Friday, March 8, 2019
Attract the Right Job or Clientele:
Being future ready sounds like superheroes, but in fact, each of us can become one when we try. Enjoy the laugh, but then please take serious note.
Women are finally rising to have their say. Is your company prepared to have women participate as equals in the Board Room, in the Executive Suite, and provide new ideas to help you become future ready?
My Story
Be Prepared.
The best motto I learned in my youth comes from the Girl Scouts ‘Be Prepared.’ On one level it is easy to prepare for new appointments and follow-up calls. We can keep running task lists for each day and prioritize goals for the month, quarter and year to make quota. All of these items lead us to successful sales. But the part that can catch each of us off-guard is unexpected events.
In the past, women stayed home to take care of their families. Slowly our gender was ‘allowed to’ become teachers, nurses, and secretaries. When it became my turn to plant my feet solidly on the ground, I knew I belonged in business. But sadly no one wanted me nor did they see the wisdom of having women on their teams.
I was not prepared for the ill-treatment. However, I was well-prepared to speak up and fight back strategically each time I landed on a new sales team. My first strategic plan was to take a three-month long public speaking class. It put me on the path to confidently speaking up in a more persuasive style, perfect for convincing management to do better.
Even on the fourth job proving to be the best of all my career, management believed they could undermine my value. Wrong! 100% commission instead of a ridiculous base salary proved to be the answer in addition to doing right by my clientele. And when a base salary became the new requirement, with the suggested amount seen, I walked out of the office while saying, let’s try again tomorrow when you aren’t joking around.
A Corporate Board Meeting In India: 1 Woman:19 Men
Here is the perfect example of a Board Meeting in India comprised of nineteen men and one woman. Companies miss out on the fact that men and women perform differently just as people from varying cultures differ. But when you strive to bring everyone together to speak up, business soars. The concept is no different than that of negotiation and sales. Begin with the broadest picture possible and together narrow down the elements that excite everyone the most.
We accomplish much more when we work together.
Speak Up or Forever Hold Your Peace
Complaints are meaningless unless we are willing to speak up and take action. Representation on Boards, in the Executive Suite, or merely having our opinions heard and accepted are all severely lacking.
Upon becoming an entrepreneur, my goal was to teach the best and worst of what I learned in the sales environment in the hope that situations will change for the better. Many of the awful experiences hurled at me in the corporate environment became the centerpiece of my book, Nice Girls DO Get the Sale: Relationship Building that Gets Results.
Varying reactions to my book came my way. Some were astounded that I remained in corporate for eleven years. A few said I had no right to have the stories published. Others said the stories are laugh-out-loud funny, but I certainly did not see the humor at the time. Looking back, I see the humor in the strategic responses to the ugliness such as the lingerie fashion show hosted in honor of my numbers.
It was gratifying to learn that I was helping younger women also to become future ready. Upon openly sharing what took place in the sales environment, women from around the world savored the book as they were and still are experiencing the same. Within a very short time-span, it became an International Best-Seller and received remarkable publicity. And I’m happy to report that men say they gain insight from the book.
Proud Announcement
Nice Girls DO Get the Sale has a second printing is on its way! The official announcement will come mid-March.
As an entrepreneur, my mission became clear. Train, speak, inspire and motivate women to persevere against all the odds. My motto is “Believe, Become, Empower.." Believe you can become the person of the future, become it, and then turn around to empower others following your path.
You may see the list and read Dan’s personal story to learn ‘the why he cares’ by clicking this link. I’m very proud to be included!
Your Story About Becoming Future Ready
In honor of today, “International Women’s Day 2019,." I encourage everyone (men and women) to introspectively consider what you are doing to embrace the forthcoming change. The good ‘ole boys’ club will soon be forgotten.
Are you:
- Observing the actions of both men and women
- Asking questions and requesting feedback from both genders
- Treating everyone as an equal?
If you are an executive, are you paving the way for equality on your Board of Directors or in the C Suite? Are your recognition events typically one-sided or do you strive to reward varying genders and nationalities?
Profitability and remaining in business depend upon readiness for both technological and societal change.
In your marketing, branding and sales efforts do you:
- Attempt to speak to a culturally diverse audience
- Ensure your goals are serving to make a difference
- Reach out to communities to help propel them forward?
Should you wish to cast a broader net for further building business, review the possibilities that you may currently be overlooking. Playing catch-up is never fun, but being out front in the lead is what makes all the difference and makes you future ready!
Today’s blog is provided to help you achieve the Smooth Sale!
