Women In Sales Awards 2015 (Europe)

Women in Sales Awards / europe - december 2015 1
Women in Sales
Awards
The
Louise
Davies,
the most
distinguished
sales woman
of 2015
december 2015
BODY LANGUAGE
TRAPS AND TIPS
for WOMEN
LEADERS
'Selling'
Isn’t a bad word
if it’s done right
My three-step
framework to
optimise successful
selling
e u r o p e
WINNERS
2015Meet
the

The judging day on the 5th of November received
great feedback from the judges, finalists, speakers
and attendees. I would like to share the thoughts
of one finalist who commented:
"Thank you so much for such a great
day. I have been feeling quite emotional
as a result of the experience. No matter
what the result I feel truly lucky to have
been involved and proud to be a finalist
amongst so much talent"
It is clear from those taking part in the 2015 event
that there is a plentiful supply of talent out there.
However, it has not always been the case that
talent has been recognised. In fact, in our fast-
moving world the everyday brilliance of gifted
saleswomen can easily go unnoticed. Having said
that, it is also important that companies realise
this event is not about singling women out. It
is more about maximising the positive impact
successful women in their sales teams can have.
Afi Ofori
Managing Director,
Zars Media
WelcomeCongratulations to
all the finalists and winners
of the 2015 European
Women In Sales Awards.
It is about highlighting their achievements and
using that to encourage more women to consider
careers in sales.
“So can't we just recognise great salespeople?”
Well yes we can, but if we look across at what's
happening in technology or engineering we will
see many governments, universities and industry
bodies’ spending money to encourage young
women to become involved in those areas. It may
sound obvious, but this is because few women
consider those avenues as potential career paths.
The same dilemma exists in sales and this is the
challenge this event seeks to address.
In understanding the full potential of their
sales people it is important for businesses to
realise that the skills one gains from working
in sales are transferable to many other areas
within an organisation. In my own sales career,
I have learned about many industries and sectors
including publishing, finance, technology,
pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, healthcare, oil
& gas, hedge funds, private equity, M&A and
corporate finance. What other career enables you
to experience such a breadth of industries while
also offering the chance to hone entrepreneurial
skills? The only answer I know of is SALES! In
fact I believe the skills learned in sales benefits
us in many aspects of our business and personal
lives.
I know from the feedback of past winners and
finalists that this event has had a positive impact
on their careers and we could not have done this
without the support of many people. I would like
to thank our judges, our speakers, media partners
and sponsors for their enormous help in making
the women in sales awards successful. I would
especially like to thank Carol Kinsey Goman
who flew all the way from Berkeley, California
to take part in the judging day. Carol’s belief in
the awards is such that she funded her trip herself
and spoke at the judging day forum on a pro bono
basis. I am very grateful for that and feel humbled
by her enthusiasm to be a part of this.
Finally my sincere thanks to you all for being
here tonight and we look forward to seeing you in
2016. Merry Christmas!
S
Since launching the event in
2013 in Europe, the awards has
expanded rapidly. This year we
launched in India and North
America and we have ambitious
plans to launch in Australia,
Africa and China shortly.
This year has also been our
biggest European event so far in
terms of the number of countries
the nominees represent. We
received nominations from more
than 10 countries including
Bulgaria, Norway, Germany,
France, Portugal, Italy, The
Netherlands and Israel amongst
others. To all the companies that
have supported and continue to
do so by nominating every year
I would like to say THANK
YOU. It is leaders of vision such
as you who are helping to build
and grow successful generations
of future business leaders.

4 Women in Sales Awards / europe - december 2015
In this magazine
Is Work Life Balance
a Myth for Moms in Sales?
Why I Hope My Child
Goes into Sales
Finding Your Authentic
'Sales Goddess' Higher Self
The Traits You Need
to Have For a Sales
Leadership Role
The Speakers
The Mentors
In Sales and Proud
I Left My Handbag at
Home Last Night
Body Language Traps and
Tips For Women Leaders
6
8
12
14 2015 Women in Sales
Awards Finalists
The WINNERS
16
20
30
32
38
64
My three-step framework
to optimise successful
selling
22
66
The Judging Day and
The Judging Process
24
24
The Judges
27
16
6
8

How Women Are Helping
To Transform The Sales
Profession
When The Going
Gets Tough…
The Challenges
Facing Women in Sales
At the age of 23,Lara started her first
business,Pacific Direct,manufacturing
and selling brand licensed toiletries to
the hospitality industry. She famously
took all her staff to Barbados to
celebrate the company’s first £1million
profit,before selling her majority stake
in the business just three years later for
£20million.
Lara Morgan
Founder and Chairman
of Company Shortcuts
8 Heathfield Court Fleet,
Hampshire GU51 5DX
England
Tel.: 01252612025
info@wisawards.com
The Women In Sales
Awards Magazine
is published
by Zars Media
Keynotes
Alexandra is international sales and
marketing senior executive leader
with proven track record of starting
up, growing, managing and scaling
businesses across the globe in the
mobile, telecom (mobile network
operators), internet, music, financial
services & IT industries. Prior
to her current position at Cisco
she worked at Blackberry, Yahoo,
CNBC and Citi.
Alexandra Zagury
Director
Director Global Service
Providers EMEAR, Cisco
68
72
76
'Selling' isn’t a bad word
if it’s done right
4 Sales Tips and Tricks for
Staying Healthy on the Go
for the Busy Sales Rep
How to Maintain (or regain)
Control in Meetings
How Meritocracy Failed Me
and How You Can Outsmart it!
78
82
84
86
The Sales Goddesses Guide
to Closing the Sale
88
the
Winners38
78
86
88

