Igniting Sales Transformation

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Opening Executive Level Doors with Caryn Kopp

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In this episode, I talked with Caryn Kopp AKA The Chief Door Opener at Kopp Consulting, an Inc 5000 winner, recognized for the Door Opener® Service where they get their clients meetings with high level decision makers in almost every major company. If you want to know how to open doors at the executive level, this is the interview for you!

We covered these questions during my conversation with Caryn:

  • Getting in the door with executive level prospects is one of the most difficult part of the sales process, bar none. I asked Caryn how her team, known for getting executive level meetings for your clients, does it. She shared her success secrets for prior open those doors when other companies and salespeople struggle.
  • Caryn will tell you how to figure out what to say to pique the interest of busy, high-level prospects when they get so many calls and emails from competitors.
  • Personalization is a big buzz word now. Caryn shares her opinions on what works and doesn’t work when it comes to crafting messages that open doors to your targeted prospects.
  • You will learn about the two important elements that have to do with sales that most business leaders get wrong.
  • We also discussed tips on how to hire the right Door Openers for your company.
  • Finally, we talked about a question that comes up all the time…at what point do you just give up on a prospect? Listen to the interview to hear what Caryn has to say about that important question.

Listen and enjoy the interview!

 

Apple Podcasts  – Please subscribe so that you never miss an episode! Write a review for the podcast if you like the interviews.

Spotify  Stitcher  Google Play   Don’t use any of these platforms to listen? Listen to Episode 43 with Caryn above.

About Caryn:

Caryn Kopp is the Chief Door Opener® at Kopp Consulting, an Inc 5000 winner, recognized for the Door Opener® Service where they get their clients meetings with high level decision makers in almost every major company. A best-selling author, speaker and an expert in Business Development, Caryn can be seen in Inc., Forbes, Newsweek and is a faculty member of Verne Harnish’s Gazelles Growth Institute. Caryn is also the co-author of the best seller Biz Dev Done Right.

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Thanks to our Sponsors!

This podcast is presented by our Elite Sponsor, Microsoft. Corporate Vice President and Channel Chief Gavriella Schuster, along with other female leaders in the company, are driving for change, trying to bring more women into the technology industry. Gavriella and Microsoft are committed to giving “young women better role models and a stronger voice to all women.” You can hear more from Gavriella and other Microsoft leaders, on the Microsoft Partner Network podcast. Or visit partner.microsoft.com 

SalesLoft, the leading sales engagement platform. Join them this March in Atlanta for 3 days of learning, networking, and inspiration at their annual Rainmaker conference! With over 100 speakers and 40 track sessions, their annual Women’s Breakfast and a performance from Grammy winning band Blues Traveler, this conference is not one to miss. Get your tickets today at rainmaker.salesloft.com.

Thanks to our Media Sponsor. Women Sales Pros has a vision for more women in B2B sales and sales leadership roles where there are currently male-majority sales teams. We help educate companies on how to do this, and we champion women on what a professional sales career can be. We also showcase the very top women sales experts who are speakers, authors, consultants, trainers and coaches. People can sign up to get updates HERE and follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @WomenSalesPros

Bringing Your Authentic Self to Sales

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In this interview, I talked with Amanda Georgoff, Enterprise Sales Rep at SalesLoft. She has 15+ years of frontline experience selling software and services to CFOs, CMOs, Heads of Sales and other functional executives at F500 companies across her time at SalesLoft, Xactly and CEB (now Gartner).

Our topic focus was about bringing our personal authenticity to our interactions with future and current customers. Being real and being you opens the door to strong relationships and better sales conversations. Decision makers can feel the insincerity of the reps focused solely on achieving quota.

Here is what I wanted to know when I sat down to talk to Amanda:

How Amanda defines personal authenticity.

The moment that Amanda first realized being more authentic in her conversations with potential customers was important.

She told me about the manager who “coached” her how to relax the scripted version of herself – the person she thought she was supposed to be – in sales calls. Amanda talked about the questions her manager/coach asked her that led to her making the shift to being more authentic.

You’ll find out when you listen to the interview, how Amanda realized that putting herself in the buyer’s shoes and raising questions or possible concerns they might be thinking about became a competitive advantage for her.

More than a few training companies insist that we (sellers) should NEVER bring up a potential problem, issue or objection that the buyer might have before they do. Amanda and I talked about how this assumption is a myth that doesn’t work against you. Amanda shared examples of what really happens when you bring up issues or concerns you think the buyer might be having.

