It all started with a list.

On that day, I saw another list announcing top sales gurus and 98% of said gurus were men. Don’t get me wrong. I applaud my male colleagues in sales who do great work. I learn as much from them, as I hope they learn from me.

Still, it is 2018 and women in sales are largely underrepresented in many ways.

We do not see enough women in sales roles represented as speakers on conference stages, being interviewed in video or podcast programs, not enough women show up on leader lists or on lists of people to follow and more.

And, surprisingly women are still in the minority in sales roles. I asked Lori Richardson, who heads up Women Sales Pros her thoughts on this and why she is a passionate supporter of women in sales. Here’s what she told me.

“Today, in 2018, there is still a lack of women in sales and sales leadership roles in industries such as SaaS, tech, fintech, manufacturing, distribution, telecom, and utilities. We know that women make great sales reps and we know that women make great leaders. Studies show that diversity of thought grows revenues – and that comes from a more diverse sales team. Yet the number of women leaders has been a low number – flat for more than 10 years. I’m passionate about this topic because it is a business issue that we can move the needle on. Women currently in sales or who have been in the past are role models to those up and coming in those industries.”

I believe that women don’t often do a good job of tooting their own horn. I decided I wanted to help them do that.

My original LinkedIn list of #WomeninSales to follow has morphed and taken on a life of its own. That list shows recruiters, conference organizers, podcast hosts, magazine publications and more that there is a lot of female talent to be tapped into. It also shows women who may not have considered a career in sales that they’d be in great company if they joined our ranks!

The list was a starting point. I wanted to go bigger! Introducing the Conversations with Women in Sales Podcast!

Today, I’m announcing the launch of my new podcast dedicated to women in sales, at all levels, in companies all around the globe. The Conversations with Women in Sales podcast has launched on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher and Google Play. These interviews also have their own page on my blog making it easy people for people to find and listen to the interviews. 

The podcast has 3 goals:

• Provide global visibility for women in sales roles.
• Encourage more women to enter a career in sales.
• Provide education, guidance and support for women as they move up in their careers.

Each guest will share their insights, expertise, and guidance on topics from brand building, leadership, career management, social selling, overcoming adversity, sales and marketing alignment, B2B sales, strategic partnerships, buyer personas, account based selling, content creation and promotion, social media, and more.

The first set of interviews are:

Episode Zero – in this episode, James Carbary of SweetFish Media, our podcast producer interviews me about the purpose of the #WomeninSales project.

Episode 1 – features Christina Stone, Account Director at TechTarget who reminds us that when we do right by our customers, they will do right by us!

Episode 2 – features Rakhi Voria, Chief of Staff and Sr. Business Manager to Microsoft’s Corporate VP of Inside Sales. Our conversation focused on attracting, retaining and developing millennials inside your organization.

Each week, I’ll be releasing a brand-new interview. And, I expect that in the next few months, we will be moving to bi-weekly interviews, with the goal being to release an interview every day Monday through Friday.

SUBSCRIBE on iTunes so you never miss an episode!

Thank you to those who helped me make the launch of this new podcast possible!

Launching a new podcast takes lots of teamwork, so I’d like to thank the following for their support and sponsorship.

SweetFish Media is the producer of our podcast. They made the process of getting this new project going a snap and month to month they will be producing our interviews.

Elite 2018 Partner – Microsoft

We’d like to thank our Elite Sponsor, Microsoft. In particular, we thank Gavriella Schuster, Corporate Vice President and Channel Chief at Microsoft, for her dedication to supporting women in technology, and making this podcast possible. 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. Visit the Microsoft Partner Network.

Media Partner 2018 – Women Sales Pros

Headed by Lori Richardson, 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

I’ve been a member of the Women Sales Pros network for many years, and because Lori and I share the same passion for getting more women into sales careers and helping them advance in our profession, I’m delighted that Women Sales Pros is a sponsor of our podcast!

Listen to the interviews and let me know what you think. And, of course, tell me who else needs to be included on my Conversations with Women in Sales interview list?

Away we go!