Is Work Life Balance
a Myth for Moms in Sales?
A
sk any working mom how she
balances her professional duties
with her personal and family
responsibilities, and you'll
likely get an answer like this:
- I never answer emails before/after a
certain time each day
- I make sure to schedule time with my
family just like I schedule meetings
- Family meals and events are no-work
zones
But are moms really doing these things
to balance work with their personal lives,
or are they more like goals they've set?
Is work life balance a myth for moms
in sales, an industry many consider one
of the most difficult and demanding to
work in?
If managing a healthy work life balance
were as easy as scheduling dinner with
your daughter or turning off your phone
to take a break from work, it seems
every mom in sales would be doing it
and reaping the benefits. After all, who
doesn't want a clear division of work life
and home life?
In reality, it just isn't that simple.
Lynn Mandinec spoke about her
experience as a high-performing sales
leader who became a mother at the age of
34, when her career was well underway.
She thought she would be able to hack it.
She quickly found out she was wrong.
It wasn't that sales became any harder,
or that she lost her ability. Instead, she
realized she loved her new daughter so
much, her once smoldering passion for
sales was now waning.
Meetings with clients seemed more like
distractions from what really mattered—
her family—and she knew she wasn’t
giving her job the focus and attention she
had in the past. Her work life balance was
out of whack.
And when she had twins two years later,
her feelings were only intensified. Now,
someone else was taking care of her
children from 7:30am until 6pm each
day. She felt was missing out on raising
her own children. Her work life balance
wasn’t healthy, and she realized she had
to make a change.
Over the next year and a half, she tried
to quit her job 3 times before she was
absolutely sure.
When she finally cut ties with the
company for good, she dove headfirst into
her maternal responsibilities, becoming a
full-time stay at home mom.
But in doing so, she simply moved from
one extreme to another. She still didn’t
have the work life balance she craved. She
missed having responsibilities outside
of the home and feeling useful. It was
difficult to trade her fast-paced career for
the much slower, albeit equally stressful,
life of a stay at home mom.
She tried volunteering, even signing up
to be the PTA president at her daughter’s
school, in an attempt to fill the growing
void that leaving sales had left her with.
But none of it really fulfilled her the way
her career had.
Armed with a new understanding of her
needs and wants, she decided to reenter
the workforce, this time focused on
achieving the perfect work life balance
for her. For Lynn, that meant working
from home.
She still works from home today, and
her attitude about work is refreshing.
Without being confined to an office all
day, she is able to be more flexible and
She remembers having a
revelation that changed
the course of her life:
“I’d been trying to find
who I was (successful
professional or mother),
but I realized that
I wasn’t just one or the
other. I was both.”
Debra Carpenter
Huffington Post
blogger
@hello_itsdeb
www.huffingtonpost.com/debra-carpenter
spend more time with her kids. Her
employer understands her circumstances,
and because she always gives her job
100%, doesn’t mind her deviating from
her typical schedule every now and then.
It works perfectly for Lynn, and she
thinks it’s a trend the rest of the workforce
could benefit from following. After all,
working moms face a lot of challenges,
and there are a lot of us out there. It only
makes sense to make your job fit your
circumstances.
So is work life balance a myth for moms in
sales? Not necessarily. With the pressures
of raising miniature human beings to be
functional, well-equipped, happy people,
moms who work in sales can take comfort
in knowing that they are in control of
their work and personal lives, and when
the balance isn’t right, there is always
room for change.

Why I Hope My Child
Goes into Sales
I
should trademark the title of
this posting, as I’m quite certain
those words have never been
said… But yup, I said them,
I wrote them, and I believe in
them whole-heartedly. In fact,
I can’t envision another career I’d
personally advise my child, my little
nieces, or my nephew to partake in.
Sales is where it’s at! And… better
yet… It’s the world’s best secret.
What little 5 year old do you know
of who goes around saying “I want
to be a seller?” No one! So, it’s a field
that often struggles to attract top
talent, thus when top talent hits it
– the world is theirs for the taking,
with more job opportunities, power,
visibility, rewards, steak dinners, and
club trips than one can imagine! But
that’s not what attracts me to the field.
If anything, those are the things that
make me slightly uncomfortable with
it all (as someone raised in a humble
background with zero tolerance
for arrogance or entitlement), but
let’s face it – those perks “sell well,”
especially when talking to a wide-
eyed ten year old!
There is no other role
that teaches you so
much about business
Sales gives you the ultimate big
picture, well-rounded view of
business. From having to understand
your own internal processes,
positioning, and value – to having
to understand the market, your
competitors, your customers, and the
intricacies and politics of decision
making processes, politics, and
change management… there is no
education in the world like it!
There is no other role that
enables you to learn about
dozens, even hundreds
of companies, all while
working for just one
By the end of a deal, I often feel
as though I’m an employee at my
customer’s company, and that’s how
it should be. The process of a well-run
deal results in an understanding of the
company, identifying their business
problems, figuring out what makes
them tick, building relationships,
learning about their industry,
navigating their processes, routing
their budget, and becoming engrossed
in their culture. It is the most satisfying
feeling to know you’ve covered that
type of professional ground in just an
everyday month or quarter as a sales
professional. A lifetime of experience
and wisdom can be packed into just
one deal. And don’t forget, at any
given time – you’re working dozens of
these such deals at once…
But let’s talk about the real attraction, the real
intellect, the real reasoning behind choosing a
life in sales:
There is no other role that
is led with such conviction
and strategy
If you like strategy games, you’ll love
sales. Every minute of work you do,
you know exactly why you’re doing
it and understand the value in it –
otherwise, you wouldn’t be doing
it. Sales people are trained to think
this way, and most companies have
processes to protect their sellers’ time
and energy to behoove this way of
working. I am often baffled by my
friends who complain about having
to do XYZ meaningless work, and
when I ask why they do it, the answer
is often “because I’m supposed to.”
Little to none of this exists in sales.
You will never feel like a number. You
will never feel like a robot. You will
feel like the CEO of your territory.
Sales satisfies the most
creative and curious of
minds.
Sales is an art. There is an art to
sales. And I know this is a somewhat
unpopular belief in our industry, as
there’s such a push to make sales a
predictable science. And while I’m
all for that (as I’ve largely devoted my
career to that science), I must explain
that how I feel after preparing for
a meeting can only be described
as feeling artistically, emotionally,
utterly tapped (in the best way). It
feels almost as if I just furiously
painted a masterpiece, or feverishly
conducted an orchestra, or wrote an
epic novel. It is the most satisfying,
1
Carole Viohl
Sales Product Consultant at LinkedIn
Helping sales teams grow their business
through social selling.
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3
4

