Today’s tips are from Jane Gentry, whose first career was as a professional actress. She’s kicking off this week’s episodes in celebration of International Women’s Day.
“In eight seconds, a person decides if you are smart, competent, trustworthy and whether it’s worth it to continue having a conversation with you. So I say, put your best foot forward and be intentional and strategic about your executive presence.”
Join the conversation below and connect with Jane. She also offers a 30-minute phone call or 20% off an individual coaching package.
Jane Gentry & Company
Jane’s LinkedIn
Jane’s Twitter
Women Sales Pros
Financial Intelligence by Karen Berman
Executive Presence by Paul Aldo
Transcript
Scott Ingram: You’re listening to the Daily Sales Tips podcast and I’m your host, Scott Ingram. We’re celebrating International Women’s Day with all women all week. Kicking us off is Jane Gentry. Jane leverages her experience with fortune 500 clients to help mid-market companies grow revenue. She speaks internationally about sales growth and leadership and passionately encourages young women to embrace sales as a career. Here she is with today’s tips:
Jane Gentry: Scott, it’s Jane Gentry. Thank you for letting me participate in your sales tips when you’re doing all women all week. I think that’s great. So, I thought the tips that I would give this week are for women who aspire to be in sales leadership, and this is a topic I am talking about on a fairly regular basis in organizations, but I’m going to give you your viewers three tips today.
The two of them are books. The first one is called Financial Intelligence. It’s by Karen Berman. Here’s why I think you need this ladies. The salespeople going do to succeed in the future and the future is here are people that can have a business conversations. It will be your biggest differentiator. The majority of salespeople today cannot have a business conversation and explain to the customer the value that they bring. They’re unable to show a customer why they will be more effective, why we’re more efficient, why they make more money by working with them and they’re unable to usually articulate the financial impact working with them. So you need to read this book to get yourself caught up on the financial part of business. And if you want to be in sales management, this is an absolute must, do this for yourself.
The second book is called Executive Presence. It’s by Paul Aldo. Now I get a lot of pushback from people who say, I shouldn’t be judged by what I look like or how I looked or how I dress. I get it, but you’re going to have to get over it because here’s the reality. In eight seconds, a person decides if you are smart, competent, trustworthy, and whether it’s worth it to continue having a conversation with you. So I say, put your best foot forward and be intentional and strategic about your executive presence. Also if you want to be in sales leadership, people follow leaders who look like leaders, right? So I think this is really important to you. And the third thing is be thoughtful and intentional about building your social capital. I know he used that magical word, social, but I really don’t mean anything on the Internet. What I’m talking about is your network. Your network is your biggest asset that you will have in your career. And most people that I deal with, especially in big companies, tend to be really insular. They tend to be connected to people in their own company or their own the industry. And I encourage you to get out of your organization, get out of your industry and expand your network into other areas. And here’s the other thing I want you to think about, the movers and shakers that people that are in the roles that you aspire to are probably not going to networking events. Where are they going? Well, those people tend to make contributions to your industry associations often at a board level or nonprofits in your community. They’re serving the community. So where you need to be is where these folks are. Now I know we can’t all be on a board and some of us, some of you are or not at the maturity level in your career to be able to be on a board, but you can absolutely get into these organizations and start to volunteer.
So those are my tips for the day. The last thing I’ll leave you with is there is an organization I belong to called Women’s Sales Pros. The website is womenssalespros.com and it’s 40 or so, the top female thought leaders in sales. So, if you’re a woman in sales and you are not following the women sales pros and the women that are in women sales pros, you’re missing out. I hope you enjoy all women all week. I knew sales tips. Thanks Scott.
Scott Ingram: One of the things Jane talked about was the importance of your network and I’m super grateful to now have Jane in my network. She has been an incredible resource and connector and I know Jane would love to connect with you as well. Connect with her on Linkedin and check out WomenSales Pros, links to all of those resources, including the two books she mentioned on DailySales.Tips/44. While you’re there, be sure to leave a comment and for anyone who does, Jane is also offering a 30-minute phone call or 20% off an individual coaching package. Then come back tomorrow for an excerpt from my conversation on this week Sale Success Stories podcast where I interview Tracy Lim, who is the top account executive at Blue Jeans.