2023 Women In Sales Awards Europe Magazine by Zars Media

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Body Language and The Power of Presence for Women Who Lead

50 WISA Europe 2023 Judges

58 WISA Europe 2021 Speakers

64 WISA by the Numbers

In this magazine

WISA Europe 2023 Finalists

169

And the 2023 WINNERS are...

258

Things I Have Learned From Conducting 4,000 Sales Interviews

258

169 WOMEN IN SALES AWARDS EUROPE MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2023 is published by Zars Media

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On the Cover: MANALE AZZI MOST DISTINGUISHED SALESWOMAN OF THE YEAR

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Body Language

and The Power of Presence for Women Who Lead ▶⃝● THE DEADLY SIX: Body Language Traps for Women Leaders ▶⃝● POWER UP your leadership presence: 10 questions to consider ▶⃝● Tips to SUPERCHARGE your success ▶⃝● Projecting Presence When You Can’t Be Seen ▶⃝● Negotiation Tips for Women

By CAROL KINSEY GOMAN, PH.D. Author of the award-winning book, “Stand Out: How to Build Your Leadership Presence” and the creator of LinkedIn Learning’s best-selling video course, “Body Language for Leaders” – with almost 3 million views. International presenter who can be reached by email: Carol@CarolKinseygoman.com or through her website: CarolKinseyGoman.com.

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You may have great leadership potential or you may already have a leadership title - but is that how others see you?

ooking like a leader, and being perceived as one, when you interact with customers, peers, or executives is the essence of leadership presence. Since it is totally dependent on the impression you make on others, enhancing leadership presence requires a deep understanding of the impact of: •

your appearance;

•

your body language;

•

your emotional state; and

•

how well you communicate your key messages.

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The Deadly Six

Body Language Traps for Women Leaders

Six common body language traps that can undermine the credibility of women leaders – and tips on how to avoid falling into them!

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Avoid the Trap

1 Using too many head tilts Head tilting is a signal that someone is listening and involved – and is 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.)

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.

2 Avoid the Trap 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 high. And at the next meeting, instead of keeping your belongings in a neat little stack, spread them out and claim your turf!

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.

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Avoid the Trap 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.

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.)

Avoid the Trap

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

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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.

Excessive or inappropriate smiling can be confusing and a credibility robber.

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

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Avoid the Trap 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.

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.

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

Avoid the Trap

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 your hand (the skin between your 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.

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POWER UP

your leadership presence: 10 questions to consider 1

Remember

Are you a CLEAR communicator?

Enhancing leadership presence requires a deep understanding of the impact of your appearance, your body language, your emotional state, and how well you communicate your key messages.

Clear communication isn’t always easy, but it is an essential part of leadership presence. A simple outline I encourage clients to follow is the HEAD-HEART-HANDS model. Organizing your messages in this way helps to clarify your end game – your desired results.

HEAD-HEART-HANDS model

What do you want your audience to KNOW? What facts/data/examples do they need to hear for you to get your main points across?

What do you want your audience to FEEL?

What do you want your audience to DO?

What specific emotional reaction are you after? Do you want them to feel appreciated/ enthused/ reassured?

What action step do you want them to take? Do you want them to buy your product/ try the new software/give you suggestions? And, by the way, whatever you want your audience to do, remember to ask for it in your closing comments.

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Tip 2

Ask yourself: “In 10 words or less, what is my key message?” If you can’t state it succinctly to yourself, you’re not ready to communicate it to others.

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Are you a CONCISE communicator? Attention spans are so short today that you have to express your point of view in a way that’s both compelling and brief. Simplicity isn’t just a “niceto-have” communication skill: It’s a necessity. If you ramble or beat around the bush, any hope of holding people’s attention is lost.

Do you speak with CONVICTION?

Leaders say...

Sometimes the smallest word choice can have a big impact. Leaders who speak with conviction use words that carry a sense of ownership and self-reliance.

“I won’t” which indicates they have decided not to do something, rather than “I can’t,” which implies they lack the skills or talents for the task

“I choose to” not “I have to”

Just as important as it is to use self-assured phrases, it is equally important to eliminate qualifiers, fillers, and minimizers.

QUALIFIERS — lead people to judge you as lacking conviction

“To the best of my knowledge...”

“If I recall correctly...”

“I could be wrong...”

“As far as I know...

FILLERS — make you seem unprepared and uncertain

“Um...” Tip

“Uh...” Many fillers can be eliminated if you just pause between thoughts.

MINIMIZERS — make you seem unassured

“Maybe”

“Sort of”

“Kind of”

“Somewhat”

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Do you tell STORIES? Good stories are more powerful than plain facts. This is not to reject the value in facts, of course, but simply to recognize their limits in influencing people. Facts are neutral. People make decisions based on what facts mean to them, not on the facts themselves. Facts aren’t influential until they mean something to someone. Stories give facts meaning.

Tip Stories resonate with people in ways that encourages open‑mindedness – and make them less resistant to experimentation and change.

Here is another difference – and it explains why so many effective leaders are great storytellers:

PUSH

PULL

Trying to influence people through scientific analysis is a “push” strategy. It requires the speaker to convince the listener through cold, factual evidence.

Storytelling is a “pull” strategy, in which the listener is invited to join the experience as a participant and to imagine acting on the mental stage the storyteller creates.

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Does your body language project presence? From a body language perspective, leadership presence is comprised of two sets of nonverbal signals. When you project both power cues and empathetic body language, you have a winning combination for being perceived as confident, influential and caring.

The first set of signals conveys STATUS, POWER, AND AUTHORITY. You display those through your posture – standing or sitting tall with your feet hip distance apart, head straight and shoulders back, and by expansive hand gestures, typically around waist level.

The second set of nonverbal signals CONVEYS EMPATHY, LIKEABILITY, AND WARMTH. These include smiles, positive eye contact, open palm gestures, and (most of all) giving people your undivided attention.

Leadership presence is diminished, however, whenever you assume a submissive posture in which your shoulders are rounded, your chest is concave and your head is tilted down. Holding your body in a condensed position not only makes you look vulnerable and powerless, it makes you feel that way too.

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Do you dress for leadership success? My friend Joyce is a successful entrepreneur. One of the secrets of her success is the way she dresses. Even when traveling on vacation, Joyce is in a business suit and heels. Her motto is: “Wear great clothes. You never know whom you'll meet!” Dressing for leadership success doesn't necessarily mean that you have to wear a suit when you travel – or even when you go to work, since many workplaces encourage more casual attire – but it does mean that whatever you wear should reinforce people’s perception of you as a polished and competent professional.

Do you tailor your content for different audiences? You can’t be at your influential best as a communicator unless you know your audience: the challenges they are facing, what they want and need to know, how they feel about you, and what they already know about your topic. But different audiences have different challenges, needs, emotions, and knowledge, so your task is to find ways to be relevant to whomever you are speaking. One female CEO told me, “My greatest leadership skill is an ability to tailor and craft messages that resonate whether I’m meeting with truck drivers in the backroom or executives in the boardroom.”

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Remember Remember Ask yourself, “How can I take charge of the situation and use it to achieve positive results?

Do you stay poised and positive under pressure?

Do you have a plan for self-promotion?

Self-assured optimism under pressure is an impressive display of leadership presence. Like the common cold, emotions are literally contagious. During any high-pressure situation, your team will be on alert—constantly looking to you for emotional cues. So take a deep breath and instead of wondering how you are going to get through this, ask yourself “How can I take charge of the situation and use it to achieve positive results?”

I know, I know – you don’t like to “blow your own horn.” But if you believe that working hard, keeping quiet, and waiting for your talents to be discovered is the answer, take a tip from a savvy leader I interviewed: “If you want to be evaluated as having leadership presence, then being a legend in your own mind is not enough.” Instead, you need to make sure that executives in your company are aware of your work and accomplishments (and you need to do so in a way that is not seen as boasting, but as informative and helpful), you need to promote yourself by volunteering for projects, giving speeches, writing blogs, and taking an active part in professional organizations. You need to network within and external to your industry, and you need to find mentors and sponsors who will guide and help promote you. W O M E N I N S A L E S AWA R D S / E U R O P E / D EC E M B E R 2 0 2 3

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Are you inspirational? The power to inspire others is a byproduct of your ability to connect emotionally with your objectives and to make people feel like valued, collaborative, and trusted partners in achieving those goals. Inspiration is not only something we all want from our leaders – it’s at the heart of leadership presence.

Leadership presence may be intangible, but it’s far from mysterious. At its core is a set of practical skills you can learn, employ, and improve. Doing so will not only make you look like a leader, it will help you become an even better one – and help position you as a viable candidate for that next big promotion! 24

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Tips to SUPERCHARGE your success Last year I gave a seminar on “leadership presence” for the executive team of a high-tech company in Northern California. The next day, the president of the company telephoned: "I have an administrative assistant who is the brightest, most creative person I've worked with. The problem is, we are relocating and she can't move her family out of the Bay Area. I’d like to offer her a coaching session with you so that when she applies for a new job, she will come across s just as terrific as she really is.” Of course, I agreed, and looked forward to meeting this talanted woman. When she came into my office I greeted her: "This is a real pleasure. I've heard so many nice things about you. Tell me about yourself. What is one thing you do exceptionally well? What would you most want a prospective employer to know about you?" The woman was silent for several seconds. Finally, she sighed and said, "I really don't know. I do a lot of things well, but when I do them, I don't notice."

My first tip for her, and for you, is . . .

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Tip Try recording your small wins in a success journal (on a daily basis perhaps right before you go to bed) and watch how this act of awareness boosts your self‑confidence and performance.

Keep a success journal When we think about success, we often imagine it in terms of reaching a long-term goal or experiencing a major achievement. But big wins are relatively rare and I find it is just as important it is to keep track of, reflect on, and celebrate not just our major victories but also our seemingly minor ones.

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Play to your strengths Success is most often a result of developing, and playing to, your strengths. Lee Strasberg, the famous acting teacher, once said, "I can train you for anything except that for which you have no talent." Stop focusing on your weaknesses - the areas where you have no talent. Instead, identify those specific competencies and accomplishments that make you special – and develop your strengths to the fullest.

Nurture a positive attitude In Chinese, the ideogram for crisis combines two characters: One is the symbol for danger, the other for opportunity. Question: Is the glass half-empty or half-full? Answer: It’s both. The only difference is where you focus your attention. Neuroscience tells us that when the fear system of the brain is active, exploratory and risk-taking activity is stifled. In today’s fast-moving, competitive business environment, a positive, upbeat, “can-do” attitude is vital for success.

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Tip If you haven't already done so, now is the perfect time to join a professional association, meet with colleagues, and read trade magazines in and out of your field to update your knowledge of trends and issues.

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Accelerate your learning We can become psychologically attached to the status quo because it is familiar and comfortable. But the reality of a high-speed VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous) world is that current knowledge quickly becomes outdated. The result is that your value to an organization depends less on what you currently know, and more on and how quickly you can update your knowledge to respond to changing conditions.

Get up close and personal Michael Massari, senior vice president of National Meetings and Events for Caesars Entertainment, conducts meetings for 18,000 team members in various locations. Massari believes in the power of face-to-face encounters. “You are twice as likely to effectively present your proposal and to convert prospects into customers with an in-person meeting. The likelihood of getting a ‘yes’ increases, because it is so much easier to say ‘no’ in an email or on a phone call. If I had my way, and if it were physically possible, I would always meet in person.”

Play the violin A young man once asked management expert Peter Drucker how to become a better leader. "Learn to play the violin," Drucker replied. I couldn’t agree more. People with interests beyond their professions are more resilient under stress and more effective on the job. From music to art to sports to socializing with friends and family, you deal better with work-related issues and challenges when your life includes a healthy counterbalance.

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There is a direct correlation between how you dress and how you feel. Style is about power. It’s about the feeling you get when you walk into a room knowing that what you’re wearing is a reflection of your most powerful self.

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Develop your sense of style The way you dress not only impacts how others respond to you, it changes the way you see yourself. (Anyone who has watched the first dress rehearsal of a play can attest to the transformational effect of wardrobe on the wearer.) “Style is never just about clothes,” says Sophia Hyacinthe, CEO of Immaculate Wardrobe. "There is a direct correlation between how you dress and how you feel. Style is about power. It’s about the feeling you get when you walk into a room knowing that what you’re wearing is a reflection of your most powerful self.”

Manage time to improve focus This strategy is from Gustavo Oliveira, Fernanda Neis and John Chisenhall, who train executives with techniques in The DeRose Method. To heighten productivity, they advise clients to work for 25 minutes without distractions (multitasking is controlled distraction but a distraction nonetheless), then take a 5-minute break; repeating this procedure roughly every four hours, and then taking a longer break.