Sales can satisfy our
most social and anti-social
tendencies
Introverts, sales is the job for you!
Extroverts, sales is the job for you!
How can this be?... Well, let’s face
it: sales satisfies both ends of the
human spectrum, and helps develop
whichever skills you’re lacking. To
explain, introverts will have moments
of complete contentment, as they can
and should spend hours, alone, in
front of their computers, knee-deep
in research, prospecting, planning,
and emailing. Introverts would also
often prefer to listen than speak,
and in my experience – the best sales
professionals are the best listeners.
They have the ability to let go of their
agenda, and listen whole-heartedly,
knowing that the information they’re
about to take in (from the client) can
literally make their deal. Some of
the best sales professionals are those
who know how and when to be silent,
which is a skill that comes naturally
to introverts, yet kills extroverts.
But extroverts, don’t fret. For many
obvious reasons, extroverts can excel
in sales. What a skill to be able to
capture an audience, inspire them
to believe in a better way, gain their
trust, get their attention, drive their
urgency, etc. Not to mention, the best
sellers are often those who know how
Sales lets you see the
world and meet people
from all walks of life (who
are often at the top of their
company/profession)
Sellers meet with buyers. And buyers
are not mediocre professionals.
They’re the folks companies empower
with budget and decision-making
capabilities; so, they’re generally
executive-level, smart, influential,
etc. They’re the folks at your own
company, who you may never be in
the position to even see, much less
meet. But at your dozens of accounts/
prospects, you’ll be meeting with and
speaking with such folks every single
day. And what you can observe, learn,
and pick up from them is invaluable.
Another invaluable part of a seller’s
experience is the travel needed to
meet with buyers. Putting the expense
accounts, frequent flier miles, and
perks aside… Just the ability to say
that you’ve been to practically every
purposeful feeling in the world to
lay out a situation/challenge, and
intricately map out how to address,
align, and/or solve it through words,
pictures, demonstrations, stories, and
inquisitive discussion. I believe sales
can satisfy even the most artistic of
people, as you are creating something,
whether it be piecing together a
story to tell in a meeting, or through
creating a custom solution (or vision)
from scratch.
Sales comes
with tremendous
support
Since sales is thee way companies
make their money, most companies
choose to prioritize investing and
resourcing this bloodline. So, you
will likely be armed with some of the
greatest tools, technology, and people
in the business. Other non-revenue
generating teams often struggle
for such support, as companies’
investing decisions usually come
down to ROI. And for non-revenue-
generating teams, proving that ROI
can be nearly impossible, as they’re
far removed from the cash flow. But
in sales, you may find that wishes are
more often granted, and that you will
likely be armed with what’s needed to
be successful.
to best gather, motivate, and lead an
internal account team (sound like an
extrovert?). But no matter introvert
or extrovert - you’ll find that after
years in sales, the on-the-job training
will naturally mold you into an
ambidextrous state of both, which is
personally and professionally healthy.
5
6
7

major city in the country (or in your
region) is something no one should
take for granted. In fact, my dad has
never said it, but I get the sense that
he is so so proud that his youngest
little scrappy daughter has literally
seen the world. He hasn’t, but his
DAUGHTER has. And that’s what
parenting is all about (hence the title
of this article)…
Let’s be honest about all of this travel,
though… amongst it all, you’re very
rarely “seeing” those cities. But…
there is such value to setting foot in
them, getting a taste of the culture,
the people, the food, and the vibe.
Not to mention, the attitude you have
to take on to happily live in a travel-
hectic state might be the thing I
cherish the most. Stuff happens, and
stuff happens while you’re on the road.
Flights delayed. Flights canceled.
Missed connections. Lost luggage.
Sales develops admirable
skills that translate in both
work and in life.
Sales pushes you to perfect your
communication, negotiation,
empathy, critical thinking, problem-
solving, improvisation, preparation,
time management, and relationship-
building skills, to name a few. And
I remember a time when I devalued
these softer skills – thinking I’d
need technical, mathematical, and/
or programming skills to get where I
wanted to go in life. But as experience
has taught me, those “harder” skills
might get you a steady job, but they
often won’t get you noticed. And
getting noticed is often the ticket to
the proverbial “fast track.” But fast
track or not – the value can go much
deeper than that. This might sound
silly, but I truly believe sales made
me who I am because it taught me
how to really think. How to take
a situation, analyze all factors, and
then piece through the many layers of
each possible course of action to truly
understand the outcome and how the
littlest things can matter. None of this
comes from a book – it comes from my
own brain… And it is this sort of can-
do/do-it-yourself type of free thinking
that sales has unlocked for me, which
has, in turn, instilled such confidence
and made me who I am.
There’s always more
to learn in sales.
Upon doing a quick search on Google,
over 50 million results come back for
“sales methodology books.” Are there
that many sales methodology books
out there?... I don’t know. That’s not
the point. The point is that there are a
lot of bright minds with a lot of bright
ideas being produced everyday. So,
there’s always more to learn. Having
read dozens of these books and having
gone through a handful of formal
sales methodology training courses
myself – I have come to believe that
no single methodology is universally
correct at all times in all situations.
But each one unquestionably brings
value and insight. So, to gobble up
as much as you can so that in the
end you essentially have a toolbox,
from which you can pick and choose
which world-class tool you need on
an on-demand basis... THAT is the
ultimate utopia. So, for even the most
avid learners or the most easily bored
– I assure you sales can feed your
ever-growing hunger for knowledge.
Sales honors
the entrepreneurial
spirit.
The best sellers are those who look
at their territory as their own little
company to manage, fund, perform
risk analysis, invest in, find the best
talent to help support, etc. I think of
myself as having the entrepreneurial
bug, but I have a streak of risk
aversion that keeps me from such
endeavors. So, I feel sales satisfies
that entrepreneurial dream and
drive, yet I get to work within a nice,
cushiony, well-developed company…
Who could ask for anything more?
So… that’s it everybody. That’s my
ode to sales… As someone who has
always been in, involved in, or a
support function of sales… I tip my
hat to you, and I hope this is one minor
step in gathering the momentum
and the respect the field deserves.
Here’s to one day that little five year
olds may dream of becoming sales
professionals, or to a future where the
world’s top universities validate the
tremendous skills needed to be in this
profession through offering a Sales
major or master program… Why
those things don’t already exist today
is beyond me…
8
9
10
Fights with cabbies. Broken down
rental cars. Crappy hotels. Sometimes
pleasant, sometimes unpleasant
interactions with the random people
you meet. Etc. You’ll see it all and
experience it all, and you can either
choose to go insane when things don’t
go your way, or you can choose to take
it all in stride and learn great survival
skills, with grace under pressure. And
this grace under pressure will pay off
in every aspect of your life, as you
realize the world is not about you - you
have to take charge and work within
IT (and in my opinion, you also learn
that nothing is ever that big of a deal –
as they say “life goes on” and life does
go on even if you missed your plane
or crashed your rental car). I’d expect
the type of life experience that I’ve had
(through sales), could only come for
those of extreme wealth, Ivy League
schools, and the super-privileged.
But if you invest in becoming a true
student of sales, these life experiences
will come for anyone – humble
beginnings and all…

