Women In Sales Awards 2015 (Europe)

december 2015

The

europe

Women in Sales Awards Louise Davies,

the most distinguished sales woman of 2015 BODY LANGUAGE TRAPS AND TIPS for WOMEN LEADERS

'Selling'

Isn’t a bad word if it’s done right

My three-step framework to optimise successful selling

Meet the

2015

WINNERS Women in Sales Awards / europe - december 2015 1

Welcome Congratulations to all the finalists and winners of the 2015 European Women In Sales Awards.

S

Since launching the event in 2013 in Europe, the awards has expanded rapidly. This year we launched in India and North America and we have ambitious plans to launch in Australia, Africa and China shortly.

This year has also been our biggest European event so far in terms of the number of countries the nominees represent. We received nominations from more than 10 countries including Bulgaria, Norway, Germany, France, Portugal, Italy, The Netherlands and Israel amongst others. To all the companies that have supported and continue to do so by nominating every year I would like to say THANK YOU. It is leaders of vision such as you who are helping to build and grow successful generations of future business leaders.

Afi Ofori

Managing Director, Zars Media

The judging day on the 5th of November received great feedback from the judges, finalists, speakers and attendees. I would like to share the thoughts of one finalist who commented:

"Thank you so much for such a great day. I have been feeling quite emotional as a result of the experience. No matter what the result I feel truly lucky to have been involved and proud to be a finalist amongst so much talent" It is clear from those taking part in the 2015 event that there is a plentiful supply of talent out there.

However, it has not always been the case that talent has been recognised. In fact, in our fastmoving world the everyday brilliance of gifted saleswomen can easily go unnoticed. Having said that, it is also important that companies realise this event is not about singling women out. It is more about maximising the positive impact successful women in their sales teams can have.

It is about highlighting their achievements and using that to encourage more women to consider careers in sales.

“So can't we just recognise great salespeople?”

Well yes we can, but if we look across at what's happening in technology or engineering we will see many governments, universities and industry bodies’ spending money to encourage young women to become involved in those areas. It may sound obvious, but this is because few women consider those avenues as potential career paths.

The same dilemma exists in sales and this is the challenge this event seeks to address.

In understanding the full potential of their sales people it is important for businesses to realise that the skills one gains from working in sales are transferable to many other areas within an organisation. In my own sales career, I have learned about many industries and sectors including publishing, finance, technology, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, healthcare, oil & gas, hedge funds, private equity, M&A and corporate finance. What other career enables you to experience such a breadth of industries while also offering the chance to hone entrepreneurial skills? The only answer I know of is SALES! In fact I believe the skills learned in sales benefits us in many aspects of our business and personal lives.

I know from the feedback of past winners and finalists that this event has had a positive impact on their careers and we could not have done this without the support of many people. I would like to thank our judges, our speakers, media partners and sponsors for their enormous help in making the women in sales awards successful. I would especially like to thank Carol Kinsey Goman who flew all the way from Berkeley, California to take part in the judging day. Carol’s belief in the awards is such that she funded her trip herself and spoke at the judging day forum on a pro bono basis. I am very grateful for that and feel humbled by her enthusiasm to be a part of this.

Finally my sincere thanks to you all for being here tonight and we look forward to seeing you in 2016. Merry Christmas!

Women in Sales Awards / europe - december 2015 3

In this magazine 6

16 6

24

Is Work Life Balance a Myth for Moms in Sales?

8 Why I Hope My Child

16 Body Language Traps and

Goes into Sales

Tips For Women Leaders

12 Finding Your Authentic

20 I Left My Handbag at

'Sales Goddess' Higher Self

Home Last Night

14

22 My three-step framework

The Traits You Need to Have For a Sales Leadership Role

to optimise successful selling

24 The Judging Day and

8 4 Women in Sales Awards / europe - december 2015

30 The Speakers 32 2015 Women in Sales Awards Finalists

38 The WINNERS 64

The Judging Process

The Mentors

27 The Judges

In Sales and Proud

66

Keynotes

38

the

Winners

Lara Morgan Founder and Chairman of Company Shortcuts

At the age of 23, Lara started her first business, Pacific Direct, manufacturing and selling brand licensed toiletries to the hospitality industry. She famously took all her staff to Barbados to celebrate the company’s first £1million profit, before selling her majority stake in the business just three years later for £20million.

78 68 How Women Are Helping To Transform The Sales Profession

72 When The Going

86

Gets Tough…

76 The Challenges

Facing Women in Sales

78 'Selling' isn’t a bad word if it’s done right

82 How to Maintain (or regain) Control in Meetings

84

Alexandra Zagury Director Global Service Providers EMEAR, Cisco Alexandra is international sales and marketing senior executive leader with proven track record of starting up, growing, managing and scaling businesses across the globe in the mobile, telecom (mobile network operators), internet, music, financial services & IT industries. Prior to her current position at Cisco she worked at Blackberry, Yahoo, CNBC and Citi.

How Meritocracy Failed Me and How You Can Outsmart it!

86

4 Sales Tips and Tricks for Staying Healthy on the Go for the Busy Sales Rep

88

88

The Sales Goddesses Guide to Closing the Sale

The Women In Sales Awards Magazine is published

by Zars Media 8 Heathfield Court Fleet, Hampshire GU51 5DX England Tel.: 01252612025 info@wisawards.com

6 Women in Sales Awards / europe - december 2015

Is Work Life Balance a Myth for Moms in Sales?

A

sk any working mom how she balances her professional duties with her personal and family responsibilities, and you'll likely get an answer like this: - I never answer emails before/after a certain time each day - I make sure to schedule time with my family just like I schedule meetings - Family meals and events are no-work zones But are moms really doing these things to balance work with their personal lives, or are they more like goals they've set?

Is work life balance a myth for moms in sales, an industry many consider one of the most difficult and demanding to work in?

If managing a healthy work life balance were as easy as scheduling dinner with your daughter or turning off your phone to take a break from work, it seems every mom in sales would be doing it and reaping the benefits. After all, who doesn't want a clear division of work life and home life?

In reality, it just isn't that simple.

Lynn Mandinec spoke about her experience as a high-performing sales leader who became a mother at the age of 34, when her career was well underway.

She thought she would be able to hack it.

She quickly found out she was wrong.

It wasn't that sales became any harder, or that she lost her ability. Instead, she realized she loved her new daughter so much, her once smoldering passion for sales was now waning.

Meetings with clients seemed more like distractions from what really mattered— her family—and she knew she wasn’t giving her job the focus and attention she had in the past. Her work life balance was out of whack.

And when she had twins two years later, her feelings were only intensified. Now, someone else was taking care of her children from 7:30am until 6pm each day. She felt was missing out on raising her own children. Her work life balance wasn’t healthy, and she realized she had to make a change.

Over the next year and a half, she tried to quit her job 3 times before she was absolutely sure.

When she finally cut ties with the company for good, she dove headfirst into her maternal responsibilities, becoming a full-time stay at home mom.

But in doing so, she simply moved from one extreme to another. She still didn’t have the work life balance she craved. She missed having responsibilities outside of the home and feeling useful. It was difficult to trade her fast-paced career for the much slower, albeit equally stressful, life of a stay at home mom.

She tried volunteering, even signing up to be the PTA president at her daughter’s school, in an attempt to fill the growing void that leaving sales had left her with.

But none of it really fulfilled her the way her career had.

She remembers having a revelation that changed the course of her life: “I’d been trying to find who I was (successful professional or mother), but I realized that I wasn’t just one or the other. I was both.”

Armed with a new understanding of her needs and wants, she decided to reenter the workforce, this time focused on achieving the perfect work life balance for her. For Lynn, that meant working from home.

She still works from home today, and her attitude about work is refreshing.

Without being confined to an office all day, she is able to be more flexible and

spend more time with her kids. Her employer understands her circumstances, and because she always gives her job 100%, doesn’t mind her deviating from her typical schedule every now and then.

It works perfectly for Lynn, and she thinks it’s a trend the rest of the workforce could benefit from following. After all, working moms face a lot of challenges, and there are a lot of us out there. It only makes sense to make your job fit your circumstances.

So is work life balance a myth for moms in sales? Not necessarily. With the pressures of raising miniature human beings to be functional, well-equipped, happy people, moms who work in sales can take comfort in knowing that they are in control of their work and personal lives, and when the balance isn’t right, there is always room for change.

Debra Carpenter Huffington Post blogger @hello_itsdeb www.huffingtonpost.com/debra-carpenter

Women in Sales Awards / europe - december 2015 7

Why I Hope My Child Goes into Sales

I

should trademark the title of this posting, as I’m quite certain those words have never been said… But yup, I said them, I wrote them, and I believe in them whole-heartedly. In fact, I can’t envision another career I’d personally advise my child, my little nieces, or my nephew to partake in.

Sales is where it’s at! And… better yet… It’s the world’s best secret.

What little 5 year old do you know of who goes around saying “I want to be a seller?” No one! So, it’s a field that often struggles to attract top talent, thus when top talent hits it – the world is theirs for the taking, with more job opportunities, power, visibility, rewards, steak dinners, and club trips than one can imagine! But that’s not what attracts me to the field.

If anything, those are the things that make me slightly uncomfortable with it all (as someone raised in a humble background with zero tolerance for arrogance or entitlement), but let’s face it – those perks “sell well,” especially when talking to a wideeyed ten year old!

Carole Viohl Sales Product Consultant at LinkedIn Helping sales teams grow their business through social selling.

But let’s talk about the real attraction, the real intellect, the real reasoning behind choosing a life in sales: There is no other role that teaches you so much about business Sales gives you the ultimate big picture, well-rounded view of business. From having to understand your own internal processes, positioning, and value – to having to understand the market, your competitors, your customers, and the intricacies and politics of decision making processes, politics, and change management… there is no education in the world like it!

1

There is no other role that enables you to learn about dozens, even hundreds of companies, all while working for just one By the end of a deal, I often feel as though I’m an employee at my customer’s company, and that’s how it should be. The process of a well-run deal results in an understanding of the company, identifying their business problems, figuring out what makes them tick, building relationships, learning about their industry, navigating their processes, routing their budget, and becoming engrossed in their culture. It is the most satisfying feeling to know you’ve covered that type of professional ground in just an everyday month or quarter as a sales professional. A lifetime of experience and wisdom can be packed into just one deal. And don’t forget, at any given time – you’re working dozens of these such deals at once…

8 Women in Sales Awards / europe - december 2015

2

There is no other role that is led with such conviction and strategy If you like strategy games, you’ll love sales. Every minute of work you do, you know exactly why you’re doing it and understand the value in it – otherwise, you wouldn’t be doing it. Sales people are trained to think this way, and most companies have processes to protect their sellers’ time and energy to behoove this way of working. I am often baffled by my friends who complain about having to do XYZ meaningless work, and when I ask why they do it, the answer is often “because I’m supposed to.”

Little to none of this exists in sales.

You will never feel like a number. You will never feel like a robot. You will feel like the CEO of your territory.

3

Sales satisfies the most creative and curious of minds.

Sales is an art. There is an art to sales. And I know this is a somewhat unpopular belief in our industry, as there’s such a push to make sales a predictable science. And while I’m all for that (as I’ve largely devoted my career to that science), I must explain that how I feel after preparing for a meeting can only be described as feeling artistically, emotionally, utterly tapped (in the best way). It feels almost as if I just furiously painted a masterpiece, or feverishly conducted an orchestra, or wrote an epic novel. It is the most satisfying,

4

purposeful feeling in the world to lay out a situation/challenge, and intricately map out how to address, align, and/or solve it through words, pictures, demonstrations, stories, and inquisitive discussion. I believe sales can satisfy even the most artistic of people, as you are creating something, whether it be piecing together a story to tell in a meeting, or through creating a custom solution (or vision) from scratch.

Sales comes with tremendous support Since sales is thee way companies make their money, most companies choose to prioritize investing and resourcing this bloodline. So, you will likely be armed with some of the greatest tools, technology, and people in the business. Other non-revenue generating teams often struggle for such support, as companies’ investing decisions usually come down to ROI. And for non-revenuegenerating teams, proving that ROI can be nearly impossible, as they’re far removed from the cash flow. But in sales, you may find that wishes are more often granted, and that you will likely be armed with what’s needed to be successful.

5

Sales can satisfy our most social and anti-social tendencies Introverts, sales is the job for you!

Extroverts, sales is the job for you!

How can this be?... Well, let’s face it: sales satisfies both ends of the human spectrum, and helps develop whichever skills you’re lacking. To explain, introverts will have moments of complete contentment, as they can and should spend hours, alone, in front of their computers, knee-deep in research, prospecting, planning, and emailing. Introverts would also often prefer to listen than speak, and in my experience – the best sales professionals are the best listeners.

They have the ability to let go of their agenda, and listen whole-heartedly, knowing that the information they’re about to take in (from the client) can literally make their deal. Some of the best sales professionals are those who know how and when to be silent, which is a skill that comes naturally to introverts, yet kills extroverts.

But extroverts, don’t fret. For many obvious reasons, extroverts can excel in sales. What a skill to be able to capture an audience, inspire them to believe in a better way, gain their trust, get their attention, drive their urgency, etc. Not to mention, the best sellers are often those who know how

6

to best gather, motivate, and lead an internal account team (sound like an extrovert?). But no matter introvert or extrovert - you’ll find that after years in sales, the on-the-job training will naturally mold you into an ambidextrous state of both, which is personally and professionally healthy.

Sales lets you see the world and meet people from all walks of life (who are often at the top of their company/profession) Sellers meet with buyers. And buyers are not mediocre professionals.

They’re the folks companies empower with budget and decision-making capabilities; so, they’re generally executive-level, smart, influential, etc. They’re the folks at your own company, who you may never be in the position to even see, much less meet. But at your dozens of accounts/ prospects, you’ll be meeting with and speaking with such folks every single day. And what you can observe, learn, and pick up from them is invaluable.

Another invaluable part of a seller’s experience is the travel needed to meet with buyers. Putting the expense accounts, frequent flier miles, and perks aside… Just the ability to say that you’ve been to practically every

7

Women in Sales Awards / europe - december 2015 9

Fights with cabbies. Broken down rental cars. Crappy hotels. Sometimes pleasant, sometimes unpleasant interactions with the random people you meet. Etc. You’ll see it all and experience it all, and you can either choose to go insane when things don’t go your way, or you can choose to take it all in stride and learn great survival skills, with grace under pressure. And this grace under pressure will pay off in every aspect of your life, as you realize the world is not about you - you have to take charge and work within IT (and in my opinion, you also learn that nothing is ever that big of a deal – as they say “life goes on” and life does go on even if you missed your plane or crashed your rental car). I’d expect the type of life experience that I’ve had (through sales), could only come for those of extreme wealth, Ivy League schools, and the super-privileged.

But if you invest in becoming a true student of sales, these life experiences will come for anyone – humble beginnings and all…

There’s always more to learn in sales.

Upon doing a quick search on Google, over 50 million results come back for “sales methodology books.” Are there that many sales methodology books out there?... I don’t know. That’s not the point. The point is that there are a lot of bright minds with a lot of bright ideas being produced everyday. So, there’s always more to learn. Having read dozens of these books and having gone through a handful of formal sales methodology training courses myself – I have come to believe that no single methodology is universally correct at all times in all situations.

But each one unquestionably brings value and insight. So, to gobble up as much as you can so that in the end you essentially have a toolbox, from which you can pick and choose which world-class tool you need on an on-demand basis... THAT is the ultimate utopia. So, for even the most avid learners or the most easily bored – I assure you sales can feed your ever-growing hunger for knowledge.

Sales develops admirable skills that translate in both work and in life.

Sales pushes you to perfect your communication, negotiation, empathy, critical thinking, problemsolving, improvisation, preparation, time management, and relationshipbuilding skills, to name a few. And I remember a time when I devalued these softer skills – thinking I’d need technical, mathematical, and/ or programming skills to get where I wanted to go in life. But as experience has taught me, those “harder” skills might get you a steady job, but they often won’t get you noticed. And getting noticed is often the ticket to the proverbial “fast track.” But fast track or not – the value can go much deeper than that. This might sound silly, but I truly believe sales made me who I am because it taught me how to really think. How to take a situation, analyze all factors, and then piece through the many layers of each possible course of action to truly understand the outcome and how the littlest things can matter. None of this comes from a book – it comes from my own brain… And it is this sort of cando/do-it-yourself type of free thinking that sales has unlocked for me, which has, in turn, instilled such confidence and made me who I am.

Sales honors the entrepreneurial spirit.

The best sellers are those who look at their territory as their own little company to manage, fund, perform risk analysis, invest in, find the best talent to help support, etc. I think of myself as having the entrepreneurial bug, but I have a streak of risk aversion that keeps me from such endeavors. So, I feel sales satisfies that entrepreneurial dream and drive, yet I get to work within a nice, cushiony, well-developed company…

Who could ask for anything more?

