The Sales Evangelist

Categories

general
Being Authentic
Framing
Relationships
Risk
Business Growth
Customized Solutions
Bryan Hendrick
Objections
Account Executive
B2C
Differentiate
C-Suite
Company Culture
Give Value
Seek to Understand
Email
Conversations
Collaboration
Brian Margolis
Cold Calling
Barbara Giamanco
Account Management
Content Marketing
Jay Gibb
Business Development
Outbound
Empathy
Coaching
Fear
Jimmy Burgess
Education Based Marketing
Keywords
Prospecting
Pipeline
Dennis Brown
LinkedIn
Facebook
Clarence Butts
leads
Dale Dupree
Michael Sardina
Cadence
Jack Kosakowski
Qualifying
Social Selling
Connection
John Antonacci
Branding
Ethics
Bob Burg
John Barrows
Credibility
Audience Engagement
Ericka Eller
Confidence
Jim Jacobus
Building Rapport
Communication
Douglas Vigliotti
Entrepreneur
Humor
Champion
Jared Easley
Commission Sales
Chris Dayley
Building Value
Building Trust
Sales Team
Ask for the sale
Sales Training
Relationship Selling
Ideal Customer
Leadership
Prospecting System
Hiring
Goals
Sales Plan
Referrals
Value
Lead Generation
Asking Thought Provoking Questions
Client Management
sales Management
Success
Asking for Referrals
Sales Strategies
Sales Habits
Sales Culture
Motivation
Door to Door Sales
Sales Coaching
Group Coaching
Selling Success
Accountability
Crowdfunding
Mindset
Sales Enterprise
Sales Process
Closing
Sales Leader
Following Up
Digital Marketing
Sales Opportunities
Sales Mindset
Sales
Email Marketing
Online Marketing
Rejection
Habits
Start with Why
Profitability
Fear of Rejection
Marketing and Sales
Scarcity
Videos
Questions
Business Conversation
Value Conversation
Customer Experience
Negotiation
Demo
Customer Service
Competition
Sales Compensation Plan
Unique Way To Sell
Sales Conversations
Discovery Meeting
Reciprocity
Messaging
Sales and Marketing
Sales Tools
Buyer Persona
Pricing
Joe Carlen
GAP Method
Pre Call Planning
Warm Leads
New Hire
Time Management
Reading Prospects
Numbers Game
Goals Setting
Q and A
Rapport
Customer Evangelist
Humility
Medical Sales
Upselling
Speaking With Executives
Networking
Meeting With Executives
Scaling your sales team
Sales Growth
High Ticket Selling
ROI
Focusing
AI
Bad Customers
Creative Prospecting
Top Performer
Phone Prospecting
Presentation
Affliate Marketing
Research
Delegate
Sales Develop Representative
Theater and Sales
Additive Behaviors
Email Selling
Hard Work and Determination
Hard Work
Common Sales Challenges
First Impression
Meeting with Customers
Interview
Dedication
Administrative Tasks
Sales Enablement
Promotional Materials
Finishing
Story Selling
Revenue
Proposals
Course
Top Performance
Current Customers
Podcast
Planning
Value Driven Conversation
Processes
Twitter
Wealth
Field Sales Rep
Local Advertising
Increase Revenue
Upfront Agreement
Lead Magnet
Message
Experience
Change
Direct Response Marketing
Inbound
Sales Vs. Marketing
Phone Sales
Community
New Sales Professional
PAIN
Influence
Mastermind
Cross Selling
Sales Travel
Team Motivation
Sell Yourself
Image
Values Based Marketing
Promotional Product
Bold
Sales Metric
Sales 2.0
Timing
Sales processes
Value Pricing
Proposal
Copywriting
Network Marketing
Budget
Appointment
Sales Commitment
Building Quick Relationships
Passion
Consultative Selling
Foundation
Everyday Sales
Selling Intangibles
Work-life balance
Inside sales
Mental tougness
Fear of being salesy
Free Trial
Web Leads
Sales Leadership
Vacation
Sales Job Interview
Podcasting
Positive
Live Events
Decision Makers
Sales jobs
Public Relations
Website Sales
Newsletters
entrepreneurs
Commission
Webinar Sales
Sales Experience
Sales Proposals
New Sellers
Daily Planning
Rapid Growth
Lead with Value
Finding Your Voice
New Sales Training
Sales From The Street
The Sales Whisperer
Sales Funnels
Listening
Sales Prospecting
 Guy Kawasaki
Taking action
Positive Thinking
Increasing Sales
Winning Vendor
Being Selfless
Positive Attitude
Selling to women
Sales Stigma
Sales Slump
Persistence
Agenda
Job Interview
Sales Vision
Forecasting
Close Rate
Deeper Discussion
Linked Seller
High Performance Habits
DISCOVER Questions™
Rory Vaden
Donald Kelly
Curtis McHale
Anthony Tran
Case Study
Advanced Sellers
Contract Hell
Bob Rickert
Reluctant Buyers
Inbound Marketing
Google Alerts
Game Changer
Close.io
Honesty
Finding
Calendar Invite
Eveline Pierre
Josh turner
Joanne Black
Matt Hallisy
Mace Horoff
Amy Porterfield