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DEPARTMENT MANAGER, VNU
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Finding Your
Authentic 'Sales Goddess'
Higher Self

T
hroughout the history
of sales training, many
different processes have
been taught and utilized.
A variety of authorities
have created unique
frameworks to capture all of the
essentialskillsthatasalespersonshould
possess. While many professions have
a set list of standard competencies,
sales is not standardized. This lack of
standardization is exactly what made
the gurus' methods so essential. The
sales methodology creators have taught
from a place of experience, using what
worked best in their respective time
and industry. Though each iteration
contained subtle differences, they
traditionally shared a masculine
viewpoint. Unfortunately, they were
male writers that generally wrote for
male salespeople. They didn't take
into account the unique strengths of
women, or the inhibitions that women
may feel.
When I started to talk about my sales
coaching platform, women tended to
ask day-in-the-life and authenticity
questions, such as "What do I say
when I enter a room?" or "How do I
promote myself without sounding like
a phony?"
We want authenticity! We want
substance! We build our expertise
by seeking the affirmations of other
women along the way. However,
without a standardized framework
and formula for the role, or a pool
of female mentors to learn from, we
tend to shy away from establishing
our own sales identity.
Who Are You?
Women have unique strengths that,
when tapped into, have a powerful
impact in selling, such as compassion,
collaboration, and empathy. The
vast majority of sales and leadership
training has been geared toward
helping women succeed by following
male success techniques. We have
spent years being indoctrinated into
believing that fitting into a male
mold is the path to success, and
have therefore learned how to fit in.
Research indicates that finding your
unique voice and authentic self is the
best path to success. Finding your true
self, however, is not as easy as it seems.
What is Your Role?
Women have so many roles that we
play. I am a mother, a wife, a teacher,
a manager, a colleague, a team player,
a friend, a writer, and of course a
dreamer. Your true self remains
part of each role that you play.
Unfortunately, it is sometimes hard
to connect with your natural identity,
and I did not authentically do so
until I hit my late thirties. I always
felt like a chameleon, and that served
me very well in a sales role. However,
it always caused confusion for me in
identifying where I truly existed in
that picture. When I was dating in
between marriages, I really felt this
conflict. Having no idea what dating
in my adulthood was like and really
no idea of what I was looking for in
a partner, I would date all types in an
effort to spark some real preferences.
Abraham-Hicks said that you might
not know that you want a house with
closets unless you have had a house
without closets. Finding out that I
did not mesh well with certain types
of people helped me to define who I
did mesh well with. Who I did mesh
well with were the types that let me
be me--my authentic self, a messy
and intense person who loves her
closet space.
Your Authentic Self
There are many great thinkers and
philosophers who have helped to bring
the idea of archetypes into universal
consciousness. One that is best known
for this is Carl Jung. Jung believed
that every story, every personality, and
every character that has ever existed
has assumed a role that is borrowed or
worn, like an article of clothing, and
then returned to the wheel of time.
Kabbalah believes that each time we
assume a role, or master a sephira,
we evolve in a continual state of
enlightenment, reincarnating through
each lesson and mastering each
character life by life. I've given a great
deal of thought to this philosophy, and
I ponder what my wise friend once
taught me--that any belief we hold is
simply a story that we tell ourselves. I
have challenged myself in the stories
that I believe which each progressive
step that I have taken throughout my
career. It was my idea to become a
Director of Sales years before I actually
believed that I could. My belief (or my
story) changed exactly one day before I
negotiatedandwonthistitle.Onceyou
believe in your story, there is a ready
pool of energy that immediately fills
in the blanks. You can wear this new
dress the moment you ready yourself
for the role. How do you choose which
one is you? How do you know which
character is most authentically suited
to you? That is where you can take the
great Carl Jung's advice and find your
archetype.
Greek goddesses and gods provide an
excellent representation of the various
aspects of humanity. I have read
about many of them and have found
great respect for certain goddesses
in particular (Athena the Wise and
Demeter the Primordial Mother), but
the one god that I most closely align
with in my sales profession is not
female--it is Hermes. Hermes is the
god of communication; he was the
great connector of the underworld
and the world of the gods.
Women tended to ask day-in-the-life
and authenticity questions, such as
"What do I say when I enter a room?"
or "How do I promote myself without
sounding like a phony?"
Rena Cohen-First
www.thesalesgoddess.com

Maybe you’ve been killing it in sales for the past few
years and you’re ready to move onto the next level.
Do you have the desired traits employers look for
when hiring sales leadership?
Software Advice, a tech review site for sales and
CRM software, recently conducted an analysis of
200 sales director job listings from job boards such
as Indeed, Glassdoor, and LinkedIn.
Here’s what their research found were the top in-
demand traits for a sales director position.
67 percent of employers prefer or
require candidates to have a higher
education degree: 33 percent required
a Bachelor’s degree whereas 34 percent
preferred candidates to have a bachelor’s
or Master’s degree (the remaining
33 percent didn’t include a degree
requirement).
In terms of educational majors, a
business degree (42 percent) and a
marketing degree (23 percent) were the
most preferred.
The Traits
You Need to
Have For a Sales
Leadership Role
33% 33%
17%17%
Bachelor's Required
Bachelor's Preferred
Master's Preferred
Not Listed
29 percent of employers required CRM
experience, while 8 percent desired sales
force automation software knowledge.
02
CRM
Sales force automations
Marketing automation
ERP
Web Analytics
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30%Percent of Sample
Technical Skills
01Educational level
Ji-A Min
Research Analyst at Ideal Candidate
Ji-A Min is the lead Research Analyst at
Ideal Candidate. Armed with a Master’s
in Industrial/Organizational Psychology,
Ji-A has an eye for best practices and a
love for statistics. Her segments highlight
hot research in today’s fast-paced sales
recruitment industry.

