Feminists have been pushing for equality in the workplace, not just in the pay gap, but also in the fields in which women can work. Despite some progress in the past few decades, we still don’t see enough women in sales. So how can we get more women into and excelling in sales? We spoke with Heidi Solomon-Orlick about her mission to train and mentor women for careers in sales, in part through her organization, Girlz Who Sell. She offers her ideas on how we can see more women thriving in sales.
Watch our interview with Heidi Solomon-Orlick to learn how we can get more women into sales:
Heidi Solomon-Orlick is a passionate business development leader with 30 years of global BPO experience. She is a Diversity and Inclusion champion and change agent, entrepreneur, and mentor. Heidi is committed to supporting women and girls by continuing to push for racial justice and intersectional gender equity. She invests in the leaders, companies, and products she wants to see in the world. Heidi is also an active aging advocate who believes that older women (and men) are not obsolete. Age = Wisdom and Experience. Likewise, she is committed to closing the gender gap in B2B Sales!
To start our discussion, Heidi divulges why she created Girlz Who Sell. She describes her aims and objectives when she started it, as well as how she turned her idea into reality. As the name suggests, Girlz Who Sell aims to train and mentor women and set them up for thriving sales careers. However, Heidi is well aware of the challenges women face in climbing this ladder.
One major challenges is the significant gender disparity in B2B sales. Why is the pay gap so big? How does it compare with other industries in terms of our aims to close that gap? Heidi offers her insights here.
The fight for women’s rights has become much more intersectional in recent years, a move that is necessary in lifting up all of us. How do other identities – racial, ethnic, LGBTQIA+, ability, etc. – affect or compound on the gender disparity? Heidi describes how the experiences, discrimination, opportunities, and more that we each face are impacted by our various identities. For example, a white woman may only experience sexism, but a woman who is black and lesbian will likely experience sexism, racism, and homophobia. A disabled woman may face unique discrimination and ableism, while an immigrant may face xenophobia. In order for us to lift up all women, we must recognize the diverse intersections of prejudices and realities we live with.
The good news is that their are people and organizations fighting to overcome these obstacles. Heidi outlines how Girlz Who Sell addresses the gender disparity. She explains who they are targeting and the different tools they offer to lift up women in the workplace, specifically in sales.
Believe it or not, there is a lot of statistical evidence that women actually outperform men in B2B sales. Indeed, sales can be an excellent field for many women. Heidi dives into why women are so good at B2B sales, from the circumstances in which many women were raised to the types of motivations we have as workers.
To end our discussion, Heidi shares her vision for the future of women professionally, and specifically in the sales field. Indeed, she wants to see women thriving across fields, including in sales. We’re on the path to achieve that vision.
Listen to our interview with Heidi for more about how we can see women thriving in sales:
To learn more about Hedi Solomon-Orlick and Girlz Who Sell, visit her official website here.
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