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Tip When you project both empathy and power cues, you have a winning combination for being perceived as caring and confident, which is a dynamite duo for creating a positive impact.

Master the two most important body language signals From a body language perspective, your bosses and co-workers are constantly evaluating you for two sets of nonverbal signals. The first set of signals (and people evaluate in this order) conveys empathy, likeability, and warmth. These nonverbal cues include smiles, positive eye contact, open palm gestures, and (most of all) giving people your undivided attention. The second set sends signals of status, power, and authority. You display those through posture – standing or sitting tall with your feet hip distance apart, head straight and shoulders back, and by expansive and emphatic hand gestures, typically around waist level.

Tip Try this at your next networking event: Enter each conversation with the goal of finding something that you can do for the other person. The minute you take the focus off promoting yourself and put it on assisting others, you dramatically improve your ability to connect.

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Network, network, network Capital is defined as "accumulated wealth, especially as used to produce more wealth." Social capital is the wealth (or benefit) that exists because of your social relationships. Your network is your social capital - the value created by your connections to others. There is no more valuable commodity in today's business environment. Gayle Hallgren‑Rezac and Judy Thomson, networking masters and the co-authors, WORK THE POND! Use the Power of Positive Networking to Leap Forward in Work and Life, share the strategies of great networkers: “Networking is not about promoting yourself or getting new business. It’s about creating or deepening professional relationships.”

Networking is not about promoting yourself or getting new business. It’s about creating or deepening professional relationships

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BONUS TIP: Get visible! If you believe that working hard, keeping quiet, and waiting for your talents to be discovered is the path to success, take a tip from Dana Simberkoff, Chief Risk, Security and Information Officer at AvePoint: “If you want to be evaluated positively, it’s not enough to be a legend in your own mind. You need to make sure that executives in your company are aware of you, your work, and your accomplishments.” In fact, a recent study with 240 professionals in Silicon Valley found the number one factor in getting a promotion was visibility. Which is why you can’t afford to fade into the background at meetings. Instead, sit up front, engage, and contribute. You can further increase your visibility by volunteering for projects (especially those that create impact), giving presentations or speeches, writing blogs, and taking a leadership role in your professional organization.

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Most of my coaching focuses on helping leaders enhance their presence in face-to-face and video encounters. But I also realize that a different set of skills is required for projecting presence when you can’t be seen.

Projecting Presence When You Can’t Be Seen

Communication mediums run a spectrum from “lean” to “rich.” A lean medium transmits less information than a rich medium. If you are emailing, texting or typing in a chat window (lean mediums), there is nothing that gives added clues to the meaning of what you write. A communication channel becomes richer as you add human elements. Telephone calls and teleconferences are richer because they give listeners access to vocal clues. The leaner the communication medium, the more likely you are to be misunderstood. That’s why email is a poor communicator of emotion, humor or nuance. Still, email makes up the bulk of business communication.

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A recent report estimated the average business person receives over 100 emails per day

Five tips

to display leadership presence in an email Start with a specific subject line Using a generic subject line like: “What do you think?” or “Checking in” has much less impact than a specific: “Need suggestions for the meeting agenda by end of the day.”

Make your message clear and concise People are more likely to read short, concise emails than long, rambling ones, so make sure that your emails are as short as possible and try adding details in bullet points.

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Proofread your message Your email messages are as much a part of your professional image as your body language. Don’t diminish your leadership presence by sending out an email that is full of spelling, grammar, or punctuation mistakes.

Wait 24 hours when you’re upset It’s never a good idea to send an email when you’re angry or in the throes of any strong negative emotion - although we’ve all done this. If you compose an email in anger (or frustration or disappointment), wait a day before sending it. Then read it over and see if it’s reflective of how you want to be perceived. In almost all cases, you’ll either re-write or delete the original.

Don’t wait to say “thank you” Another place where timing matters is when sending a “thank you” email. But in this case, the sooner, the better. Don’t wait days or weeks to express your appreciation. Do it right after the meeting – and you’ll greatly increase the impact of your positive comment.

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Three tips

for sounding like a leader on the telephone

Lower your vocal pitch The quality of your voice can be a deciding factor in how you are perceived. Speakers with higher-pitched voices are judged to be less empathic, less powerful and more nervous than speakers with lower pitched voices. One easy technique to use before joining the conference call involves putting your lips together while saying “Um hum, um hum, um hum.” Doing so relaxes your voice into its optimal lower pitch.

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Stay focused You may think you are fooling people when you check your messages or file your finger nails during a teleconference, but you’re not. People can hear the “disconnect” in your voice and it reduces your leadership presence.

As important and pervasive as virtual communication can be, when it comes to projecting presence, nothing beats the impact you can make face to face.

Watch your body language Even when it isn’t seen, your body language impacts your leadership presence. Sitting up, squaring your shoulders, and keeping your head straight gives you vocal energy. Smiling puts warmth in your voice.

Almost every effective leader I’ve interviewed lives by this mantra from Caesars Entertainment: “If it’s not that important, send an email. If it’s important but not mission critical, pick up the phone. If it’s critically important to the success of your project, go see someone in person.”

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Negotiation Tips for Women Negotiating is critical for women. Women who ask for a raise are more than twice as likely to get one, and yet, compared to their male counterparts, women are less likely to ask for that raise or promotion – and less likely to request a better opportunity or more flexibility.

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Hold Your Own Whenever You Negotiate 1

Start off with the right stuff

Display confidence

It all begins with the right attitude. Regardless of how tiring or frustrating your day may have been, before you enter the office or meeting room, pull your shoulders back, hold your head high, take a deep breath, and walk in as your “best self” – exuding ease and energy. Then make eye contact, smile, and shake hands.

Showing your torso is one way of demonstrating a high level of confidence, security or trust. The more you cover your torso, the more it appears that you need to protect or defend yourself. To look confident, uncross your legs and put your feet flat on the floor. Uncross your arms and place your hands on the conference table, the arm rest of your chair, or comfortably on your lap.

State your case If you’re negotiating salary, be sure to research industry standards and come prepared with data to back up your requests. If you are asking for a raise or promotion, do so based on your performance and your value in the market, not because your rent went up last month. (Your personal financial issues won’t help you make your case.)

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Make a positive last impression Regardless of the outcome of the negotiation, end by reinforcing the fact that you are a skilled and gracious professional. Stand tall, shake hands again, thank people for taking the time to meet with you, and leave the room with the same energy and ease you displayed when you walked in the door.

Remember 4

Know what you want – and what you’ll settle for

Learn what’s important to your counterpart

List and then then make a vivid mental image of the best possible outcome. Also, understand upfront what your alternatives might be in case your goal isn’t reached. And have a clear idea of your “bottom line” - below which you are better off walking away.

This is really the secret to all negotiations; when you understand the other person’s point of view, you can find places where your priorities and their priorities overlap. You can then use that information to create a compromise that is truly a win-win.

Negotiating can seem intimidating, but it's really just a series of skills. By developing this skill set you can become more assertive, profitable and successful.

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FINALISTS ANNOUNCED

N O M I N AT I O N S C LO S E

N O M I N AT I O N S O P E N

17 A P R I L 2 0 24

Women In Sales Awards North America 2024 Timeline

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www.wisawardsna.com W O M E N I N S A L E S AWA R D S

NORTH AMERICA

JUNE 2019

*Dates Subject To Change

Women in Sales Awards Europe 2023

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Summit & Judging Day | 8 November 2023 W O M E N I N S A L E S AWA R D S / E U R O P E / D EC E M B E R 2 0 2 3

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The 2023 Judges

Adam Clarke

Bettina Kaemmerer

Claire Curzon

VP UK and Ireland, CoachHub

Sales Compensation Expert, Bee-Comp

CEO, Brighter Directions

Alicia Kang

Brenda Henderson

Claire Thomas

Head of Sales Performance, ICIS

Associate Director, Lloyds Banking Group

Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer, Hitachi Vantara

Ana Perez

Carolina Castillo

Colin O’Flaherty

Senior Director, Oracle

VP Commercial Partnerships & Innovation, International Card Services, American Express

Managing Director, Head of SME, Barclaycard Payments

Andrew Mair

Charlotte Elmer

Dale Payne

Director of Mid-Market Sales, BT

Executive Coach & Consultant, Elmer Coaching & Consultancy

Head of Document Cloud & Adobe Sign, (Enterprise) - UKI, Middle East & Africa Adobe

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Elena Cebanu

Hena Chandarana

Joanna Couture

Vice President Cloud ERP Solution Area, Cloud Success, Services EMEA, SAP

Customer Activation & Sales Operations Director - Off Trade, Molson Coors Beverage Company

Sales Excellence & Business Management Director, Microsoft

Ian Mills

John Allison

Chairman, Transform Performance International

Managing Director, Enable Sales Academy

Jacqueline Hilton

Jon Nowell

Managing Director, Fidelis Partners

Director Small Business, TalkTalk

Jennie Aldridge

Josh Brennan

Head of Mid-Market Direct Sales, Npower Business Solutions

VP Sales for ERP, Access Group

Gary Pickering Chief Growth Officer, Everest Home Improvements

Gavin Dimmock Chief Customer & Revenue Office, Papirfly

Giles Reid Director, Grayce

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The 2023 Judges Juliette Goetzee

Livnat Kopit

Marlen von Roth

Managing Director, Nextens

Technology Centre Director, Microsoft

Regional Sales Director, Strategic Enterprise, Atlassian

Karin Mueller

Lorna Leck

Matt Goddard

Founder & CEO, Liebfrog

Senior Partner Development Specialist, Strategic Initiatives EMEA, Amazon Web Services

Managing Director, Organix Brands

Kate Derrick Director of Mid-Market Sales, Shell Energy UK

Katrin Charlton Executive Coach & Consultant, KBC Coaching and Consulting

Lucy Furnival UK Sales Director, SIG Construction Accessories

Mark Hughes VP, UK & Ireland, Infor

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Nicola Amiss SVP Of Sales, Corporate Visions

Nikki Wilton Director of Growth, Interim, Peregrine

Nis Arend

Rupinder Bahra

Sharna Heinjus

Founder, Top 1% Club

Distribution Academy Consultant, Enterprise L&D, MetLife

Director of Global Sales, Key Accounts, NA, EMEA, APAC, LAO, Kimberly-Clark Professional

Pete Gilbert

Sanjai Mehta

Managing Director, Sales Activator

Sales Coach, Verizon

Philippa Swan

Sara Savidge

Client Success Director, Sales Activator

Executive Payments Leader, Financial Services Industry

Pip White

Sasha Davies

Senior Vice President Sales, The Access Group

Commercialisation Lead, Visa Commercial Services Europe

Shruti Dutta Managing Director, Accenture UK

Sophie Steel Training Consultant & ICF Certified Coach, Sales Activator

Stella Round Director, Stellar Consultancy and Training

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The 2023 Judges

Tedroy Newell

Val Agnew

Yasemin Pereira

MD, Assess Renew Collaborative (ARC)

Coach and Mentor

Director - EMEA Channel Sales Business Messaging, Meta

Terry Hill

Victoria Jackson

Business Psychologist, Author and Performance Coach

Head of Government, TransUnion

Toni Redman

Yarun Nahar

Director, Sales Development EMEA, Trintech

Global Director Revenue Enablement, Trustpilot

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Judging Day | 8 November 2023 W O M E N I N S A L E S AWA R D S / E U R O P E / D EC E M B E R 2 0 2 3

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The 2023 Speakers Moderator

Catherine Schalk Executive Director, Inkwazi Kommunications

Chris Hatfield Founder & Coach, Sales Psyche

Carol Kinsey Goman Leadership blogger for Forbes Author, STAND OUT: How to Build Your Leadership Presence

Caroline McCrystal Partnerships, TransUnion

Karen Green CEO, Buyerology

Laura Webster Director MPS (Manufacturing and Professional Services), Access Group UK

Leigh Ashton Founder and CEO, The Sales Consultancy

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Women in Sales Awards Europe 2023

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Summit & Judging Day | 8 November 2023 W O M E N I N S A L E S AWA R D S / E U R O P E / D EC E M B E R 2 0 2 3

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Years

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WISA By The Numbers

100

NOMINATING COMPANIES

250

SPEAKERS

JUDGING DAY AT TENDEES

OVER

400

NOMINATIONS

165

FINALISTS

JUDGES

CATEGORIES

WINNERS

COUNTRIES

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DISTINGUISHED WINNER

Meet the 2023

Finalists Congratulations from Zars Media proud organizer of the Women in Sales Awards Europe

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2023 Finalists

Elise Gouveia

“If you want to go fast, go alone, if you want to go far, go together.” — African Proverb

Eva De Arriba Calero

“Never give up, nothing happens by accident. Perseverance, drive and genuine care for people, will conquer everything.”

