anotherjob. I not only felt ill but felt bad about myself. Mymind said things like, “What on earth were youthinking? You, a salesperson? Yuck.” What I thoughtabout sales was turning out to be true.
Determined to end my day on the upside, I
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Shinjini Das, author,entrepreneur and TVpersonality, may have saidit best, “I’m totallyunapologetic about being an
ambitious woman, and you should be, too.”
I am a Professional Sales Woman.No Apology Needed
Lorraine Ferguson
marched on. Things started looking up. Surprisingly,I did get a “yes” that day. Was it the smile on my facethinking about the ice cream cone I’d promisedmyself or was it because I stopped taking myself soseriously?
I performed well enough to stay on as the onlysaleswoman. But I wasn’t happy. I told myself,“Selling is not a career; it is a temporary condition untilyou find something better.”
I lacked confidence. Not only was I a youngwoman, I was often the only woman in the room. Iwas intimidated by many of the men I had to call, letalone meet. My negative selftalk would kick in, andI would resort to begging my boss to come to themeeting. I would take “notes.” Picking up the phoneand calling strangers was frightening to me. What ifthey rejected me? The idea of not having apredictable paycheck made me uncomfortable, too.Was I good enough to close business on aconsistent basis? Or would I starve?
I was struggling but I kept at it. I will never forgetthe turning point for me. My boss and I showed upfor a meeting (yes, I had begged him to go with me),and when we arrived the people we were to meetwith were all men (of course). We went into aconference room. Everyone acted as if I were noteven there. When I was acknowledged, it was inpassing. I heard a few polite “hellos” before the mengot back to their conversation.
This time, I got angry. Not only was I ignored, Iwas humiliated. In the elevator, I read my boss theriot act. I told him how I felt and that I was not goingto put up with it any longer. He looked at me inshock. I was certain I would be looking for a new job,and certainly not in sales.
Instead, he said, “Lorraine, it is about time you gotangry. If you want to make it in sales, a few things needto happen. First, you have to decide you want to do itand that you deserve to be treated as a professional.You are going to encounter situations like this all of thetime, especially in a male-dominated industry. Youhave a choice. I can keep coming to meetings with youand you can take notes, or you can take the energy and
confidence you just showed and put it to work for you.Sales is a great opportunity for you to make a place foryourself.”
I took his words to heart. Not only did I make it asa sales professional, I was a top producer for agrowing company.
A few years later I enrolled in Sandler SalesTraining and learned a lot about myself, and the rolemy own beliefs play in my success—not only in salesbut in every aspect of life. I learned that selling is aprocess, and that the process does not need to beaggressive, pushy, or unprofessional. I learned thatemotions can hold you hostage and createroadblocks. I understood that while I can’t controlsome things, I can control my attitude, sellingbehaviors, and how I apply my selling strategy.
It was so life changing, that I took the leap andpurchased a Sandler Training business. Many of thewomen I work with look at sales in the same way Idid years ago: as a step to a grander position.Perhaps it is. Yet, what if sales were a profession inwhich you could not only thrive, but of which youcould be proud? What if you could feel so goodabout your professional sales role that you shoutout to everyone you meet that you have chosensales as your profession?
My book entitled, “The Unapologetic SalesWoman” is for women struggling to succeed in aprofessional sales role. I wanted to share how I andother women overcame some of the concerns andselfdoubts that I experienced, and how sellingutilizing the Sandler system— does away with thenegative connotations of selling and allows you tomake your mark as a professional saleswomanproud of what you do with the payoff where itcounts—at the bank. n
Lorraine Ferguson is a Sandler TrainingAssociate. The Unapologetic Saleswoman will
be released October 1, 2018. Check outsandler.com in the next couple of months for
more details or to purchase your copy!
TOP SALES MAGAZINE AUGUST 2018 29
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Winning With Change (“Don’t wish it were easier, wish you were better.” Jim Rohn)
Everyone, that is, except my father. He wasconsidered the black sheep of the familybecause he wanted to build something of his
own. He enjoyed working with his hands and wasn’tafraid to get them dirty. In my younger days, Iremember him constantly working odd jobs atunusual hours to provide for our family. Heinstalled threehundredfoot electric power linesacross Western Pennsylvania and Ohio, started hisown asphalt paving company, and drove asnowplow for the state of Pennsylvania during thecold winter months. I remember him saying thatwhen it snowed it was “pennies from heaven”
because he was able to go to work.As I look back on those years, we didn’t have a lot
of money, but there was nothing that I needed orwanted that wasn’t provided for me. I’m sure thatany savings our family had was spent on theoccasional beach vacation to the Blue Star Motel atthe Jersey Shore. In addition, there were alwaysplenty of Christmas gifts for my three brothers andme, and we could count on new outfits and shoesfor church on Easter Sunday.