We also talked about helping buyers stay engaged during our sales meetings with them. Let’s face it, we all know that buyers sometimes check out during our sales calls. Amanda discusses her strategy for re-engaging buyers when this happens.

Finally, we closed by talking about the advice Amanda has for women in sales roles who worry about being themselves for fear they’ll be described as “soft”, “weak”, “touchy feely”, and as a result try to act more like the guys.

BTW – Meet up with Amanda, me, 100+ speakers, and over 1,500 sales professionals at the upcoming Rainmaker 2019 Conference in Atlanta in March. REGISTER HERE

As always, another insightful interview! Listen and enjoy!

Apple Podcasts  – Please subscribe so that you never miss an episode! Write a review for the podcast if you like the interviews.

Spotify  Stitcher  Google Play   Don’t use any of these platforms to listen? Listen to the recording above.

About Amanda:

Amanda Georgoff is an Enterprise Sales Rep at SalesLoft; she has 15+ years of frontline experience selling software and services to CFOs, CMOs, Heads of Sales and other functional executives at F500 companies across her time at SalesLoft, Xactly and CEB (now Gartner). Amanda is known for taking a consultative, insight-based approach to selling, consistently over-performs quota and has won multiple Presidents/Chairmans Club awards. She loves working directly with customers, adores her team, and was skeptical of using video in meetings before she tried it. Amanda resides in Austin, TX with her husband, Michael, her son Gray (2.5 years) and baby girl Hayes (5 months). Her favorite Queso is from Torchys Tacos.

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Thanks to our Sponsors!

This podcast is presented by our Elite Sponsor, Microsoft. Corporate Vice President and Channel Chief Gavriella Schuster, along with other female leaders in the company, are driving for change, trying to bring more women into the technology industry. Gavriella and Microsoft are committed to giving “young women better role models and a stronger voice to all women.” You can hear more from Gavriella and other Microsoft leaders, on the Microsoft Partner Network podcast. Or visit partner.microsoft.com 

SalesLoft, the leading sales engagement platform. Join them this March in Atlanta for 3 days of learning, networking, and inspiration at their annual Rainmaker conference! With over 100 speakers and 40 track sessions, their annual Women’s Breakfast and a performance from Grammy winning band Blues Traveler, this conference is not one to miss. Get your tickets today at rainmaker.salesloft.com.

Thanks to our Media Sponsor. Women Sales Pros has a vision for more women in B2B sales and sales leadership roles where there are currently male-majority sales teams. We help educate companies on how to do this, and we champion women on what a professional sales career can be. We also showcase the very top women sales experts who are speakers, authors, consultants, trainers and coaches. People can sign up to get updates HERE and follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @WomenSalesPros

Getting to the Top 1%

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In this interview, I talked with Cynthia Barnes who is recognized as one of the world’s most influential Women in Sales Thought Leaders. The former Top 1% saleswoman founded the National Association of Women Sales Professionals, the world’s only organization dedicated to helping its members reach the Top 1% and Dance on the Glass Ceiling™.

Cynthia is someone that I’ve admired for some time now. I admire her positive, fearless, can do attitude, and I very much appreciate all the work she does to support women in business.

When I talked with Cynthia I wanted to find out:

Why we need women-centric sales training and professional development.

What the biggest mistake Cynthia sees women sales professionals making.

What can managers and leaders can and must do to create a workplace where women in sales thrive.

Why Cynthia started started NAWSP (National Association of Women Sales Professionals.

Finally, we closed by talking about what Cynthia believes the future holds for women in sales and leadership roles.

Cynthia and her organization host #WomenInSales events around the country. To check out upcoming events in your city or one near one, check out the Ascend 2019 schedule HERE.

As always, another insightful interview! Listen and enjoy!

Apple Podcasts  – Please subscribe so that you never miss an episode! Write a review for the podcast if you like the interviews.

Spotify  Stitcher  Google Play   Don’t use any of these platforms to listen? Listen to the recording above.

About Cynthia:

Cynthia Barnes who is recognized as one of the world’s most influential Women in Sales Thought Leaders. The former Top 1% saleswoman founded the National Association of Women Sales Professionals, the world’s only organization dedicated to helping its members reach the Top 1% and Dance on the Glass Ceiling™.

Cynthia’s unique understanding of what it takes for women in sales excel has made her a sought-after influencer on women-centric sales training and coaching, having appeared in over 250 major media outlets around the nation – including appearances in the Wall Street Journal.