Helen Young

“It felt so empowering and uplifting to be amongst such an amazing group.”

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2023 Finalists

Lilia Mokhtari

“Leading with courage and kindness is the key to unlocking growth, loyalty and true impact.”

Marianne Groth

“Diversity, and here I refer to all kind of diversity, is not about charity, it is fundamental for business growth and profitability!”

Nicole Flory

“I am fundamentally an optimist. Whether that comes from nature or nurture, I cannot say. Part of being optimistic is keeping one’s head pointed toward the sun, one’s feet moving forward” — Nelson Mandela W O M E N I N S A L E S AWA R D S / E U R O P E / D EC E M B E R 2 0 2 3

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2023 Finalists

Sanja Calasan

“Every day bring a bucket of soil to one place and you will build a mountain.” — Confucius

Stefanie Weber

“I'm honoured to participate in the Women in Sales Awards, celebrating the achievements and potential of women who embrace authenticity, align with their purpose, and relentlessly strive for growth.”

Celine Thomas

“I suppose leadership at one time meant muscles; but today it means getting along with people.” — Mahatma Gandhi

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2023 Finalists

Elise Lehy

“The future of sales is rooted in women and sustainability, where empathy meets purpose.”

Emily Cook

“I love being a part of something that empowers women in sales, whilst connecting like-minded professionals with the ambition to make a difference.”

Jacqui Beardall

“I met some amazing women in this process, and it was heartening that we were so supportive of each other.”

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2023 Finalists

Jules Clark

“People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.” — Simon Sinek

Manale Azzi

“If you plan to build walls around me, know this — I will walk through them.” — Richelle E. Goodrich

Michelle Cottom

“One must push themselves out their comfort zone, have the courage to try new things.”

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2023 Finalists

Michelle Stephens

“Being nominated for this award was fantastic recognition by my organisation, but hearing that I’d been shortlisted as a finalist is absolutely overwhelming.”

Sophie Baker

“Make good habits, be outside your comfort zone and that will make you.”

Aitalina Kataeva

“Empowered women in sales don't just close deals - they open doors to endless possibilities and inspire change.”

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2023 Finalists

Benita Vasudeva

“I am a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it.” — Thomas Jefferson

Dana Benedikova

“Life is a game. Follow the rules, enjoy, be happy, move forward and always try to win. Even small wins inside you counts.”

Daniela Steinbach

“Mistakes are inevitable - let's be authentic, optimistic and considerate with ourselves - then they will lead to something good!”

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2023 Finalists

Jade Gordon

“Being a part of this dynamic community of women in sales is a source of inspiration and strength. Together, we work to shatter glass ceilings, break barriers, and build bridges to success.”

Joana Franco

“Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become.” — Steve Jobs

Leila Dani

“Work hard, be brave and have fun, you will achieve success”

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2023 Finalists

Sophie Shearer

“I hope that my representation as a winner at WISA inspires others to strive for greatness, to challenge norms and achieve new heights of success.”

Yuliya Lapkovich

“Every day is a chance to make a difference by being authentic, brave and curious. Take it.”

Cherie Landman

“I believe you have to give to get. Always ask 'whats in it for me', but before you do, be ready to share how you can create value.”

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2023 Finalists

Lize Fernandez Moreno

“And one day she discovered that she was fierce and strong and full of fire and that not even she could hold herself back because her passion burned brighter than her fears.” — Mark Anthony

Marike Wepener

“There’s something so special about a woman who dominates in a man’s world. It takes a certain grace, strength, intelligence, fearlessness, and the nerve to never take no for an answer.” — Rihanna

Meiss Marten

“When we make technology more inclusive, we create more equitable systems and tools that serve all of humanity.” — Joy Buolamwini

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2023 Finalists

Rosalie Christinat

“People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it. And what you do simply proves what you believe.” – Simon Sinek

Janine Binns

“Being surrounded by inspirational females motivates and empowers me. Their passion and resilience ignite my aspirations, and together, we explore limitless possibilities.”

Kelly Smith

“Being surrounded by inspirational females motivates and empowers me. Their passion and resilience ignite my aspirations, and together, we explore limitless possibilities.”

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2023 Finalists

Maria Marti

“I am still learning" I wasn't great at school but my parents taught me the basics of leadership. Be humble, be honest, help and empower others.”

Csilla Gyarmati

“Fostering employees at work goes beyond training, it’s about unlocking potential, nurturing belonging, enabling them to achieve greatness. Cultivating their success enriches our thriving workplace.”

Helen Farrell

“Ask questions, never stop learning, find your champions and work hard!”

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2023 Finalists

Marie-Anne Huserot

“True transmission is inspiring self discovery, sharing dreams and passions, while allowing the choice of one’s unique personal path.”

Morgan Vella

“Customer Success is a journey, not a destination.”

Nathalie Catino

“A nurtured sisterhood is a gift. Find out what your heart’s desires are, stay focused, and treat yourselves with kindness. Don’t worry, dreams come true!”

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2023 Finalists

Emily Hurle

“To me, sales is a lot like life; the more you connect with others, smile and enjoy the process; the easier and more enjoyable the journey is.”

Inga Gerges

“I believe in the power of leading by example.”

Lauren Williams

“The biggest risk you could take is not taking a risk at all”

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2023 Finalists

Sophie Mellor

“Don't spend time beating on a wall, hoping to transform it into a door.” – Coco Chanel

Alison Wilcox

“Every woman’s success should be an inspiration to another. We’re strongest when we cheer each other on.” – Serena Williams

Eugenia Berghmans

“With self-belief as a guiding light, the possibilities within you are limitless, and you can make a profound impact on the world around you.”

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2023 Finalists

Issie Carrol

“"Train hard, fight easy." Is what my kickboxing coach used to say to me before I stepped onto the mat. I tell myself this every day, especially when things seem hard.”

Joanna Abbou

“Grace, strength, intelligence, fearlessness, and the nerve to never take no for an answer.” – Rihanna

Lesya Benko

“Success means we go to sleep at night knowing that our talents were used in a way that served others.” – Marianne Williamson

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2023 Finalists

Linda Campioni

“Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain.” – Gandhi

Maria Poole

“I want my achievements to have a springboard effect to help other talented women to achieve their goals.”

Nilla Stromvall

“Whatever anybody says or does, assume positive intent. You will be amazed at how your whole approach to a person or problem becomes very different.” – Indra Nooyi

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2023 Finalists

Yakuta Holland

“This platform brought together ambitious, talented and driven women. The process made me self-reflect and learn so much about myself both personally and professionally.”

Charlotte Delais

“Your level of success will rarely exceed your level of personal development because success is something you attract by the person you become.” – Jim Rohn

Diana de Celis

“It has given me the unique opportunity to take the time and perspective to reflect about my roots, my career choices, and accomplishments.”

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2023 Finalists

Elimé Shrewsbury

“The ultimate measure of a person is not where they stand in moments of comfort and convenience, but where they stand at times of challenge and controversy.” – Martin Luther King Jr

Graziana Lassandro

“The only way to do great work is to love what you do.” – Steve Jobs

Kirstey Pittman

“I live and breathe every element of my business and encourage a fair and trusting team environment that's inclusive and is a fun place to be.”

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2023 Finalists

Lucy Loomes

“Within us all lies a unique superpower - our essence. Embracing authenticity and unwavering self-belief, we can all carve our own path to success.” – Lucy Loomes

Maria Kaladzis

“A bird sitting on a tree is never afraid of the branch breaking, because its trust is not on the branch but on its own wings. Always believe in yourself” – Unknown

Sarah Lazar

“It has given me the unique opportunity to take the time and perspective to reflect about my roots, my career choices, and accomplishments.”

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103

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2023 Finalists

Victoria Dierickx

“Regrets? No, at the end of the day it's a good laugh, isn't it?” – Craig Levein

Ali Travers

“Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.” – Mahatma Gandhi

Fatima Naqavi

“Embrace authenticity, relish life's moments, and radiate happiness; you are your own source of empowerment.”

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2023 Finalists

Michelle Baeten

“If your actions create a legacy that inspires others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, then, you are an excellent leader.” – Dolly Parton

Natalie Pope

“I've been fortunate to have benefited from the mentorship of so many fantastic women. This experience has further inspired me to be more and do more.”

Fern Carey

“Thrilled to be nominated for a Women in Sales Award! Grateful for the support and opportunity to inspire others to achieve their goals.”

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2023 Finalists

Rebecca Fransson-Scherer

“Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.” – Winston Churchill

Rhona Wallace

“Embrace the power of perpetual learning. In the dynamic landscape of technology sales, knowledge is the compass guiding us toward limitless horizon.”

Brianne Elliott

“Don’t ask for permission. If you believe in it, give it your best shot!”

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2023 Finalists

Carla Remacha

“Barriers are those our mind creates. Do not set limits and fight for our dreams, as the best things in life are out of the comfort zone.”

Emmanuelle Fournier-Kelly

“WISA’s journey has highlighted how women are inspiring tenacious leaders and innovators, breaking barriers with their unwavering determination and radiant mindsets, reshaping the world’s future.”

Jacqueline Mason

“Always enjoy what you do, have fun, have a laugh but If something is worth doing - then do it properly ... Always play to win.”

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2023 Finalists

Josefine Simpson

“Dream big and work hard. Be you, stay curious and work with others. Make a difference.”

Rania Boules

“Strength is to handle the life challenges. I believe in myself, believe that women are the basic milestone toward any progress either in workplace or in family quality life.” – Rania Boules

Ruta Misiunaite-Ashcroft

“Sales isn't just a profession; it's a platform amplifying voices and values, driving positive change across the company, beyond the bottom line.”

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2023 Finalists

Tanya Jain

“I am fortunate to have chosen a profession I'm deeply passionate about, defying all odds. For me, inspiring others and receiving recognition is a victory in itself.”

Valeria Bafera

“For beautiful eyes, seek good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; for poise, walk with the knowledge that you’re never alone!” – Audrey Hepburn

Adelina Popescu

“My secret to success and happiness: staying passionately curious and keeping an open mind. That, and good listening skills I believe can take one a long way!”

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2023 Finalists

Amber Porter

“Many of the things that seem impossible now, will become realities tomorrow.” – Walt Disney

Anna Grover

“I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the water to create many ripples.” – Mother Teresa

Annabel Hosking

“Women belong in all places where decisions are being made. It shouldn’t be that women are the exception.” – Ruth Bader

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2023 Finalists

Antonia Stasi

“Be authentic, genuinely listen, embrace empathy and be caring. Always. The rest will follow.”

Casie Pasquale

“Success is not about climbing up the ladder but about how many people you bring up with you.” – Indra Nooyi

Larissa Hirst

“I am proud to utilise content marketing to accelerate sales revenue, and at the same use my voice to empower women in the workforce.”

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2023 Finalists

Laura Manfredonia

“You start unlocking successes once you understand that you are the only limit to what you can accomplish.”

Patricia Moric

“When life throws lemons, make lemonade, add a twist, and sell it like a pro ! Obstacles are just opportunities in disguise.”

Angelika Schatz

“If you can meet with triumph and disaster and treat those two impostors just the same.” – Rudyard Kipling

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2023 Finalists

Claire Hamilton

“Sales won me over at an early age.”

Danielle Giannotti

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou

Gloria D'Alessandro

“Kindness and ambition can coexist, and they make a very good mix.”

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2023 Finalists

Izzie Greer

“As a girl I was told it's not normal to be competitive and strong. I've realised being a competitive, strong girl was the best thing that happened to me.” – Lucy Bronze

Jodie Marron

“Women are already strong; it's about changing the way the world perceives that strength.” – G.D. Anderson

Kirsty Mackie

“Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.” – Thomas Edison

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2023 Finalists

Rianna Jordan

“Define success on your own terms, achieve it by your own rules, and build a life you're proud to live.” – Anne Sweeney

Annabelle Wallace

Charlotte Pitcher

“Lead first with empathy. Truly understanding and appreciating the customer’s challenge will accelerate your sales success.”

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2023 Finalists

Emily James

“Growing as a woman in your career, can feel like a lonely path. It’s refreshing that this initiative is shining a light along the way!”

Georgia Steele-Matthews

“Everyone you meet, has something to teach you. This guides me with everyone I meet, both professionally and personally.”