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major city in the country (or in your region) is something no one should take for granted. In fact, my dad has never said it, but I get the sense that he is so so proud that his youngest little scrappy daughter has literally seen the world. He hasn’t, but his DAUGHTER has. And that’s what parenting is all about (hence the title of this article)…

Let’s be honest about all of this travel, though… amongst it all, you’re very rarely “seeing” those cities. But… there is such value to setting foot in them, getting a taste of the culture, the people, the food, and the vibe.

Not to mention, the attitude you have to take on to happily live in a travelhectic state might be the thing I cherish the most. Stuff happens, and stuff happens while you’re on the road.

Flights delayed. Flights canceled.

Missed connections. Lost luggage.

10 Women in Sales Awards / europe - december 2015

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So… that’s it everybody. That’s my ode to sales… As someone who has always been in, involved in, or a support function of sales… I tip my hat to you, and I hope this is one minor step in gathering the momentum and the respect the field deserves.

Here’s to one day that little five year olds may dream of becoming sales professionals, or to a future where the world’s top universities validate the tremendous skills needed to be in this profession through offering a Sales major or master program… Why those things don’t already exist today is beyond me…

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Finding Your Authentic 'Sales Goddess' Higher Self 12 Women in Sales Awards / europe - december 2015

T

hroughout the history of sales training, many different processes have been taught and utilized.

A variety of authorities have created unique frameworks to capture all of the essential skills that a salesperson should possess. While many professions have a set list of standard competencies, sales is not standardized. This lack of standardization is exactly what made the gurus' methods so essential. The sales methodology creators have taught from a place of experience, using what worked best in their respective time and industry. Though each iteration contained subtle differences, they traditionally shared a masculine viewpoint. Unfortunately, they were male writers that generally wrote for male salespeople. They didn't take into account the unique strengths of women, or the inhibitions that women may feel.

When I started to talk about my sales coaching platform, women tended to ask day-in-the-life and authenticity questions, such as "What do I say when I enter a room?" or "How do I promote myself without sounding like a phony?"

We want authenticity! We want substance! We build our expertise by seeking the affirmations of other women along the way. However, without a standardized framework and formula for the role, or a pool of female mentors to learn from, we tend to shy away from establishing our own sales identity.

Who Are You? Women have unique strengths that, when tapped into, have a powerful impact in selling, such as compassion, collaboration, and empathy. The vast majority of sales and leadership training has been geared toward helping women succeed by following male success techniques. We have spent years being indoctrinated into believing that fitting into a male mold is the path to success, and have therefore learned how to fit in.

Research indicates that finding your unique voice and authentic self is the best path to success. Finding your true self, however, is not as easy as it seems.

Women tended to ask day-in-the-life and authenticity questions, such as "What do I say when I enter a room?" or "How do I promote myself without sounding like a phony?"

What is Your Role?

Women have so many roles that we play. I am a mother, a wife, a teacher, a manager, a colleague, a team player, a friend, a writer, and of course a dreamer. Your true self remains part of each role that you play.

Unfortunately, it is sometimes hard to connect with your natural identity, and I did not authentically do so until I hit my late thirties. I always felt like a chameleon, and that served me very well in a sales role. However, it always caused confusion for me in identifying where I truly existed in that picture. When I was dating in between marriages, I really felt this conflict. Having no idea what dating in my adulthood was like and really no idea of what I was looking for in a partner, I would date all types in an effort to spark some real preferences.

Abraham-Hicks said that you might not know that you want a house with closets unless you have had a house without closets. Finding out that I did not mesh well with certain types of people helped me to define who I did mesh well with. Who I did mesh well with were the types that let me be me--my authentic self, a messy and intense person who loves her closet space.

Your Authentic Self There are many great thinkers and philosophers who have helped to bring the idea of archetypes into universal consciousness. One that is best known for this is Carl Jung. Jung believed that every story, every personality, and every character that has ever existed has assumed a role that is borrowed or worn, like an article of clothing, and then returned to the wheel of time.

Kabbalah believes that each time we

assume a role, or master a sephira, we evolve in a continual state of enlightenment, reincarnating through each lesson and mastering each character life by life. I've given a great deal of thought to this philosophy, and I ponder what my wise friend once taught me--that any belief we hold is simply a story that we tell ourselves. I have challenged myself in the stories that I believe which each progressive step that I have taken throughout my career. It was my idea to become a Director of Sales years before I actually believed that I could. My belief (or my story) changed exactly one day before I negotiated and won this title. Once you believe in your story, there is a ready pool of energy that immediately fills in the blanks. You can wear this new dress the moment you ready yourself for the role. How do you choose which one is you? How do you know which character is most authentically suited to you? That is where you can take the great Carl Jung's advice and find your archetype.

Greek goddesses and gods provide an excellent representation of the various aspects of humanity. I have read about many of them and have found great respect for certain goddesses in particular (Athena the Wise and Demeter the Primordial Mother), but the one god that I most closely align with in my sales profession is not female--it is Hermes. Hermes is the god of communication; he was the great connector of the underworld and the world of the gods.

Rena Cohen-First www.thesalesgoddess.com

Women in Sales Awards / europe - december 2015 13

Ji-A Min Research Analyst at Ideal Candidate Ji-A Min is the lead Research Analyst at Ideal Candidate. Armed with a Master’s in Industrial/Organizational Psychology, Ji-A has an eye for best practices and a love for statistics. Her segments highlight hot research in today’s fast-paced sales recruitment industry.

The Traits You Need to Have For a Sales Leadership Role Maybe you’ve been killing it in sales for the past few years and you’re ready to move onto the next level.

Do you have the desired traits employers look for when hiring sales leadership?

Software Advice, a tech review site for sales and CRM software, recently conducted an analysis of 200 sales director job listings from job boards such as Indeed, Glassdoor, and LinkedIn. Here’s what their research found were the top indemand traits for a sales director position.

01

E d u cat i o n a l l e v e l

67 percent of employers prefer or require candidates to have a higher education degree: 33 percent required a Bachelor’s degree whereas 34 percent preferred candidates to have a bachelor’s or Master’s degree (the remaining 33 percent didn’t include a degree requirement).

In terms of educational majors, a business degree (42 percent) and a marketing degree (23 percent) were the most preferred.

33%

Bachelor's Required

33%

Bachelor's Preferred Master's Preferred

17%

Not Listed

17%

02

T e c h n i ca l S k i l l s

29 percent of employers required CRM experience, while 8 percent desired sales force automation software knowledge.

CRM Sales force automations Marketing automation ERP Web Analytics Percent of Sample 0%

14 Women in Sales Awards / europe - december 2015

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

03

Sa l e s e x p e r i e n c e Professional Sales Percent of Sample 0%

Not listed

1-2

20%

3-4

40%

5-6

60%

7-8

80%

100%

9-10

11+

85 percent of the sales director listings required three or more years of professional experience, with 55 percent asking for candidates with prior sales management experience.

Industry-specific Sales Sales Management

Prior sales experience had even higher priority with 62 percent requiring five or more years of sales experience. 72 percent required industry-specific sales experience in particular.

B2B Sales Exceed quota Selling to executives Marketing Enterprise Sales Outside Sales Inside Sales Percent of Sample 0%

15%

30%

45%

60%

75%

04

M a n ag e m e n t s k i l l s

Interpersonal Skills

Rank

Technical Skills

Rank

Builds trust with sales force (ability)

1

Implements CRM (skill)

11

Designs and builds effective teams (skill)

3

Understands the importance of new technology (knowledge)

13

Provides effective verbal feedback (skill)

4

Implements sales force automation (skill)

14

Role model for the sales force (ability)

5

Understands global selling programmes (knowledge)

15

Creates a supportive team environment (ability)

7

Stratagic Skills

Rank

Manages team dynamics (skill)

8

Understands the overall strategy of the organization (knowledge)

Understands salesperson evaluation metrics (knowledge)

10

Makes decisions consistent with company strategy (ability)

6

Sensitivity to cultural issues (ability)

12

Understands general trends in the industry (knowledge)

9

2

Software Advice’s analysis doesn’t include any details about which specific sales management skills a sales director role requires. Luckily, a recent study by Powers and colleagues asked 145 sales leaders – including 43 sales directors – to rate the importance of 15 sales management skills.

Their results reveal that sales leadership predominantly requires an interpersonal skill set: 8 out of the 15 management skills were interpersonal skills, 4 were technical skills, and 3 were strategic skills.

The top 3 important management skills were: • building trust with the sales force (interpersonal) • understanding the overall strategy of the organization (strategic) • designing and building effective teams (interpersonal)

T h e Ta k e aways According to Software Advice’s analysis of job listings, the most important requirement for a sales director position is several years of relevant sales experience, with 5 or more years being the sweet spot.

Additional research by Powers and colleagues reveals that a sales director role requires a variety of interpersonal and strategic skills, which depending on the company, may include hiring salespeople.

So if you’re aspiring for a sales leadership role, make sure you spend your selling years wisely to include developing your strategic thinking and crucial soft skills such as building trust.

Women in Sales Awards / europe - december 2015 15

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BODY LANGUAGE TRAPS & TIPS For WOMEN LEADERS

A

female executive was having problems dealing with her male colleagues. "They like me, but they never take me seriously," she complained. "It's as if they think I'm flirting with them. Which I definitely am not!"

After watching her interact with various men on the senior management team, I saw the problem. She was trying to discuss work-related issues while using a "social gaze."

Here's what I mean . . .

If you create an imaginary triangle, the base of which are the eyes and the apex is mid-forehead, you will have mapped out the "look of business." When you keep your gaze in that area, you nonverbally signal a no-nonsense, business-like approach.

When you invert the triangle and move your focus to this area – from the eyes to the mouth – you turn your gaze into one more appropriate for social encounters.

And a social gaze can be misinterpreted as flirtatious - even in a corporate setting.It’s a small thing, really.

But as that female leader found out, one small nonverbal signal can change the dynamics of an entire business interaction.

There are two sets of nonverbal signals that are especially important to all leaders. When first introduced to a leader, followers immediately and unconsciously assess him/her for warmth (empathy, likeability, caring) and authority (power, credibility, status). “Warm” leaders connect with staff in a way that makes them want to do a really good job because of that personal connection, affection, and respect. But employees also look for leaders who project stability and authority, who make them feel secure, and whom they believe can follow through and achieve results.

Obviously the most appealing leaders are seen to encompass both qualities, and the least effective leaders are those regarded as uncaring and insecure. Perhaps not so obviously, many of the nonverbal signals for warmth and authority are divided along gender lines.

Although I know several leaders of both sexes who do not fit the stereotypes, I’ve also observed that gender differences in body language most often align do align with these two groupings. Women are the champions in the warmth and empathy arena, but lose out with power and authority cues.

Based on my book, “The Silent Language of Leaders: How Body Language Can Help – or Hurt – How You Lead,” here are ten common body language traps that can undermine the credibility of women leaders – and some tips on how to avoid falling into them!

Women in Sales Awards / europe - december 2015 17

TRAP #1 Using too many head tilts

Head tilting is a signal that someone is listening and involved – and a particularly feminine gesture. As such, head tilts can be very positive cues, but they are also subconsciously processed as submission signals.

(Dogs tilt their heads to expose their necks, as a way to show deference to the dominant animal.)

TIP: Use head tilts when you

want to demonstrate your concern for and interest in members of your team or when you want to encourage people to expand on what they are saying. But when you need to project power and authority, you should keep your head straight up in a more neutral position.

TRAP #5: Smiling excessively

Excessive or inappropriate smiling can be confusing and a credibility robber. This is especially noticeable if you over-smile while discussing a sensitive subject, expressing anger, or giving negative feedback.

TRAP #3 Using girlish gestures

Everyone uses pacifying gestures when under stress. They rub their hands together, grab their upper arms, and touch their necks. But women are viewed as much less powerful when they pacify with girlish behaviors (twirling hair, playing with jewelry, etc.)

TIP: Employed at the right times (for example, during an initial meeting with a potential business client), smiling can be one of the most powerful and positive nonverbal cues, and especially potent for signaling likeability and friendliness. But when the subject turns serious, you need to look serious.

TIP: Keep your hands on your lap or on the conference table where they can be seen and where you will be reminded to keep them still. And when you do use gestures, notice if they are reinforcing your statements. If so, you are probably showing your palms when indicating openness and inclusiveness, “steepling” (finger tips touching, palms separated) when being precise, and turning your hands palms-down when you are absolutely sure of your position.

TRAP #4 Speaking “up” TRAP #2 Physically condensing

Women tend to condense their bodies, keeping their elbows to their sides, tightly crossing their legs, stacking their materials in small, neat piles, and contracting their bodies to take up as little space as possible.

High status males do the opposite: they expand into available space and take up room.

Women's voices often rise at the ends of sentences as if they're asking a question or asking for approval.

TIP: When making a declarative statement, be sure to use the authoritative arc, in which your voice starts on one note, rises in pitch through the sentence and drops back down at the end.

TIP: Remember that status and authority are nonverbally demonstrated through height and space. So stand tall, pull your shoulders back, widen your stance, and hold your head held high. And at the next meeting, instead of keeping your belongings in a neat little stack, spread them out and claim your turf!

18 Women in Sales Awards / europe - december 2015

TRAP #6 Nodding too much

When a man nods, it means he agrees. When a woman nods, it means she agrees – or is listening to, empathizing with, or encouraging the speaker to continue. In fact, women tend to nod so much we’ve been accused of looking like bobble-head dolls.

TIP: Constant head nodding can express encouragement and engagement, but not authority and power. To project authority, especially when stating your opinion, keep your head still.

TRAP #10: Having a delicate handshake

TRAP #7 Waiting your turn

In business negotiations, men take control by talking more than women and interrupting more frequently.

Even more than their male counterparts, women with a weak handshake are judged to be passive and less confident.

TIP: One perspective on the value of speaking up comes from former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, who – when asked what advice she had for up-and-coming professional women – replied, “Learn to interrupt.”

TRAP #8 Flirtatious behavior

Women gain likeability, but lose the competitive advantage in a negotiation when they flirt. That was the consensus of University of California Berkeley study in which female actors played the roles of sellers of a biotech business. Half were told to project a no-nonsense, business approach.

Half were instructed to flirt (using the nonverbal behaviors of smiling, leaning forward suggestively, tossing their hair, etc.) – but to do so subtly.

The outcome of the Berkeley study was that the “buyers” offered the flirts (dubbed “likeable losers”) 20% less, on average, than what they offered the more straitlaced sellers.

TRAP #9 Being emotionally over-expressive

While a certain amount of movement and animation adds passion and meaning to a message, women who visibly express their emotions with hand gestures that rise above their shoulders can quickly overwhelm an audience (especially if that audience is comprised primarily of males).

TIP: Take the time to cultivate your "professional shake.” Keep your body squared off to the other person – facing him or her fully. Make sure you have palm-to-palm contact and that the web of you hand (the skin between you thumb and first finger) touches the web of the other person's. Look your partner in the eyes, smile – this is one place where a smile is a business asset – and start to speak: “So good to meet you...” or whatever. Most of all, remember to shake hands firmly.

TIP: To engage and motivate people, an emotional presentation can be very effective. But in situations where you want to maximize your authority – you’ll need to minimize your movements, and keep your gestures about waist high.

When you appear calm and contained, you look more powerful.

TIP: Flirting can be fun and exciting. But in business, it’s better to come across as competent and professional.

Of course, increased awareness of how you stand, gesture, shake hands and employ other nonverbal signals is only half of the equation.

The other half is the ability to accurately read the body language of others. And it is here where women leaders really have the advantage. Women are more attuned to relationship dynamics and more skilled at picking up nonverbal cues. It’s a skill that gives them insights that men miss about what is really going on in a meeting or during a negotiation. Interesting to learn that "women's intuition" has become a valuable – and powerful – leadership skill.

Carol Kinsey Goman Based in Berkeley, California, Carol Kinsey Goman, Ph.D. is a leadership presence coach and international keynote speaker at corporate, government, and association events. She a Leadership contributor for Forbes and the author of “THE SILENT LANGUAGE OF LEADERS: How Body Language Can Help – or Hurt – How You Lead."

For more information, email Carol@CarolKinseyGoman.com, call 1–510–526–1727, or visit www.CarolKinseyGomn.com

Women in Sales Awards / europe - december 2015 19

“Sometimes it takes a wrong turn to get you to the right place.�

- Mandy Hale

20 Women in Sales Awards / europe - december 2015

I Left My Handbag at Home Last Night

M

y routine had been changed. Instead of driving myself to a speaking gig, my daughter decided she would come with me and help out. She had taken the camera, books and incidentals to the car with her in my small case, and so I was good to go. Grabbing my jacket and a last minute check that I had the memory stick with my presentation on it, I raced out the door and jumped into the car.

Battling peak hour traffic, the uncomfortable Melbourne heat and feeling a little anxious that we might be late, I forced myself to sit back for an air-conditioned, chauffeur driven half hour drive. Besides, it would give me an opportunity to review those last minute changes to my slides and also use that time to get into the zone.

Until I realised I had left my bag behind. But it wasn’t just the bag I had forgotten, and it wasn’t my phone that I suddenly felt naked without, nor was it the make-up I didn't have in order to touch up the melting mascara. It wasn’t even the fact that I didn't have my glasses which meant I was totally blind and ended up mistaking the fish for the chicken.