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Thanks to our Sponsors!

This podcast is presented by our Elite Sponsor, Microsoft. Corporate Vice President and Channel Chief Gavriella Schuster, along with other female leaders in the company, are driving for change, trying to bring more women into the technology industry. Gavriella and Microsoft are committed to giving “young women better role models and a stronger voice to all women.” You can hear more from Gavriella and other Microsoft leaders, on the Microsoft Partner Network podcast. Or visit partner.microsoft.com 

SalesLoft, the leading sales engagement platform. Join them this March in Atlanta for 3 days of learning, networking, and inspiration at their annual Rainmaker conference! With over 100 speakers and 40 track sessions, their annual Women’s Breakfast and a performance from Grammy winning band Blues Traveler, this conference is not one to miss. Get your tickets today at rainmaker.salesloft.com.

Thanks to our Media Sponsor. Women Sales Pros has a vision for more women in B2B sales and sales leadership roles where there are currently male-majority sales teams. We help educate companies on how to do this, and we champion women on what a professional sales career can be. We also showcase the very top women sales experts who are speakers, authors, consultants, trainers and coaches. People can sign up to get updates HERE and follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @WomenSalesPros

Sales Success Requires Listening

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In this interview, I talked with Dana Dupuis – the founder of ECHO Listening Intelligence.  Dana is also the co-creator of a proprietary listening assessment called the ECHO Listening Profile (ECHO = Effective Communication for Healthy Organizations), which has been instrumental in reshaping communication with sales teams, executives and across full company cultures.

The old adage about having 2 ears and 1 mouth makes a lot of sense, especially when it comes to selling. Since our job as sellers is to solve problems for our prospects and customers, listening is a key component of being successful in selling. Unfortunately, too often salespeople talk more than listen. That can happen either because salespeople are new, nervous or not properly trained. The great art of listening is not the same as hear and how listening works is largely misunderstood.

Dana will be joining me for a webinar about listening on March 5. Get details and REGISTER HERE for this complimentary session!

Okay, on to the podcast interview. Dana and I talked about:

Why is listening such an important component in sales.

What makes it difficult for salespeople to practice listening.

Dana’s background in building sales teams, why she left sales to study listening, and how that journey led her to bring back what she learned about listening and selling. Listen to the interview the MOST important thing you need to know about listening and sales.

How listening works. It may not be what you think! I know I was surprised.

Dana also talks about how all of us listen “to” and “for” different information, as well as the many different ways we listen.

Finally, I asked Dana why it is that you can been in a meeting with multiple people, yet everyone there may leave having heard something different. Dana told me why what we say is often misunderstood, misinterpreted or changed depending on the listener.

By the way, Dana made this SPECIAL OFFER Until April 2019: Dana offered my podcast listeners the opportunity to take the ECHO Learning assessment with her compliments.
Send her email to: dana@echolistening.com    In the subject line include: Women in Sales Podcast with Barb FREE Assessment Link

As always, another insightful interview! Listen and enjoy!

Apple Podcasts  – Please subscribe so that you never miss an episode! Write a review for the podcast if you like the interviews.

Spotify  Stitcher  Google Play   Don’t use any of these platforms to listen? Listen to the recording above.

About Dana

With over 20 years of experience in sales and management consulting, leadership development and building healthy corporate cultures, Dana Dupuis knows the importance of good communication.

Dana is the founder of ECHO Listening Intelligence and the co-creator of a proprietary listening assessment called the ECHO Listening Profile (ECHO = Effective Communication for Healthy Organizations), which has been instrumental in reshaping communication with sales teams, executives and across full company cultures. By understanding that each individual listens “to” and “for” different kinds of information, companies can greatly enhance their ability to communicate and collaborate effectively. It is upon this concept that Dana’s work is based.

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Thanks to our Sponsors!

This podcast is presented by our Elite Sponsor, Microsoft. Corporate Vice President and Channel Chief Gavriella Schuster, along with other female leaders in the company, are driving for change, trying to bring more women into the technology industry. Gavriella and Microsoft are committed to giving “young women better role models and a stronger voice to all women.” You can hear more from Gavriella and other Microsoft leaders, on the Microsoft Partner Network podcast. Or visit partner.microsoft.com 

SalesLoft, the leading sales engagement platform. Join them this March in Atlanta for 3 days of learning, networking, and inspiration at their annual Rainmaker conference! With over 100 speakers and 40 track sessions, their annual Women’s Breakfast and a performance from Grammy winning band Blues Traveler, this conference is not one to miss. Get your tickets today at rainmaker.salesloft.com.

