223 - Empowering Women in Sales Leadership with Lori Richardson

Research proves women outperform men in B2B sales. So, where are the women? My guest today is someone I have so much respect for in the sales community and she’s on a mission to empower more women to get into sales and sales leadership. After 15 years in B2B selling and sales leadership, when not running sales consultancy Score More Sales, Lori heads Women Sales Pros, a community showcasing top women in sales. She created The She Sells Summit to bring more than a dozen women in sales groups together for bi-annual virtual events, and she hosts the award-winning Conversations with Women in Sales podcast. A top sales thought leader and sought after national speaker, Lori is also the author of the book, “She Sells - Attract, Promote, and Retain Great Women in B2B Sales”. She clearly belongs here in the She Sells community because we have that She Sells in common. Enjoy this conversation! Show Notes: [3:02] - Lori shares her background and her journey into sales. [5:00] - From an early age, Lori saw her grandmother stand up to the opinion of men. [6:18] - Lori was lucky that in her first tech sales job, there were other women on the sales team and the environment was great. The next company however was different. [9:10] - In this company, Lori didn’t back down and showed her talent. [10:29] - In the end, it’s okay if someone doesn’t buy from you, but they need to know what you offer. [12:32] - Lori explains why and how she shifted into B2B sales. [14:44] - We’ve lost 8-10% of the women in sales which is a surprising statistic. [16:24] - There is still very much of a “bro” culture in sales that makes a lot of women feel uncomfortable. [17:47] - We need to have more women in sales and leadership but we also need a culture and environment that empowers everyone. [19:15] - The solution is to have more women in executive leadership. [21:04] - Lori shares the story of a male leader who consistently asks for feedback from the women on his team. [22:29] - Look for things that are different, not just the same old thing. [23:56] - Women are more likely to apply for a position somewhere only if they meet all the requirements. Men apply for jobs anyway. [26:02] - Everything goes back to building relationships. [28:08] - Lori explains supportive and unsupportive beliefs. [29:40] - We say mean things to ourselves in our own head that we would never say to someone else. [31:36] - These thoughts carry more judgment than other negative thinking. Does your belief support your goal? [32:30] - She Sells - Attract, Promote, and Retain Great Women in B2B Sales is a book coming out very soon. Lori describes the book and who it is for. Connect with Lori: Website | Twitter | LinkedIn | Podcast Links and Resources: Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube She Sells with Elyse Archer Home Page