It wasn’t even the security of those PowerPoint notes I now had to do without.

It was that I had nothing to use as a crutch of any type. No distractions, no nothing. Just me! And 50 people who paid for their seat at the table and were anticipating my every revenue generating idea so they could receive real value and transform their businesses.

And then I was introduced...

And I realised what forgetting my bag and my makeup and my glasses and my notes really meant: • It meant I had no choice but to connect with my audience and be totally present.

• It meant I had to trust that what I knew, I knew really well and it was an extension of me • It meant that I was the consummate professional who was able to improvise, be agile and go with the flow • It meant I could be vulnerable • It meant I realised the 'mistakes' that I made weren't really mistakes • It meant I could listen - that I wasn't in my head about what should come next • It meant I could be self deprecating and call the elephant in the room.

• It meant it was one of my best presentations where the overarching words fed back were ‘real’ and ‘authentic’.

And when you get real, grab hold of it, appreciate and respect it.

Just don't forget it!

Be Bold and Brilliant!

Sometimes when things don’t go according to plan, when we lose our sense of certainty and control, we overcompensate and try to justify or blame or make excuses.

The best thing in the world that we can do is address the elephant in the room and frame what the audience might see as a fault before they think it, so it is never becomes an issue.

So I opened my presentation with my story of forgetting my bag and then elegantly linked it to our message of crisis, clarity and change with the real value being transparency.

It made me just like my audience, it made me relate-able and it created an environment of trust.

This is what we all must do when we create relationships of any type. Be humble, vulnerable and transparent.

As women in sales, the ability to drop the ego comes naturally to most of us due to our make-up. Where many need to gain clarity though, is in understanding the difference between humility, vulnerability and transparency and not mistaking these qualities for subservience, weakness and backing down.

Our teams want real, our leaders want real, our buyers want real.

Bernadette McClelland Works with executives and companies in growth mode, looking to jumpstart results by quickly bridging their corporate goals with revenue generating ideas. She is an evangelist for the Conscious Selling model to be adopted in B2B sales environments today whilst also a role model and mentor for women who sell in these same roles. She is the author of the recently published and highly endorsed book, 'The Art of Commercial Conversations - When It's Your Turn To Make a Difference' and can be contacted for sales meetings, kickoffs and conferences at bernadettemcclelland.com or by calling her directly on 613 98407869 (Australia)

Women in Sales Awards / europe - december 2015 21

I gave a series of sales training seminars recently to a cross-section of bank staff and as I asked the delegates to share what they wanted each day, invariably, they asked for “more confidence, “how to deal with rejection” and “new techniques to close the sale”. Successful selling isn't just one transaction in which the client bought: it's a system in which each step builds on the previous one.

My Three-step Framework To Optimise Successful Selling 1

Develop confidence to start from a place of strength

One key request, especially from more junior sales people, is how to have more confidence when they're selling. Real confidence comes from taking this diagnostic and building on the areas that where you can improve: 1. How confident are you that the product offering you have suits the market? Do you know who the product is for? Equally as importantly, do you know who the product is not for?

2. How confident are you in revealing the needs of the customers? This requires practiced listening and communication skills, and asking very clear questions that elicit positive answers.

3. How comfortable are you in mapping the customer's need to the product you are offering? This comes with focus, experience, and acknowledging that this is a key stage in any sale.

4. How confident are you in your knowledge of the product?

As you strip confidence down to these four sources, it becomes easier to identify how you can improve and then execute a plan to achieve this.

2

Collect data to know where to focus your efforts

An amazingly effective strategy I have been using for years is to collect data in a structured spreadsheet and then subsequently into our CRM. This allows me to check for patterns and do more of what works; it's also a reminder tool that lets me see at a glance where I am at with each lead and what to do next, as well as a client file with contact details. It’s simply a fact of life that if you are in a selling role you will have to face rejection, an unpleasant psychological fact that can sometimes lead to procrastination. The following exercise solves this for me because it removes emotion and breaks sales into their component steps.

The model I use has five tabs: sales outstanding, opportunities, accepted, unaccepted and “long shots”. The “outstanding” tab is the first one I see when I open the file: for each lead, it states the name of the company or organisation, the name and contact details of my contact at the company or organisation, the source of the sale (a referral, a networking event, advertising, repeat business, my blog...).

This first batch of data shows me how much repeat business I have, and what channels are bringing in the most business. This tab also contains a second batch of practical data: the price I offered, the content of the deliverable, the date when I last followed up and what my contact and I talked about on that date.

22 Women in Sales Awards / europe - december 2015

The “wider opportunities” tab contains information about exchanges and transactions that are not necessarily sales per se, but might become channels for future sales: people I'm collaborating with on a project, etc. The “accepted” tab allows me to keep track of the progress of each sale: is the work booked, has it been invoiced, delivered, paid. This tab is more about administration and makes it very easy to keep on top of things.

The “unaccepted” tab is essential. I list the reason why certain sales didn't work out, or, in some instances, why I turned down business. When the sale doesn't happen, sometimes it's down to me: I didn't follow up quickly enough or my price was too high.

However, sometimes it's not something I can control: the company didn't have a budget or some other issue. This tab makes it easy to calculate my conversion rate: if I know that I close two deals out of three, each rejection then simply becomes part of the numbers' game. Each “no” brings two “yes” responses closer.

The “long shot” tab lists inspiring ideas that don't look like a quick sale but are still worth pursuing. Some of my favourite projects started life in that tab!

This spreadsheet is my “Sales Central”, a compact dashboard that makes selling seamless and easy.

3

Closing sales is the natural outcome of being confident and collecting data

There isn’t any magic bullet or secret trick that will suddenly make you successfully close all the sales you initiate. Closing a sale is a systematic process. It simply means getting a definite yes or no from the customer and proceeding to the transaction or moving on to the next prospect. It becomes a purely logistical issue.

To do this I follow a five-question framework that allows the sale to progress steadily to its natural conclusion: 1. “What do you think at this point?” puts the seller in a listening mode again, preventing them from rambling after they've done their pitch, and puts the ball in the customer's court.

2. “Shall we make a start on the paperwork?” asks the customer whether they want to commit, without directly talking about money. In my own business I ask a slightly different question: “Shall we put a date in the diary?” when referring to a training contract or speaking event.

3. “So, are you ready to move forward with this?”

4. “Is there anything in particular holding you back that I can help with?” is a great question to find out about objections that haven't been addressed yet, if the above questions aren’t bringing you to a conclusive close.

5. “So what would you like me to do to progress our conversation?” ties up loose ends and makes sure the sale process doesn't stall.

I’ve had to push myself over the years to ask these questions, whilst often reminding myself that a closed sale isn’t just a purchase, but a satisfactory end to a conversation that leaves the door open to new opportunities.

Whose life can you improve today?

Susan HayesCulleton Susan HayesCulleton, the Positive Economist, is MD of international financial training company Hayes Culleton Ltd. Her book is The Savvy Guide to Making More Money.

For thought leadership on the trends that shape the future of business and economics, sign up for her newsletter at: www.ThePositiveEconomist.com/subscribe

Women in Sales Awards / europe - december 2015 23

The Judging Day &

The Judging Process

24 Women in Sales Awards / europe - december 2015

The judging day took place on board the Silver Sturgeon Yacht in London

Women in Sales Awards / europe - december 2015 25

The Judges

A group of 12 senior executives from various industries were carefully selected as an evaluation panel of independent judges. Their objective was to review the nominations and interview each of the finalists.

You can read about the judges on pages 33 & 34.

Why An Interview With The Judges?

A face-to-face interview allows the judges to further assess each finalist’s sales skills, strategies and process etc. The interview also complements their review of the submitted nomination forms.

The Judging process

interview, all finalists answered one final question: “why they should win the award in their category?”

All the 12 judges scored each finalist on the final question. Each finalist’s overall score was the sum of the scores from the interview with the 3 judges in their category plus the scores from all 12 judges on the final question. The finalist with the highest score in each category was selected as the winner in that category.

Finalists Time With The Judges This was an opportunity for the finalists to engage the judges by telling them the story of their success. Each judge awarded points across the same criteria. After the

The most distinguished sales woman of 2015 This award is for the finalist who impressed the judges the most and scored the highest among all the finalists.

The judges were organised into 4 groups; each group was made up of 3 judges and interviewed a number of finalists within their assigned categories. Nomination forms and any supporting documents were reviewed by the judges prior to a nominee being selected as a finalist.

Each nomination was evaluated and scored out of a total of 5 points. The next stage of the process was a face to face interview with the judges.

FAQ's Who are the judges?

Where do they come from?

Zars Media invites judges from countries all over Europe.

Judges may be executives with social innovation expertise, business people, educators and university administrators and leading practitioners in the field.

How do you choose the judges?

We usually look for executives with sales backgrounds and with more than 15 years sales experience. We actively recruit and also take suggestions from partners, mentors and past judges.

26 Women in Sales Awards / europe - december 2015

What do the judges evaluate?

Judges review all the entries within their assigned categories and give their scores as per the guidelines. This will include reviewing the nomination forms and any confidential supplemental documents and project information that is included in the application.

Is the judging by invitation only, or can I apply to be a judge?

We recruit judges after screening their profiles using LinkedIn and other news sources. We are happy to consider suggestions. If you'd like to be considered, or suggest future judges, please email: judges@wisawards.com

The Judges

Stuart Allen

Liz Emmott

Debbie Hunt

MD of The Sales Performance Company Ltd and works with sales leaders & teams on sales strategy, process & technique. He is also a Twitter for Business guru with over 72,000 followers. @StuartAllenFCMI

Started her career at American Express as a mid-market sales manager in the Corporate Payments business in the late nineties. After a successful career in increasingly more senior sales positions across various business units and geographies, she left her role of Vice President Global Sales, Corporate Business Travel in July this year. She is now Commercial Director at Powered by Innovation, a start up consultancy specialising in Business Intelligence and Analytics.

Divisional Head of Fleet sales, Lexus and Toyota at Jardine Motor Group.

Previously she was at Maserati UK developing a Corporate Sales Channel for the South of the UK, working closely with the Dealer network to develop their understanding of B2B sales, as well as forging long term relationships with Corporate clients.

Matthew Goddard

Jacques Sciammas

Nick de Cent

Field Sales Director at PepsiCo and leads the PepsiCo (Walkers, Quaker and Tropicana) Field Teams across all markets. He has over a decade of industry experience, working across sales and leadership roles within PepsiCo – focusing on both the Grocery and Impulse channels.

Has held the roles of COO and CFO for several large global corporations where he was responsible for making executive buying decisions for over 20 years.

His corporate experience includes EVP Operations at Berkshire, Group CFO at Charles Schwab, Director of International Operations at Standard & Poor’s, and Director of Capital Programs at TWA. He is currently the president at Selling to Executives.

Editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Sales Transformation, the publication for the promotion of sales excellence among global corporates.

A successful business journalist for over 30 years, he has been involved in writing about sales since the mideighties. He was the MD of a successful communications company for almost 20 years and is currently also a regular freelance editor for a “Big 3” global management consultancy.

Women in Sales Awards / europe - december 2015 27

Sian Williams

Chartered Insurer with 27 years’ experience working with Global Brokers and International Insurance Companies. Regional Development Director for Travelers Insurance Company Ltd, heading up their sales and distribution strategy for the South of the UK. President of the Chartered Insurance Institute of Chelmsford and South Essex.

Helen Barrow

Helen Barrow is a director within the Energy & Assets team within Ernst & Young’s Advisory practice. Helen is a member of the Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supply. She also holds professional qualifications in PRINCE II (Practitioner), MoR (Practitioner) and is a member of the Nuclear Institute Young Generation Network and an Associate of the Association for Project Management.

Sharon Randall

UK Group Sales Director for the largest motoring marketplace in the UK, attracting approximately 35 million monthly cross platform visits with about 13,000 active retailers representing approximately 80% of UK retailer’s forecourts. She had held a number of key senior positions within AutoTrader over the past 16 years.

Claire Curzon

MD of Brighter Directions, multiaward winning outsourced marketing agency specialising in PR & Media Communications, Digital & Social Media Marketing outreach and Content curation for SME’s through to Global Corporate organisations. She has extensive expertise from previous senior corporate Sales & Marketing roles across Publishing, Media Healthcare and Manufacturing.

28 Women in Sales Awards / europe - december 2015

Lorna Leck

Her passion is in People and their success. For the last 25 years she has advocated Sales as a proud and admired profession, focusing on the elite being recognised for their efforts.

Co-Founder of award winning Silent Edge Ltd, Business Mother of the Year, and now Managing Director of Sales Activator.

Elsa Amouzgar

Elsa Amouzgar has worked at the ManpowerGroup for over 10 years and is currently the Vice President & General Manager for Global Sales. She has a broad international experience leading a global sales and delivery team to drive growth with prominent global clients. Prior to Manpower Group she worked at ADP, Dalet and Sodexo. She speaks English, French, Spanish and Japanese.

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Women in Sales Awards / europe - december 2015 29

The Speakers Our aim is that the event benefits not only the winners but all finalists and in turn their companies. Consequently for the judging day we incorporate panel discussions into the day to make the whole experience more valuable for all the finalists.

The judging day forum takes place concurrently with the judging process. It consists only of panel discussions, in which the panellists debate the session topics, after which the finalists join in. As a discussion-focused panel, the moderator leads off the panel by putting questions directly to each of the panellists.

Some of the topics discussed for the 2015 were: • • •

From sales lead to sales leader – Successfully transitioning your career.

Future directions for women’s leadership in sales, business development and account management.

In today’s complex business environment, the skills and knowledge salespeople have traditionally relied on are no longer generating the same results. Is it time to change?

What needs to change?

This year we opened up the forum to other sales executives who were not finalists but were interested in the networking and the thought leadership of the speakers.

30 Women in Sales Awards / europe - december 2015

Carol Kinsey Goman, Ph.D.

An author, leadership presence coach, and international speaker on the impact of body language in the workplace.

Her clients include over 200 organizations in 25 countries.

Carol is a leadership blogger for Forbes.com. She is the author of 12 books, including “The Silent Language of Leaders: How Body Language Can Help or Hurt How You Lead.

Rebecca White

An Account Director at CA Technologies responsible for customers in the Financial Services sector. She joined CA in April 2010, as an Associate Account Manager, responsible for customers in the growth sector. Since then she has been promoted through Account Management to Account Director and is now responsible for key relationships within CA Technologies’ Platinum accounts ( CA’s largest customers globally).

Leigh Ashton

An author of “iSell”, a speaker, trainer and coach. She specialises in helping people incorporate psychology alongside technical selling skills leading to positive changes to their attitude, their approach and their sales results. She is the Co-Founder Sasudi.

Nicola Robinson

A Field Sales Director for Coca Cola Enterprises. Her role sees her leading a team of over 300 people to optimise the availability and visibility of the company’s soft drinks portfolio throughout the supermarkets of Great Britain. She has worked with some of the world’s best FMCG brands over the last 15 years which has given her a great experience and passion for working within the dynamic retail and manufacturing industries. In 2014 she was named Best Woman Sales Director for the Women In Sales Awards (Europe).

Catherine Schalk

Catherine Schalk is a twenty year veteran of the Software industry. She is currently the Executive Director of Inkwazi Kommunications. Prior to Inkwazi Kommunications, she was director of World Wide Enablement at Informatica Software and Director of World Wide Sales Enablement at HP Software. She has also held positions as Director EMEA Sales Operations & EMEA Sales Readiness for CA Technologies, Sales Operations, Sales & Marketing for PeopleSoft and SSA.

Karina Garcia-Casil

Karina Garcia-Casil leads Consumer & SMB Sales Operations for Adobe EMEA, supporting the transformation of the business into a cloudbased subscription model across multiple channels. She has vast experience working within Direct & Channel Sales Operations environments for IBM, HDS, CA Technologies, and Avid Technology. In 2015, Karina became the UK Site Leader for the “Adobe & Women” program, and has been an active member of Women In Sales Awards initiative in Europe taking part as a speaker and panellist for the last two years.

Ritu Mahandru

A Vice President of Solution Sales, Application Delivery, EMEA at CA Technologies.

She joined CA Technologies in 2011 as a Senior Sales Director and since July 2014 she has been leading the EMEA Application Delivery business.

Before joining CA, Ritu was the Alliance & Channels Director at TeaLeaf Technology for three years. Prior to TeaLeaf she was Head of Alliances for EMEA at BEA Systems. She was also a Women in Sales Awards 2014 Finalist.

Sophie Ellis

Sophie Ellis is the Global Client Partner at Vodafone Global Enterprise and leads the engagement with strategic clients. She has a strong background in the communications industry over the past 20 years from traditional voice services through to WAN/LAN and wireless communications. She has had previous roles at BT, CGI, Microsoft and Orange.