85 percent of the sales director listings
required three or more years of
professional experience, with 55 percent
asking for candidates with prior sales
management experience.
Prior sales experience had even higher
priority with 62 percent requiring five
or more years of sales experience. 72
percent required industry-specific sales
experience in particular.
Software Advice’s analysis doesn’t
include any details about which specific
sales management skills a sales director
role requires. Luckily, a recent study by
Powers and colleagues asked 145 sales
leaders – including 43 sales directors
– to rate the importance of 15 sales
management skills.
Their results reveal that sales leadership
predominantly requires an interpersonal
skill set: 8 out of the 15 management skills
were interpersonal skills, 4 were technical
skills, and 3 were strategic skills.
The top 3 important
management skills were:
• building trust with the sales force
(interpersonal)
• understanding the overall strategy
of the organization (strategic)
• designing and building effective
teams (interpersonal)
According to Software Advice’s analysis of job listings, the most important
requirement for a sales director position is several years of relevant sales
experience, with 5 or more years being the sweet spot.
Additional research by Powers and colleagues reveals that a sales director role
requires a variety of interpersonal and strategic skills, which depending on the
company, may include hiring salespeople.
So if you’re aspiring for a sales leadership role, make sure you spend your
selling years wisely to include developing your strategic thinking and crucial
soft skills such as building trust.
03Sales experience
04Management skills
Professional
0%
Sales
20% 40% 60% 80% 100%Percent of Sample
Not listed 1-2 3-4 5-6 7-8 9-10 11+
Inside Sales
0% 15% 30% 45% 60% 75%Percent of Sample
Outside Sales
Industry-specific Sales
Sales Management
B2B Sales
Exceed quota
Selling to executives
Marketing
Enterprise Sales
Interpersonal Skills
Builds trust with sales
force (ability)
Designs and builds
effective teams (skill)
Provides effective
verbal feedback (skill)
Role model for the
sales force (ability)
Creates a supportive
team environment (ability)
Manages team
dynamics (skill)
Understands
salesperson evaluation
metrics (knowledge)
Sensitivity to cultural
issues (ability)
Rank
1
3
4
5
7
8
10
12
Technical Skills
Implements CRM (skill)
Understands the
importance of new
technology (knowledge)
Implements sales force
automation (skill)
Understands global selling
programmes (knowledge)
Rank
11
13
14
15
Stratagic Skills
Understands the overall
strategy of the
organization (knowledge)
Makes decisions
consistent with
company strategy (ability)
Understands general trends
in the industry (knowledge)
Rank
2
6
9
The Takeaways

BODY LANGUAGE
TRAPS & TIPS
For WOMEN LEADERS
A
female executive was having problems
dealing with her male colleagues. "They
like me,but they never take me seriously,"
she complained. "It's as if they think I'm
flirting with them. Which I definitely
am not!"
After watching her interact with various men on the
senior management team, I saw the problem. She was
trying to discuss work-related issues while using a
"social gaze."
Here's what I mean . . .
If you create an imaginary triangle, the base of which
are the eyes and the apex is mid-forehead, you will have
mapped out the "look of business." When you keep your
gaze in that area, you nonverbally signal a no-nonsense,
business-like approach.
When you invert the triangle and move your focus to
this area – from the eyes to the mouth – you turn your
gaze into one more appropriate for social encounters.
And a social gaze can be misinterpreted as flirtatious
- even in a corporate setting.It’s a small thing, really.
But as that female leader found out,one small nonverbal
signal can change the dynamics of an entire business
interaction.
There are two sets of nonverbal signals that are especially
important to all leaders. When first introduced to a
leader, followers immediately and unconsciously assess
him/her for warmth (empathy, likeability, caring) and
authority (power, credibility, status). “Warm” leaders
connect with staff in a way that makes them want to do
a really good job because of that personal connection,
affection, and respect. But employees also look for
leaders who project stability and authority, who make
them feel secure, and whom they believe can follow
through and achieve results.
Obviously the most appealing leaders are seen to
encompass both qualities, and the least effective leaders
are those regarded as uncaring and insecure. Perhaps
not so obviously, many of the nonverbal signals for
warmth and authority are divided along gender lines.
Although I know several leaders of both sexes who do
not fit the stereotypes, I’ve also observed that gender
differences in body language most often align do align
with these two groupings. Women are the champions in
the warmth and empathy arena, but lose out with power
and authority cues.
Based on my book, “The Silent Language of Leaders:
How Body Language Can Help – or Hurt – How You
Lead,” here are ten common body language traps that
can undermine the credibility of women leaders – and
some tips on how to avoid falling into them!