Thanks to our Media Sponsor. Women Sales Pros has a vision for more women in B2B sales and sales leadership roles where there are currently male-majority sales teams. We help educate companies on how to do this, and we champion women on what a professional sales career can be. We also showcase the very top women sales experts who are speakers, authors, consultants, trainers and coaches. People can sign up to get updates HERE and follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @WomenSalesPros

How to be Human in Sales. Bots haven’t taken over yet!

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In this interview, I talked with Amy Volas, Founder and CEO of Avenue Talent Partners about why relationships STILL MATTER in selling, and frankly, in life.

I’m known for saying – okay, harping about – that technology only ENABLES process. It doesn’t build people relationships for you. It doesn’t sell for you. Never has. Never will.

Yes, I know. Everyone loves the hacks. Or, the idea of them anyway. People cannot resist the urge to believe in mythical short-cuts, which DO NOT exist in selling. Today, it is even tougher to reach buyers. They are done with the corny pitches, cheesy close lines and lazy messaging that is self-serving adding absolutely no value to their day. And, salespeople wonder why no one wants to talk to them.

You say your sales manager makes you do it?

Your message isn’t researched or well thought out because your boss demands X number of calls made and emails sent? Well, you’ll want to get over that right now! Checking the box so you keep your manager happy isn’t how you own responsibility for your own career and selling success.

YOU are responsible for your own sales success.

If your activity isn’t generating enough sales meetings, it is time to look in the mirror. Your message and approach is likely the culprit. No matter how many prospecting touches you are expected to make, it is up to you to take the reins and change how you present yourself.

If your activity levels drop but you book more sales conversations with qualified buyers, you are in a good position to show your manager that quality FIRST (relationships + value message focused on solving buyer’s problems) + quantity wins out every time!

This is WHY relationships matter!

I don’t know when the chatter started but lately I have heard more than a few people insisting that relationships don’t matter in selling. I beg to differ. I don’t know that I ever met a buyer who bought from someone they didn’t know, trust and like. I suppose if you sell a widget that no one else in the world makes AND the company you are selling too cannot live without that product, okay. You can probably get away with not developing the kind of trusting relationship that leads to a prospect becoming a customer who stays with you for life. I have also heard from experts that prospects don’t have to like you to buy from you. With 25+ years of successful B2B Enterprise, SMB and Mid-Market in a variety of industries, plus Retail, Distribution and Channel Partner selling under my belt, I have to say B.S. to that idea. Do you buy from people you don’t like? I’m not talking about buying a book on Amazon. If you sell B2B, the higher the financial investment a buyer (buying team) needs to make, the more likability, along with trust and relationship matter.

Which is why Amy and I talked about how bots are not going to take over, though they are trying. 

In this interview, learn why:

With all the noise becoming louder about AI and bots in selling, the human element and interpersonal relationships matter even more. You’ll hear from Amy why she suggested the topic of our conversation.

Both Amy and I believe that technology simply helps to open the door, if done right. As I already mentioned, in B2B selling, in particular, human beings are a big part of the equation. Amy and I discussed a few of the ways that humans can make an immediate impact on the sales/buying process.

I asked Amy if relationships make a difference depending on the type of account: SMB to enterprise sales. Listen to the interview to find out!

Scale is always a question for sellers managing large geographic patches. Amy shared her perspective on how to scale, build relationships and manage a big territory with high activity numbers.

Given that Amy is in the talent business (people biz for the unenlightened), I asked her about the general thinking with respect to AI and bots in her industry.

Another insightful interview, if I do say so myself. 🙂 Listen and enjoy!

Apple Podcasts  – Please subscribe so that you never miss an episode! Write a review for the podcast if you like the interviews.

Spotify  Stitcher  Google Play   Don’t use any of these platforms to listen? Listen to the recording above.

About Amy:

Amy Volas, Founder and CEO of Avenue Talent Partners. She is a sales fanatic turned entrepreneur, bitten by the startup bug many moons ago and couldn’t imagine spending her time anywhere else. She created Avenue Talent Partners to help with the tremendous task of growing startups through one of their most valuable assets—salespeople. When she’s not working, she’s spending time with her cat, dog, and husband—in that order (jokes). Connect on LinkedIn and Twitter.  Website: Talent Avenue Partners

Thanks to our Sponsors!