Chris Rollins
Deb Calvert
Closed File
Dino Dogan
Katherine Kotaw
Bryan Daley
Dave Delany
Linda Yates
Jim Cathcart
Happy Someone
Chirag Gupta
Personalize
Jeffrey Gitomer
Cold Outreach
Growth
Sales Pitch
Carissa Hill
Account-Based Marketing
Preparation
Alice Heiman
Imposter syndrome
Buyer's Journey
Drip campaign
Outreach
Influencers
Prospect.io
Don Barden
Acquisition
Barth Getto
Joe Pardo
Data
Preconceived Notions
Sales Process, Sales Podcast
CRM
Selling Your Company
Gen Z
Mastermind, Group Learning
Chat
Partnering, New Leads
Hiring, New Hire
Instagram, New Leads
Failure
Grit
Emotional Intelligence
Client Success
Client Onboarding
Price
SDR
Small Businesses
Asking Questions
Decision Maker
Poor Sales
Account Mapping
Remote Worker
Stories
Selling
Video
Script
Money
Discovery Questions
Marketing
Solving problems
Staying Top of Mind
References
Content
Scaling
Authenticity
Incentives
Curiosity
Market
Omnichannel outreach
Building Relationship
Scale
Video Conference
Traveling Seller
SEO
Scheduling
Cause Marketing
Overcoming obstacles
personal branding
Sales Leaders
Course correction
Sales Meetings
Activities
Problem Solving
Sales Success
BDR
Inbound Leads
Business Proposals
Selling to Friends
Product Demo
Transformational Selling
Profits
Nurturing
Teamwork
Podcast changes
Sales Strategy
Contact Marketing
Firing
New Products
Social Dynamic Selling
Accidental Seller
Accidental Sellers
Repeat Business
Accidental Series
Closing deals
Increasing Sales, Technology
Sales, Effective Sales
Cold Emails
Closing revenue
LinkedIn sales
The Accidental Seller Series
Sales Hiring
Accidental Seller Series
Hiring, Successful hiring
Sales Contracts
Best Sellers In History Series 1
Best sellers in History
Sales Planning
Sales Events
sales 2020
Best Sellers in History Series
Best Seller in History Series
DISC Assessment Profile
Best Seller in History
Psychology of Sales, Sales Mindset
Sales Effectiveness
women in sales, best sellers in history
Sales Script, Target Customer, Niche
Best seller in history, Salesman
Sales Story
Sales Women, Sales Force
Reginald F Lewis
Sales Wealth, Sales Prosperity
Personal Brand, Stephen Hart
Donald Kelly, The Sales Evangelist
SaaS, Software Sales
Leads, Qualifying Leads
ROI, Leads, Inbound Leads, External and Internal Triggers
Women in Sales, Sales Success Story
Stuck sellers
Sales Value
Building trust, Entrepreneurs
Sales Automation
Government, Sales
Sales Videos, Closing Deals
Sales Process, Sales Planning
Sales restructuring, Sales Messaging
Sales Performance
Sales Performance, Sales Process
Sales Promotion
Sales, Rapport
SDR, Sales Job
SDR, BDR
SDR/BDR
BDR/SDR
Sales Rewards, Sales Incentives
Healing, Grief
Sales Profile, Ideal Sales Profile
Sales Manager, Training, Coaching
Sales approach
Sales Experience, PreSales
Sales Fears
Sales Talk
CRM, Leads, Crmble
Sales Skills
Sales, Career, Leadership
Sales Career, Sales Path
Sales success, mental toughness, sales story
TSE, Sales Podcast, Sales Principles
Sales Coaching, Improving Skills
Sales Journey, Reselling, Sales Culture
Sales Process, Networking
sales prospect, sales opportunity
Sales habits, Sales professionals
BDR, SDR, Personalization
cold-calling, prospecting
Sales Language, Authentic Identity
Demonstration, Negotiations
Lost customers, Perseverance
Social Selling, Omnichannel, Sales Leads
Prospecting, Limiting Beliefs, Fear
Cold Outreach, Sales Mindset
Linkedin, Cold Calling, Automation
LinkedIn, LinkedIn Voice Messaging, Donald Kelly
Testimonials, Referrals
Cold prospects, Reaching out
Prospecting, Mindset, Sales Goals
Lead Generation, Video, Sales Video
Successful Salesman, Great Salesman
Successful Sales, Sales Training
Sales Prospecting, Video Sales
Power Dilaer, Sales Automation
Sales Prospecting, Sales Principles
Sales productivity, Trello
Virtual Sales, Virtual Tools for Sales
Sales Success, Sales Training
Building credibility, Sales credibility
mindset training
outreach message
Productivity
unproductive
sales productivity
Sales Goals
future of selling
Favorite Sales Stack Tools
special edition
Modern Selling Strategies
Modernizing Your Sales
Creating A Great Work Enviroment for Sellers
Using LinkedIn
Personal Image and Selfcare
Better sales emails
BDR & SDR Skills
AE Skills
Preparing For 2023
Kicking Off The Year Right
Sales Success Stories
Women in Sales
Better Selling
building sales pipeline
Closing Sales Pipeline