Lauren Cowan-Clews

“Worry less, dream more and channel your inner child. You’ll have more fun that way.”

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2023 Finalists

Mélanie Becks

“Scratch the surface in a typical boardroom and we’re all just cave(wo)men with briefcases, hungry for a wise person to tell us stories.” – Alan Kay

Mounia Faridane

“Wishing every woman finds love in her passions, family, and career—a love like water, flowing, twisting, and returning to her inner sea.”

Sneha Singh

“Your success today will be an inspiration for someone tomorrow!”

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2023 Finalists

Weronika Holt

“I’m very grateful to CBRE for nominating me. I believe that empowering women is an investment the industry, society and environment will benefit from.”

Aishling Lanigan

“My passion for problem-solving has led to significant digital transformation. Creating meaningful change that allows development of others fills me with pride.”

Alexia Ayrolles

“Don’t wait for the perfect moment, take the moment and make it perfect.”

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2023 Finalists

Camille Audibert

“This process has been equally exciting and uncomfortable at times, but above all it’s been a true moment of growth and sisterhood for me.”

Charlotte O’Brien

“Your superpower is simply being you, so be fearlessly authentic and bravely you. Grab hold of the things that matter and be sure to enjoy every moment along the way.”

Hyun-Mi Schulz

“The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts.” – Marcus Aurelius

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2023 Finalists

Oonagh Howley

“Embrace the challenge, shatter the glass ceiling and redefine what is possible. As women in sales, we don't just break down barriers; we build bridges to success for those who come after us.”

Sherry Kaoues

“You can, you should, and if you’re brave enough to start, you will.” – Stephen King

Becky Everett

“I’m very grateful to CBRE for nominating me. I believe that empowering women is an investment the industry, society and environment will benefit from.”

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2023 Finalists

Caroline Sauvage

“I am never sick because I am a hypochondriac.”

Cathelijne Hobday

“Connection between people who feel valued leads to energy that feeds growth, strength and joy to move forward together. Inclusion and diversity makes a difference!”

Danielle Palmieri

“Turning Dreams into Reality With Self-confidence and fun delivering the most amazing world.”

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2023 Finalists

Marie Thornton

“Be kind. Be curious. Be brave. Be you. Never let anyone else define or confine you. Beliefs become reality, so make sure yours are wonderful.”

Ruth Rogers

“Be where your feet are.”

Sam Buitendag

“When you find your purpose: live it, breath it. When you find meaning in hardship: celebrate how it shaped you. When you find your voice: use it responsibly.”

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2023 Finalists

Susan Easterbrook

“Never not try for fear of getting it wrong, it’s how we learn to get it right.”

Daniek Neijenhuis

“Let the beauty of what you love be what you do!”

Lauren Lanik

“Dreams and determination are a powerful combination.”

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2023 Finalists

Lora Smith

“Hard work beats talent where talent doesn’t work hard.”

Maddy Young

“You'll never do a whole lot unless you're brave enough to try.” – Dolly Parton

Rezzan Aykul

“When your work is an extension of your purpose, there is no way you cannot succeed.”

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2023 Finalists

Rose Marie Lasvenes

“The only limits in your life are those that you set yourself. I love this citation that I repeat to my children, it resume all.”

Sandra Cervantes

“It’s not about being the best. It’s about being better than you were yesterday.”

Sónia Santos

“As sales professionals, we should surf the waves of opportunity, promoting sustainable success, while shaping our careers with the transparency, fluidity and adaptability like water.”

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2023 Finalists

Caitlyn Cobley

“Workplace and family have supported my route to success. I am honoured that I can now also empower others towards their own success.”

Emma Blackmore

“If you don’t see an opportunity; create one. Don’t let doubt be a hurdle, stay true to yourself and use your position to elevate others.”

Laura DeVoy

“I am ambitious yet the strongest part of my ambition is to be every inch a woman.” – Lady Sydney Morgan

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2023 Finalists

Veronika Schmitt

“Success is achieved by developing our strengths, not by eliminating our weaknesses.” – Marilyn vos Savant

Elena Demosthenous

“In a field traditionally dominated by men, this award demonstrates the limitless potential that women possess in the world of sales and highlights the significance of diversity in the workplace.”

Emma Hoskins

“Positive thoughts create positive things. Kindness is free and smiles are contagious. You only fail if you quit.”

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2023 Finalists

Helene Smith

“Believe in yourself and your capabilities, it can rub off on others and help them see they can do it too!”

Karen Potter

“It doesn’t matter what your background is or where you come from, if you have dreams and goals, that’s all that matters.” – Serena Williams

Magdalena Farrugia

“Your authenticity is your strength! The more unique is your contribution, the more indispensable you become! Cultivate your self-awareness and create a roadmap to your personal and professional fulfilment!” – The Greatest Showman 154

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2023 Finalists

Natalie O'Rourke-Jones

“Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.” – Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Tracy Davies

“Recognise that every interaction you have is an opportunity to make a positive impact on others.” – Shep Hyken

Alina Beidner

“In the symphony of sales, dedication and persistence compose the melody of my journey.”

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2023 Finalists

Chiara Rita Russo

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” – W. Churchill

Elizabeth Barton

“If you make each step count, then each step forward, no matter how small, will take you closer to where you want to be.”

Elizabeth Llewellyn

“Being a dreamer is to appreciate the potential of what life can bring. On reflection, I am currently living the dream I once dreamt of.”

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2023 Finalists

Francezca Chappuis

“Embrace your vision, stand tall as the woman you always imagined, and let courage guide your journey.”

Laura Godfray

“I am very honoured to work under my incredible manager, Rebecca Marvin, and also our Sales Director, Katrina Smith.”

Megan Lamb

“Overwhelmed, excited and delighted to be recognised amongst these amazing women. The tech world needs strong women and I am proud to be involved.”

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2023 Finalists

Méliné Ichkanian

“There is no limit to what we, as women, can accomplish.” – Michelle Obama

Chiara Faraoni

“The higher you climb, the farther you see.”

Carina dos Santos

“Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life!” - Monty Python – With that in mind, there are no limits for our success! Let’s rock this!”

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2023 Finalists

Kate Hunt

“A better world for women is a better world for all.” – Angela Cretu, Avon CEO

Wajihah Ali

“Stay true to your morals, for kindness and sincerity can pave the path to greatness”

Lorela Klobocishta

“Change is never easy. What's important is to navigate this change with an open mind, willingness and resilience to do the best you can at any time.”

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2023 Finalists

Samantha Drain

“Keep your face always toward the sunshine—and shadows will fall behind you.” – Walt Whitman

Fran Cooper

“…you don’t know how great you can be, how much you can love, what you can accomplish, and what your potential is.” – Anne Frank

Harry Maxwell

“In learning you will teach, and in teaching you will learn.” – Phil Collin

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2023 Finalists

James Averell

“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou

Patrick Sullivan

“Being asked to mentor anyone is a true privilege and should be delivered from the heart as much as the head.”

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Years

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And the 2023

Winners are...

This year we received over 400 nominations from all over Europe, Middle East, and Africa from some of the leading and most innovative companies in the world today. After many hours of reviewing nomination applications 165 were shortlisted and following a full day of interviews, 23 selected as the winners.

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20 23 SALES MANAG ER WIN N ER & M OST D I STIN G U I S H ED SALESWO MAN O F TH E YE AR

Manale Azzi Agency Superintendent | MetLife

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2023 SA L E S M A N AG E R WINNER

M A N A L E A Z ZI

hile at my desk, a colleag ue's m e s sage appeared, asking, "Does this mean you are coming to the UK?" Confusion set in as I had no idea what this meant. Curiosity drove me to investigate further. I checked the Women in Sales Awards (WISA) website, but found no answers, leaving me in suspense. I then turned to WISA's LinkedIn page.

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As I scrolled down the page, a sudden surge of excitement coursed through me, a mixture of joy, gratitude, and disbelief. There it was, a post with a subject line that read, "Congratulations to the 2023 Sales Manager Finalists!" And right below those words was my photograph. It was the moment I had eagerly awaited, validating years of relentless dedication to my sales career. In that instant, I transformed from a bewildered professional into a triumphant dancer, celebrating in my office.

Being a Women in Sales Award finalist was an immense honor, significant not only as a dedicated sales professional but as an Arab woman in a challenging, male-dominated industry. This recognition symbolized progress, breaking barriers, and empowered me to continue challenging norms. The significance of this recognition was amplified by the fact that I am a single mother of two, one of which a daughter with special needs. It served as a powerful reminder of the importance

of resilience and the ability to overcome adversity, not only for my sake but also as an example for my daughter. It showed her that, regardless of the challenges life throws at us, with determination and perseverance, we can achieve greatness. Winning in my category was a dream come true, an incredible achievement that left me awash with emotions - joy, gratitude, and an overwhelming sense of accomplishment. It was a moment of validation, proof that hard work and dedication can indeed lead to

This victory has given me a unique opportunity to advocate for gender diversity and inclusion in the workplace, and I intend to seize it with both hands.

success, regardless of gender. Winning this award boosted my confidence and motivation, reinforcing my belief that I could continue to break barriers in the industry. My plan is to utilize this win as a platform to mentor and support other women in sales. This victory has given me a unique opportunity to advocate for gender diversity and inclusion in the workplace, and I intend to seize it with both hands. Participating in the Women in Sales Award has been nothing short of transformative. It provided me with a chance to connect with remarkable women who share similar aspirations and face comparable challenges. The networking opportunities and insights gained throughout the process have been invaluable. We are not alone in our journey, and together, we have the power to create a more inclusive and empowering environment for women in sales. For companies considering submitting nominations in 2024, my advice is simple: do it. Recognize and appreciate the talent within your organization. It's not just about winning awards; it's about fostering an environment where every individual, regardless of gender, can thrive and contribute their best

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20 23 SALES D IRECTO R WIN N ER

Helen Young Director of Public Sector | Barclaycard Payments

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2023 SA L E S D I R EC TO R WINNER

H E L E N YO U N G

was really shocked and pleasantly surprised when I heard I had been selected as a finalist for best Woman Sales Director. A couple of colleagues contacted me shortly afterwards to share they had nominated me for the award and this made me feel immensely proud and honoured. I felt 10 foot tall instead of the 5”2 I am! The news came during a very sad time for us as a family as my dad was battling terminal cancer, so to be able to share

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the news with him whilst he was in hospital felt like a bright spot in an otherwise dark period. My daughter is grown up and is early on in her career journey so another proud moment was telling her I was a finalist. I always try to inspire her to work hard, do her best, stretch herself and focus on making her dreams happen. Being a finalist embodied all the things I’ve been saying to her over the years. She makes me proud when she shares with me what she’s done so I hope this award re-

inforces her ambition to drive her own version of success. My thoughts quickly turned to the next steps and imposter syndrome immediately set in. The fear that I would feel a fraud alongside the other finalists in this category felt very real. I kept reminding myself of the honour that had been bestowed upon me by my company and I didn’t want to let them down. This fear quickly fell away when I met all the other awesome ladies, not only in my category but across the broader audience. It felt so empowering

and uplifting to be amongst such an amazing group. One of the main messages from the speakers at the Summit was that, by being finalists, we were all already winners. This is exactly how it felt! Having the opportunity to meet so many new people, and hear from such inspiring speakers was an unforgettable privilege. One of the highlights for me was the way the other finalists from our company supported one another throughout the process. To see how proud each felt, and to see them grow in confidence

One of the main messages from the speakers at the Summit was that, by being finalists, we were all already winners. This is exactly how it felt!

as a result of taking part, was so heart-warming. We will all be stronger as a result of this experience. I was flabbergasted when they announced I was the winner – surely this was a mistake?! To be a winner was a dream come true. Making the phone calls to my daughter and husband to share the wonderful news will always be a life-changing and pivotal moment for me. I also couldn’t wait to tell my colleagues who’d nominated that I’d done it! Whilst I never got to tell my dad, what I will do is make it my mission to inspire others, especially the next generation. If I can do it, so can they. By using this award as a platform to share my journey with others, I hope it will give them the belief that the impossible is possible if we all believe in ourselves a bit more. Our differences are what make each of us unique and our super-power is being our best authentic selves. Showing others that different styles and approaches are a strength will help bring greater diversity to the workplace and encourage others to bring their whole selves to work. Seeing how this experience has made my colleagues and I stand taller and grow makes me want to shout from the rooftops to others to be a part of this in the future. Be a dream-maker!