Women in Sales Awards / europe - december 2015 31

Meet the ����

Women in Sales Awards Finalists EUROPE

32 Women in Sales Awards / europe - december 2015

There is a huge opportunity for women to drive change, encourage diversity and lead the way in sales. The Women In Sales Awards has done a fantastic job of celebrating the success of each and every one of the finalists!

Dina Patel

“Don’t think what’s the cheapest way to do it or what’s the fastest way to do it… think what’s the most amazing way to do it”

“Be the change you want to see in the world” - Ghandi

- Richard Branson

Caroline Porteous

‎“Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right”

Emma King

I can only say I feel I AM A WINNER

- Henry Ford

Bev Wright

“A leader takes people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they don`t necessarily want to go, but ought to be”

Irene Rodriguez

Tanja Westehagen

— Sheila Murray Bethel

Bengta Jordan

I have really enjoyed the complete experience and so much appreciate that Thomson Reuters have shown their confidence and support by nominating me.

Within sales it is important to implement structured training

- Rosalynn Carter

“One of the most courageous things you can do is identify yourself, know who you are, what you believe in and where you want to go.”

Nicola Langley

Katarina Harvey

The way to success is to manage upwards, downwards and outwards.

Never give up!

Samantha Hart

Jessica Pleiner

“ It’s a marathon not a sprint”.

This is when someone has a bad day, don’t focus on that one day as it’s your results over the month that count!

Deborah Cabrera

Women in Sales Awards / europe - december 2015 33

Everybody makes a difference and together we achieve amazing things

“Sales account planning requires time, dedication and focus. But the rewards for a good sales account plan are increased market share, revenues and profits”.

Do not run from the fire although at first you may get burnt lessons will be learnt and opportunities earned

- Terry Irwin.

Amanda Brown

Valerie Agnew

Linda Thapper Wester

The whole process teaches you so much about yourself and your capabilities.

‎Always put the

customer at the heart of all you do and look to exceed your goals – then success will follow naturally

Susannah Brooks

Emma Marriott

Life is short, be the best you can in the moment Be humble, be hungry and always be the hardest worker in the room

- Ghandi

Rebecca Bromwich

“You are the CEO of your own life, start making executive decisions today!”

- Stephen Luke

Nichola Chandler

“Your beliefs become your thoughts. Your thoughts become your words. Your words become your actions.

Your actions become your habits. Your habits become your values. Your values become your destiny.”

I genuinely think that this has been the highlight of my career – being recognised by my company and my peers to even be nominated makes all the hard work and dedication worth it.

Michelle Shults

I am really looking forward to continuing discussions with some of the people I have met as part of this process

Suzy Kitcher

“If you are working on something exciting that you really care about, you don’t have to be pushed… the vision pulls you” - Steve Jobs

Sarah Edge 34 Women in Sales Awards / europe - december 2015

Abigail Alliss

Miren Aranguiz

“Success doesn’t come to you, you go to it.”

The success of generating sales can only be conquered by the feeling you get when observing someone you have recruited, trained and developed becoming better than yourself!

Invest time, encourage ownership, be consistent, build credibility and execute

Marva Collins

“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty”.

– Winston Churchill

Adva Zubary Francesca Dugger

Anita Kirilova

Mielisa Evans

“Every moment wasted looking back, keeps us from moving forward.”

Hillary Clinton

You are only here a short time so make it a good time.

Maria Pitts Tammy Robertson-Orr

“Yougotta only live “You've once,like butthere's if you dance do it right, once nobody watching, is enough.”

Love like you'll Mae West never be hurt, Sing like there's nobody listening, And live like it's heaven on earth.”

Great sales people have the ability to listen, question, challenge, find solutions and are liked! People buy from who they like!

Louise Davies

Maria Jose Sanchez “Para ser grande, sê inteiro: nada teu exagera ou exclui. Sê todo em cada coisa. Põe quanto és no mínimo que fazes. Assim em cada lago a lua toda brilha, porque alta vive”

It has been a great opportunity to meet top performing women and to try to discover the key of their success.

“To be great, be whole; Exclude nothing, exaggerate nothing that is not you. Be whole in everything.

Put all you are into the smallest thing you do. So, in each lake, the moon shines with splendour because it blooms up above.”

- William W. Purkey

Eves ShamalaCandice Balasubramaniam

Passion for my

“It’s not about clients is the key to success. having the To help them skill to do succeed through something. my advices and see me as a It’s about having the will, provider of trust and credibility is desire, and a big reward and commitment my motivation. to be your best.” Passion is not Robert Hernandez

Always have a clear plan of what information is needed from a client in order to help them solve their problems.

Letizia Maini

Helena Brandao

“Chance favours the prepared mind, the more you practice the luckier you become” - Richard Branson

People buy from people, but people buy MORE from people they like

about gender, it is about the person you choose to be.

Anne Kathinka Berg Alexia Clements

Chloe Holloway

Tracy Bolton Women in Sales Awards / europe - december 2015 35

“Success If you love doesn’t come what you to you, you are doing, go to it.”

you be Marvawill Collins successful.

“As we let our own light shine we unconsciously give others permission to do the same”

- Marianne Williamson

Charlotte Williams Francesca Dugger

Amy Lawson

“Every moment

Ifwasted you don’t go looking after what you back, keeps us want, never from you’ll moving have it, If you forward.” don’t ask, the Hillary Clinton answer is always no, If you don’t step forward, you’re always in the same place

My background in Applied Physics makes me always strive for combining knowledge and to use that knowledge as a mother of 5, as a sales executive or as standing out as a women breaking down barriers in a men’s world.

Eloise Hammond Tammy Robertson-Orr

“You live The only judging once, if you day but made me do itrealise right, that once thereisisenough.” more I can do in Mae terms West of my own development and to believe in my own ability Sacha Charles Shamala Balasubramaniam

not about I“It’s was overwhelmed with the level having theof detail in making skill to do the judging day something. inspirational, rewarding and It’s about totally motivating, having the will, I would fully desire, and recommend more commitment companies become involved with the to be your best.”

Women In Sales Robert Hernandez Awards

Yvonne Janssen

“A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for” - John A. Shedd

Anastasiia Nedava

Client Satisfaction is crucial in sales.

Julia MacNeil-Stevens Alexia Clements Beatrice Charbonnier 36 Women in Sales Awards / europe - december 2015

Throughout my career, my school moto has always stood my in good stead - ‘I am, I can, I ought, I will’ ... and the belief that there is no such word as can’t. Working as a team, I believe there is always a way to succeed you just have to find it.

Alison Adderley

“There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.”

- William Shakespeare

Remember that the power of thought makes things happen, it makes your reality.

Believe in your success and you will be successful.

Roswitha Ostermann-Levy

It is a great achievement to be a finalist and in turn, we are able to inspire other women to harness their talent and accomplish huge success!

Claudia Donnelly

"Success doesn't come to you, you go to it" - Marva Collins

Anna Sophie Siegmund

If you want something strong enough, you will get it.

The only impossible is something that you do not try. And if you try it but you don´t get it then select a different way and try it again. NEVER GIVE UP

Planning is key to success.

Cristina Landaluce

Nadejda Krasteva

Margarita Petrova

Be crystal clear on what is expected “Timid saleswomen have skinny kids.” – Zig Ziglar Louise Bettinson

Interested in nominating for 2016?

Please email info@wisawards.com for more information

Elin Håland

CONGRATULATIONS from Zars Media proud organiser of the Women In Sales Awards.

Women in Sales Awards / europe - december 2015 37

And The Win

38 Women in Sales Awards / europe - december 2015

n e rs A r e . . .

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I believe that a manager should succeed through the people they manage

BEST WOMAN

SALES DIRECTOR 40 Women in Sales Awards / europe - december 2015

Anita Kirilova Agency Director - MetLife Europe Limited (Bulgaria)

M

y name is Anita Kirilova and I am the Agency Director of MetLife Europe Limited Bulgarian Branch - a Global leader in Life Insurance industry. I have more than 20 years of experience in sales and 17 years of experience in management. Throughout my career, I have been selling practically everything - from toothbrushes and toothpaste to selective perfumery and financial services. I have been working as a sales representative, middle-level manager, Regional manager and Sales Director for two different companies in very different industries - FMCG and Insurance.

I must say that sales has always been my one true love. I like to communicate with different people, I love the thrill of success, and I appreciate the trust and the establishment of long-term relationships. But the thing that gratifies me the most is the building of professionals in sales. The success of the people in whose development I have participated in makes me really happy.

In my current role, I manage a team of 150 people – salesmen and women, managers and trainers. My job is interesting, challenging and full of emotions. My main activity consists of the development of life insurance managers - their active recruitment, including head hunting, selection, training and development.

I participate in the entire process of direct sales channel development for the entire country - from the determination of the main development directions to the definition of the methods for their implementation.

I have always felt MetLife as “my place”. I have worked in the Company for 12 years. I feel appreciated both in the organization and in my country. My WISA nomination was the additional positive assessment of the work that I do and the success that I achieve every day. I never thought that I would be a finalist.

Initially, I thought that the possibility for nomination from Eastern Europe is to be considered as minimal. Purely because the women from this part of the world, are not taught or used to talking about our success and to declare our achievements.

Finally when the notice that I made it through finals came I was overjoyed. The first person that I called was my daughter. She is 15 years old, I raised her alone and I want her to be proud of me. Then the worry came, how am I going to present myself in 5 minutes, what exactly should I write to keep me from embarrassing myself – me, the person of success, with much experience behind me.

Moreover, for me, the presentation would be in a foreign language, a language, which I have studied by myself.

Then the routine prevailed I started thinking about what exactly I would like to say. I decided to bet on my experience and present the achievements that I have accomplished for MetLife the turnover, the implementation of strategic projects, the customer care, which my team and I carry out on a daily basis. It is hard to talk about yourself, especially if you are a manager. I believe that a manager should succeed through the people they manages to support them, to think about them, to speak about them. In my presentation, I did not miss the additional activities that I do outside of my work obligations sponsorship and participation in charity initiatives, writing of articles and participation in educational programs in schools on finances and insurance. I talked about the balance of the woman leader between career and home, for the example we set to our children. In this regard, I am extremely grateful to my mother for the freedom of choice she gave me, for the education, for the support when I started my career development. And I want to be such a mother for my own daughter! To give her the opportunity to grow and to successfully take on her own path.

The Judging Day was a very exciting day for me. Being together with other successful women, to have the opportunity to hear different points of view regarding sales and to discuss the

challenges, was truly a valuable experience. The meeting with the judges, the focus that you should possess, combined with the support of people you have never met before, was really a unique experience. During the discussion panels, I managed to “steal” ideas which I already apply in my work. I am in constant contact with the other women finalists, which creates conditions for network development where anyone can ask for advice or exchange ideas.

I definitely feel more confident after the Judges Day. It seems I am able to do this as well ... When I came back to Bulgaria I had so much to tell. Considering the fact that nearly 80% of the structures I manage consist of women, the interest was more than natural. We discussed many things; what was the impression that I had from the questions of the judges, we exchanged opinions if there was an option to reply even better, I gave them feedback from the participants in the other categories, I shared with them the practices from the panels that I have adopted.

Needless to say how my family feels about all of this, how happy my friends are. I have so much support! This cannot make you feel anything but completed! I am more than glad and proud of myself that I managed this process as well. I overcame my fears, I overcame the part of me which does not pay attention to my own successes and I have learned to speak about it.

I strongly believe that everyone should strive to be recognized in the department she operates in, in the company she works for. One should devote time and energy to determine how she is compared towards all the others outside her comfort zone and to be able to consider her achievements as a part of the bigger picture.

In this regard, WISA provides a truly unique opportunity. So do not hesitate, work hard, achieve the goals set by your Company and actively seek for manifestation to gain additional assessment and to become even better!

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BEST WOMAN

SALES MANAGER 42 Women in Sales Awards / europe - december 2015

Bev Wright Client Director - O2 UK

I

began my career in IT sales 15 years ago and have worked for O2’s Business Directorate for 5 years, initially working as a Key Account Manager, responsible for large Public Sector accounts.

In January 2014, I moved into Sales Management and currently lead the Strategic Accounts Team in the Local Government & Education arena. I have a team of Client Managers running our top accounts and I lead many complex multi technology bids, taking leadership and control of wider teams of technical and commercial professionals across the organisation, a role in which I have thrived and succeeded.

The Local Government sector is difficult, facing unprecedented levels of austerity. All our customers without exception have budget cuts of £100ms. Procurement cycles are long and difficult. My strategy is to make my team relevant in our sector and to position ourselves well for new services and contracts.

To deliver Social Value as well as Business Value so we make a difference. Combine this with a ruthless execution of strategic account plans means my team are winning in the market.

When I found out I had been nominated for ‘Best Sales Manager’ in the Women in Sales Awards I felt proud, honoured and a sense of achievement, not just for me but for my team. O2 is genuinely the best company I have worked for in my career

and for me the recognition is incredibly rewarding. To then find out that I had been short listed to finalist was fantastic – I was absolutely delighted!

Preparing for the judging day was different from preparing for any other presentation as this was about me, my role and the impact I have on my team, the business I work for and my customers. It’s probably the first time in my career that I have taken time to reflect and actually realise that I have achieved, I’m successful and it’s really made me appreciate my own value not just in the market I work in but as an individual.

On the judging day there was a real ‘esprit de corps’ amongst the finalists, all willing each other to do well. We are all sales people so I’m sure we were at our competitive best but as women we were mutually supportive. The panellists on the day were interesting and engaging and the judges asked some thought provoking questions to keep us on our toes.

My favourite venue in London is The Savoy so to round up the whole experience with an awards dinner there is a perfect end to a hugely rewarding experience. My advice to any business out there that has high achieving women in sales is to nominate them next year. It’s a great way to recognise them, to challenge them to dig even deeper and ultimately will help attract more women into a very male dominated profession.

My strategy is to make my team relevant in our sector and to position ourselves well for new services and contracts.

To deliver Social Value as well as Business Value so we make a difference

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BEST WOMAN in

FIELD SALES 44 Women in Sales Awards / europe - december 2015

Candice Eves Business Development Director Sodexo (Independent Schools division)

I

was approached to join Sodexo at the start of 2014, having enjoyed a successful sales career since leaving University in 2001. I have been lucky enough to work in a number of different sectors from advertising to security, most recently combining with my personal passion for food in the catering industry.

Joining Independents by Sodexo as Business Development Director in April 2014 presented me with one of my greatest professional challenges to date. Not only was the position more senior than my previous roles but I was also faced with the task of winning business following a period of poor sales and retention performance by the company.

In the last 19 months I have secured a 1:2 conversion rate, been awarded the three largest contracts to come to market, won £3.5m in new business and secured 100% retention for the second year running. It’s been a whirlwind start and I am now focusing on building on my early success to drive the business forward.

I was genuinely surprised and delighted to find out about my nomination for the Women in Sales Awards. It meant so much that one of my peers thought enough of me and my achievements to put me forward for such a prestigious award and that my company wholeheartedly supported my nomination.

I remember finding out I was a finalist when in the middle of a review with the Head of Business Development for Sodexo UK & Ireland who had been instrumental in my appointment.

I felt incredibly excited to have been shortlisted and proud to be representing Sodexo.

I have never been nominated for an external award before so it has been very much new territory for me. Thankfully, Sodexo has had a finalist and category winner in previous years so I have able to speak to them to get some advice. I am also one of three

Sodexo finalists this year so we have supported each other along the way.

In preparing for the judging day I decided that the best thing for me to do was be myself and simply present my achievements and the reasons for my success. Nerves definitely played a part as the day approached but I treated it as I would any presentation, making sure I practised as much as possible. I still didn’t get much sleep the night before!

I had made contact with a number of the finalists and judges via LinkedIn and Twitter before the judging day, but it was fantastic to meet everyone in person. Everyone was so friendly and it was amazing to see the wide variety of industries and sales roles people worked in. Seeing how successful everyone had been in their own fields made me even more proud to be a finalist.

The panel discussions were also very insightful and it was incredibly inspiring to hear from the previous finalists and winners about their experiences and the benefits they have enjoyed as a result.

I left the day honestly feeling that no matter the result I’d had a fantastic time and was lucky to have been involved.

The continued support and communication from everyone involved in the Women in Sales Awards has been fantastic. I loved receiving the photos and am really excited for the awards night. I feel honoured to have got this far and I know that my experience to date has helped me develop in so many ways.

Unlike many industry awards, the Women in Sales Awards are designed to recognise genuine talent. The planning and organisation that goes into them makes them beneficial and enjoyable for all involved. I have no doubt the awards will go from strength to strength in years to come and shine a light on so many talented women working in sales.

Nerves definitely played a part as the day approached but I treated it as I would any presentation, making sure I practised as much as possible

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BEST WOMAN in

TECHNOLOGY SALES 46 Women in Sales Awards / europe - december 2015

Sarah Edge Account Director - Sony Mobile Communications

I

am an Account Director with Sony Mobile. I spent the first 11 years of my career in marketing and only made the transition into sales in 2013. I enjoy being at the frontline of Sony’s business and knowing that I can make a difference to the success of the business. I also love the people element of being in sales. Although the basics of the product that I am selling need to be right, I firmly believe that people buy from people. Being authentic and customer centric are at the heart of my approach and my sales results demonstrate that this is working.