This podcast is presented by our Elite Sponsor, Microsoft. Corporate Vice President and Channel Chief Gavriella Schuster, along with other female leaders in the company, are driving for change, trying to bring more women into the technology industry. Gavriella and Microsoft are committed to giving “young women better role models and a stronger voice to all women.” You can hear more from Gavriella and other Microsoft leaders, on the Microsoft Partner Network podcast. Or visit partner.microsoft.com 

SalesLoft, the leading sales engagement platform. Join them this March in Atlanta for 3 days of learning, networking, and inspiration at their annual Rainmaker conference! With over 100 speakers and 40 track sessions, their annual Women’s Breakfast and a performance from Grammy winning band Blues Traveler, this conference is not one to miss. Get your tickets today at rainmaker.salesloft.com.

Thanks to our Media Sponsor. Women Sales Pros has a vision for more women in B2B sales and sales leadership roles where there are currently male-majority sales teams. We help educate companies on how to do this, and we champion women on what a professional sales career can be. We also showcase the very top women sales experts who are speakers, authors, consultants, trainers and coaches. People can sign up to get updates HERE and follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @WomenSalesPros

Putting the Customer First

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In this interview, I talked with Sydney Sloan, Chief Marketing Officer at SalesLoft. You can meet Sydney personally at the Rainmaker 2019 conference here in Atlanta in March. Haven’t gotten your tickets yet? You still can. REGISTER HERE

Here is what you’ll hear in my conversation with Sydney about why putting the customer first is a significant business advantage.

We started by talking about an incredible book Aligned to Achieve: How to Unite Your Sales and Marketing Teams into a Single Force for Growth co-authored by colleague (and good friend of Sydney’s and mine) Tracy Eiler, CMO at InsideView. Given Sydney’s passion is in delivering customer experiences that wow, which includes how sales drives that experience along with marketing & service, we talked about sales/marketing alignment and the improvement opportunities that still exist.

You’ll hear Sydney’s point of view on how to prioritize sales and marketing alignment and some of the tactics she and her team employ at SalesLoft.

One of SalesLoft’s core values IS customer first. And while many companies still think about customer experience as what happens AFTER the sale is closed, Sydney believes that experience – positive or not so positive – happens at interaction with a prospect or customer. We discussed how Sydney and her team keep the value of customer first at the center of their marketing and sales efforts.

I knew before the interview that Sydney had been described – by people who worked with her and for her– as a creative, intelligent marketer who cares deeply about people and doesn’t hesitate to jump in to do the work. She is all about supporting her team members in getting things done. Sydney explains why that is so important to her and how her approach fits with the customer first mantra and vision at SalesLoft.

SalesLoft has grown exponentially in the last few years and was named one of Deloitte’s Technology Fast 500 for the second year in a row. Given the growth distinction and accolades SalesLoft has earned, I asked Sydney if there was anything special that SalesLoft’s sales/marketing teams does to make the most of this momentum. You’ll have to listen to the interview to find out what they do!

Finally, you’ll get a sneak preview into what’s happening at SalesLoft’s Rainmaker 2019 sales and sales enablement conference in Atlanta March 11-13. With over 100 speakers and 40 track sessions, their annual Women’s Breakfast and a performance from Grammy winning band Blues Traveler, this conference is not one to miss. Get your tickets TODAY!

Listen to the interview and enjoy!Apple Podcasts  – Please subscribe so that you never miss an episode! Write a review for the podcast if you like the interviews.

About Sydney

Sydney Sloan is Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) of SalesLoft. As the company’s first CMO, she leads the company’s continued customer-first focus and go-to-market efforts as it continues to scale. She is passionate about SalesLoft’s vision for helping sales organizations deliver better selling experiences for their customers.

An accomplished marketing executive, Sloan has deep expertise across customer experience, product marketing, demand generation, and communications. She brings passion, skill, and a customer-centric focus to drive tangible results. Sloan is a global B2B enterprise marketing leader who previously served as CMO of Alfresco. She held similar leadership positions specializing in customer experience and product marketing roles for Jive Software and Adobe.

Sloan earned multiple business degrees at the University of Southern California, and also studied finance and financial management at Queen’s University in Ontario, Canada. Outside of work, Sloan can be found cheering for her kids at the soccer field and enjoying time outdoors.