I distinctly remember the day that things changedfor our family. My father told me that he waschanging his job and he was going to be a salesman. I
As an eager and restless child growing up in a small coal-mining town inWestern Pennsylvania, I didn’t have much exposure to the world of sales.Most of the men in the neighborhood worked in the coalmines or steel mills,and my family members worked at my grandfather’s strip mining company.
Krista Moore
was eight years old at the time, and I rememberlaughing and saying to him, “Daddy, you’re not asalesman. Why do you want to be a salesman?”
A family friend got him involved in a companycalled Bestline, which in those days was equivalentto Amway, and somewhat of a pyramid scheme. Hewas going to have a career selling detergent,disinfectant, and home cleaning products. Heworked hard to get as many friends and familymembers selling Bestline as he could.
I recall helping him carry cases of carpet cleaner,air freshener, laundry detergent, and shampoo tothe cellar of our small home. He and my mom flew toFlorida for their first sales conference andconvention. That experience was life altering; itchanged the course of his life and mine.
My father came back from that trip with renewedenergy and the confidence to take on the world. Hehad heard the legendary Jim Rohn speak at theconference and purchased his motivational cassettetapes. All of a sudden, he was blaring motivationalcassettes throughout the house.
I remember hearing Rohn’s prominent voice, loudand clear, repeatedly as those tapes playedseemingly day in and day out. Rohn would oftenrefer to change saying, “For things to change, you’vegot to change. When you change, everything willchange for you. When you get better, everythingwill get better for you.”
I recall profound messages like, “You don’t haveto change your market, your plans, the economy,countries, or circumstances, but rather look withinand see if you can change yourself for the better.”
At the impressionable age of eight, those wordshad significant impact on how I viewed the world,how I would deal with challenging circumstances,and ultimately who I am today. At that time, I saw myfather changing. He was not only learning a newtrade, but also becoming a businessperson who wasthinking more strategically, developing selling skills,and demonstrating leadership. He was theconsummate salesman and truly became a salesleader for his company.
Fastforward 44 years; it’s ironic how Jim Rohn’smessages and my father’s mentorship and spirit stillinfluence me. They’ve inspired and guided me in my20year career as a sales leader and today they’reeven more meaningful to me, as an entrepreneurand executive coach. Remember, if you want thingsto change, you need to change. Race to Amazing isabout awareness and making intentional changes forthe better.
The number one differentiator for companiesthat are slow to grow and those that are knockingthe ball out of the park is… Effective SalesLeadership. So often, salespeople are promoted tomanagement prematurely, without the skills andexperience to be an effective sales leader. Small andmidsize business owners may lack resources ortalent to lead a sales team successfully. Largeorganizations face the daunting task of developingthe next generation of millennial sales leaders.
There is an urgent need for companies to upleveltheir sales leadership in order to innovate, continueto create customer loyalty, strategically compete inglobal economies, and win new business againstdisruptive competitors.
This is an excerpt from the first chapter of KristaMoore’s new book Race to Amazing, Your Fast Trackto Sales Leadership which deals with looking inwardand making the necessary changes.
Author Krista Moore has codified her winningapproach through combining her personalexperiences growing up in a small coalmining town,leading sales for multimilliondollar startups andFortune 500 companies and coaching successfulsales leaders throughout the world. Learn throughher relatable stories, shared experiences, andpractical applications of how other sales leadershave struggled, yet quickly created a winning systemand style. n
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Krista Moore is CEO of K.Coaching, Inc. PreOrder here new book here
TOP SALES MAGAZINE AUGUST 201832
Getting More Women in Sales: Do We Have a Language Barrier
The only concern I had was the language: salesprofessionals were generally addressed with“salesmen” and the masculine preposition “he”
throughout the speech. It took me a lot of courage to address the issue as
I was working in a very maledominated culture.However, I did. “Oh, that’s just my language” was themessage I received. “That’s exactly the problembecause this language excludes the 25% of womenin our sales force,” I responded. As you can imagine,nothing changed.