I was nominated for the Women in Sales Award by my HR division. I am on the Sony talent programme and I was lucky enough to be selected to do a Masters in Sales Transformation, of which I’m half way through. Being part of this programme has given me extra visibility within Sony Mobile and particularly with the HR division. I was very flattered when Sony Mobile’s Head of Learning and Development told me that Sony was putting me forward for the Women in Sales Awards. I hadn’t heard of the awards but after spending some time reading up about the organisation, I was very supportive with the objective of raising the profile of sales and making this a more attractive career choice for women.

After finding out that I was nominated, I spent some time preparing for the interviews on the day. Like many people (and particularly women!), I find it uncomfortable talking about my own achievements. I decided to spend some time talking about my successes in sales. However, my main focus was to share my

values which shape my behaviour and how I treat others and also how these values drive my passions in work; my need to be successful & significant, my passion for people and lastly having fun and really enjoying what I do.

The judging day arrived and despite some nerves, I found it empowering to be surrounded by so many successful fellow sales women. The atmosphere was welcoming and supportive, everyone at the event was happy to share their stories and listen to others. The judging panels were interesting and well balanced.

A significant amount of practical advice was offered which everyone at the event will take away with them. My stand-out view from the panels was that women should be celebrated in the workforce. Diversity brings different viewpoints and outlooks and this lends itself to greater debate and ultimately more well-rounded solutions.

Being involved in the Women in Sales Awards has been a really interesting experience. I have made new contacts and I had the chance to hear some inspirational women share their experiences. I was apprehensive about taking part in this event, concerned over whether I deserved to be nominated and then anxious to be talking about myself and my successes. However, despite this I am proud that I pushed myself out of my comfort zone. My advice to other women with the same concerns would be to have belief in yourself and ultimately to go for it. You’ll meet some great people, hear some interesting debates and hopefully enjoy yourself in the process.

My main focus was to share my values which shape my behaviour and how I treat others and also how these values drive my passions in work

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BEST WOMAN in

TELEPHONE SALES 48 Women in Sales Awards / europe - december 2015

Emma Marriott Account Executive - Lincoln West

I

’m Emma Marriott and I work for Lincoln West, the UK Sales office for two German trade show organisers and the event organiser for the National Sales Conference. I project manager the National Sales Conference which takes place at the Ricoh Arena, Coventry every year.

After I found out I was nominated I told my boyfriend that I had been shortlisted against 5 other women! I spoke to my colleagues in the office and asked for any advice they had better my chances of winning. I prepared by practicing over and over again, I practiced my presentation to anyone who would hear it so I knew it practically off by heart.

I found the judging day very insightful, it was great

to meet other like-minded sales women and discuss different strategies and techniques they have used for their presentations or their day to day jobs. I really enjoyed the panel discussions that took place throughout the day, not only were they a talking point but it was great to hear other point of views on each subject.

I am very excited to attend the awards ceremony and meet everyone who attended the judging day again. The Savoy is a great venue and I’m looking forward to a great night with great food and entertainment. My advice to other women looking to take part is get nominating!

The Women in Sales Awards is a great way to show recognition and improve confidence. The whole process teaches you so much about yourself and your capabilities, it would be a missed opportunity if you didn’t take part.

It was great to meet other like-minded saleswomen and discuss different strategies and techniques they have used for their presentations or their day to day jobs

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BEST WOMAN in

SOFTWARE SALES 50 Women in Sales Awards / europe - december 2015

Caroline Porteous Enterprise Sales Manager - Adobe

W

hat gives me great satisfaction is nurturing others and promoting an inclusive culture of success. Without a shadow of a doubt, the more I’ve given to others, the more I’ve got back. I wanted to create a personal brand that my customers and colleagues can trust and depend on. As well as being a mentor, I try and combine the women’s art of intuition with proven sales science to ensure the success of projects – I believe in order to win, you must plan to win.

When I found out I’d been nominated I was over the moon and extremely grateful. Finding out I was a finalist among Europe’s top female talent was just unbelievable.

Being nominated for the European Women In Sales award is an achievement in itself. To be formally recognized by my company, colleagues and customers has completely blown me away.

Preparing for the judging day was like planning for an important meeting; researching the industry leaders I was

going to meet, what questions I wanted to ask. Like with my sales approach, I wanted to create a unique way to present myself amongst the mass of talent.

The judging day took place on an impressive yacht on the Thames overlooking the iconic sights of London – having the opportunity to meet many inspirational women was invaluable and warming. Taking part in the panel discussions was stimulating and one discussion in particular has sparked a thought process that will help shape my career.

I am extremely grateful for this opportunity to be recognized as a leading Woman in Sales and for my contributions in an aggressive, fast-paced, technology driven, male dominated Software Sales industry.

Diversity is extremely important and if you are considering nominating exemplary ladies from your own organization then do not hesitate!

Without a shadow of a doubt, the more I’ve given to others, the more I’ve got back

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BEST WOMAN in

FINANCIAL SALES

& MOST DISTINGUISHED SALES WOMAN OF 2015 52 Women in Sales Awards / europe - december 2015

Louise Davies Lead Account Director - Thomson Reuters (UK)

I

have worked for Thomson Reuters for the past 15 years. My career to date has been diverse having held numerous positions within the company in both the UK and US. Currently, I am a Lead Account Director responsible for managing the Thomson Reuters relationship in the UK with 2 of the world’s largest Banks.

My day-to-day role involves working closely with my customers to retain my extremely large book of existing business, spotting new opportunities for growth and ensuring that my customers receive exemplary customer service at all times. I am an active mentor both internally to colleagues and externally at a local school. I am also a member of Women@Thomsonreuters, Women On Board and I frequently attend networking and industry events.

I am highly driven and passionate about Thomson Reuters and my clients and I believe in the power of relationships to help find win/win solutions to grow my business.

When my manager told me that I had been nominated in the Financial Sales Category, I felt extremely honored, proud, driven to do well and also slightly nervous!

I believe that planning and being organized is the key to success so upon finding out that I was a finalist I set about planning my presentation, the key points that I wanted to get across and how I would wow the judges! I reached out to some of my key stakeholders for quotes to re-enforce my success story. I then blocked out the dates in my diary!

I found the finalists’ day was a great networking experience and an opportunity to participate in some interesting panel discussions. It was also an opportunity to hear about what the other women have achieved, what motivates them and makes them successful and also interesting to hear that across industries we often face the same challenges.

I would advise other women to really embrace the opportunity if they are nominated for WISA. The nomination itself is a huge achievement and something that should be celebrated.

Other companies should nominate employees and really make WISA known in their organizations.

I believe that planning and being organized is the key to success so upon finding out that I was a finalist I set about planning my presentation

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BEST WOMAN

Sales Newcomer 54 Women in Sales Awards / europe - december 2015

Amy Lawson Account Executive - PepsiCo

M

y name is Amy Lawson and I unexpectedly but pleasingly found myself nominated for the Newcomer in sales category during this year’s Women in Sales Awards. I currently work as an Account Executive at PepsiCo, and have been with the business for two years as part of their Accelerated Career Programme following my graduation from Strathclyde University in Glasgow. During this time, I have spent time in a variety of roles including Field sales, Shopper Marketing and I am currently an Account Executive in the Travel & Forecourts team.

Prior to being nominated I had been in a trading role for about six months. My background into sales isn’t traditional having moved to trading from shopper marketing– but I believe this allowed me the opportunity to have a unique perspective on sales opportunities and consider creative ways to bring presentations and communications to life for my customers. For me it is important to have a balance – to take feedback from those around me that have more experience in sales roles, but also not to be afraid to challenge the norm. I didn’t actually know I had been nominated for Women in Sales until the shortlist was announced!

I couldn’t quite believe when the short list was announced that I had made the newcomer category – it was a really lovely piece of recognition for some of the work I had been doing since transitioning in to sales but also some recognition of the impact that my work in shopper marketing had delivered on the wider team and subsequent sales results. I felt immensely proud – and immediately wanted to start working on my judging day presentation.

When preparing for judging day I found that being nominated allowed me the opportunity to stop and really reflect about my time in sales so far. Presenting my achievements isn’t something that comes naturally

to me – so knowing that my peers had nominated me really gave me confidence. I spoke to my fellow colleagues who had been nominated for WISA in previous years to understand their experience and then really thought about what I wanted the judges to remember and reflect on from the time we had together. Their message was to really enjoy the day – and my biggest learning was it is really an opportunity to be yourself. The judging day allowed me the personal space to pause for reflection and consider my achievements and future goals. I also decided to draw on experiences and influential moments from my personal life to date to bring the whole presentation together.

I was extremely nervous ahead of the judging day but the day itself was really relaxed – the judging panels allowed really interactive discussions with a variety of panellists who shared some of their own learning to date.

Throughout the day there was lots of opportunity to network with the other finalists and it was really beneficial to understand some of the challenges being faced in industries outside my own.

After the judging day it has been straight back to work!

I have had quite a few customer meetings, and had told them I had been nominated for the award (they helped me with some quotes for a video I pulled together on judging day) so they were really keen to understand about the experience. It was a great opportunity to spread the word on the women in sales awards within Fast Moving Consumer Goods.

My advice for anyone taking part in 2016 would be to enjoy the whole experience – it is amazing recognition to be nominated and it presents a great opportunity to network with other women in sales from a variety of industries. Having the time to reflect and share your achievements and appreciating that this is recognised by your peers also really helps build confidence.

My background into sales isn’t traditional having moved to trading from shopper marketing

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BEST WOMAN in

PROFESSIONAL Services SALES 56 Women in Sales Awards / europe - december 2015

Jessica Pleiner Key Account Director strategic services - Verizon Germany

I

have been a Senior Account Manager for Strategic Services at Verizon Partner Solutions since 2007. I manage existing and new Key Accounts to maximize current and future business opportunities within Europe, Middle East and Africa.

My current responsibilities include the sale of Data and IP services, Managed and Unmanaged MPLS Networks, Colocation, Cloud Computing, professional services and Security Solutions. In 2013 I was promoted to the role of Global Account Director for the Deutsche Telekom Group. Since then I have managed to extend the current relationship into new technologies and regained customers trust for having new and additional business being added. I work very closely with internal teams to enable a smooth relationship in-between all parties.

Besides my sales role I am constantly volunteering into company virtual teams.

The judging day for the women in sales awards was such a great day! I can’t find the right words to express my emotions. I liked it very much and I am so proud of being part of it. All was great! I could not wait to see everyone again on Dec. 3rd.

Thank you WISA for all the organization!

I have managed to extend the current relationship into new technologies and regained customers trust

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BEST WOMAN in

INSURANCE SALES 58 Women in Sales Awards / europe - december 2015

Eloise Hammond Business Development Manager - MetLife

I

was over the moon to discover that I had been nominated for this award in the first place, let alone to then find out that I had been selected as a finalist.

I have always been grateful for the internal recognition which MetLife has given me over the last 7 years, but this selection was a massive milestone in itself as all my hard work was now externally being noticed.

As the judging day approached, the nerves started to kick in. I realised how much I truly wanted to win this award.

Not only for myself, but I really wanted to make MetLife and my family proud!

The judging day itself was amazing. Being around so many successful people truly created a lovely atmosphere.

Taking part in the awards has been an amazing experience and I look forward to working closely with the Women in Sales organisation moving forward. I want to leverage from this and not only help others within MetLife, but work to empower other women in sales moving forward.

I would highly recommend for more companies to put their ‘leading ladies’ forward for the Women in Sales awards. Not only is the experience itself a great opportunity to network and surround themselves with other successful women, but the motivational drive and inspiration which comes off the back of it is priceless! You leave feeling hungry to succeed further and truly be the best that you can be!

I really wanted to make MetLife and my family proud!

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BEST WOMAN in

ADVERTISING SALES 60 Women in Sales Awards / europe - december 2015

Miren Aranguiz Key Account Manager, Strategic Accounts - Schibsted (Spain)

I

’ve been in sales positions for the past seventeen years and the most exciting thing about it is that every day is different. You meet different people and you’re constantly learning. I started in human resources sales in Adecco and in Infojobs later. And after this experience I moved to the online advertising sales where I had different responsibilities and finally, for the past two years, I’ve been in the strategic accounts in Schibsted Spain.

One of the most important things for me is to be proud of my company, of what we do and how we do it. Working in Schibsted Spain is something I’m proud of, not only because we work to improve people’s lives but also because we feel that we are part of a great team and taken into account both in the professional and the personal way.

When I realised that I had been nominated for the Women in Sales Awards and after that, shortlisted, I felt that I had to do my very best. I’m proud of my colleagues and managers and I also wanted them to be proud of me. So I prepared myself for the judging day trying to stay focused on what my motivations are, how I try to

challenge my clients to get even more than they expected and do the same in the judging day. I tried to show who I am and how I perform in my daily work.

When we arrived to London we all were really excited and nervous about the day and I have to say that it has been an incredible experience. We spent a really interesting working day, sharing experiences and following the panel discussions. We shared impressions about selling like a lifestyle more than a job and the relevance to make the difference, help others and take risks. Our challenge is to create a sales career. After the judging day we’ve known who the mentors are and I can say that it would be a great opportunity to be mentored by them because they all are senior executives with large experience and this is the best way to make the difference, taking advantage of all their knowledge.

Personally, I encourage all companies to nominate all talented women in their organizations to keep on working to give to our profession the relevance that it has. And also to increase the presence of women in this area. I hope we can all make this Awards bigger and bigger every year.

I tried to show who I am and how I perform in my daily work

Women in Sales Awards / europe - december 2015 61

Julia MacNeil-Stevens Business Sales Manager London - Virgin Media Business

P

rior to the nomination I was unaware of Virgin Media’s business intention to support this programme. When my manager informed me I had been nominated for the Women In Sales Award I had a mixture of emotions, on one hand I was immensely flattered whilst on the other I felt a conflict in that I had been singled out from the exemplary women in sales we have working within Virgin Media Business.

My genuine belief was that I would not progress any further in the process given there are so many strong successful women within the industry but being nominated was in itself an immense feeling of pride. However, once the realisation set in that my management team had strongly supported the nomination and I was further made aware that this was the start of a new journey for Virgin Media Business I felt immensely proud from both a personal perspective and I pride in my organisation for taking part in a programme and investing in and supporting women in sales throughout the business.

When I received the shortlist announcement, whilst shocked I was extremely pleased I would get the opportunity to take part in the judging day. The level of experience of the finalists and the key speakers would be a fantastic opportunity to meet and network with some inspirational women to gain their insight and perspective of being the sales industry along with how others manage their work/life balance.

As the judging day approached I spent many hours working to perfect my presentation, this proved to be a huge challenge as I wanted to present something that reflected my personal contribution but also recognised the strength of the team I have the privilege to work with. I requested feedback from many people within our business so I could provide an outline of myself as seen through “other people’s eyes”. However my real inspiration came from my family who were once again wholly supportive and gave me a complete reality check to stop trying to overcomplicate the detail to what should be simply sharing the passion for what I do.

During the judging day I was overwhelmed with the experience - the level of detail, the knowledge of the judges, the calibre of the finalists, the energy and passion all contributed in making this an inspirational, rewarding and highly motivating day.

The networking and panel sessions also detracted from the unexpected nerves whilst waiting for our judging slots whilst offering a diversity of opinion across the audience. On speaking with the panellists they had given up their time for something they believe in, I found this extremely refreshing. I came away feeling revitalised from the positive attitudes of the panellists, other finalists and the judges.

The judging day gave everyone a chance to focus fully on what we achieve on a day to day basis within our individual sales roles.

I don’t feel any of us actually step back and consider the fact we are women in sales and the success we contribute. Having had the opportunity to share our achievements with the judges and

I came away feeling revitalised from the positive attitudes of the panellists, other finalists and the judges other finalists I found myself taking a personal timeout to step back and reflect on both achievement, but, more importantly, the scope of true potential. My expectations are already met, I have met some wonderful people, reached the shortlist and have my entire sales team proud in the knowledge that I have got this far.

Anything beyond this would simply be a bonus.

I would thoroughly recommend Virgin Media Business, other companies and more women in sales to take part in 2016. The total experience for the finalist from nomination through to the award dinner is motivating and identifies the investment the company is taking in you as an individual for your career progression.

EXTREMELY HIGHLY COMMENDED 62 Women in Sales Awards / europe - december 2015

���6 Women in Sales Awards Great news!

We are simplifying the nomination process. In 2016, to nominate companies only need to complete a very simple form.

After the nomination deadline on the 8th of September 2016, all nominees will be contacted to complete a questionnaire. Nominees will have two weeks to complete the questionnaire.

After the questionnaire deadline, the judges will review all the details and select the finalists. All finalists will then need to complete their USSA audit by the 1st of November 2016.

The judging day on the 10th of November will give the finalists the opportunity to have a face to face conversation with the judges.

The winners will be announced at the awards dinner on the 8th of December 2016.