Connect on LinkedIn

Thanks to our Sponsors!

This podcast is presented by our Elite Sponsor, Microsoft. Corporate Vice President and Channel Chief Gavriella Schuster, along with other female leaders in the company, are driving for change, trying to bring more women into the technology industry. Gavriella and Microsoft are committed to giving “young women better role models and a stronger voice to all women.” You can hear more from Gavriella and other Microsoft leaders, on the Microsoft Partner Network podcast. Or visit partner.microsoft.com 

SalesLoft, the leading sales engagement platform. Join them this March in Atlanta for 3 days of learning, networking, and inspiration at their annual Rainmaker conference! With over 100 speakers and 40 track sessions, their annual Women’s Breakfast and a performance from Grammy winning band Blues Traveler, this conference is not one to miss. Get your tickets today at rainmaker.salesloft.com.

Thanks to our Media Sponsor. Women Sales Pros has a vision for more women in B2B sales and sales leadership roles where there are currently male-majority sales teams. We help educate companies on how to do this, and we champion women on what a professional sales career can be. We also showcase the very top women sales experts who are speakers, authors, consultants, trainers and coaches. People can sign up to get updates HERE and follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @WomenSalesPros

The Sales Leader's Role in Complex Selling with Alice Heiman, Alice Heiman, LLC

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In this episode (#35), we talk about The Sales Leader’s Role in the Complex Sale. I think this is an important conversation because it seems to me that you want a balance. Reps have a job to do, which includes closing the business, and at certain points in big deals they may need to bring in bigger guns to help move the opportunity along.
My guest today is Alice Heiman CEO and Founder of Alice Heiman, LLC. Alice and her team helps SMB companies drive sales growth by incorporating the newest research and the best practices to enable CEOs, business owners and sales leaders to bring about sustainable change that leads to growth.
As with so many of my guests, I asked Alice what led her to pursue a career in sales?
Then we discussed the following questions:

  1. Alice you have a different role in the sales world than most of the people we talk to. Alice told me more about what she does.
  2. What are the struggles that company leaders are having with sales?
  3. What is the role of a company leader in sales?
  4. How can a company leader determine if they have a sales culture that will produce the result they need?
  5. How can a company leader build a great sales culture?
  6. What’s the number one thing that a company leader can do to ensure their company gets the sales growth they need?

Another insight packed interview, which I encourage you to listen to and enjoy!
Apple Podcasts  – Please subscribe so that you never miss an episode! Write a review for the podcast if you like the interviews.
Spotify  Stitcher  Google Play   Don’t use any of these platforms to listen? Listen HERE
About Alice:
Alice demonstrates how sales performance is directly related to a leader’s mindset. When sales leaders change the way they work with sales teams, results are immediate and dramatic.
The Alice Heiman, LLC team helps small and midsize companies drive sales growth by incorporating the newest research and best practices to enable CEOs, business owners and sales leaders to bring about sustainable change that leads to growth.
Thanks to our Sponsors!
This podcast is presented by our Elite Sponsor, Microsoft. Corporate Vice President and Channel Chief Gavriella Schuster, along with other female leaders in the company, are driving for change, trying to bring more women into the technology industry. Gavriella and Microsoft are committed to giving “young women better role models and a stronger voice to all women.” You can hear more from Gavriella and other Microsoft leaders, on the Microsoft Partner Network podcast. Or visit partner.microsoft.com 
Thanks to our Media Sponsor. Women Sales Pros has a vision for more women in B2B sales and sales leadership roles where there are currently male-majority sales teams. We help educate companies on how to do this, and we champion women on what a professional sales career can be. We also showcase the very top women sales experts who are speakers, authors, consultants, trainers and coaches. People can sign up to get updates HERE and follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @WomenSalesPros

Making a Difference in Your Sales Career with Lori Richardson, Women Sales Pros & Score More Sales