You may think that it must have changed by nowand I wish you were right. However, things didn’tchange, simply because there is not enoughawareness regarding the language we use. A few
weeks ago, I attended a sales research event. I wasstunned by the fact that so many, usually male,presenters regularly used the term “salesmen” astheir default term. Every explanation that wasprovided was a masculine one that started with “thesalesman.” Frustrating to say the least!
Getting more women in sales seems to make somuch sense, just from a business perspective. Manystudies have shown over the last couple of years,that mixed sales teams perform better than others.For instance, a study conducted by Professor Joel LeBon and another one by Hubspot show that withintop performing groups, there are often more womenthan men.
If women in sales is a nobrainer from a businessperspective, why do we still have an issue when itcomes to getting more women in sales roles?
As of today, based on a LinkedIn study, womenrepresent 39% of the workforce in sales. Thispercentage only increased by 3% over the pastdecade, and the rate decreases with the seniority ofroles. Only 21% of VP sales positions are held bywomen, compared to 26% overall.
What’s the role of language when it comes tothe most significant barriers to getting more
A few years ago, when Ihad a sales enablementleadership role, I was askedto provide feedback on thedraft of the speech our
sales leader wanted to make to the salesforce during a sales kick-off meeting.
Tamara Schenk
women in sales? Language transports values andbeliefs and hidden meanings that are inherent toour culture.
l Let’s look at the language in sales jobdescriptions:Sales job descriptions often include manymasculine words like “hunter,” “aggressive” and“compete.” The descriptions, of course, don’texclude women per se. Furthermore, it wouldn’tbe legal to do so in most countries. However, thelanguage is often not adequate to attract womenwho usually prefer to focus more oncollaboration and cocreation.
l Let’s look at the language in sales organizations:How does your sales leadership team address thesales force? As “salesmen” and with masculineprepositions, or is there a genuine interest inusing a genderbalanced language because theseleaders are aware of the impact their languagehas?
l Let’s look at common “sales speech:”What do we actually say when we use the terms“hunting” and “fishing” and “battles”? In all cases,the victim is dead at the end, either after it hasbeen “hunted” or “fished” or after the “battle” waswon. You get the point; the analogies don’t workanymore. They simply come from a rolebasedpreconception of a maleoriented lonely saleswolf that has to hunt, fish, and basically kill theirvictims, the customers. More sales speech suchas the famous “killer presentation” clearly showsthe highly competitive, aggressive and maledominated nature that leads to winners andvictims. Fast forward to today, nobody gets killedin sales. Luckily.
This male/waroriented language supports andcontinues to nurture the role stereotypes we allwant to overcome.
Dan Pink asked individuals (in his book To Sell is
Human), to describe what comes to mind when theyhear the term “sales.” The main adjectives used were“pushy,” “annoying,” “manipulative” and “dishonest.”And the image was a usedcar salesman. Thesewords explain why sales, in general, has an imageproblem, and why especially women don’t want tobe associated with those terms.
Think about the sales term “cheat sheet.” It’ssomething we may have used back in school, hereand there. Now, as adults, let’s clearly understandthe meaning of the verb “to cheat,” and please keepDan Pink’s findings in mind. Whatever verb you useto name such a piece of content that’s supposed toprepare a salesperson to have a valuebased,inspiring, relevant and differentiating salesconversation, “cheat sheet” is without any doubt notadequate. What we mean are, for instance, briefs,playbooks, and overviews.
Stereotypes and preconceptions of women’sroles and abilities are still named as a critical barrierwhen it comes to getting more women in sales andsales leadership positions.
Another hurdle is the lack of female role modelsthat are only changing slowly. With new female salesrole models, the language will be different, and thestereotypes can be decreased.
Many different facets have to be addressed toget more women in sales and sales leadership roles.It’s about a sales leader’s vision and priority to getmore women in sales, translated into tangible goals,and followed by clearly articulated hiring andpromotion paths. Also, the soft facts such as thesales language must not be underestimated.Therefore, it’s all about creating awareness acrossthe sales force when it comes to decisions,communications, and actions. Because we all, menand women, are impacted by our role and culturalbiases. Creating awareness is the first step tochange things. n
Tamara Schenk is Research Director, CSOInsights, the research division of Miller
Heiman Group. Find out more here
TOP SALES MAGAZINE AUGUST 2018 33
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In an age where suppliers look pretty much thesame in the eyes of the buyer, the biggest point of
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