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20 23 B U S IN ES S D E VELO PM ENT WIN N ER

Benita Vasudeva Senior Client Manager | American Express

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2023 BUSINESS D E V E LO P M E N T WINNER

B E N I TA VAS U D E VA

was elated when I found out that I made it as a finalist in the ‘Business Development’ category for WISA! I recall I was having lunch with co-workers when I received a message of congratulations and it took a few minutes to sink in before I did a little ‘happy dance’. It was the perfect occasion to do a little dance and to be happy; after all, I was recognised for my efforts for doing what I love – sales! I’m so grateful to my leader, Antonia, for the nom-

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ination. It was heart-warming to see that she too was emotional when I was announced as a finalist and shows how vested she is in my journey. Since finding out that I’ve actually won in my category, I’m humbled and shocked. It feels amazing to be recognised in this way and I will be doing a lot more dancing to celebrate! Now that I hold the title of 2023 Business Development Award Winner, I would like to use this opportunity to

showcase the many benefits that women can achieve, if they pursue a career in sales. Most women already possess a lot of the skills required to succeed in this discipline – negotiating (with kids or landlords), achieving targets (from school), uncovering opportunities (travel or finding a job) and closing the deal (ie. finalising a property). We need to encourage more women (and more diverse women) to consider a career in sales by showing them that they have what it takes to flourish. As a Canadian-Indian, British

We need to encourage more women (and more diverse women) to consider a career in sales by showing them that they have what it takes to flourish.

woman, I can confidently say that sales has opened up a world of possibilities for me and I look forward to encouraging more women to take the sales leap of faith. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed going through the WISA process, even with the emotional ups and downs. It’s a pretty intense process, but Amex has a group of outstanding women that support you along the journey. I’m so grateful to these ladies, who took time out of their busy schedules to coach us nominees through the application process, 10 minute presentations and elevator pitch. Their hints, tips and encouragement have been invaluable. I would like to pay it forward by helping future nominees through their own WISA journeys. I highly recommend Amex continues to nominate outstanding women for these prestigious awards, as it benefits the colleague and the company. For any companies who are considering submitting nominations in 2024, I say do it! You not only recognise your outstanding female sales people in the process, but you also benefit from the networking that the finalists will be able to avail themselves of through the process. It’s a win-win, which is something we always try to achieve in sales

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20 23 TEC H N O LO GY SALES WIN N ER

Meiss Marten Sr Client Executive | Verizon

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2023 T EC H N O LO GY SA L E S WINNER

MEISS MARTEN

hen I found out that I was a WISA finalist, I was on my way to our security partner's workshop, starting a day of joint synergy and innovation. The news filled my heart with pride and joy. To be shortlisted as a WISA finalist, we completed an extensive questionnaire showcasing our merits and accomplishments. The WISA journey was a path of reflection, leading us to ap-

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preciate our past experiences and their role in shaping our current successes. Listening to the stories of other WISA finalists reinforced the thought that success is a personal journey, with each individual taking their unique path. Being nominated for Best in Technology Sales on behalf of Verizon Business was a profound honor. Every WISA finalist is outstanding and successful in what they do, and the nomination itself is a win - it's a true privilege to receive such acknowledgment.

Throughout my life, my mixed cultural background — with my father originating from Jordan and my mother from Finland — has often led to me being evaluated through a cultural lens, placing me outside the norms. By embracing the best elements of these two different cultures, I have shaped them into my identity in a way that resonates with my values and heart. On the WISA judging day, I brought my story to light, explaining how I strategically used my middle name, Melissa, on my CV. This name change led to a 50% increase in job interview invitations and helped me kickstart my career. This experience instilled resilience and determination

in me. Now, I'm in a position where my name no longer dictates my career path. Today, I work in a company that values me and my work, where I enjoy collaborating with customers, partners, and colleagues globally. I can even say that the work community today is my extended family. Past experiences have led me to explore AI and the questions of equality. Realizing that AI, as a human creation learning from our history, might inherit and integrate bias, I became involved in an EU project researching a crucial cause: "Fairness and Intersectional Non-discrimination in Human Recommendation".

I encourage participation in promoting equality and ensuring that AI treats everyone fairly, regardless of gender, ethnicity, or age.

Initial findings revealed biases in AI regarding CVs, particularly in education, work experience, language style on the CV, parental leave, ethnicity, and even the applicant's name. AI is an extremely helpful assistant but should not be the decision maker. We need to raise awareness about digital equality and the impartiality of artificial intelligence, as this is vital for the career development of both women and men in the professional world. As a WISA winner, I'd like to emphasize three key areas: firstly, the significance of embracing our identity - our past and name don't dictate our future. Secondly, the strength and achievements within a community - it's crucial to be in a community that accepts us for who we are. Thirdly, I encourage participation in promoting equality and ensuring that AI treats everyone fairly, regardless of gender, ethnicity, or age. I encourage companies to continue nominating individuals for the Women in Sales Awards, as they celebrate the achievements of women in sales and foster emerging talents. I firmly believe that diversity strengthens organizations. Lastly, I extend my heartfelt thanks to WISA for this empowering experience and congratulate all fellow nominees and winners

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20 23 C U STO M ER S ERVI C E D IRECTO R WIN N ER

Janine Binns Head of Customer Success | The Stepstone Group

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2023 C U S TO M E R S E RV I C E D I R EC TO R WINNER

JA N I N E B I N N S

eing recognised as a finalist for the Women in Sales Awards marks a significant milestone in my professional journey. This achievement extends beyond a personal triumph; it is a trib-

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ute to the countless inspirational women who have played pivotal roles in shaping my career. The overwhelming sense of honour and pride upon receiving this nomination was not just about me; it was about being part of a community of exceptional women.

Winning in my category was an indescribable experience, considering the fierce competition. It wasn't just a validation of my individual efforts; it symbolised the collective strength and resilience of women making substantial impacts in their respective fields. This victory serves as a platform to not only celebrate personal success but, more importantly, to empower and support other women within my company and industry.

My commitment post-win is clear: to continue serving as a mentor and advocate for my female peers. Additionally, I aim to collaborate with male allies to promote and celebrate the remarkable achievements of women within our organisation. The goal is to contribute to the creation of a more inclusive and supportive work environment that recognises and values the talents of all. Participating in the Women in Sales Awards has been an incredible journey, offering opportunities to connect and network with like-minded individuals. It serves as a reminder that we are not alone in our professional journeys.

This achievement extends beyond a personal triumph; it is a tribute to the countless inspirational women who have played pivotal roles in shaping my career.

For companies considering submissions in 2024, my advice is: do not hesitate. Empower and support the women in your organisation by giving them the recognition they deserve. Creating a workplace that values and promotes gender diversity will undoubtedly have a positive impact on your company

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20 23 IN S ID E SALES E XEC UTIVE WIN N ER

Joanna Abbou Inside Sales Executive | Similarweb

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2023 I N S I D E SA L E S E XEC U T I V E WINNER

J OA N N A A B B O U

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t was an absolute privilege to have been nominated as a Finalist for the Inside Sales Category at the WISA awards. After hearing the news that i had been selected, i called my mum, my manager & my mentor in ABSOLUTE excitement!

in my life both on a personal and professional level. Coming from an immigrant family whereby the woman in my surrounding did not have the opportunities I have been blessed with to evolve as a woman in my career - makes the experience even more rewarding.

To be a Winner in my category is an extremely humbling experience and defining moment

It is with this appreciation & deep gratitude in mind, that reinforces my determination

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to lead by example, and break the taboo that sales is a male orientated role. I want to be an ambassador to younger women who are starting their careers, and show them that you CAN do it: Grow your career, practice your love for selling, AND build a family; albeit with its challenges. Whatever stage of life & whatever cultural background… As Rihanna saying

Grace, strength, intelligence, fearlessness, and the nerve to never take no for an answer.

goes: “Grace, strength, intelligence, fearlessness, and the nerve to never take no for an answer". I had the most stimulating and enriching experience on Judging Day. I was grateful to have met my fellow-finalists; judges and inspirational leaders who are reshaping what Success looks like for a Woman today. I left the judging day feeling enlightened and empowered and extremely grateful that an organization like WISA - which celebrates women's success - exists today. I would most certainly advise my company to nominate other female employees of Similarweb in 2024. Not only is it an enriching experience for the individual but very rewarding too! To have been chosen to represent my company goes along way. If you are considering nominating female colleagues/ employees for the WISA Awards 2024- go for it! No regrets. The positive impact it would have on your nominee, your company as whole is unquestionable. Even more so - the importance of celebrating the success of Women in the workplace today

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20 23 C U STO M ER S ERVI C E MANAG ER WIN N ER

Helen Farrell Customer Service Manager | The Stepstone Group

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2023 C U S TO M E R S E RV I C E M A N AG E R WINNER

H E L E N FA R R E L L

y journey with The Stepstone G r o u p began as a timid 23-year-old graduate walking through the doors of the Stretford, Manchester office for an interview. Little did I know, this moment would mark the beginning of a transformative 12 year long career journey. In these years, I have been fortunate enough to work in an environment that not only nurtures pro-

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fessional growth but also celebrates diversity and empowers women in leadership roles. Throughout my time here, I have been guided and inspired by remarkable female leaders who have imparted invaluable lessons, shaping me into the professional I am today. My manager, Sam, nominated me for the award. The news of being shortlisted alongside incredibly talented individuals filled me with sheer excitement. My passion for supporting our sales teams

and enabling them to reach their full potential through world-class customer experiences fuelled my determination. The awards night was a surreal experience. Seeing my name illuminated in lights filled me with an overwhelming sense of pride and privilege. It was a moment that not only recognised my efforts but also acknowledged the collective achievements of all the incredible women in my organisation.

The entire awards experience was nothing short of flawless, thanks to the dedicated team behind it. From the initial communication to the final event, I was kept informed, supported, and guided. Knowing the expectations and understanding what was required of me throughout the process kept me focused and driven. Moreover, the camaraderie among the shortlisted women from our organisation was heartwarming. Coming

Often, in the hustle of our daily lives, we forget to pause and acknowledge our individual achievements. This process served as a reminder of the incredible journey I have undertaken and the meaningful contributions I have made.

together to support and uplift one another reinforced the sense of community and solidarity among us. Participating in this process was more than just a chance to win an award; it was an opportunity for introspection. Reflecting on my accomplishments and the impactful work I have been a part of was a humbling experience. Often, in the hustle of our daily lives, we forget to pause and acknowledge our individual achievements. This process served as a reminder of the incredible journey I have undertaken and the meaningful contributions I have made. I wholeheartedly endorse the Women in Sales Awards to any organisation. It is not merely an accolade but a platform that allows companies to showcase their strong female talent to the world. Beyond that, it provides extraordinary women within the organisation a chance to shine, inspiring others with their stories of perseverance and success. This initiative has not only elevated my professional standing but has also contributed to fostering a culture of empowerment and recognition within our workplace. The Women in Sales Awards is not just an event; it is a celebration of women breaking barriers, shattering glass ceilings, and making a significant impact in the world of sales

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20 23 C U STO M ER S ERVI C E E XEC UTIVE WIN N ER

Emily Hurle Customer Success Manager | Papirfly

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2023 SA L E S S U P P O R T WINNER

E M I LY H U R L E

triding into 2023, the idea of being labelled a "Women in Sales" was not a title I would have assigned to myself. I certainly would not have recognised myself as a category winner at the WISA EMEA 10Year Anniversary. However, one of WISA’s greatest strengths is highlighting the success others

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see in us, as opposed to the critique we see in ourselves. Walking into the judging day, the contrast of these self-views pulsated the air with infectious energy. The nervous excitement of such a high calibre of professional women buzzed. I know I am not alone in suffering imposter syndrome; and expe-

riencing where this can plague us day to day. Presenting to the judging panel provided me with some much-needed respite from that; it is not often we have the opportunity to articulate & celebrate our success. It enabled me to look back on my work with pride and acknowledge to myself that I do belong in this space. As we walked out of the room, the collective positivity

As we walked out of the room, the collective positivity from our group reflected this pride in ourselves; the feeling of empowerment like an undefeatable force.

from our group reflected this pride in ourselves; the feeling of empowerment like an undefeatable force. Platforms like WISA play a crucial role in the success of women navigating male-dominated professions. Their events serve as more than just gatherings; they are catalysts for empowerment. They provide a space where we can uplift and recognize not only our peers but, more importantly, ourselves for our accomplishments and the quality of our work. Armed with this, we can shatter glass ceilings, redefine industry norms, and build a network that fosters growth and empowerment. 2023 would not have been such a success for me without the empowering experiences from WISA. Thank you to everyone who has contributed to such an uplifting and career-defining initiative; your empowerment and support enrich the sales leaders of today and tomorrow. A special thanks to my fellow finalists; I am so proud of who we are as a collective; I can’t wait to see where we are in 12 months' time!

