A recent report by Catalyst titled “Damned If You Do, Doomed If You Don’t,” surveyed 1,231 senior executives from U.S. and Europe. It found that women who act in ways that are consistent with gender stereotypes (defined as focusing “on work relationships” and expressing “concern for other people’s perspective”) are considered less competent. The research also found that women who act in ways seen as more “male,” (defined as “act assertively, focusing on work task, displaying ambition,”) are seen as “too tough” and unfeminine.
The conclusion was that women can’t win. Data also shows women don’t advance as much as men and their pay is lower on average. Also, the November 4 New York Times front page headline referring to politics reads “Different Rules When a Rival Is a Woman?”
Based on your experience, what do you think — what impact does being a woman have on a career in sales?
Linda Richardson is founder of
Richardson (http://www.richardson.com), a leading global sales training and consulting firm. Linda is a recognized leader in the sales training industry and is credited with the movement to consultative selling. Ms. Richardson has written 9 books on sales including her most recent, The Sales Success Handbook. She has been published extensively in industry and training journals and has been featured in numerous publications.
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