TRAP #6
Noddingtoo much
When a man nods, it means he
agrees. When a woman nods, it
means she agrees – or is listening to,
empathizing with, or encouraging the
speaker to continue. In fact, women
tend to nod so much we’ve been
accused of looking like bobble-head
dolls.
TIP: Constant head nodding can
express encouragement and engagement,
but not authority and power. To project
authority, especially when stating your
opinion, keep your head still.
TRAP #5:
Smiling
excessively
Excessive or inappropriate smiling
can be confusing and a credibility
robber. This is especially noticeable
if you over-smile while discussing a
sensitive subject, expressing anger, or
giving negative feedback.
TIP: Employed at the right times
(for example, during an initial meeting
with a potential business client), smiling
can be one of the most powerful and
positive nonverbal cues, and especially
potent for signaling likeability and
friendliness. But when the subject turns
serious, you need to look serious.
TRAP #1
Usingtoo
many headtilts
Head tilting is a signal that someone
is listening and involved – and a
particularly feminine gesture. As
such, head tilts can be very positive
cues, but they are also subconsciously
processed as submission signals.
(Dogs tilt their heads to expose their
necks, as a way to show deference to
the dominant animal.)
TIP: Use head tilts when you
want to demonstrate your concern for
and interest in members of your team
or when you want to encourage people
to expand on what they are saying. But
when you need to project power and
authority, you should keep your head
straight up in a more neutral position.
TRAP #2
Physically
condensing
Women tend to condense their
bodies, keeping their elbows to their
sides, tightly crossing their legs,
stacking their materials in small, neat
piles, and contracting their bodies
to take up as little space as possible.
High status males do the opposite:
they expand into available space and
take up room.
TIP: Remember that status and
authority are nonverbally demonstrated
through height and space. So stand tall,
pull your shoulders back, widen your
stance, and hold your head held high. And
at the next meeting, instead of keeping
your belongings in a neat little stack,
spread them out and claim your turf!
TRAP #3
Using girlish
gestures
Everyone uses pacifying gestures
when under stress. They rub their
hands together, grab their upper arms,
and touch their necks. But women are
viewed as much less powerful when
they pacify with girlish behaviors
(twirling hair, playing with jewelry,
etc.)
TIP: Keep your hands on your lap
or on the conference table where they can
be seen and where you will be reminded
to keep them still. And when you do use
gestures, notice if they are reinforcing
your statements. If so, you are probably
showing your palms when indicating
openness and inclusiveness, “steepling”
(finger tips touching, palms separated)
when being precise, and turning your
hands palms-down when you are
absolutely sure of your position.
TRAP #4
Speaking “up”
Women's voices often rise at the ends
of sentences as if they're asking a
question or asking for approval.
TIP: When making a declarative
statement, be sure to use the authoritative
arc, in which your voice starts on one
note, rises in pitch through the sentence
and drops back down at the end.

TRAP #7
Waitingyour turn
In business negotiations, men take
control by talking more than women
and interrupting more frequently.
TIP: One perspective on the
value of speaking up comes from former
Secretary of State Madeleine Albright,
who – when asked what advice she had
for up-and-coming professional women
– replied, “Learn to interrupt.”
TRAP #9
Being emotionally
over-expressive
While a certain amount of movement
and animation adds passion and
meaning to a message, women who
visibly express their emotions with
hand gestures that rise above their
shoulders can quickly overwhelm an
audience (especially if that audience is
comprised primarily of males).
TIP: To engage and motivate
people, an emotional presentation can be
very effective. But in situations where
you want to maximize your authority –
you’ll need to minimize your movements,
and keep your gestures about waist high.
When you appear calm and contained,
you look more powerful.
TRAP #10:
Having a delicate
handshake
Even more than their male
counterparts, women with a weak
handshake are judged to be passive
and less confident.
TIP: Take the time to cultivate
your "professional shake.” Keep your body
squared off to the other person – facing
him or her fully. Make sure you have
palm-to-palm contact and that the
web of you hand (the skin between you
thumb and first finger) touches the web
of the other person's. Look your partner
in the eyes, smile – this is one place
where a smile is a business asset – and
start to speak: “So good to meet you...” or
whatever. Most of all, remember to shake
hands firmly.
Of course, increased awareness of how you
stand, gesture, shake hands and employ other
nonverbal signals is only half of the equation.
The other half is the ability to accurately
read the body language of others. And it is
here where women leaders really have the
advantage. Women are more attuned to
relationship dynamics and more skilled at
picking up nonverbal cues. It’s a skill that
gives them insights that men miss about what
is really going on in a meeting or during
a negotiation. Interesting to learn that
"women's intuition" has become a valuable –
and powerful – leadership skill.
TRAP #8
Flirtatious
behavior
Women gain likeability, but lose the
competitive advantage in a negotiation
when they flirt. That was the
consensus of University of California
Berkeley study in which female actors
played the roles of sellers of a biotech
business. Half were told to project
a no-nonsense, business approach.
Half were instructed to flirt (using
the nonverbal behaviors of smiling,
leaning forward suggestively, tossing
their hair, etc.) – but to do so subtly.
The outcome of the Berkeley study
was that the “buyers” offered the flirts
(dubbed “likeable losers”) 20% less,
on average, than what they offered the
more straitlaced sellers.
TIP: Flirting can be fun and
exciting. But in business, it’s better to come
across as competent and professional.
Carol
Kinsey Goman
Based in Berkeley, California, Carol Kinsey
Goman, Ph.D. is a leadership presence
coach and international keynote speaker
at corporate, government, and association
events. She a Leadership contributor for
Forbes and the author of “THE SILENT
LANGUAGE OF LEADERS: How Body
Language Can Help – or Hurt – How You
Lead."
For more information,
email Carol@CarolKinseyGoman.com,
call 1–510–526–1727, or visit
www.CarolKinseyGomn.com