Timeline 15th March 2016

Nominations Open 8th September 2016

Nominations Close 9th to 23rd September 2016

Nominees complete questionnaire 24th October 2016

Finalists Announced By 1st November 2016

USSA Audit to be completed 10th November 2016

Judging Day

8th December 2016

Awards Dinner

Women in Sales Awards / europe - december 2015 63

Sales Manager Mentor

Ian Mills

Rachel Barton Sales Director Mentor

Rachel Barton is Managing Director at Accenture Customer Strategy UK, Europe and Latin America. She has been included in Red Magazine’s Women of the Year and Management Today’s 35 under 35 list of high performing business women. Rachel is a mentor with the Cherie Blair Foundation and was awarded their mentor of the year award in 2012.

Ian Mills is the CEO and cofounder of Transform People International, a global business improvement consultancy.

He works with clients all over the world, including FTSE 100 and Fortune 500 companies. He is the co-author of ‘100 Big Ideas to Help You Succeed'.

Susan Bowen

Software Sales Mentor

Susan Bowen is Chief of Staff for HP in the UK and Ireland She leads HPE’s cross company strategy on behalf of the UK and Ireland Managing Director. Susan has been with HP since 1999, when she joined as a Technical Account Manager.

Having covered various technical and management roles, Susan's business achievement was to build HP's Managed Print Services business from inception to annual revenues of over $100m.

The 2015 Mentors

As part of their prizes the winners will be mentored for a year.

Magg ie Bugg ie

Professional Services Sales Mentor

Maggie Buggie is Vice President and Global Head of Digital Sales and Marketing for Capgemini. Previously she was responsible for Global Cloud Sales and Consulting and delivered a number of transformation programmes at other consulting and technology service companies. She has significant international experience and is the executive sponsor for the diversity@capgemini initiative. She was the 2013 winner of the of “Women in the City” Technology category award in recognition of her achievements.

64 Women in Sales Awards / europe - december 2015

Stephany van Willigenburg Telephone Sales Mentor

Stephany van Willigenburg is a Senior Industry Head at Google UK and has worked at Google for over 10 years. Currently she is a Senior Industry Head responsible for working closely with Google's largest UK travel and finance clients as well as their agencies. Advising on developing digital, social, mobile & display strategies, supporting market leading brands to capture maximum value out of their relationship with Google. Previously, she held the positions of New Product & Solutions Industry Manager, Business Development Manager for Mobile and Industry Manager in the Google's UK Travel team.

Insurance Sales Mentor

Gary Reader

Martin Mora n Financial Sales Mentor

Field Sales Mentor

Gary Reader is the Global Head of Insurance at KPMG. His career with KPMG has spanned over 28 years, 25 of which have been focused on the insurance sector as an audit partner from 19962000, consulting partner from 2000-2011 and most recently as a markets partner.

In that time he has worked in all three regions of KPMG and his roles and work has taken him to multiple countries.

Nicola Robinson is the Field Sales Director for Coca Cola Enterprises. Her role sees her leading a team of over 300 people to optimise the availability and visibility of the company’s soft drinks portfolio throughout the supermarkets of Great Britain. She has worked with some of the world’s best FMCG brands over the last 15 years which has given her a great experience and passion for working within the dynamic retail and manufacturing industries. In 2014 she was named Best Woman Sales Director for the Women In Sales Awards (Europe).

Ritu Mahandru

Sales Newcomer Mento

r

Alexandra Watson

Martin Moran is the General Manager & SVP, EMEA of Insidesales.com. He has more than 20 years of experience in managing and growing business operations in Europe. He was the first employee in Salesforce’s EMEA organisation where he helped grow the company’s EMEA business to $300 million in annual revenue. Martin has also driven revenue growth for wellknown technology companies like Oracle and Skype.

Nicola Robinson

Amanda Phillips

Technology Sales Mentor

Ritu Mahandru is the Vice President of Solution Sales, Application Delivery, EMEA at CA Technologies.

She joined CA Technologies in 2011 as a Senior Sales Director and since July 2014 she has been leading the EMEA Application Delivery business. Before joining CA, Ritu was the Alliance & Channels Director at TeaLeaf Technology for three years. Prior to TeaLeaf she was Head of Alliances for EMEA at BEA Systems. She was also a Women in Sales Awards 2014 Finalist.

Advertising Sales Mentor

Alexandra Watson is a leading Success Mentor and Best Selling Author. With over 18 years coaching and mentoring expertise, she is highly regarded in the UK. She was recently named as one of the top 20 Business Icons in Exceptional People Magazine. She has been highly praised by Dr John Gray (author of Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus), has coached Leona Lewis on The X Factor and will be returning to the show in September 2015. She is a regular guest on BBC Radio.

Amanda Phillips joined Millward Brown in July 2014 to lead the sales & marketing function, focusing on growing clients brands by ensuring they are introduced to the wider Millward Brown offer as well as commercially growing the company in the UK. Amanda has spent the last 20 years working within the marketing services industry managing digital and direct agencies.

In 2005, she co-authored a book on the application of the serviceprofit chain to business management (Public Relations and Advertising Leadership Strategies for the UK, published by Aspatore).

Women in Sales Awards / europe - december 2015 65

In Sales and Proud

Entrepreneurial heavy-weight and sales growth strategist Lara Morgan is passionate about developing ambitious business leaders whilst also contributing to the professionalisation of sales.

66 Women in Sales Awards / europe - december 2015

Lara Morgan Lara Morgan is best known for growing Pacific Direct, from start-up to successful exit, Selling her majority share 23 years later in 2008, for the sum of £20 million.

Find out more about Lara and her investments at: laramorgan.co.uk If you are interested in working with her or one of her businesses, apply interestingly to Lara@companyshortcuts.com

H

ow many times have you been at a networking event and introduced yourself to someone who responds with titles like, Account Manager, Business Development Manager, Executive… in fact, anything but admit that they are in sales?

I wholly understand the reticence of sales people not wishing to tar themselves with the brush of other's poor behaviour in industries we are all aware of, many of whom play a part in our lives. Nevertheless the idea that we should be embarrassed to be in the best career of them all, is frankly bonkers.

A great and proven sales professional will earn more than the directors of a company, they can work the hours they choose, often in the places they wish to work, they get to be out-andabout, some enjoy the international travel and revel in their time away from home experiences.

At the end of the day, like it or not they are critical to whether a company will breathe and grow.

Without a product or service sale, we have nothing around which to build necessities of operational delivery, no need to manufacture products, no need for a Finance Department, indeed a great deal of redundancy follows if sales do not perform. So it is right that good sales people should be paid well.

Annoying though we may seem, because we tend to be more outspoken than most, a good sales person will genuinely make a positive profitable difference to someone somewhere.

Our confidence is often confused with being assertive and too often described incorrectly as aggressive.

When we are operating as we should, we sell a great service which delivers features, advantages and benefits to

the buyer. Companies do not survive on one hit wonders, leaky buckets or broken promises, where the sales service does not deliver.

Sales people when managed well with clear profitable prioritization, a focus on the right kind of customer, robust qualification of the sale and a clear understanding of the competencies of the business, will build all round value.

It is a painful truth and danger that in badly managed cultures as companies grow, a divide can grow between the perceived prima donna sales person and 'administration' personnel. How wrong and damaging this will be to a business, when a sales person over promises and does not value the systems and processes of the order delivery process. It is critical at this point to map your order process and to continually have a review process looking for the perfect order delivery, which retains customers, builds your brand reputation and in fact enables scalability of the business service.

Please never allow sales to lack appreciation of the operational team support services and never allow them to have a commission earnings scheme, that does not hold them accountable. By this I mean that the terms and conditions of the sales promise they made, must be fulfilled, before they can collect on it. I do not pay sales people a commission unless funds have been collected. Simple.

Sales people should in return for the freedom they can gain, live and die by publicized expectations of targets of profitability, performance against company objectives and they should be fully ready to accept the competitive environment of a powerful and high achieving sales force. I simply do not accept that an untargeted, unlinked reward system gains the best possible result. And I do not believe that a competitive environment in a professionally employed, well led

and ever developing sales-force does anything except accelerate growth potential to its maximum. When did you last invest in your sales-force development?

For the record, I think HR should look for sports people, with a competitive edge who are team players but also self-motivated. Understand the value of aiming high, perhaps demonstrated in things they aim to have, buy or invest in. Interview questions for sales people should be deeply tested to find levels of performance and actual understanding of the commercial business model. A sales person that does not really understand profitability, who is not organised in a timely way and nevertheless admits to loathing paperwork, I would not employ. We like to talk.

L eadership Consistency in your approach is vital to being a successful leader.

People are the heartbeat of any growth and scalable business. Moods are not allowed, good leadership is consistent, fair and packed with humility.

• • • •

•

•

Enjoy seeing the success of others.

Love making others grow by giving them challenging opportunities.

Be determined to continually progress.

Always set your own personal goals and celebrations. This matters, as the journey is tough, it will involve sacrifices but it can be immensely rewarding.

Surround yourself with talented A grade players, who have better skills than you, in different areas to complement the way forward.

Get a mentor, a business club membership and a grey haired (experienced) executive whose been successful in your industry.

Women in Sales Awards / europe - december 2015 67

Nick de Cent Editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Sales Transformation and also edits the Raconteur “Sales Performance� supplement in The Times. He has been writing about sales and other business issues for over 30 years and contributes to numerous publications online and in print.

68 Women in Sales Awards / europe - december 2015

How Women Are Helping To Transform The Sales Profession

I

feel blessed to come from a family dominated by strong women. My mother was remarkable – a pioneering single mother and business woman who spoke five languages and worked all around the world, which accounts for why I was born in Bangkok and had the privilege of having so many stamps in my passport as a child!

She had to overcome many obstacles. During the early stages of the Second World War my mother was living in Italy, and it was not long before she was interned as an enemy alien. She subsequently escaped and walked for many weeks through enemy territory to Allied lines, aided by brave Italian partisans and herself helping the fellow escapees she met along the way with her fluent Italian.

That was long before I was around but I recall how determined and resilient she was when I was a child. I particularly remember the time when her business and life partner disappeared after running up very substantial debts, leaving my mother to pay off the creditors – I wasn’t even a teenager at the time. She had to sell our house, but as the sole provider for the family, she continued to find a way to keep me in private school.

Soon after, when my mother was in her late forties, we upped sticks from England and moved to Nigeria where she became a sales director for a company selling pharmaceuticals and mobile field hospitals. This was the time of the Biafran War, and Lagos was a potentially challenging place for a single expat woman to be living on her own.

Women in Sales Awards / europe - december 2015 69

parity and equality of opportunity for many women around the world.

While we might not like to believe it, women tend to have to work harder just to compete. Only yesterday, the Women in Sales Awards were labelled a “pointless exercise” by a (male) sales consultant commenting on a thread I had posted about these awards on LinkedIn. His argument ran like this: “All salespeople are equal; you do your numbers or you don't. There is no other measure, and gender, propensity, skin colour, presence of hair don't matter.”

It’s a superficially tempting argument – the numbers don’t lie; they’re agnostic – but of course one only has to take a deeper dive into the data to see the f laws. Sales has, of course, always been a notoriously male-dominated profession.

First experience of sales For me, this was all a great adventure and I recall accompanying my mother on sales trips and sitting in on presentations to big pharma companies and Nigerian army generals. I would be told to sit quietly at the back of the room and not to interrupt the meeting, but I soaked up every experience – this gave me my first insight into how sales and business works.

My own partner is also remarkable woman. An Oxford English graduate, her journalism career has spanned Reuters (where she had to learn German from scratch), the Financial Times, the BBC Money Programme and latterly as Economics Editor of The Times.

She also helped lead the successful No euro campaign in the UK and was a prime force behind helping Nigeria gain billions of dollars of debt relief.

These days she writes and edits for the McKinsey Global Institute.

So, why am I saying all this? Both my mother and my partner had to battle long and hard in their careers in what was most definitely a man’s world. I am proud to have three daughters now, all of whom either have successful careers or are studying – the youngest having just started her Masters this autumn. I’m hoping that for their generation things will be different, and they will simply be treated on merit rather than according to their gender.

Why these awards are important Nevertheless, it remains important that we all support women in the business and wider world, and celebrate their achievements – because there still isn’t

SERRA ERELCIN - Best Woman In Financial Sales Winner & Most Distinguished Saleswoman of 2014

What the data reveals When I first wrote about this issue the official UK statistics* confirmed the gender divide, which becomes more obvious at senior levels. Although women dominated the retail sector, overall the 2011 figures revealed that 54 per cent were salesmen and 46% were saleswomen. Looking at the statistics for B2B sales, the figures were more polarised: 70 per cent were male and 32 per cent female. The divide among account managers and BDMs was similar: 68 per cent were male and 32 per cent female.

At the top level – sales and marketing directors – the gulf between the sexes widened further: 78 per cent were male and 22 per cent female. Overall, the figures at the time showed that “37 per cent of all male sales staff are in managerial or associate professional roles; however, only 15 per cent of female sales staff falls into these groups”.

The August 2015 figures indicate that this divide is still with us. The data suggest that there are currently some 148,000 men employed as marketing and sales directors in the UK, but only 51,000 women. So, today just over 25% of sales and marketing leaders are women; this is a welcome improvement but progress is still relatively slow.

70 Women in Sales Awards / europe - december 2015

Importance of women in sales Why do we need more women in sales?

There is a whole host of reasons but here are just a few of them: Women make up half the talent pool.

The consensus is that there’s a talent shortage out there so, if we don’t recruit the best women into sales and sales management, businesses are missing out on a valuable resource.

Over the past few years, women have become a significant economic force. Globally, they were responsible for $20 trillion in spending in 2009, and this figure was expected to rise to $28 trillion by this year.** Women’s yearly earnings was expected to reach $18 trillion over the same period. In aggregate, women represent a growth market more than twice as big as China and India combined, in fact. As the Harvard Business Review authors commented: “Given those numbers, it would be foolish to ignore or underestimate the female consumer.”

Further, according to the Bank of Montreal's Wealth Institute, about 51 percent, or $14 trillion, of US personal wealth is now controlled by women.

The Canadian bank expects women to control about $22 trillion by 2020.

While this is an obvious generalisation, in many ways, women’s management style tends to be considered more inclusive and empathetic and there are suggestions that they have a more ethical outlook; it may also be that their sales style is more aligned to the demands of the modern business environment.

Despite this, as the HBR authors suggest: “Women appear to be undervalued in the marketplace and underestimated in the workplace. They have too many demands on their time and constantly juggle conflicting priorities – work, home, and family.”

It’s time this changed, which is why I have been proud to act as a judge during this year’s Women in Sales Awards and applaud the achievements of the deeply impressive women who have taken part.

Meanwhile, we at the International Journal of Sales Transformation will be strenuously advocating for diversity in business on a continuing basis.

References *Sources: ONS (2011) Labour Force Survey: EMP16: all in employment by status, occupation and sex, Quarter 2 (Apr-Jun) 2011; EMP04, 12 August 2015. ** Michael J. Silverstein and Kate Sayre “The Female Economy”, Harvard Business Review, September 2009.

Congratulations to everybody involved with this year’s Women In Sales Awards WE’LL BE SEEING YOU NEXT MONTH IN OUR JANUARY 2016 EDITION… Look out for interviews with many of tonight’s participants plus a full report of this year’s Awards.

THE INTERNATIONAL

Journal of Sales Transformation is the new publication exclusively focused on the promotion of sales excellence among global corporates.

Our content is a mix of quality journalism, insightful opinion and research by current sales leaders and academics.

ASSOCIATION OF PROFESSIONAL SALES

Our mission is to help enhance the professionalism of sales organisations by bridging the gap between businesses and academic research to offer the best of both worlds.

Find out more at: www.journalofsalestransformation.com To receive a free trial copy, please email editor@journalofsalestransformation.com Women in Sales Awards / europe - december 2015 71

WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH… The importance of resilience in tough times emerged as a key theme during an emotional and action-packed day at the National Sales Conference 2015. TOM NASH reports

WORKSHOP WISDOM During breaks in the conference, delegates had the opportunity to attend superb breakout sessions run by Rob Brown on networking mastery (above); David Joel on leadership and motivation; and Samantha North and Patrick Joiner, with the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS), on a TACK International study on the buyers view of salespeople.

H

undreds of delegates packed into Coventry’s Ricoh Arena on 8 October for National Sales Conference 2015, supported by the ISMM. Steve Lindsey, managing director of event organiser Lincoln West, kicked off the proceedings, welcoming delegates and thanking the headline sponsors, Actimizer and New Voice Media. Lindsey then gave way to Sean Brickell, host for a day that was to prove inspirational – full of new ideas, practical solutions, networking opportunities and entertainment – and, above all, brimming with emotion.

Most moving was a memorable speech by John McCarthy, the British journalist captured in civil war-torn Beirut in 1986 and held hostage for over five years. At first, one could be forgiven for thinking that McCarthy’s experience, though dreadful, could have little to tell us about professional selling. But this turned out to be very far from the case. McCarthy’s interminable, often brutal captivity told us everything we could ever wish to know about the importance of personal resilience when times get tough. For him to survive – as for salespeople to succeed – resilience was founded on a mix of practical skills, personal relationships and an indomitable, never say die spirit.

