Developing diversity on sales teams: in conversation with #GirlsClub’s Margaret Weniger

Retaining female colleagues

Knowing that you can grow in the company your work for — take on more responsibility, get promoted, and, eventually, ascend to company leadership, is a goal a lot of people hold dear. The drive that makes a great salesperson also, often, makes people want to climb the corporate ladder.

But think about this: if your company’s leadership is entirely, or primarily, men, what signal are you sending to female colleagues and female candidates? How do you think that signal makes them feel about their long-term prospects in your organization?

“The great news is that in the last few years there have been some very good discussions about how to get women into sales. But, there has been very little about retaining women. Career growth is huge for everybody,” says Weniger.

“The number 1 thing women look at is who works on the executive team. A lot of companies publish their executive teams and if it is all men, that sends the wrong message. So, while you can’t change that straight away, you may not want to advertise it. Women want to grow in their careers, and seeing that executive leadership composition can seem limiting. Women vote with their employment. They may not discuss it, but they will eventually leave the company.”

When Weniger was with SalesLoft (where she was Director of Sales Development), the company had three female leaders highlighted on their website. It was a culture the company was proud of, so they displayed it.

And it resonated with female applicants.

“The company had done a great job setting the foundation for that great culture. And, as a result, we attracted great talent,” says Weniger.

“Female interviewees, to a fault, mentioned that they loved that I ran the sales team. And I know people were looking at our site and seeing three female leaders at the time. That went a long way.”

Nuanced incentives is another avenue to consider for retaining top-performing female colleagues. Often, sales teams are spiffed each month, or each quarter, to light a fire and make sure everyone hits their numbers.

But, how often are you spiffing your team with hockey tickets? When was the last time you considered changing up how you incentivize your sales team?

“Go above and beyond and ask what would resonate with women to incentivize and inspire them. Then, proactively address that. Address the work you have to do on your culture and environment. That is huge,” says Weniger.

“Involve women in your company — this is the key. Show them that you value them.”

For more of Weniger’s thoughts on hiring a diverse sale steam, her sales journey, and the work of #GirlsClub, check out the rest of her interview on The Predictable Revenue Podcast.

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Originally published at predictablerevenue.com on March 7, 2019.