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Barb Giamanco

Here’s Why Sales Hacks Are Not Working!!

September 28, 2018 By Barb Giamanco Leave a Comment

Sometimes I feel as if I’m living in an alternative universe where things seem so glaringly obvious to me but not to others.

I think about the sales and marketing professions a lot. Sales, in particular.

I listen, although that is sometimes hard to do when we have certain factions in the sales training and coaching world arguing with each other about WHO owns the better approach to selling these days. News flash… no one does. Still, the egos rage.

Here’s a tip from me to you…test and refine. Test different sales approaches related to prospecting, social engagement, meeting presentations, writing proposals and more. Figure out what works for you AND DO THAT! Don’t worry about this or that expert trying to convince you that their way is the only way. Just. Not. True.

I make it my business and have for 25+ years to always be learning and adapting. Learners are earners, and frankly, I don’t know of any other way to succeed in sales, business and in life than to keep growing and developing your skills.

As the world continues to change in fast moving ways, you’ve got to keep up and adapt to today’s world. Not the world that existed 5, 10 or more years ago. That world is gone! Some selling strategies never go out of style, of course. But not everything that worked 10 years ago works now.

I think back to when I started selling and how things have evolved since then.

The changes, the improvements, the technology, the opportunities are mind blowing. IF sellers and their leaders are willing to change their mindset.

The tendency is still to go for the hacks, a fancy term for short-cuts, promoted by companies with a clear agenda – sell their service. With all the advances in technology, training methodologies, sales enablement approaches, research about what buyers want from salespeople and more, roughly 50% of salespeople will not achieve quota, which has been true for the past 5 years, according to CSO Insights. Anyone but me think that’s a problem? Isn’t it time to shift your selling approach?

On marketing’s side, their world has shifted dramatically too. There used to be a clear path to leading an interested buyer down the sales/marketing funnel to closed business. Not anymore. Buyers can come into the funnel in multiple ways and from multiple channels. Yet, often, marketers struggle to adapt their marketing approaches to today’s modern buyer. Doing what they’ve always done (just like sales) is easier, though missing the mark on effectiveness. Not only do they need to adapt their marketing campaign approaches, they now must become technology and data experts at the same time. Tough gig!

So, what are sales and marketing teams to do to shift how they approach today’s modern buyer? First, they must work together. If they don’t have an aligned strategy, things do not improve. One group is no more important than the other. Working in silos, approaching buyers in different ways isn’t working. Buyers are looking for great experiences when interacting with sales, marketing or anyone in your company.

Recently, I was one of 9 speakers from The Sales Experts Channel to participate in a sales summit hosted by BrightTALK. My topic? Achieve Account-Based Selling Goals Solving the Alignment Dilemma. In the webinar, I discuss updated research on the challenges and opportunities that sales and marketing must be thinking about.

Listen/watch the on-demand recording HERE. You can also find the presentation deck here on SlideShare.

After checking out the session, I’d love to hear your thoughts? Learn something new? Already undertaking a sales/marketing alignment strategy that is working in your company? Let’s hear it!

BTW – check out one of the best books I’ve read on sales and marketing alignment – Aligned to Achieve

The Leader’s Role in Complex Selling

September 26, 2018 By Barb Giamanco Leave a Comment

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

September 19, 2018 By Barb Giamanco Leave a Comment

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

September 5, 2018 By Barb Giamanco Leave a Comment

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.

Spotify  Stitcher  Google Play   Don’t use any of these platforms to listen? Listen HERE

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.

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 

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

Customer Advocacy and Resilience as a Roadmap to Success with Christel Mauffet-Smith, Cadence Design Systems

August 29, 2018 By Barb Giamanco

My guest in this Conversations with Women in Sales interview is Christel Mauffet-Smith a sales director at Cadence Design Systems Inc., a global leader in enabling semiconductor companies to create innovative products that transform the way people live, work, and play.

As we kicked off the interview, you’ll hear who Christel moved from a technical role into executive sales. She gave me some background on how she made that transition and told me about her current role at Cadence Design Systems and what EDA (Electronic Design Automation) is all about.

Questions we covered:

How Christel sees (Saas) sales evolving and how this influences the need to have more women in an effective and successful sales force. We discussed benefits such as:

o   Customer advocacy.

o   The importance of being able to speak the language of your customer.

o   Knowing WHY you sell something not just what it is that you are selling.

o   Why diverse sales teams matter.

Christel told me that she is often asked what it takes to become successful in sales as a woman, so I asked her to share her perspective on the topic. Three core elements according to Christel are:

o   Creating a roadmap that sets you up for a successful sales career.

o   Unconscious competence vs skills you need to learn.

o   Mentors/Coaches/Sponsors and how they can help you on your career journey.

As we were closing out the interview, I asked Christel to share one last piece of advice for women who are in sales or considering moving to sales. Find out what Christel said when you listen to the interview!

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 HERE

Resources mentioned:

About Christel

Christel Mauffet-Smith is a sales director at Cadence Design Systems Inc., a global leader in enabling semiconductor companies to create innovative products that transform the way people live, work, and play.

After starting her career as a designer working for Philips Semiconductor in England, she moved to California to follow her passion for sales, where she switched from her technical path to a career in executive sales and has never looked back.

In her current role, she is responsible for top tier semiconductor companies.

Christel has a French engineering degree from the “Ecole Polytechnique of Nantes”, from France

She has 2 teenage boys and is currently training for her first triathlon.

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 

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

Igniting Sales Acceleration with High Performing Teams with Alea Homison, AlphaSense

August 22, 2018 By Barb Giamanco 1 Comment

In this Conversations with Women in Sales interview, I talked with Alea Homison, Vice President of Sales Enablement and Sales Development at AlphaSense .

Here are the questions we covered:

When contemplating a career path of individual contributor vs. manager, what are some key elements to consider?

Why is managing a team hard?

As a manager, what do you owe your team?

What are some of the key cultural elements that facilitate a high performing team?

If you could go back in time, what advice would you give yourself when you first became a manager?

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 HERE

About Alea

She is Vice President of Sales Enablement and Sales Development at AlphaSense where she is responsible for the development, acceleration, and optimization of talent across the sales and service organization.  Alea has built and managed a variety of high performing teams throughout her career which spans sales, client service, corporate strategy, and investment banking roles.

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 

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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