Even when McCarthy suffered “grinding moments of hopelessness”, he found ways to cope with his day-to-day ordeal, using his imagination to picture the world beyond his dark cell, bonding with his fellow hostages, and retaining his humour and humanity.

“No matter how tough it gets, there’s always a reason to keep going, a way of achieving it, and people who can help you,” he said. Finally, after

“No matter how tough it gets, there’s always a reason to keep going, a way of achieving” 1,943 days, he was released to a hero’s welcome home, a moment so cathartic that, even in the retelling so many years later, it left many delegates close to tears.

Other speakers faced a tough task to match McCarthy’s dramatic story and yet, in different ways, they all built upon his theme of triumph over adversity. The famous rock musician Midge Ure explained two seemingly impossible challenges: first, how he rose from a modest, working class background in Glasgow – where he was often discouraged from pursuing his interest in music – to become a global superstar; second, how he helped galvanise the pop world and the public into

Powerful, moving presentations were made by John McCarthy (left) and Midge Ure (above), while Geoff Burch (top left) added a liberal dose of humour

raising millions for the victims of famine in Ethiopia, through the phenomena that became Band Aid and later Live Aid. “All the doubters who said it can’t be done were wrong,” he said. “Never take ‘no’ for an answer. With passion, determination and focus you can achieve anything.”

Several other speakers addressed the attitude and skills needed to succeed against the odds. Richard Newman focused on the value of interpersonal skills and, specifically, how adopting the right body language can make all the difference when it comes to building productive relationships. Newman, who is the official specialist on business communication at the London Business School, used examples of US presidential candidates to show delegates how they could increase their personal presence. His high-energy presentation involved plenty of audience participation as we learned the importance of both knowing what to say, but also how to say it, so as to avoid being “all sausage and no sizzle”.

Nigel Mackay explained how best to equip your sales team with the right competencies to succeed.

The answer, he said, is to embark on a “training needs analysis journey”, something Mackay himself

has done with great success as a consultant at sales trainer Mercuri International and, as “poacher turned gamekeeper”, at payment company Worldpay, a former client that is now his employer.

Mackay showed how a training needs analysis could assess three key competencies – skills, knowledge and attitude – identifying gaps that could then be addressed through appropriate personal and professional development. “The result will be a massive value boost to your sales,” he said.

Tongue-in-cheek “business guru” Geoff Burch brought the all-important ingredient of humour to the Ricoh. His hilarious observations and anecdotes, compiled over his many years as “the Hell’s Angel of management consultancy” (as he has been described by the Sunday Times), had the audience in stitches. But there were some serious nuggets of advice from him too, such as the importance of instilling a strong customer service ethic among all staff, not just frontline salespeople.

“You need your people pitching, not bitching,” he declared.

Geoff Ramm also had some pithy advice on the importance of customer service – and, indeed, “celebrity service”. He asked delegates, “What would you do if a celebrity customer walked in to your business? Would you do anything differently?”

You certainly ought to, he maintained, “But many businesses fail to provide the quality of service they are capable of. Ask yourself what more you can do.”

The day was brought to a rousing finale by dynamic motivational speaker Gavin Ingham, whose mantra is “Be more, do more, sell more.”

Echoing previous speakers, Ingham urged delegates, “No matter what happens to you in life, it’s up to you what you make of it. But be honest about your skills, attitudes and results. Too many people lack critical honesty. Are you really authentic? Do you network properly? Do you take control of your life? And do you treat every customer as if they were a celebrity?”

Ingham concluded: “Most of you have great skills and experience, so the real question is, do you exercise these skills and use your experience all the time? To put it bluntly, do you turn up?”

There was no doubt that most delegates were glad to have turned up at National Sales Conference 2015.

NATIONAL SALES EXHIBITION 2015 Now in its fifth year, the exhibition proved the ideal place for businesses to market their products and services to one of the UK’s largest gatherings of sales professionals.

Delegates were able to mingle freely with conference speakers at the event, as well as tapping into the knowledge and expertise of a host of other sales specialists.

Lincoln West’s Steve Lindsey paid tribute to the many excellent exhibitors. “Without their commitment to professional selling we would not have been able to put on such a popular event. We hope all delegates will take the time to look at the fantastic propositions these businesses provide,” he said.

SAVE THE DATE Next year’s National Sales Conference and Exhibition take place on 6 October 2016. Early booking discounts for delegates and exhibitors apply until 17 December. www.sales-expo.co.uk

SOURCE: WINNING EDGE

NATIONAL SALES CONFERENCE 2016 Educate • Motivate • Innovate

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Former HSBC Trader & Rugby World Cup Winner

Former CBI Director General and Minister of State for Trade & Investment

“Inspire & Re-Energise Your Sales Team!”

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74 Women in Sales Awards / europe - december 2015

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No m i n a t i o n s F o r

The

Women in Sales Awards No r t h A m e r i c a

A r e No w O p e n !

Timeline 19th November 2015

nominations open 18th February 2016

nomination deadline 28th April 2016

finalist announced 11th May 2016

Judging day 23rd June 2016

Awards Ceremony Chicago, venue TBC (please note maybe subject to some changes)

No m i n a t e No w www.wisawardsna.com

It’s hard to make any generalisations when it comes to the differences between the sexes – everyone’s experience is unique and should be valued. That being said, we believe that women bring excellent skills to sales roles, particularly when it comes to modern social selling - using news, blogs, social media, company information and the people you know to find customers, listen to their evolving needs, relate to their challenges and engage them in conversations that lead to successful commercial outcomes.

The Challenges Facing Women in Sales

S

one reason for this is the lack of women ocial sellers need to take a softer in revenue generating roles. She told approach to sales, shifting from us: “Research involving the largest US competition to collaboration, corporations revealed that 62% of women and using all the information are in job positions that provide service available to tailor their approach and assistance but which don’t directly to the individual. What’s more, generate revenue. These roles very rarely buyers are expecting this personalised lead to major jobs in senior management. approach. Sellers must speak directly to In contrast, 65% of men on executive the buyer’s needs and challenges to form committees previously held line jobs a consensus, and this is an area where associated with revenue creation.” women tend to excel.

Afi highlights the importance of However, breaking into sales isn’t always encouraging diversity in the workplace and as easy as a woman. We spoke to a number on boards as a way of making companies of sales women who have smashed the stronger in the modern business glass ceiling to become respected thought environment and one key way to do this is leaders in their field to get their insight to encourage women to enter traditionally into what is still a very male-dominated male-dominated industry. fields such as One of the The number of female CEOs Sales. key issues is in Fortune 500 companies However overall the lack of seemingly stuck at around the feedback women in from our major senior thought leaders management was pretty roles positive. They with the all thought that sales was, to use Anneke number of female CEOs in Fortune 500 Seley’s brilliant phrase, a “colour and companies seemingly stuck at around 3%. gender blind profession”.

Afi Ofori, MD, Zars Media and Founder of the Women in Sales Awards suggests

3%

76 Women in Sales Awards / europe - december 2015

As Lori Richardson told us: “Sales is an admirable profession and I was almost always judged by my numbers - as long as I sold things, I had my company’s support.”

A feeling echoed by Barbara Giamanco: “I didn’t care what the guys thought, because quota attainment is a great equalizer” and Brynne Tillman: “The bottom line is truly the bottom line, if you produced you were respected.”

However, all of our thought leaders thought that there are issues around perceptions of and by women in sales that need addressing.

It was also extremely interesting to hear their thoughts around the skills and qualities that they believed women brought to sales. All agreed that generalisations should be limited, but when compared to a traditional, more aggressive ‘male’ approach, they thought women brought a different, more collaborative approach.

Afi emphasised it was key to recognise that women working in sales roles often excel at what they do giving the example of IBM’s Ginni Rometty who was IBM’s global sales leader before landing the Chief Executive role.

However there are some key challenges that remain.

Recruitment and Retention “The corporate world in general does not do a good job of retaining women who are interested in ‘having a life’ outside their work. Companies that want to retain women (and men) are now offering programs such as paternity leave, flex time, telecommuting, unlimited vacation time and other options.”

That’s the view of Anneke Seley, who advocates integrating these in recruitment, retention and promotion programmes. This would help to ensure that the right language is being used to advertise the position, that both women and men have the opportunity for a successful career in sales while managing a life outside of work, and to ensure women are being paid and promoted inline with their male counterparts.

This frustration was echoed by Brynne Tilman, who summed up by saying: “I would like to see all opportunities equalized for minorities and women. It would be ideal if people were simply paid for what they are worth.”

Career advancement Jill Rowley pointed to Sheryl Sandberg’s TED Talk for evidence that “the data shows companies perform better when they have more women in C-Suite positions and in board roles,” suggesting that “we can't continue to ignore the

issues that are preventing women from rising to the top. We must find ways to overcome the hurdles preventing women from advancing their careers.”

Lori Richardson highlights the fact that sales teams don’t represent the customer base it sells to. Many buyers are women, yet very few sales people are women.

“We need more diversity in professional selling. More successful women and women sales leaders,” she concludes.

Lori herself comments that she’d “like to see a business conference have speakers who look like the members of the audience.” A sensible suggestion.

Visibility of women in sales

• • •

Several of our thought leaders also mentioned the lack of representation of women in sales – at conferences, training days, corporate events – leading to an overall lack of visibility of successful sales women.

“There are so many women in sales who are also engaging and dynamic speakers, so why don’t we see more of them on the main stage?” ask Barbara Giamanco.

“Sales continues to be dominated by men.

At least that’s the impression you get when you look at the speaker make-up of most sales conferences. Out of 25 speakers, you might see two women on the roster. That’s a problem.”

She does however praise Lori Richardson’s Women Sales Pros, which she describes as “a great resource for salespeople looking to improve their skills and when conference organizers are looking for great speakers.”

The Future of Women in Sales •

• •

Yes there are great women already taking on important roles in Sales but there’s still a lot to do. To continue growing the success of women in Sales, we need to: Encourage women into sales roles Support their career progression Enhance the visibility of women in sales Equalise pay and opportunities for development Overcome hurdles to development that see women shut out of the board room

When Afi was asked ‘What advice do you have for a young woman thinking about sales as a career?’, she told us: For young women thinking about a career in sales I would ask them this; “what career paths do they know of that enable you to learn about so many different industries and companies? And what career paths, at the same time, offer you the opportunity to hone your entrepreneurial skills?” The only answer I know of is Sales! The skills you learn in sales will not only benefit your business life but your personal life as well.

Now how many careers can offer that!

About Artesian Solutions

Artesian works to make salespeople even more awesome. In fact - we are the world’s most powerful sales intelligence solution for B2B sellers.

So how do we do it? Our app supports you from pipeline generation and securing your first meeting to building customer relationships, retention and growth. First we gather and track intelligence on customers, prospects and competitors from millions of online resources including blogs, news and social platforms such as Twitter and LinkedIn. Then by using clever science to filter and transform all this information into commercial insights, we enable you to target, connect and share with customers and prospects on any device, at any time.

We’re with you every step of the way with our full training suite as part of Artesian Academy, so whether you prefer to learn face-to-face, through webinars or with ebooks, case studies and how-to guides, we’re showing you now only how to make the most of Artesian but also how to become an awesome social seller.

Check us out at www.artesiansolutions.com.

Women in Sales Awards / europe - december 2015 77

Selling isn’t a bad word if it’s done right

78 Women in Sales Awards / europe - december 2015

Victoria Williams Vice President and Sales Director at GlaxoSmithKline France (GSK), discusses her role in the transformation of the UK-based drug company to a Patient-Focused Selling Model.

Victoria Williams will be presenting on her journey to a patient-centric sales force at eyeforpharma Barcelona 2016, March 15-17th. www.eyeforpharma.com/barcelona

A

fter nearly 20 years with GSK, Williams has moved up the ranks to become the Sales Director for the company in France. In an interview with eyeforpharma, she shares insights into GSK’s patientfocused sales approach, an approach that is used worldwide within the company. Her passion for her work, and her dedication to the inevitable change involved in modern sales techniques, are clear as she describes GSK’s method of working and their patient-focused ethos.

GSK has left the era of the productcentered world of sales far behind, Victoria sees, “A world of change surrounding utilization of a patientfocused model.” Indeed, her Sales Managers (who train the medical representatives) now spend more than half their time in the field, observing and coaching frontline sales representatives. She explains, “Their goal is to uncover the needs of patients and doctors; therefore, we tailor the benefits of our medicines to match the needs of the patient.”

For Victoria, patient-focused sales is a much more positive approach compared to the traditional product-centred approached. She acknowledges that the transformation is slow-moving, but as employees are trained in the new style, they are finding that doctors are more willing to take the time to discuss products with them, and generally to provide feedback. When doctors feel that they are treated as part of the process, listened to, and can ask questions, they are more willing to purchase new medications because they know the advantages for their patients.

“This new approach has fundamentally altered our relationship with doctors,” says Victoria. “The ten minutes the

doctors spend with the rep brings a huge amount of value.” Face-to face contact with doctors is vital, as they feel listened to and understood.

Physicians used to feel more like a “receiver” who was being “talked at” by the drugs companies, explains Williams; rather than treated as a participant in discussions.

Training for a patient-focused approach Victoria acknowledges that the sales approach for pharmaceuticals is changing drastically, “We are in an era where there is a huge amount of change,” she says, referring to how her industry is better accommodating its customers. “At GSK, the culture within the company revolves around

four areas: Transparency; Respect for People; Patient-Focus and Integrity.”

It is a vital component of the GSK approach, therefore, that sales reps emanate this culture through the use of a patient-focus sales approach.

Williams expresses considerable passion and commitment to the patient-focused approach. She says she has always spent a lot of time present in the field and encourages all the managers in her team at first and second line level to do the same. “They can’t just sit in the office,” she emphasizes. In order for the approach to work at the sales rep level, effective training, coaching and support led by GSK managers is essential. She concedes that this process takes a lot of time and effort; but says, “It is worth it if it is done right.”

“The ten minutes the doctors spend with the rep brings a huge amount of value.”

Women in Sales Awards / europe - december 2015 79

She also believes, of course, that having a good portfolio of medicines that are correctly priced is important.

There are certain fundamentals to the pharmaceuticals industry that do not change!

determine bonus pay. “Sixty percent of a Sales Managers time is spent on field visits,” says Williams, explaining how the reps are incentivized. In addition, representatives partake regularly in role-playing during training to help them better understand and develop the patient-focused approach.

Sales incentives As part of embedding the patientfocused selling model into the organisational culture, medical representatives and first line sales managers at GSK no longer receive bonuses based on individual sales results (prescriptions). “Our medical representatives around the world no longer have individual sales targets.

Instead they are assessed and rewarded primarily based on their technical skills, scientific knowledge, quality of service they deliver to HCPs and their business planning and execution”, explains Williams. This approach was introduced at the start of 2015, and is now the GSK standard globally.

The reps are also observed and rated on the quality of their communications with customers. They are being trained to be transparent and patientcentred. All in all, the goal is no longer the sales target, but the quality and value of the interactions with our customers in order to meet the needs of their patients. “This type of approach drives a different behaviour with physicians,” Williams highlights.

To achieve these objectives, Sales Managers use the business plans, knowledge testing (summative assessments), and observations of their reps in during visits in order to

Cultural change Williams believes that in order for a patient-centred sales approach to be successful, broad cultural change within the entire company needs to be developed and achieved, spanning from executives to administrative staff. That’s why GSK’s Code of Conduct states, “Like all our activities, our objectives and actions are driven by our values of respect for people, patientfocused, transparency and integrity” (Andrew Witty, CEO, 2014).

According to Williams, adapting to change takes time, is highly complex, and is critical if Sales Managers are going to “buy in” to the patient-centred sales approach. “I understand that if the value is placed on the patient, not the sale, you are half way there,” she says.

Value of patient-focus For a true patient-centred approach to the pharmaceutical company to exist, transparency is necessary.

“There can be no other factors than the value of the medicine,” she says.

The focus is the patient, and that changes the nature of the interaction between GSK reps and physicians; both have to have the right mindset for buying or selling medicines. The existence of an appropriate incentive program, structured in the way that it is, helps the sales reps to better value and believe in a patient-centred environment.

80 Women in Sales Awards / europe - december 2015

Change in the pharmaceutical area So, what about the value of a patientcentered environment for pharma itself? Williams explains that change is hard in a sales force organisation and believes that “sales manager competency” must be high in order for cultural change to be effective and sustained. “You have to train and retrain your reps to follow the system and do it only that way.”

Nevertheless, she believes that change is both necessary and inevitable. Pharma has had to deal with a reputation for “making money off illness,” “being paid by the taxpayers,” and “only being in it for the money.” Adoption of a patientfocused approach has a central part of play in changing this reputation declares Williams, “I hope if we can change the way pharma interact with our customers as well as other changes in the industry that there will be fewer negative headlines in the future about pharma, and that the public will see that we are an industry that saves peoples’ lives and makes their lives better.”