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20 23 C LIENT E XEC UTIVE WIN N ER

Kate Hunt Strategic Account Director | Salesforce

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2023 C LI E N T E XEC U T I V E WINNER

K AT E H U N T

“O

kay, so we’re ag reed. You get in the b a t h now and you will get two stories before bed…. Okay – that’s a deal, if you brush your teeth we’ll agree on three..” My phone rang just as my daughter smugly slid into the bath next to her younger brother who was happily popping bath bubbles. My manager, Felicity Starr (a category

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winner from last year) excitedly erupted down my phone, “You’ve done it!! You’re a finalist!” The first thing I did was scream down the stairs to my husband, followed by an urgent fumble on my phone to call my Mum, a working mother my whole life - and a woman who has inspired and shaped me in every way to be the woman I am today. My tears of surprise and joy were overwhelming and this was shared amongst all my imme-

diate family! Just being nominated for WISA (Women In Sales Awards) meant so much to me... but the feelings I now have that resulted from winning mean everything to me.

risk move but since having my daughter - and facing a life altering condition that nearly cost me my life - my resilience and appetite for challenge drives me on.

My career thus far has been forged in heavily male-dominated industries, from selling into car dealerships, flogging flood defence to national builders’ merchants, and B2B sales of hand dryers… My penchant for glamorous industries knows no bounds!

I live both my personal and professional life by the principle of ‘Meraki’ - a Greek term, which means ‘to do something with soul, creativity, love; to put something of yourself into your work’.

Turning my hand to software sales for the first time in the middle of lockdown; at the time it felt like a very high

Taking on a totally untapped account like Avon in July 2022, it was obvious to me that I needed to harness ‘Meraki’ and to live and breathe the customer experience, so I be-

came an Avon representative. Walking in the customer's shoes meant I was able to develop a customer point of view from the inside out. Since then, our working partnership has gone from strength to strength. I am so proud that Avon, which was founded for the purpose of women empowerment and financial independence, now has Salesforce technology at its core. Spending the day being judged with so many incredible and inspiring women was incredibly humbling. I drew so much from listening to their courageous stories, life experience and professional excellence. The values of WISA that promote and empower women are so closely aligned with my own values and I am so proud to be able to call myself a winner.

Winning gives me a recognised platform to continue to spread the message of women empowerment and to be an ambassador, an Ambassador for WISA, ambassador for other working mothers and an ambassador for women starting their careers and daunted about how to ‘lean in’. I believe it is the duty for all women as they climb through their careers, to kick the doors open for other women to pass through more easily - ensuring a path to success and a world more equal for all of our daughters

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20 23 SALES EN G IN EER WIN N ER

Michelle Baeten Principal Technical Architect | Salesforce

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2023 SA L E S E N G I N E E R WINNER

MICHELLE BAETEN

ive years ago I was on maternity leave and having chemotherapy for breast cancer at the same time, it was an incredibly tough time. It feels like such a privilege to still be here today, I have been incredibly lucky.

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I’ve come a long way since then and being selected as a finalist for the Women in Sales Sales Engineer of the Year award has definitely been a highlight. When I found out I was a finalist the first thing I did was reach out to my boss to thank him for nominating me and being my biggest supporter;

I can’t thank him enough for all the support. It is an amazing privilege to be recognised for my achievements and to represent the wider women in tech community. Winning the Sales Engineer of the Year award is a profound privilege and the achievement has ignited a renewed determination to use my platform

If your actions create a legacy that inspires others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, then, you are an excellent leader.

to create positive change, particularly in the women in tech community and for the next generation of trailblazers like my daughter. Taking part in the Women in Sales Awards has been an incredible experience. The judging day was an amazing inspiring day and I met a lot of highly successful and inspiring women in Sales. I’m so thankful to Salesforce for supporting so many of us in joining the WISA awards and I would thoroughly recommend every organisation to nominate the next generation of WISA winners next year. The quote I submitted was: “If your actions create a legacy that inspires others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, then, you are an excellent leader.” and this is what I hope to convey in the coming years. I want to show the world that strong and smart women in tech can also be great leaders and in doing so inspire many many others

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20 23 K E Y AC C O U NT MANAG ER WIN N ER

Jacqueline Mason National Key Account Manager | Kimberly-Clark

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2023 K E Y AC C O U N T M A N AG E R WINNER

JAC Q U E LI N E M AS O N

earing our UK General M a n a g e r @ K i m b e r l yClark (KC) had nominated me for this prestigious award as best Senior Key Account Manager was amazing. I was excited and humbled as I knew by no means had I arrived at this point on my own & there would be many people to thank. I believe that something worth doing - needs to be done properly. That being as prepared

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as you can to anticipate what might be next helps, you to be more successful. The experience of taking part in WISA has made me reflect on how Women in Sales really have progressed over the past 3 decades. It is a positive affirmation that we are never too old to achieve success – including winning such an esteemed award as WISA. We must never give up striving to win! My mind then continued to think how I could convert this into a positive legacy motivating other females.

Starting out in 1987 we didn’t have laptops or mobile phones. Your orders were dialled in from a payphone at a service station or your home landline. Weekly Sales Reports were written on self-carbonating sheets and posted to your Boss on a Friday morning. I was the only female in the sales team at a heavily industrial-based company calling on coal mines and car manufacturing and steel plants. After winning UK Sales Awards two years in a row, I decided to look to join a major corporation to gain more experience. I joined the Fortune 100 Kimberly-Clark 33 years ago and I have never looked back. There were very few women when I joined Kimberly-Clark. I broke new ground being the

first Saleswomen to ever go on parental leave. It was that moment that I am proud to have paved the way for other KC Mums that would followed me… Over the years at, KC our focus and commitment to diversity has gone from strength to strength. I have had such an exciting career at KC, and I have been supported by some wonderful people along the way. I have been mentored by some iconic businesspeople in our industry. I have mentored young graduates at KC who have then gone onto pave-the-way for other women. I am an achiever of results. I have consistently exceeded my sales targets. This has translated into not only being nominated, but to win an, external EMEA

I want to be a role model dispelling the myths of ageism, and females post maternity allegedly having lost drive, and ambition…

award is something #WISAamazing!

else.

At KC we have a common purpose and that is for better care for a better world, so as we sell more, we need to also safeguard the future of our planet as we aim to deliver best in class care for three billion People by 2030. Bringing innovative ground-breaking sustainability projects to my customers enhances our partnership as well as delivering growth. We must understand our customers and consumers today better than anyone else. I have also had to evolve massively with technology, data sourcing, data analysis and using supportive tools. I have supported our Diversity Council where we took a deep-dives to find out how we could improve retention of women at senior levels as well as attracting more women to KC. With this new recognition, I will use WISA as a platform to really stress to women in KC and my customers that we can work together to overcome disadvantages of women in the workplace. I want to be a role model dispelling the myths of ageism, and females post maternity allegedly having lost drive, and ambition… As a newfound ambassador thank you WISA for putting your faith in me

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20 23 SALES O PER ATIO N S MANAG ER WIN N ER

Anna Grover Sales Operations Manager | American Express

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2023 SA L E S O P E R AT I O N S M A N AG E R WINNER

A N N A G ROV E R

hroughout my career it has been female leaders and colleagues that have advocated most for me and that have given me the confidence to step outside my comfort zone. It was two female leaders in my company that nominated me for this year’s award, and I was with a couple of my fellow nominees when we found out that we had been successful in making it through as a finalists. It was a joyful shared experience and one that I won’t forget in a

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hurry. It is a wonderful feeling to know that people have read your application and deemed you worthy of recognition in this way. Considering the standard of finalist this year and the amazing people I met at the Judging Day in London last month, I am truly honoured to have won the Sales Operations Manager award for 2023. The whole process, from nomination to the Judging Day itself, has been hugely rewarding. It was such an uplifting day in London, to be surrounded by

a host of inspirational female peers and meet incredible role models, as well as listening to the wonderful series of speakers whose powerful words really resonated with me. I secured my first sales role in 1997. Both my hiring leader and skip level leader were women. I had no sales experience when I joined their business, but I could confidently communicate with people, and they must have seen in me something that I did not at the time. They were firm but fair. They were operationally excellent and driven to succeed. They coached me, supported my development and were always quick to shout about

My hope is that by seeing myself and my peers consistently and intentionally advocating for women, in business and in our personal lives, that by the time my daughters and their peers enter the workforce, their experience and advocacy they get from their businesses will be our legacy.

my successes. They were role models to me as I started on my career journey, and I have tried to emulate their support with my direct reports and colleagues as much as possible during my career. Both in my personal and professional life some of the most rewarding experiences have come during the toughest of times. I discussed ‘resilience’ as part of my presentation to the judges. I know that I would not have emerged from any of these periods without the support of friends and the counsel of female colleagues and this is the driving force behind my determination to continuously support and develop the women I lead and mentor. My hope is that by seeing myself and my peers consistently and intentionally advocating for women, in business and in our personal lives, that by the time my daughters and their peers enter the workforce, their experience and advocacy they get from their businesses will be our legacy. During the Judging Day, one of the panellists asked us to consider ’what will you do differently tomorrow as a result of today?’. As a ‘Women in Sales’ Award winner, I will ensure we all continue to act as allies, enrich the lives of others and actively promote each other’s Sales superpowers!

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20 23 PRO FES S IO NAL S ERVI C ES SALES WIN N ER

Georgia

Steele -Matthews

Account Partner Director | Salesforce

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2023 P RO FE S S I O N A L S E RV I C E S SA L E S WINNER

G EO RG I A S T E E L E- M AT T H E WS

hen I was announced as a finalist for the Women in Sales Awards, the first feeling I felt was gratitude. Grateful to be considered amongst the fantastic women in our category - and when I met our finalists on judging day I was not disappointed. I had assumed that we would have been competitive with one another (being successful sales women) but I couldn’t have been more wrong. We

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listened to the talks together and discussed how much of an impact topics such as mental health, reaching our potential and how to grow our power has affected our careers to date and shared a few glasses of wine together afterwards. On the day of the judging, I opened my presentation with my quote ‘Everyone you meet has something to teach you’ and this day was exemplary of this. Whether I met a newcomer or a distinguished sales leader who has been in the business for decades, the level of respect

for one another was visible and I felt that I learnt a lot from each of the people I met. Now to win the Professional Services category, this is an honour. Truly. As I mentioned to the judges on the day, I have not followed a traditional path into sales. I started as an actor, making my way through countless auditions and applying for roles on the stage and screen. It was through a career fair that I was asked ‘Have you ever thought about going into sales?’ and my fate was sealed. I knew how much I enjoyed speaking with customers and solving problems and so to combine those together and pair them with a love of technology was ideal. I started my career in the world of Tech start ups in London,

and for 3 years, worked my way from Sales Executive to Chief Product Officer bringing one the UK’s most successful cyber security companies onto the main stage - expanding into Asia and finally raising money with SoftBank Japan. After this, I challenged myself again both undertaking an Executive MBA and diving head first into Big Tech. I joined Dell Technologies for 2 years as EMEA Lead and now Salesforce as a Professional Services Director where I work today. To have won this category is a great honor because it teaches you that no matter where you start, you have the ability to adapt and grow and embrace new pathways. Now that I have won the award I will be working with my

If you are reading this and thinking, should I go for the next role? A new role? A promotion? You should. And why? Because you are truly great and deserve it.

leadership to formalise a programme to drive diverse hiring into our company. I think that it is essential in the sales sector to hire people with different backgrounds in order to create better ideas, better outputs and challenge thinking both internally and externally with our customers . Moreover, I believe that in order to get more women into sales roles we each need to cast a wider net and look at broader CVs in order to find the talent we require. Women, in general, do not have the same confidence as men when applying for jobs, and according to Harvard Business School ‘Women don’t apply for jobs unless they are 100% qualified’ - this statistic is something that needs to change and by encouraging companies to hire more broadly we can all do our collective duty to change the narrative. I also believe that awards such as WISA are helping drive women in sales confidence levels up. I know that reaching the finals and then attending the judging day really helped me, and I encourage anyone reading this article to nominate next year and for those that get nominated...apply! What are you waiting for? Also if you are reading this and thinking, should I go for the next role? A new role? A promotion? You should. And why? Because you are truly great and deserve it

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20 23 SALES M ENTO R WIN N ER

