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FEATURESTORY
You Just Don’t Get It If…
Some sales managers who feel they have created female-friendly environments are shocked to find out differently when someone complains. We asked sales trainers and consultants to list some common management mistakes:
Invisibility – Many companies fail to fully acknowledge the contributions of female workers, says Christine McMahon, a marketing and sales coach based in Milwaukee (www.christinemcmahon.com).“Part of women’s challenge historically is that we’ve been made to feel invisible. I just coached a woman in the plastics industry who offers brilliant ideas at meetings and they aren’t acknowledged until a man comes up with the same idea. She was devastated.” McMahon helped her client position her ideas more forcefully and inform the group that it’s not acceptable to ignore her.
News Flash: Men and Women Are Different – Men in sales are more apt to
adopt a “take the hill” approach and try to pound through obstacles; saleswomen are content going around obstacles and approaching things from a different perspective, says Carolynn Ferris, 
Director
of Sales at SimplexGrinnell, a supplier of industrial fire and safety alarm systems. “One of the biggest mistakes in sales management is trying to get women to be like men,” she says.
Baby On Board – Some managers flip out if a
top-performing female sales rep reports that she’s pregnant. Fear not, says Paul Chadwick, Managing Partner of OAD Northcentral (www.oadnc.com), a
Milwaukee-based organizational analysis and consulting business.
Chadwick managed several high-performing saleswomen who had babies. He found ways to make flexible schedules and home offices keep the
sales funnel full while increasing the loyalty of his high-flying female reps.
A Little Help? – Men may be reluctant to ask for directions, but women happily accept them. A thorough training program benefits all
salespeople, but women are more apt to accept and appreciate it.
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See also in the article: A Woman's Place
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