‘Selling’ isn’t a bad word Williams is clearly passionate about many aspects of her role, including the process of selling – a word and concept that can remain with a patient-focused agenda. Indeed, she ends the interview with the words, “Selling isn’t a bad word if it’s done right.” She certainly demonstrates this herself very clearly, and without reservation, day after day.

Dr Nicola Davies Health psychologist, freelance writer, and trainee counsellor. I run my own business and am always eager for writing and research assignments. www.trustedwriter.com

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Women in Sales Awards / europe - december 2015 81

A frequently occurring dynamic in sales arises when you get hit with a wave of critical self awareness. You take a customer reaction or lack of reaction personally. You are sitting in the lobby and suddenly you get a rush of anxiety. You are trapped in your head, pondering what you may do wrong. Stop!

To gain control in a meeting, you can always morph into "process mode." That being said, it is not as simple as it seems.

How do you depersonalize the moment and escape the oppressive self-introspection that you get stuck in?

How to Maintain (or regain) Control in Meetings

S

ales is a profession that lacks a set of standardized competencies.

People do not simply go to college to study sales methodologies. They learn through experience, or by studying the teachings of popular Sales Gurus.

However, the predominant field on the topic comes from men and they seldom offer tools for calming the heck down when needed. Let me offer you a competency that suits more authentically to a female mind-set.

A Process You are but a communication mechanism! I love saying that.

In Executive Coaching, the rules for handling the process are very specific and standardized with core competencies and this is in order to allow the client to get the most value out of the interaction, be the expert (rather than you) and tap into the far reaches of their own imagination and ideas--rather than yours. Your job is the executor of that process and it is much the same way in sales. I

have two strong female entrepreneur friends who have shared a similar dilemma. They are great at what they do but uncomfortable selling themselves. It is simply too personal and feels too self-centered. Even in this scenario, they would still take on the role of process executor the moment they step into a sales scenario. Try to remember that you follow a process that is not personal.

You can absolutely make it your own, use your own style and build a unique sales brand but you can always remove yourself from the equation to give you the big picture perspective. By asking yourself what phase you are in in any sales call, you immediately jump back to process owner and take yourself out of our sometimes oversensitive self-assessment as a sales person.

Authentic to you Your personalized process is your framework, your road map, and your state of control as a sales person.

It is easy for people to fake being comfortable in a sales role. It is even easier for the entitled old-school sales people to actually be comfortable.

Let me assure you that when you have your sales process customized to meet what feels most authentic to you, you can allow the process to guide the sale and use your mental energy in more productive ways.

Rena Cohen-First www.thesalesgoddess.com

82 Women in Sales Awards / europe - december 2015

Women in Sales Awards / europe - december 2015 83

Rina Goldenberg Lynch Founder & Managing Director, Voice At The Table Ltd. @RinaGoldenLynch www.voiceatthetable.com

How Meritocracy Failed Me and How You Can Outsmart it!

W

hen I first embarked on my career path, I whole-heartedly believed that the only obstacles in my path would be my own capabilities and efforts. And for a while, that is how it was. My career progressed steadily and predictably, navigated solely by my own will. Until about 15, 16 years into it, when I reached and got stuck in what is endearingly referred to as the ‘marzipan layer’ – that sweet, sticky time in your career life when you feel you’ve achieved a respectable level of seniority and find it quite difficult to progress beyond it.

Having worked in more or less the same environment my entire life, all of a sudden, I realised that I didn’t appear to fit the mould of those in the layers above me and that they – the most senior management

team – didn’t fully appreciate all I had to contribute. And then I noticed one other phenomenon: other senior women have started leaving the organisation.

In an attempt to understand what was going on, I embarked on self-awareness and self-development training, naturally assuming there was something wrong with me. I read, researched, and spoke to other women. Once I was satisfied that my experience was not unique to me, I came to the conclusion that I was in a meritocratic system that was biased against me, a senior woman.

In my research, I learned that, when selecting between men and women with the same qualifications, companies that adhere to a ‘meritocracy’ were more likely to select and progress men over women.

I was startled. My entire career was based on the premise that I could achieve as much as wanted. In fact, the whole point

84 Women in Sales Awards / europe - december 2015

of merit-based systems is that they are based on the assumption that merit can be achieved equally by men and women.

That’s where I was wrong.

The premise of a meritocracy is that men and women share the same attributes, and that assessment criteria apply equally to men and women.

But what about that unconscious gender bias?

"I was in a meritocratic system that was biased against me, a senior woman"

Consider the following research published by the Harvard Business Review in 2010* regarding gender bias in the workplace:

Married women with children are perceived as less flexible, less available, less committed and, hence, not leadership material.

Senior unmarried women are seen as “different” or even threatening and are, therefore, less likely to be supported.

Pregnant women are perceived as less authoritative and more irrational, irrespective of how they actually perform.

These biases skew the perception of competence towards those candidates who display the same attributes as those in similar positions, and ‘merit’ goes out the window.

A useful illustration of this is the story of the New York Philharmonic. This orchestra (not unlike many others) was plagued by a low representation of female musicians within its orchestra body. The management of the Philharmonic believed that the reason for this was the fact that male musicians preferred the style of music that the NY Philharmonic was known for.

Nonetheless, the orchestra decided to to put its theory to the test by holding blind auditions, i.e. auditions where the gender of the musician was unknown to the recruitment panel.

Will it surprise you to hear that, based on blind auditions alone, the number of female new hires in the orchestra body went from 10% to 45%?

The blind auditions showed that, in fact, it was a hidden bias towards male musicians that influenced the auditions. Once the bias was “turned off ” by not seeing the musician, gender was discounted as part of the equation and women joined the ranks with just as much “merit” as men.

What is the point I’m trying to make?

Simply: women cannot rely on ‘merit’ to do them justice when it comes to career progression.

So what should we do? I’m a big advocate of embracing the differences that we bring to our organisations and marketing ourselves on the basis of those differences.

Easier said than done, you say? Consider the following: Recent studies show that employees and stakeholders across the world prefer leaders that showcase the following traits: trustworthy, adaptable, supportive, selfless, empathetic, conscientious, intuitive, and social.

Research also shows that: ‘the historical “great leader” that is macho, infallible, omnipotent, know-it-all leader has been replaced by a new type of leader, a servant leader who exists to make others a lot better.’** So, ask yourself: what can I do for my organisation that is not already being done at the top? Do I have any of those other people skills that the current management team doesn’t?

And if the answer to this question includes a number of feminine attributes that aren’t represented in the existing decision making bodies, then by all means DO use them as the added qualifier for that next career step!

* What holds back women?

by Charu Sabnavis, LiveMINT, 30 August 2015 **

Why Organizations Thrive With Feminine Leadership, Huff Post The Third Metric, 17 September 2015

So to summarise:

DON’T •

Rely on merit;

•

Compare yourself to those currently ahead of you; and

•

Hide the experiences/ qualities that make you different from them.

DO •

Point out the differences that you will bring to decision making bodies;

•

Talk about how leadership is changing and how you have the necessary skills for future challenges and opportunities; and

•

Promote yourself on potential to take your company into the future.

Women in Sales Awards / europe - december 2015 85

4 Sales Tips and Tricks

for Staying Healthy on the Go for the Busy Sales Rep Veterinary sales rep Jaclyn Goldman, author of The Travelling Saleswoman blog, says she gained over 40 pounds after starting her sales career, which took her all across the country, made eating out a regular affair, and often left her staying in a different city (and hotel) each day.

Success in sales requires both body and mind - so here are a few tips to help you take care of your body while you are traveling.

TRAVEL HACK #1: PACK YOUR SNACKS

It's easy to ditch your healthy diet while traveling for a multitude of reasons: • You're in an unfamiliar place, so you grab what's easy and fast • It's easy to get caught up in the "vacation" mindset and overindulge • Stress and interrupted sleep schedules can lead to junk food cravings • Workouts can be restricted (finding the space, time, etc.)

And to add to the difficulty of staying healthy on the go, studies have shown that simply moving across time zones is enough to throw your body's delicate system of microbes (gut bacteria) out of whack--traveling and jet lag have been linked to obesity and metabolic complications like diabetes.

Clearly, traveling isn't always kind to the waistline.

I decided to do some research and find out how seasoned pros who travel reguarly stay on track and keep fit despite the temptations of the road.

86 Women in Sales Awards / europe - december 2015

Anyone who's flown in the last decade knows airport security has really cracked down. You can't take liquids weighing over 3.4 ounces on the plane (unless you purchase them after the security checkpoint), so BYOB is out of the question. But you can still bring smart snacks in your carry on!

Consider stowing these healthy snack options in your carry on: Bananas Grapefruits Dehydrated fruit Carrots Celery Granola Pretzels Trail mix Don't be tempted by fatty, fried foods in the airport. Look for whole grains, veggies, and fiber if you're hungry before your flight.

And once you're on the plane, forgo alcohol and carbonated beverages in favor of refreshing H20. Alcohol packs 7 calories per gram--more calories per gram than both carbohydrates and protein, and without giving you the feeling of being full.

TRAVEL HACK #3: ARM YOURSELF WITH APPS

TRAVEL HACK #2: STEER CLEAR OF FAST FOOD

When you're traveling by car, you face a whole new set of challenges.

Rest stops are filled with convenience store food items that look good, but can wreak havoc on your health. Fast food restaurants lurk at every exit and may seem like a siren song to your junk food cravings. Steer clear!

Once again, bringing your own healthy snacks is a great way to skirt the temptation of fast food. Pack a cooler or insulated bag with healthy foods you know you'll actually eat, like: Sandwiches Wraps Veggies Fruits Nuts This makes it easier to bypass the rest stop temptations when they arise-and arise, they will.

When you want to eat out, find local cafes and eateries that cater to a health-conscious crowd.

Experts suggest searching for vegetarian or vegan dining in the area, even if you normally eat meat and dairy products. Vegetarian and vegan meal options are often low in saturated fat and high in fiber. You might find a new favorite dish!

Technology is making it much easier to stay healthy on the go. There are tons of apps available that promise to steer you in the right culinary direction when you're away from home, but these are the best I've seen.

Check them out!

Apps to Help Sales Reps Stay Healthy:

GoodFoodNearYou It's easy to locate the healthiest options at restaurants (even fast food) in your area with this app.

TRAVEL HACK #4: GET ACTIVE ANYWAY Most hotels provide a gym for their guests, but if yours doesn't (or if you just want to switch things up a bit), lace up your shoes and head outside!

Check your GPS for nearby national, state, and local parks where you can squeeze in some exercise.

Local flavor more your style? Take a self-guided walking tour of the city you're in to burn some calories and get to know the culture.

If you're not keen on getting outside, a Pilates workout may be perfect for you. You can complete the exercises right in your hotel room and burn a whopping 500 calories per hour!

IT'S WORTH IT! Food Tripping When you're traveling, this powerful app is like a friendly local with great, healthy food suggestions. It will show you where to find the best food, farmer's markets, artisan shops, and healthy local favorites. Bonus: It also shows you tasty alternatives to fast food!

Staying fit on the go may not be easy, but with a few tweaks to the way you eat and exercise when you travel, you could find yourself weighing less when you get home than you did when you left! Pack your snacks, steer clear of fast food, arm yourself with apps, and get active wherever you are to stay healthy on the go.

Eat Slower This app lets you set the interval you want to take between bites, and sounds a bell each time you're due for another bite. It's a great way to learn to eat slower, savor your food, and more accurately identify when you're full.

Debra Carpenter Huffington Post blogger @hello_itsdeb www.huffingtonpost.com/debra-carpenter

Women in Sales Awards / europe - december 2015 87

The Sales Goddesses Guide to Closing the Sale

W

e have all heard of women expressing fear regarding moving into a sales role: "Oh, I could never be in sales." Many of us are, or have been, in administrative and service roles where we've won and supported the sale only to watch someone else take the credit. Others of us have gone through divorces, single parenthood, and the economic hell that has catapulted us out of our fear and into a place of career action.

We all sell in one way or another.

We sell to our friends, peers, and customers - directly and indirectly in any business setting.

There is a misconception that only a certain type of woman can be successful in sales. My goal is to show every woman that she can move from the supportive roles, considered more traditionally feminine, to the front lines in the sales force. What's more, that she can flourish there.

In Olympic battles of business, every woman is a goddess.

The trick is to find out which.

In my book, The Authentic Sale,

88 Women in Sales Awards / europe - december 2015

a Goddess's Guide to Business, I make the connection between the universal sales methods and (non traditional) behavioral models such as the Chakra system, and the Maslow hierarchy of needs. I use Carl Jung's archetype philosophy to describe females that personify each of the common sales behavioral types: Artemis 'The Worker" researching and preparing for her account or Demeter " The Lover" or the primordial mother uncovering the needs of her customer, all equally incredible goddesses with different sets of inherent strengths and values.

There is no place that knowing your natural strengths is more appropriate than the point in the process where you enter into the formal close. This may be a competency that you are less than comfortable driving, and that is great to identify. Using your authentic tendencies to ask for the order will make this much more comfortable.

In the close, you need to ask for the business. You do so by reiterating (as you have been throughout this process) your solution and using one of the following closing techniques: The Worker will give a call-toaction based on planning, inventory, obtaining documentation, and getting credit terms set up for the order. The Worker might also hand the customer the form to sign or ask the customer to authorize the order. Brian Tracy calls this the Authorization Close.

The Connector will find out what they can do for the customer in exchange for a commitment to order. This is known as the If-Then Close or the Trial Close, seeking to understand if the customer is fully enabled to make this decision.

As a Connector, I almost always default to the If-Then Close, and as the Lover is my secondary tendency, I also can't help but express how much this means to me. First I will restate how far we have come, and thank the customer for their support in the process. I then will humbly ask if they would be so kind as to commit to the order when my company comes through with the agreed-upon action.

This highly anticipated and plannedfor exchange may go something like this: "I am so excited to see that our service has gained approval through your regulatory department. Thank you for letting me know the price which I need to meet. You have been so helpful to me all along, and I can't thank you enough for your support. Would you be so kind as to let me know if getting your order is possible this week-once we get you that price that you need, of course?"

The next time you enter into this crucial step of the sales process, think about which style is most fitting for you. Know that you too are a powerful Sales Goddess.

The Leader will ask that the customer take the agreed-upon actions to move the order through, as she has been getting reciprocal commitments all along.

The Knower Hecate, The Goddess of Magic The Seer Themis, The Divine Seer of Order The Speaker Peitho, The Master of Persuasion The Lover Demeter, The Primordial Mother The Leader Athena, The Wise Commander The Connector Hermes, The Charming Connector The Worker Artemis, The Goddess of the Hunt

The Lover will express how much this affirmation of the customer's commitment will mean to her and take full responsibility for getting the customer everything that she needs to move forward.

The Speaker will express how much this commitment will mean to the customer and continue offering evidence to that end. The Presenter may also utilize some persuasion techniques such as the Time-Pressure technique, with time being limited for the offer.

The Seer will express how much this strategic partnership will mean to both companies.

The Knower will express how much this commitment will mean to the greater good.

Rena Cohen-First has sold in the Food Ingredient Industry for the past 17 years, selling to the largest food and beverage manufacturers in the world. She has taught online business and leadership classes as an adjunct instructor, studied Professional and Executive Coaching, completed her MBA and Served in the US Army.

She resides in San Diego with her two children and husband. Her goal is to show every woman that she can become a Sales Goddess in all circumstances.

See more about Rena at: www.thesalesgoddess.com Follow Rena Cohen-First on Twitter: www.twitter.com/renarelliam

Women in Sales Awards / europe - december 2015 89

‘The Best Woman Sales Director’ will receive one year’s full membership to the…

The Sales Director Network is an exclusive forum for exceptional leaders in Sales to share best practice. A member-driven agenda, including monthly peer roundtable meetings held under the Chatham House rule to share privileged know-how and experiences on a range of key topics.

2014 Programme Highlights: Strategic Alliances with Sage B2B Social Selling with Oracle Sales Recruitment with BBC Worldwide

Coming Up in 2015: Gamification in Sales Effective On-boarding – Getting Productive Quickly Keeping the Sales Pipeline Flowing Through Disruption

“The Sales Director Network is the most effective forum out there for senior Sales directors to share knowledge and best practice.

“Hearing from counterparts from other industries is always a valuable learning experience. The quality of members is exceptionally high and the topics are directly relevant to my role.”

Claire Limon, Group Sales Director, Insurance, Countrywide Plc

“The Sales Director Network is great for sharing innovative ideas, war stories and experiences in a facilitated, trusted environment.

“Knowing how busy we all are, the breakfast meetings are punchy, relevant and topical. The ability to share the benefits with my team ensures the network is an excellent investment, worth every penny!”

Malcolm Stoodley, Sales Director Direct, Exterion Media

Heads of Sales and Sales Directors attending tonight’s event are invited to attend a roundtable meeting with our compliments. Please contact Head of Network, Deepika Misra (deepika.misra@winmarkglobal.com; 020 7605 8000).

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92 Women in Sales Awards / europe - december 2015