“Sometimes it takes a
wrong turn to get you
to the right place.”
- Mandy Hale

I Left My Handbag
at Home Last Night
M
y routine had been
changed. Instead of
driving myself to
a speaking gig, my
daughter decided she
would come with
me and help out. She had taken the
camera, books and incidentals to the
car with her in my small case, and so
I was good to go. Grabbing my jacket
and a last minute check that I had the
memory stick with my presentation
on it, I raced out the door and jumped
into the car.
Battling peak hour traffic, the
uncomfortable Melbourne heat and
feeling a little anxious that we might
be late, I forced myself to sit back for
an air-conditioned, chauffeur driven
half hour drive. Besides, it would give
me an opportunity to review those
last minute changes to my slides and
also use that time to get into the zone.
Until I realised I had left my bag
behind. But it wasn’t just the bag I
had forgotten, and it wasn’t my phone
that I suddenly felt naked without,
nor was it the make-up I didn't have
in order to touch up the melting
mascara. It wasn’t even the fact that
I didn't have my glasses which meant
I was totally blind and ended up
mistaking the fish for the chicken.
It wasn’t even the security of those
PowerPoint notes I now had to do
without.
It was that I had nothing to use as a
crutch of any type. No distractions,
no nothing. Just me! And 50 people
who paid for their seat at the table and
were anticipating my every revenue
generatingideasotheycouldreceivereal
value and transform their businesses.
And then I was introduced...
And I realised what forgetting my
bag and my makeup and my glasses
and my notes really meant:
• It meant I had no choice but to
connect with my audience and be
totally present.
• It meant I had to trust that what
I knew, I knew really well and it
was an extension of me
• It meant that I was the
consummate professional who was
able to improvise, be agile and go
with the flow
• It meant I could be vulnerable
• It meant I realised the 'mistakes'
that I made weren't really mistakes
• It meant I could listen - that I
wasn't in my head about what
should come next
• It meant I could be self deprecating
and call the elephant in the room.
• It meant it was one of my
best presentations where the
overarching words fed back were
‘real’ and ‘authentic’.
And when you get real, grab hold
of it, appreciate and respect it.
Just don't forget it!
Be Bold and Brilliant!
Sometimes when things don’t go
according to plan, when we lose our
sense of certainty and control, we
overcompensate and try to justify or
blame or make excuses.
The best thing in the world that we
can do is address the elephant in the
room and frame what the audience
might see as a fault before they think
it, so it is never becomes an issue.
So I opened my presentation with my
story of forgetting my bag and then
elegantly linked it to our message
of crisis, clarity and change with
the real value being transparency.
It made me just like my audience, it
made me relate-able and it created an
environment of trust.
This is what we all must do when we
create relationships of any type. Be
humble, vulnerable and transparent.
As women in sales, the ability to
drop the ego comes naturally to most
of us due to our make-up. Where
many need to gain clarity though,
is in understanding the difference
between humility, vulnerability and
transparency and not mistaking these
qualities for subservience, weakness
and backing down.
Our teams want real, our leaders
want real, our buyers want real.
Bernadette
McClelland
Works with executives and companies in growth
mode, looking to jumpstart results by quickly
bridging their corporate goals with revenue
generating ideas. She is an evangelist for the
Conscious Selling model to be adopted in B2B
sales environments today whilst also a role
model and mentor for women who sell in these
same roles. She is the author of the recently
published and highly endorsed book, 'The Art
of Commercial Conversations - When It's Your
Turn To Make a Difference' and can be contacted
for sales meetings, kickoffs and conferences at
bernadettemcclelland.com or by calling her
directly on 613 98407869 (Australia)

My Three-step
Framework To Optimise
Successful Selling
I gave a series of sales training seminars recently to a
cross-section of bank staff and as I asked the delegates
to share what they wanted each day, invariably, they
asked for “more confidence, “how to deal with rejection”
and “new techniques to close the sale”. Successful selling
isn't just one transaction in which the client bought: it's
a system in which each step builds on the previous one.
One key request, especially from more
junior sales people, is how to have more
confidence when they're selling. Real
confidence comes from taking this
diagnostic and building on the areas that
where you can improve:
1. How confident are you that the
product offering you have suits
the market? Do you know who
the product is for? Equally as
importantly, do you know who the
product is not for?
2. How confident are you in revealing
the needs of the customers? This
requires practiced listening and
communication skills, and asking
very clear questions that elicit
positive answers.
3. How comfortable are you in
mapping the customer's need to
the product you are offering? This
comes with focus, experience, and
acknowledging that this is a key
stage in any sale.
4. How confident are you in your
knowledge of the product?
As you strip confidence down to these
four sources, it becomes easier to identify
how you can improve and then execute a
plan to achieve this.
Develop confidence
to start from a place
of strength1 An amazingly effective strategy I have
been using for years is to collect data
in a structured spreadsheet and then
subsequently into our CRM. This allows
me to check for patterns and do more of
what works; it's also a reminder tool that
lets me see at a glance where I am at with
each lead and what to do next, as well as a
client file with contact details. It’s simply a
fact of life that if you are in a selling role you
will have to face rejection, an unpleasant
psychological fact that can sometimes lead
to procrastination. The following exercise
solves this for me because it removes
emotion and breaks sales into their
component steps.
The model I use has five tabs: sales
outstanding, opportunities, accepted,
unaccepted and “long shots”. The
“outstanding” tab is the first one I see when
I open the file: for each lead, it states the
name of the company or organisation, the
name and contact details of my contact at
the company or organisation, the source
of the sale (a referral, a networking event,
advertising, repeat business, my blog...).
This first batch of data shows me how much
repeat business I have, and what channels
are bringing in the most business. This tab
also contains a second batch of practical
data: the price I offered, the content of the
deliverable, the date when I last followed
up and what my contact and I talked about
on that date.
The “wider opportunities” tab contains
information about exchanges and
transactions that are not necessarily sales
per se, but might become channels for
future sales: people I'm collaborating
with on a project, etc. The “accepted” tab
allows me to keep track of the progress of
each sale: is the work booked, has it been
invoiced, delivered, paid. This tab is more
about administration and makes it very
easy to keep on top of things.
The “unaccepted” tab is essential. I list the
reason why certain sales didn't work out,
or, in some instances, why I turned down
business. When the sale doesn't happen,
sometimes it's down to me: I didn't follow
up quickly enough or my price was too high.
However, sometimes it's not something
I can control: the company didn't have a
budget or some other issue. This tab makes
it easy to calculate my conversion rate: if I
know that I close two deals out of three,
each rejection then simply becomes part of
the numbers' game. Each “no” brings two
“yes” responses closer.
The “long shot” tab lists inspiring ideas
that don't look like a quick sale but are
still worth pursuing. Some of my favourite
projects started life in that tab!
This spreadsheet is my “Sales Central”,
a compact dashboard that makes selling
seamless and easy.
Collect data to know where to focus your efforts
2