James Averell Head of Sales Performance EMEA | ICIS

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2023 SA L E S M E N TO R WINNER

JA M E S AV E R E L L

was in the office when I found out that I had been selected as a finalist so the first thing I did was WhatsApp a picture from Linkedin from WIS announcing my selection to both my wife and my Mum. Let’s be honest but when you are 52 years old it is hard to still make your Mum proud of you. I then hunted down Elise Lehy who nominated me and my Manager Alicia Kang to tell them the amazing news. Then

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I had to sit quietly in the office as we had some others who were nominated for other categories and wanted to celebrate once we knew who had got through so I could first speak to those that hadn’t. It feels amazing to have even been nominated let alone win. There is also a touch of sadness as the one person I wanted to tell would have been someone who spent so much time and effort mentoring me when I

was a young salesperson and Sales Manager. He sadly passed away a year ago and I know he would have been so proud and it would have been such a reward for him to see me win. He was the one who instilled in me that “pay it forward” mentality when it comes to mentoring, about giving back twice as much as you have received. He taught me to support people where you see the talent and ability in them but they just need help in bringing it out. Taking part in the WIS nomination and judging process has been such an enjoyable experience and has allowed me to meet and network with some very talented individuals from

I have been in sales for 30 years and have never received an award like this and I can’t describe the amazing feeling.

the judges in my category to my fellow nominees. The judging day is so much fun, so positive and you leave the event inspired to do better. I’m going back to my organisation with a clear goal for us to nominate more women in 2024 and I would like to see more of the brands within it nominate talented women. It is a chance for them to recognise that talent and for that talent to be recognised. I have been in sales for 30 years and have never received an award like this and I can’t describe the amazing feeling. I never did the mentoring for an award and it is a privilege to have even been nominated. I was already thinking how I can get a group of individuals together who want to help other women in the company and coach and mentor them in how to do this effectively. My last comment would be that if you work for a company that don’t currently nominate at WIS then make sure you do next year and take this very seriously. It is a fabulous way of you recognising the talented women you have in your organisation, talented women that don't always get to play on a level playing field, talent women that often have the odds stacked against them compared to their male counterparts

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20 23 D I G ITAL SALES WIN N ER

Hyun -Mi Schulz Team Leader Member GET Member & Internal Acquisition | American Express Europe S.A Germany

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2023 D I G I TA L SA L E S WINNER

HYUN-MI SCHULZ

articipating in the Women in Sales Awards was an exciting and extraordinary experience for me. Being nominated by my leader was already a great recognition and I felt very honored. Being shortlisted and making it to the finals was a big surprise that I didn't expect. When I heard the news, I first had to sit down, took a deep breath, and pinched myself.

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Thanks to the preparation process, I realized for the first time how much I have grown professionally (from unemployed to a top performer) and personally (from the shy girl to a respected person staying true to her own style and values). Looking back, I embrace the challenges that I have overcome to be where I am today because those helped me to push myself to my limits to become a better version of myself. And it makes me smile when I think about

how fortunate I was to meet incredible colleagues, supportive leaders, and fantastic mentors with who I shared a lot of good laughs on the job. I absolutely love my job and am very happy to make a positive contribution to the company business results because American Express cares for the people (customers and colleagues) which is also one of my main values. Being where I am today, I would love to go back to my shy younger self and to assure her “Be bold, keep believing in yourself and everything will work out for you – I promise.”

Be bold, keep believing in yourself and everything will work out for you – I promise.

Now, being selected as the winner of the Digital Sales category ... I can't really believe it … I am still pinching myself. It means a lot to me as it is a huge milestone in my career. I am deeply grateful to my always encouraging husband, my employer American Express and my leader for allowing me to have this unforgettable experience. With this award, I hope to become an inspiring role model for other young women in sales. It is a chance for me to give back, make a positive impact and to continue to encourage young coworkers to be the best of themselves. I hope to be a proof that, 1) deviating career paths make a journey exciting and enriching and 2) you can achieve a lot with your positive attitude and growth mindset. The Women in Sales Award is a great initiative to recognize women who have accomplished extraordinary results and shown their capabilities, resilience, ambition, leadership skills and other strengths in their work and personal life. I encourage companies to support, appreciate and invest in their brilliant and young talents by nominating them for the Women in Sales Award

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20 23 SALES CAPAB ILIT Y MANAG ER WIN N ER

Ruth Rogers Manager : L&D | Verizon

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2023 SA L E S CA PA B I LI T Y M A N AG E R WINNER

RU T H RO G E R S

y approach centres on my belief that business is about humans. Situations that involve humans must be assumed to be influenced and driven by their needs. The function, reliability and cost of a product are only important because of what they mean to a human. Making connections to people, content or ideas is what will make the difference for Sales.

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From nomination through to judging, the WISA journey has been incredibly energising. The process has pushed me to take time to reflect on my experiences and how they have built me into the person I am today. We don't often afford ourselves the time to truly consider the milestones in our lives and the impact they have; by doing so, our eyes become opened to the array of possibilities the future can hold. As women, we are presented with enough barriers in society but

often we find ourselves adding to them. Winning Women in Sales has expanded my platform to bring more voices in and push against this negative self-talk, advocate for diversity of thought and promote that our experiences do not inhibit us, they form facets of our diamond. Being able to spend the judging day around a table with my fellow category finalists settled my nerves. We could make connections with each other and bond over our shared experience, it didn't take long for the conversation and laughter to flow! As women, we are

often questioning our abilities and our "right" to speak up, but then met with derision if we don't conform to that narrative - I believe that finding our core selves, a deep knowledge of our drivers and natural skills can negate those stereotypes and bring success, not by playing a character, but by being authentic. For 5 years, I have been a coach for Smart Works Reading; a charity supporting women in their employment journeys. I also represent the organisation at speaking events for corporate partners, appear on local radio and fundraise through

Winning Women in Sales has expanded my platform to bring more voices in and push against this negative self-talk, advocate for diversity of thought and promote that our experiences do not inhibit us, they form facets of our diamond.

doing a variety of sporting challenges. Most recently, I facilitated a session with local tech companies on how they can attract, retain and create a culture of inclusivity for female refugees. The impact of our service is significant; not only do 78% of Smart Works Reading clients go on to employment within a month of seeing us, 97% report feeling more confident in their own ability overall. Within Verizon, I have an open door policy for those seeking support and have been a formal mentor for female colleagues as well as a coach to previous Women in Sales nominees. I aim to provide a psychologically safe environment for them to explore, navigate and define their journey. Each new stage of my own journey has built upon the previous through identifying my motivations and knowing when it is time to move on. There have been significant moments which have triggered a change in direction and there will certainly be more to come, but I know that moving forward is not the same as giving in, it is about learning and evolving. I truly believe that to empower a woman is to empower a community and I feel a deep responsibility to continue doing everything I can to enable this

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20 23 IN S ID E SALES MANAG ER WIN N ER

Elimé Shrewsbury Team Leader, Early Development | American Express

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2023 I N S I D E SA L E S M A N AG E R WINNER

E LI M É S H R E WS B U RY

eing selected as a finalist for the 'Best Inside Sales Manager' in the Women in Sales Awards was a great feeling. It was a moment that brought a blend of excitement and gratitude for the recognition of the hard work put into leading the team to success. The first thing I did after hearing the news was to gather my team for a celebration. Their commitment and dedication

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have been the bedrock of our success, and I wanted to share this moment with the incredible individuals who make up our team, acknowledging that this recognition is a testament to our collective efforts. Winning the 'Best Inside Sales Manager' is not just a personal victory but a celebration of the entire team's accomplishments. This award is a validation of the strategies we've implemented, with emphasis on team development, and the collaborative approach to

achieving our targets. It's a reminder that hard work coupled with ambition do pay off. As I reflect on this achievement, my focus turns towards using this win to empower other women in the industry. Representation matters, and by showcasing that women can lead and excel in sales and leadership, I hope to inspire and mentor others to reach for similar success. I plan to actively engage in mentoring, share insights from my journey, and advocate for equal opportunities for women in sales.

Participating in the Women in Sales Awards has been an enriching experience. The process of nomination allowed me to reflect on the various aspects of my role as an inside sales manager. It provided a platform to showcase not just individual achievements but also the collaborative efforts that drive success within my team.

ebrating the hard work and achievements of your team. The process of preparing the nomination itself is a valuable exercise, forcing a comprehensive evaluation of your strategies and performance metrics. It's an opportunity to showcase your commitment to team development, leadership, and business growth.

To companies contemplating nominations in 2024, I wholeheartedly advise taking the plunge. It's not just about the recognition; it's about acknowledging and cel-

In terms of advice, my suggestion is to be genuine and authentic in your submission. Highlight the real impact of your strategies on team development, recruitment, retention, leadership development, and performance. Showcase how your leadership aligns with the broader goals of the organization and emphasise the collaborative efforts that drive success, be proud of your accomplishments.

By recognising and celebrating the achievements of women in sales, we contribute to breaking down barriers and reshaping perceptions. It's not just an award; it's a step towards creating a more inclusive and diverse landscape in the world of sales. So, to all the companies out there – nominate, celebrate, and empower the women who are driving excellence in sales. The benefits are not just individual but extend to the entire industry

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Maddy Young Senior Account Executive - Enterprise Corporate Sales | Salesforce

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2023 FI E L D SA L E S WINNER

M A D DY YO U N G

ow is all I can say!

T h i s achievement has challenged me to do something that I don’t do enough - stop, pause, and reflect. Very few times have I been at a moment in my life where, even for a second, I wasn’t looking for my next peak. In a profession that seldom allows for such pauses, I can gen-

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uinely express that I am taking the time to savor the moment. Winning the Field Sales Woman of the Year has left me profoundly moved. Upon hearing the news, a wave of gratitude and appreciation enveloped me, compelling me to share this joy with my family, friends, and colleagues, who have been nothing short of amazing. To each of you, I extend my heartfelt thanks for your unwavering encouragement, support, and for standing by me when I needed it most.

As I continue my journey in sales, persistently striving for my Everest, I am mindful that there will be highs and lows, stumbles along the way, and obstacles where I may not yet possess the tools to overcome. However, I find solace in the knowledge that by showing up every day and pushing the boundaries of personal excellence, I can navigate through it all. Simultaneously, I am committed to encouraging other women within the industry to break barriers and reach their own Everests. The Women in Sales platform has become a stage for me to consistently celebrate the inspiring women

in my industry. My aspiration is that this award serves as a catalyst for other women in my field to take chances on themselves and relentlessly pursue their Everests. The journey through the Women in Sales Awards has been truly remarkable. The judging day started with a mix of excitement and nerves, but it quickly evolved into a day of camaraderie and valuable insights. Interacting with other women in the industry proved to be more than just an opportunity to create connections; it became a platform to engage in meaningful discussions

My aspiration is that this award serves as a catalyst for other women in my field to take chances on themselves and relentlessly pursue their Everests.

about the challenges we encounter in our profession and how, collectively, we can build bridges and navigate these obstacles together. The pinnacle of this experience is undeniably the awards night. Coming together to celebrate our individual and collective successes is a truly fabulous way to bring the curtain down on the year and reflect upon this remarkable journey. The awards night serves as a culmination of shared achievements, a testament to the power of collaboration and the strength we derive from each other. I wholeheartedly encourage companies to participate in WISA as a way to honor the exceptional female talent within their sales organizations. This experience propels us out of our comfort zones, encourages reflection on our successes, and celebrates the unwavering dedication we bring to our craft. Such awards play a pivotal role in ensuring continuous representation of women in a predominantly male-dominated profession. WISA has filled me with gratitude and appreciation for the community, empowerment, and excellence that defines the world of sales our generation of women is shaping. I am eager to see the collective achievements and heights we, as saleswomen, will reach

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20 23 FINAN C IAL SALES WIN N ER

Laura DeVoy Director, Wealth Management | Goodbody

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2023 FI N A N C IA L SA L E S WINNER

L AU R A D E VOY

y first reaction was to shed a few tears, those of joy celebrating having been nominated, those of sadness not being able to share it with my parents who have passed. They firmly underpin all that I have achieved, and I thank them daily for the gift of my education, which has been my path of progression. It feels invigorating to have won in my category, particularly

