5 Indisputable Tips For Selling In A Man’s World

Cynthia Barnes
4 min readNov 3, 2017

Let’s face it — it isn’t always easy to be a woman, especially in the wide world of sales. In a male-dominated atmosphere, it’s easy to feel as though your gender is holding you back, regardless of the reality of your employment opportunities. The mental blocks that can come with a woman’s role in a historically male field can often be just as damaging as industry stereotypes — in short, making you your own worst enemy.

As a woman in sales, there’s often a divide between hitting minimums and truly succeeding. These five tips can keep you on your toes, helping you own your role in a man’s world.

Don’t Get Grouped With Admin Girls

Despite the influx of women in tech, finance, science, and sales careers over the last several generations, many women do still hold positions that are seen as traditionally female, like administrative roles. These jobs serve a vital part of an organization’s purpose and deserve the utmost respect, just like any other career path.

However, it’s unfortunately common for men to assume that women are more likely to hold these kinds of roles, and far too many saleswomen have been mistaken for an assistant or an admin. Instead of allowing yourself to get pigeonholed into tasks that aren’t yours, stand your ground. You worked hard for your…

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Cynthia Barnes

"Thank you; It's True" pioneer. I help women turn compliments into confidence boosters. Podcast host empowering a global community to "Own Your Awesome."