Archives

2024
March
February
January

2023
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January

2022
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January

2021
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January

2020
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January

2019
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January

2018
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January

2017
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January

2016
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January

2015
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January

2014
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January

2013
December

March 2024
S M T W T F S
     
          1 2
3 4 5 6 7 8 9
10 11 12 13 14 15 16
17 18 19 20 21 22 23
24 25 26 27 28 29 30
31

Syndication

Equaling The Playing Field For Women In Sales 

 

Sales used to be a man’s world, used to. The same can’t be said now because women have found their place in the sales industry as well. 

 

Lorraine Ferguson is one of the great saleswomen. She started her career in the industry in the mid-eighties by working for a startup company. Like many women, she didn’t see herself as a salesperson but her job for the startup company called for it and Lorraine ended up joining a team of salesmen. 

 

Lorraine’s challenges 

Lorraine was young and inexperienced so she did what she could by imitating what she saw the salesmen were doing. With so much pressure sales, the job didn’t seem appealing. Sales were all about making the deal and sharing the benefits and features of the products and services. Lorraine did what she could but the biggest challenge wasn’t selling. It was her gender. Lorraine felt that she wasn’t taken seriously and several times during a negotiation, she was asked to bring in her boss. 

 

It wasn’t just her lack of experience and knowledge that became a challenge. She was also conducting herself based on the way she was raised. She was taught that being a good girl meant being accommodating, knowing her place, and waiting her turn. Lorraine didn’t immediately realize that she was carrying all these lessons as she became a sales person. When somebody told her to jump, she’d say, “How high?” She just wasn’t being treated as an equal and she wasn’t acting like one.

 

Women and sales 

People have developed a negative view towards sales, women included. It’s not a career you immediately want to join or take a part in. This is the mindset that many people have toward sales. Women are also not told encouraged to join sales as a potential career, especially by your guidance counselor. People don’t typically see sales as an option. 

 

Another reason why women don’t perceive sales as a possible career is the hiring process. Men are still the favored gender because the majority of the sales leader positions are occupied by men. Women aren’t seen as a fit for sales. A lot of people look at sales as a stepping stone or last resort. It’s the mindset that if you’ve got nothing else to do, then try sales. 

 

This, of course, isn’t true. There is so much more to sales and it can be a very profitable career. As a profession, it’s very flexible, and women have many natural strengths that are needed by today’s sales professionals. 

 

Convincing the saleswoman in you

Women can make a big difference in the sales industry for many reasons. They have the right skillset to become successful in this career. It’s not just knowing about the products and services, it’s also about having the natural ability to connect and understand another person. Consumers today are expecting sales people to know about their businesses as much as they know the products and services they sell. 