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as everyone in my group is so unique and gifted. While it has been a huge amount of work, it also provided a perfect way to pause, and conduct a demanding but honest performance review. It injects a new momentum, a new energy, a new passion not just to celebrate how far I have come, but really push me to think about where the next avenue will take me in sales, leadership, and social inclusion. Dame Helena Morrissey has a great quote “leap before you look”. When I look at what I have

achieved in sales I remember there was no leap for me, I was pushed; others believed in my ability before I did. Reflecting this, my ambition is to continue to identify the exceptionally talented young women, who would make excellent wealth managers and help them discover that they have all the necessary inherent qualities and to look past targets, which can be daunting, to the positive impact they can have for their clients. You cannot be what you cannot see. Winning this award provides visible proof of what is achievable and in turn is supportive of others’ journeys. I am a firm believer in social consciousness, and I feel a sense

of responsibility to help others achieve their full potential as well as financial independence. The legacy I want to create is one of commitment and real action, to create a passport to the wealth industry for current and future generations, irrespective of background. To this end, my three focus areas beyond my clients are, An Cosan, a charity, committed to reducing intergenerational poverty through female education, the Gloss Goodbody Investment Club for professional females with over 1200 members and the Dublin City University Access Program providing work placements with corporates, for students from socio disadvantaged areas. Winning this

The legacy I want to create is one of commitment and real action, to create a passport to the wealth industry for current and future generations, irrespective of background.

award brings a sense of gravitas to my efforts on behalf of these organizations. My experience of these awards has far exceeded my expectations, phenomenal probably doesn’t do it justice. In some ways emotionally it felt like being in a washing machine. The joy of being nominated, the pressure of finding the right messages and material to reflect who I am, the adrenaline on the day of presenting, the exhaustion afterwards like an exam, the inspiration from the judges and speakers and the exhilaration of meeting such supportive, capable, and beautiful women who are the best in their respective fields. I cannot describe the energy it created. I would encourage all relevant companies to submit a nomination. This is the first time Goodbody has been represented in WISA. It is a wonderful way for corporates to celebrate their own role models and leaders. I learned so much through this process, learnings that I will bring back to Goodbody and use and hence there will be a broader ripple effect and benefit to my participation. My final thought is a quote from Oscar Wilde “be yourself, everyone else is taken”. Sales can be a hard-edged business when the focus is on targets. However, this process gave me the opportunity to share a platform with wonderfully authentic women who want their gender, at an over-arching level, to succeed. It has been truly special

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20 23 SALES S U PP O RT WIN N ER

Natalie

O'Rourke-Jones

Senior Commercial Planning Manager | Molson Coors Beverage Company

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2023 SA L E S S U P P O R T WINNER

N ATA LI E O ' RO U R K E-J O N E S

heard that I had been nominated for this award the same day I found out I had won an award at our internal conference and, coincidentally, my birthday! Fast forward a few weeks and after submitting my questionnaire, I found out I had been made a finalist, which was a lovely surprise. It’s a huge honour to earn this recognition and be an ambassador for Molson Coors Beverage Company (MCBC), and for women in the drinks industry.

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Although I have only been at MCBC for around eighteen months, I’ve been given the opportunity and support to have a real impact. The Senior Commercial Planning Manager role was new to the business, and I’ve been given licence to shape this new role and add value to the business by introducing new ways to make our commercial planning process more efficient, effective and consistent.

I was delighted that my efforts were recognised at our recent internal conference as a finalist for our Most Valuable Person, Best Newcomer and Outstanding Contribution awards, and winning an award for living our ‘Be Bold and Decisive’ company values. To follow this up with this external recognition too feels like a huge achievement and further evidence that all my hard work is making a real difference to MCBC. My line managers and wider business have been brilliant in supporting my development, providing me with opportunities to drive change in several areas and has enabled me to juggle a young family, whilst

continuing to grow my career. It gave me a real boost knowing that the amazing people I work with had put me forward for this award. Since becoming a finalist, colleagues have been brilliant – giving me support by listening to my presentation in preparation for judging day! The business really does live its values and I’m proud to work somewhere that can honestly say it puts ‘People First’. I continue to learn every day from some fantastically talented colleagues. One of my team even put me in touch with a previous award winner – it was great to chat to her about her awards experience and I hope I can provide the

I have a genuine desire to create an inclusive environment for everyone and have joined our off-trade team’s ‘People Committee’ to continue driving positive change for our colleagues.

same guidance and help mentor other entrants in the future. I love the drinks industry and I’m delighted I get to work with such fantastic brands, great people and excellent leaders who inspire me on a daily basis. I also embrace opportunities to go beyond my remit; for example, I was privileged to be able to lead our team on International Women’s Day (IWD) this year. Not only did this open up important discussion about the challenges women face in the workplace, but also helped me to identify the areas where business could make a difference, and present solutions to our leadership team. I have a genuine desire to create an inclusive environment for everyone and have joined our off-trade team’s ‘People Committee’ to continue driving positive change for our colleagues. There are so many incredibly talented women in our business, the drinks industry and in sales teams across every industry. This award is a fantastic way to recognise their work and profile role models for other women to look up to. I would strongly recommend more businesses to put members of their team forward. It’s given me the confidence and credibility to drive further change and new ways of working within MCBC and to continue to help more women achieve their potential both within our business and across this great sector

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20 23 SALES N E WC O M ER WIN N ER

Alina Beidner Account Executive | BlueJeans by Verizon

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2023 SA L E S S U P P O R T WINNER

A LI N A B E I D N E R

iscovering I was a finalist filled me with joy and gratitude. It was like a spotlight on the hard work I've poured in. Especially winning in my category was beyond words— it inspired me to dream big-

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ger and extend a hand to empower more women in sales. With this victory, my mission is to make our workplace more inclusive for women, making it easier for them to step into the world of sales and be more confident in a space that often seems to be dominated by men.

The awards showcase our strengths and highlight the impact women can have in sales.

The awards journey was nothing short of incredible, connecting with inspiring individuals and deepening my commitment to breaking barriers. Encouraging more women from our company to be nominated in 2024 is a definite yes. The awards showcase our strengths and highlight

the impact women can have in sales. To other companies considering nominations, I say seize the opportunity! It's not just about accolades; it's a chance to amplify the voice of women and contribute to creating more supportive and empowering workplaces.

The journey doesn't conclude with the awards; it's an ongoing commitment to inspire and uplift others in the realm of sales

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20 23 SO F T WARE SALES WIN N ER

Izzie Greer UK Sports Account Executive | Salesforce

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Congratulations to the next generation of Women Sales Leaders

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It may sound like a lot of interviews, but over 20 years in sales management that averages out to only 200 interviews a year, by phone and/or in person. If there is one piece of advice I can offer and we have heard this before it is: PREPARE.

Things I Have Learned From Conducting

4,000

Sales Interviews

By JOHN KWARSICK Southeast Sales Director, OpenText www.linkedin.com/in/ john-kwarsick-1442a4 @EQworksinBiz

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ave you ever seen a comedian on a late night talk show? They get 8 minutes in the chair with Jimmy Fallon, Steven Colbert, Jay Leno or whomever. Do you think they are extemporaneously funny? Not a chance. They have honed their material for weeks or even months before they get that time on stage. Do the same for your interviews! The question is, how do you distil down all the interviewing advice into some practical points?

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4 1 Figure out 3 compelling reasons why you are the person for this job and be able to recite them in your sleep.

The person you work for is as important as the company you are applying with. I check “Who’s viewed my profile” on LinkedIn every single day. If you have not viewed my profile BEFORE you have interviewed with me, I am going to question how much research and due diligence you have done about the position.

What are those 3 reasons?

Read the job description and map your specific skills to what the company is looking for and then put your unique spin on them.

Know the company whom with you are interviewing!

3 Be prepared in 2 minutes or less to articulate how you demonstrated those skills. In a practical way (not theoretical). The key is 2 minutes. Believe or not, you can say a lot in 2 minutes.

One way to learn, if the company is publicly traded, is to go to the investor relations page and listen to the recorded quarterly earnings calls. Not only will you hear about the financial details of a company’s business, the analysts Q&A’s at the end of the calls provide valuable insight as well.

6 The first 3 minutes of an interview are very important. Building rapport is critical to getting off a good start and first impressions do count. Think of a topical subject to start the discussion, but keep it light.Dropping a name or two can be helpful, but be confident that people you mention will help your cause, not hurt you.

7 Hiring managers will typically read *scan* your resume twice. The first time, to determine if they want to talk to you, the second time right before they meet with you. Do not expect them to put a lot of time into reading your resume, as they will spend the time during your interview reviewing it. Take control of this process by steering them in a direction that highlight your skills.

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Formulate 5 thoughtful questions.

Tell me about your failures.

Think about them in advance, write them down. One good question I do not hear enough of: “Why did you take the job at *your company*?” Write down the answer and frame your responses from that point to align with the goals of the interviewer.

9 PUNCH BACK! Interviewing can be like sparring. Literally, you are fighting for a job! I once interviewed for a position where the COO “had me on the ropes”. In other words, during the course of the interview, he had picked me apart. As the interview was winding down, he asked me if I had any questions. I knew that he just been promoted to COO. I asked him, “What makes you think that you would be a good COO?” He responded, “No one has ever asked me that question, why are you asking that?” I replied: “Because being a COO is completely different skill set than being a VP of Sales”. What I did was punch back. I would not recommend this as a strategy to use all the time, but the moral of the story is, have challenging and thought-provoking questions BEFORE you start the interview. You never know when you need to throw that punch.

12 Leverage your recruiter, by asking them questions about the position before the interview. Recruiters are talking to the decision makers or hiring authorities all the time. If you pepper them with a few good questions, they may ask those questions to the decision maker on your behalf before you even talk to them. This does not work all the time, but sometimes, it pays off!

2-2-2.

Everyone has a “resume face”.

Sales reps do move from one job to the next. Two years here, two years there. This is more pervasive in Silicon Valley than elsewhere, but it happens more than you would think. I am not as much concerned about your longevity at one company or the next, but more so with what did you accomplish in the short time you were there? 262

Chances are, if you are in sales like me, you have missed your numbers (quota) on occasion. I would rather have someone tell me what they learned during a tough stretch than try to dance around it.

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That is, most people can talk about what is on their resume. Be prepared to articulate skills and accomplishments relevant to the position that is not on your resume. I have hired veterans from the armed forces based on some of the unique skills they have.

14 Cheat! Not really, but have notes with you. One sales rep I interviewed pulled out a stack of 3x5 cards with questions and points which they wanted to cover. They told me they used the “flashcards” when they were learning vocabulary for learning a new language.

15 If you work for a company that is not a household name or is a start-up, be prepared to be able to describe what the company does and what market segment they are in 30 seconds or less. A lot of times, I will have to Google companies I have never heard of right during the interview.

Anticipate: Tech companies are looking for revenue. Ask the question: “What are my sales people's greatest challenge?” Here is the hint to the answer: A large percentage of companies have a pipeline. That is, having enough prospects and qualified deals in their respective pipelines. Having a good solid answer as to HOW you will tackle that challenge will go a long way in your favor.

17 Towards the then end of the interview: Be assertive, but not overly aggressive. I love it when a sales rep says: “Based on what I know about the position and what we have discussed about my background this is why I believe I would be a great candidate: Boom! Succinctly reinforce how you would accomplish that. You may not need to say this, but absolutely have it ready! W O M E N I N S A L E S AWA R D S / E U R O P E / D EC E M B E R 2 0 2 3

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20 Never judge a book by its cover or in this case, their resume. People can and will surprise you. Find out what they are passionate about as that will be a better indicator of what kind of employee they will be than the bullets points on their resume.

18 Ask if there is anything that would preclude you from not being offered this position?

Never think: “you have this one in the bag”.

This is subtle presumptive close while asking the interviewer what are the perceived gaps.

Go hard until the candidate starts on their first day. This goes for both candidates and companies alike. I once “hired” someone and they sent me a text on the day they were going to start and told me that they took another offer at the last minute.

The hiring process always takes longer than you expect.

Keep up with interviewing trends.

Rule of thumb: take what you think will be the amount of time once the process starts to get hired and then double it. 264

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There is a TON of good advice. 4 or 5 hours of reading Forbes articles or posts here on LinkedIn, go a long way of getting your head

in the game and being prepared!

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28 J U N E 20 24 5 S E PT E M B E R 20 24

7 N OV E M B E R 20 24

AWA R D S D I N N E R

5 D EC E M B E R 20 24 J U D G I N G DAY

FINALISTS ANNOUNCED

N O M I N AT I O N S C LO S E

N O M I N AT I O N S O P E N

10 O CTO B E R 20 24

Women In Sales Awards Europe 2024 Timeline

Find latest news about WOMEN IN SALES AWARDS EUROPE and share your experience of the event at: LinkedIn: women-in-sales-awards Facebook: WomenInSalesAwards Twitter: wisawards

*Dates Subject To Change