Let’s celebrate our men during Women’s History Month 2023.
As we wrap up Women’s History Month 2023, I’d like to give a shout-out to the men in our lives. To the husbands, fathers, brothers, sons, and mentors who celebrate women year-round. We have always needed and respected our male allies—those of you who encourage and support women and set the stage for our success.
Way back in 2015, I published a blog post: Girl Power: Men with Daughters Get It. In that post, I shared this quote from a frustrated dad:
“Men don’t seem to care all that much; it’s not THEIR problem. When men start looking at the issue in terms of their wives, sisters, and daughters, things will change. That not enough men look through the lenses of their women shocks me.”
Men like this father want their daughters to have the same opportunities as they had. They don’t want their daughters in a toxic workplace. They want their daughters (and sisters and nieces and wives) to thrive.
To all the men who are doing their part to make the workplace work for women, you have my heartfelt thanks during Women’s History Month 2023. A lot has changed since 2015, but we still have miles to go. And we’ll get there a lot faster with you on our side.
I’ll close with one of my favorite quotes by Ruth Bader-Ginsberg: “Women belong in all places where decisions are being made. It shouldn’t be that women are the exception.”
Referrals shouldn’t be the exception either. For more on Women’s History Month 2023 and more on referral selling, check out these blog posts you might have missed from No More Cold Calling this quarter
Celebrating 3 STEM Trailblazers on International Women’s Day 2023
Imagine a woman earning a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering. Imagine a black woman mathematician performing complex calculations that help the United States fly into space. Imagine an actress, known as the most beautiful woman in the world, becoming a technology innovator. Not hard to do, right? Women do impressive things like this all the time … now. But when these three women were making their mark on the world (in 1894, 1969, and 1942, respectively), most women could only dream about having such remarkable careers. Julia Morgan, Katherine G. Johnson, and Hedy Lamarr dreamed it, and then they did it—paving the way for future generations of women in STEM. (Read “Celebrating 3 STEM Trailblazers on International Women’s Day 2023”)
Celebrating the Women on the Quarters 2023
Have you heard of Bessie Coleman, Edith Kanaka’ole, Eleanor Roosevelt, Jovita Idár, and Maria Tallchief? You probably know one or two, as I did. The others are less famous but just as fascinating. These women’s stories are all very different, but they have a couple things in common: During their lifetimes, they were all fiercely determined to stand up for equality and overcome discrimination and injustice. And in 2023, they might show up in your pocket change. Last year, the United States Mint launched a new American Women Quarters series honoring accomplished women from diverse backgrounds who played an important role in U.S. history. To celebrate the 2023 honorees, I took a deep dive into their biographies so I could share the most interesting and inspirational parts with you. (Read “Celebrating the Women on the Quarters 2023”)
How to Win New Clients from Lost Deals
I have been in B2B sales so long that I’ve probably forgotten more deals than I remember. I know how to win new clients. Just as importantly, I’ve learned how to turn a loss into a win, either by reflecting on the lessons learned with each loss or by asking outgoing clients for referrals. Because I generate all my B2B sales leads through referrals, my relationships begin with trust and credibility already earned. My prospects are on my side. They tell me the truth and help me navigate the unique buying landscape at their companies. If a prospect isn’t a good fit, I know when to stop before I go down the competitive rabbit hole once again. I also know when I have earned the right to ask those prospects for referrals. And I use all the information to win new clients, even when I lose deals. (Read “How to Win New Clients from Lost Deals”)
You’re Living in a Warm Call Fantasy
Let’s set the record straight: A call is either hot or cold. There’s no such thing as a warm call, a warm email, warm social media prospecting, or even a warm knock on the door. The warm call fantasy goes something like this: You’ve researched prospects on social media, identified trigger events, and gathered information from social intelligence. You even have mutual connections on LinkedIn. You send emails making the business case for why these prospects should talk to you. You really believe you’re not cold calling, because you know all about them and even have a few “friends” in common. You’re not just dialing names from a bought list. You’ve put in the legwork. You’re sending “warm” emails, right? Wrong! Unless you have a referral introduction from a mutual connection, your lead is freezing cold. (Read “You’re Living in a Warm Call Fantasy”)
How to Get Referrals and Finally Conquer Your Fear
“I’m not sure why, but I have never been comfortable asking for referrals.” That comment was from a 20-year sales veteran, the kind of seasoned pro who should know how to get referrals, and given this person’s track record, should feel confident about asking. I wasn’t surprised. I hear it all the time, from sales newbies, small business owners, and even experienced, successful salespeople like this one. It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been in sales. Culture, country, religious beliefs, and industry don’t seem to make much difference either. One thing most everyone has in common—they’re uncomfortable asking for referrals. And so most salespeople don’t ask. That’s a problem, because every sales leader I’ve ever met acknowledges that business referrals are their highest quality leads, hands down. (Read “How to Get Referrals and Finally Conquer Your Fear”)
Are You High-Tech or High-Touch?
There’s a myth being circulated in the world of high-tech sales. According to some “experts,” buyers know everything they need to know about our companies, products, and solutions before they ever speak to a salesperson—and most buyers prefer not to talk to a salesperson at all. According to Gartner, 83 percent of B2B buyers would rather buy digitally. That might be true for consumer-facing brands and even for B2B companies with simple products and solutions. But if you’re selling something complicated, expensive, or transformative, chances are that your buyers still want to talk to a person. High-tech sales reps still have a role to play—an important one. In fact, buyers might just need us now more than ever. (Read “Are You High-Tech or High-Touch?”)