 

Women have the innate ability to connect the dots when trying to understand a  problem and how they might solve it. Women are great listeners and asking the right questions is always a good start in a sales conversation. When women talk to their bestfriend, they give their attention and they listen. They also ask tough questions to help their friends solve the problems themselves. This can also be used in sales. Women in sales are bringing a lot to the table because they tend to be more concerned about others than they are for themselves. It’s their nature to put others first. Women tend to like to help others and this is what sales is all about. 

 

Other skills women have is their ability to organize and follow through. A woman who wants flexibility, to make their mark, to be a problem solver, and to work on her own schedule is someone who would fit the sales industry perfectly. 

 

Work more, hustle more 

In a male-dominated industry, women have to work harder to prove themselves to the person they are working for. This can be difficult to do but women’s organizational skills help. The truth is that when most sales people think they have a sales process, the reality is that they either have one that doesn’t work or they don’t really have one to begin with. 

 

Women make sure to make a roadmap for their sales process. These questions guide and shape the sales system. 

 

  • What should I do?
  • Where am I trying to go?
  • What’s my end game?

 

Women do things in the right order so they have a high predictability of success. A woman with a process will always win over the salesperson who has no real system. She knows how to start a conversation, gain control, and set expectations. A woman with a sales process understands what it is that she needs to uncover to qualify someone. 

 

Women couple their natural skills with their sales process so there’s no pressure. It’s conversational and disarmingly honest. 

 

Make the change 

Lorraine had an awakening in her sales career. It was during the time when men dominated the industry and one day, she got angry about being ignored. She decided to make a change and she had an unconditional commitment to make that change. 

 

Lorraine would go to her sales calls with a voice in the back of her mind reminding her to be polite, to refrain from asking questions, and to let everybody else go first. She didn’t think of herself as an equal. She had to change that mindset by working on her personal presence. Lorraine looked at her reflection in the mirror and observed her body language and how she was coming across. She started to prepare more for her meetings to be able to take control of the conversation. 

 

Lorraine found that if she practiced and prepared for her meetings, she got better outcomes. She’d meet her clients and with her agenda already planned, she’d take control of the situation right away. The little changes that Lorraine made in her sales process and her personal presence advanced her quickly. She took control from the very beginning of the conversation but then ensured her client that the conversation was collaborative. She wasn’t being aggressive, she was being assertive. 

 

Having the ability to set an agenda made a huge difference for Lorraine and it eventually became an effective habit for her. She also started ending each meeting by sharing her next steps and she saw how her potential clients would sit up in their chairs in anticipation for that next step. 

 

Sometimes we need to ask tough questions, do some nurturing, even do a deeper investigation to solve a client’s problem. #SalesProcess

 

Sales for women then and now 

Unfortunately, not a lot has changed in sales in the way men perceive women in the industry nor has the way women respond to this perception.

 

There’s still some work to do on that front but Lorraine shared that the tide is going to change. This can be credited to how women are showing their male counterparts that they don’t need to sell like a man to be successful in what they do. There’s a level of respect when women are successful. As a woman, Lorraine takes some risks. When she’s uncomfortable, she's upfront about it. The worse case scenario when women take risks is that they don’t get to do business with a potential client. Still, the best case scenario is that they’ll close a deal. Take a chance. Ask the hard-hitting questions and be okay with feeling comfortable.  To make it easier, you can ask, “Can I ask a tough question?”  Buyers are desperate to talk with someone who is willing to really listen and understand what is going on. 

 

The sales industry is still a challenge for women as they get put in uncomfortable circumstances and feel disrespected but they can also stand in their strengths. 

 

“Equaling The Playing Field For Women In Sales” episode resources

Sales is a good fit for both men and women but there are three things that we need to work on: 

  • A mindset towards sales and toward ourselves must be healthy
  • Having a sales process/system in place
  • Having the discipline to do these actions each day. 

Women in sales can level the playing field and be competent in the sales industry if they keep those three things in mind. 

 

Reach Lorraine Ferguson via her email or visit her LinkedIn account. 

If you are interested in more sales stories, you can talk to Donald about it. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. 

This episode is brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. Sign up now and get the first two modules for free! You can also call us at (561) 570-5077. 

We have a new semester beginning this March and we would love to have you and your team join us. Follow this link to apply to the program. 

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. 

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. 

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1262.mp3
Category:Women in Sales, Sales Success Story -- posted at: 12:00am EDT