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Today’s topic is focused on how to make a difference in your sales career. This is a great topic because proactively taking charge and managing your career path should be your top priority. Don’t sit on the sidelines waiting for your good work to be noticed!! There is some great career advice offered up in this interview. Soak it in and put the ideas into practice!!
My guest is Lori Richardson who heads up Women Sales Pros and Score More Sales. Lori is one of the original voices for more women in sales and sales leadership in B2B industries where there are male-majority sales teams. She speaks, writes and consults with companies on ways to find, hire, develop and retain women within sales and she also speaks directly to women about ways to rise within their organization. Find her @WomenSalesPros online, on Twitter, Instagram, FB, and LinkedIn.
Okay, buckle up. These are the questions Lori and I tackled.
Lori, you like me, have been in sales for a long time. What’s so great about a sales career?
How do you find what you call, “Salesvana”?
How do you decide what direction to go in your sales career?
How do you present an idea to management for a new role, division, or sales segment?
What if you feel that your manager does not respect you or your ideas?
What if your company leadership or immediate manager does not talk about a formal career path?
If you want to write job posts that really compel people to take a look at your organization, Lori mentioned this great resource!  https://textio.com/
Another insight packed interview, which I encourage you to listen to and enjoy!
Apple Podcasts  – Please subscribe so that you never miss an episode! Write a review for the podcast if you like the interviews.
Spotify  Stitcher  Google Play   Don’t use any of these platforms to listen? Listen HERE
Thanks to our Sponsors!
This podcast is presented by our Elite Sponsor, Microsoft. Corporate Vice President and Channel Chief Gavriella Schuster, along with other female leaders in the company, are driving for change, trying to bring more women into the technology industry. Gavriella and Microsoft are committed to giving “young women better role models and a stronger voice to all women.” You can hear more from Gavriella and other Microsoft leaders, on the Microsoft Partner Network podcast. Or visit partner.microsoft.com 
Thanks to our Media Sponsor. Women Sales Pros has a vision for more women in B2B sales and sales leadership roles where there are currently male-majority sales teams. We help educate companies on how to do this, and we champion women on what a professional sales career can be. We also showcase the very top women sales experts who are speakers, authors, consultants, trainers and coaches. People can sign up to get updates HERE and follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @WomenSalesPros

Succeeding as a Woman of Color in Sales Leadership with Mandy Bynum McLaughlin, New Relic

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In this interview, I talked with Mandy Bynum McLaughlin, Director of Sales Development – Enterprise and Commercial at New Relic. Mandy also serves as Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at her company.

For those women just starting out in sales or for those women who’ve not considered a career in selling, I started off by asking Mandy how she got started in a career in sales.

Other questions we tackled:

Being a woman of color in sales – have there been specific challenges that you’ve faced? What about the opportunities?

You are a sales manager, Mandy. How would you describe your management style? What is unique about it?

You’ve worked with many different types of Salespeople (Account Executives) – what are the characteristics/habits of a great Account Exec, and what are key indicators that someone isn’t ready to be successful in their sales role?

Often the next step for a salesperson is management – or at least they think that is the next step. What does it take to make the transition from individual contributor to sales manager?

I’m a big fan of learn to earn. I believe that learning never stops. Learning/research is also a critical element to selling in that we should never go into a sales meeting or get on a sales call without having learned about them, their company, their industry, competitors, etc.

I asked Mandy if she believes in the importance of research. Second, I asked Mandy what kind of research or outside resources she has used throughout her career.

Another insight packed interview, which I encourage you to listen to and enjoy!

Apple Podcasts  – Please subscribe so that you never miss an episode! Write a review for the podcast if you like the interviews.

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About Mandy

Mandy Bynum McLaughlin. Mandy began her career as an Account Executive at Clear Channel Radio, using the phone book to prospect. Fast forward 10 years, 2 startups, and many different sales teams later, Mandy now runs New Relic’s Sales Development organization for North America.

Her greatest passion thus far in her career, is around empowering women and people of color and other marginalized groups in the workplace so that we in the Bay Area and throughout the greater corporate society can become more inclusive and end marginalization, and has been lucky enough to work for companies that share the same passion.

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Thanks to our Sponsors!

This podcast is presented by our Elite Sponsor, Microsoft. Corporate Vice President and Channel Chief Gavriella Schuster, along with other female leaders in the company, are driving for change, trying to bring more women into the technology industry. Gavriella and Microsoft are committed to giving “young women better role models and a stronger voice to all women.” You can hear more from Gavriella and other Microsoft leaders, on the Microsoft Partner Network podcast. Or visit partner.microsoft.com 

Thanks to our Media Sponsor. Women Sales Pros has a vision for more women in B2B sales and sales leadership roles where there are currently male-majority sales teams. We help educate companies on how to do this, and we champion women on what a professional sales career can be. We also showcase the very top women sales experts who are speakers, authors, consultants, trainers and coaches. People can sign up to get updates HERE and follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @WomenSalesPros

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