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Sales: The Whole Package

Women in Sales: The sales industry is a very tough and competitive field.  It  calls for people who are very well rounded who can talk technically, but also has top notch people skills.  However, it takes a little more than just these good qualities, it take a lot of Confidence.  An article by Lauren Carlson, points at that most women do not thrive in the sales industry due to a lack of confidence in themselves.  She interviewed three really successful women in the sales industry and her findings were that most women don’t excel because[1]:

  1. Women are afraid to brag about themselves
  2. Women undercharge because they are afraid of rejection
  3. Women fail to ask for help because they don’t want to appear weak in the work place
  4. Women make the relationship with the person more important than the sales
  5. Women are more afraid of making mistakes

My Opinion: I feel that all of these mistakes stem from a fear of not being good enough.  For me personally, I know whenever I mess up, or do not perform as well as I would like, I am very hard on myself and I start telling myself that I am stupid, terrible and that I am not worthy of success. However, it goes the opposite way for me too.  Whenever I achieve success or do something well, I think I am the bomb and that I am the smartest person ever and I really deserve success. But thinking that I deserve to be successful is also the wrong mindset in my opinion.  It only leads to massive ups and downs in my self-esteem.  My advice is to realize what your strengths are and what your weakness are and try to work with both to become successful. I also try to view mistakes as learning opportunities and not an indicator of my intelligence or value.  Finally, be excited about your success and enjoy it; but never believe that it is your ‘right’ to be successful. Work hard and believe in yourself and it may come easier than you’d expect.

A Great Example: Here is an example of a woman who exemplifies hard work and a solid confidence[2].

Kristine Scotto

a. Companies she has helped build or been on the board:

b.      Education:  

  • Anthony Robbins: Tony Robbins School of Mastery, Personal Development, Business, Finance
  • Oneness University: Personal Awareness and Self-Improvement
  • Cornell University: Executive Leadership

The Type of Person for Sales: The Wall Street Journal says that most companies are looking for sales people who “stay abreast on the newest technologies, communicate well and know how to ask probing questions” [3].  Therefore, do not completely shy away from your technical classes because the skills may come in handy.  The personality of great sales people are “problem-solvers, people who are good at setting, meeting and exceeding goals, and those who enjoy competition within a team or region”. If this is your personality, then some great steps to take are getting a degree in:

  1. Marketing/Advertising
  2. Business/Economics

Some great high school classes and activities to take are:

  • Economics AP
  • Statistics AP
  • Pre-Calculus AP
  • Calculus AP
  • Business/Marketing Classes
  • Speech Classes
  • Debate
  • Running for Student Body

You don’t really need any of these classes to get into the business programs, but colleges are looking for well rounded people that challenged themselves in high school.  Being involved in extra circular activities like sports or theater will also help out your resume for college.  Practicing for the SAT is always a good plan because most colleges require a minimum score to get into certain programs. You can do this by getting practice books or hiring a tutor.  Summer internship at a local business will help you learn a lot and looks good on your application. Writing down all of your accomplishments as you go along is never a bad idea, so when you fill out your application you are not panicking. For example, document any sports awards you’ve earned, if you’ve ever been some type of group leader, or if you tutor other students so you can put these requisites on your resumes later.  Volunteering is also something that you can use to help you get into your desired college!

Finally remember that you need to be confident and brag a little about yourself! 

Talk to you soon!

-KT

P.S. If you have any questions or comments make sure to ask!

References:

[1] Carlson, Lauren. “5 Ways Women in Sales Sabotage Their Success”. March 05, 2012 http://blog.softwareadvice.com/articles/crm/5-ways-women-in-sales-sabotage-their-success-1030512/

[2] http://www.linkedin.com/in/kristinescotto

[3] Cheney, Alexandra. “A Career in Sales”. The Wall Street Journal. September 12, 2010. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704206804575467963984089520.html

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