There isn’t any magic
bullet or secret trick that
will suddenly make you
successfully close all the
sales you initiate. Closing
a sale is a systematic
process. It simply means
getting a definite yes or
no from the customer
and proceeding to the
transaction or moving on
to the next prospect. It
becomes a purely logistical
issue.
Closing sales is the natural outcome
of being confident and collecting data
3 To do this I follow a five-question
framework that allows the sale to
progress steadily to its natural conclusion:
1. “What do you think at this point?”
puts the seller in a listening mode
again, preventing them from
rambling after they've done their
pitch, and puts the ball in the
customer's court.
2. “Shall we make a start on the
paperwork?” asks the customer
whether they want to commit,
without directly talking about
money. In my own business I ask
a slightly different question: “Shall
we put a date in the diary?” when
referring to a training contract or
speaking event.
3. “So, are you ready to move forward
with this?”
4. “Is there anything in particular
holding you back that I can help
with?” is a great question to find out
about objections that haven't been
addressed yet, if the above questions
aren’t bringing you to a conclusive
close.
5. “So what would you like me to do to
progress our conversation?” ties up
loose ends and makes sure the sale
process doesn't stall.
I’ve had to push
myself over the
years to ask these
questions, whilst often
reminding myself
that a closed sale isn’t
just a purchase, but
a satisfactory end to
a conversation that
leaves the door open
to new opportunities.
Whose life can you
improve today?
Susan
HayesCulleton
Susan HayesCulleton, the Positive Economist,
is MD of international financial training company
Hayes Culleton Ltd. Her book is The Savvy
Guide to Making More Money.
For thought leadership on the trends that shape
the future of business and economics, sign up
for her newsletter at:
www.ThePositiveEconomist.com/subscribe

The Judging Day
&
The Judging Process

The judging day took place on board the Silver Sturgeon Yacht in London

Who are the judges?
Where do they come from?
Zars Media invites judges
from countries all over Europe.
Judges may be executives with
social innovation expertise,
business people, educators and
university administrators and
leading practitioners in the
field.
The Judging process
The judges were organised into 4
groups; each group was made up of
3 judges and interviewed a number
of finalists within their assigned
categories. Nomination forms and
any supporting documents were
reviewed by the judges prior to a
nominee being selected as a finalist.
Each nomination was evaluated and
scored out of a total of 5 points. The
next stage of the process was a face to
face interview with the judges.
Finalists Time
With The Judges
This was an opportunity for the
finalists to engage the judges by
telling them the story of their
success. Each judge awarded points
across the same criteria. After the
How do you choose the judges?
We usually look for executives
with sales backgrounds and
with more than 15 years sales
experience. We actively recruit
and also take suggestions
from partners, mentors and
past judges.
What do the judges evaluate?
Judges review all the entries
within their assigned categories
and give their scores as per the
guidelines. This will include
reviewing the nomination
forms and any confidential
supplemental documents and
project information that is
included in the application.
Is the judging by invitation
only,or can I apply to be a judge?
We recruit judges after
screening their profiles using
LinkedIn and other news
sources. We are happy to
consider suggestions. If you'd
like to be considered, or
suggest future judges, please
email: judges@wisawards.com
FAQ's
The Judges
A group of 12 senior executives from
various industries were carefully
selected as an evaluation panel of
independent judges. Their objective
was to review the nominations and
interview each of the finalists.
You can read about the judges
on pages 33 & 34.
Why An Interview
With The Judges?
A face-to-face interview allows
the judges to further assess each
finalist’s sales skills, strategies and
process etc. The interview also
complements their review of the
submitted nomination forms.
interview, all finalists answered one
final question: “why they should win
the award in their category?”
All the 12 judges scored each finalist
on the final question. Each finalist’s
overall score was the sum of the scores
from the interview with the 3 judges
in their category plus the scores from
all 12 judges on the final question. The
finalist with the highest score in each
category was selected as the winner in
that category.
The most distinguished
sales woman of 2015
This award is for the finalist who
impressed the judges the most and
scored the highest among all the
finalists.

The Judges
Stuart Allen
MD of The Sales Performance
Company Ltd and works with sales
leaders & teams on sales strategy,
process & technique. He is also a
Twitter for Business guru with over
72,000 followers. @StuartAllenFCMI
Liz Emmott
Started her career at American
Express as a mid-market sales
manager in the Corporate Payments
business in the late nineties. After a
successful career in increasingly more
senior sales positions across various
business units and geographies, she
left her role of Vice President Global
Sales, Corporate Business Travel in
July this year. She is now Commercial
Director at Powered by Innovation, a
start up consultancy specialising in
Business Intelligence and Analytics.
Debbie Hunt
Divisional Head of Fleet sales, Lexus
and Toyota at Jardine Motor Group.
Previously she was at Maserati UK
developing a Corporate Sales Channel
for the South of the UK, working
closely with the Dealer network to
develop their understanding of B2B
sales, as well as forging long term
relationships with Corporate clients.
Matthew Goddard
Field Sales Director at PepsiCo and
leads the PepsiCo (Walkers, Quaker
and Tropicana) Field Teams across
all markets. He has over a decade of
industry experience, working across
sales and leadership roles within
PepsiCo – focusing on both the
Grocery and Impulse channels.
Jacques Sciammas
Has held the roles of COO and CFO for
several large global corporations where
he was responsible for making executive
buying decisions for over 20 years.
His corporate experience includes
EVP Operations at Berkshire, Group
CFO at Charles Schwab, Director of
International Operations at Standard &
Poor’s, and Director of Capital Programs
at TWA. He is currently the president at
Selling to Executives.
Nick de Cent
Editor-in-chief of the International
Journal of Sales Transformation, the
publication for the promotion of sales
excellence among global corporates.
A successful business journalist for
over 30 years, he has been involved
in writing about sales since the mid-
eighties. He was the MD of a successful
communications company for almost
20 years and is currently also a regular
freelance editor for a “Big 3” global
management consultancy.

Sharon Randall
UK Group Sales Director for the
largest motoring marketplace in the
UK, attracting approximately 35
million monthly cross platform visits
with about 13,000 active retailers
representing approximately 80% of UK
retailer’s forecourts. She had held a
number of key senior positions within
AutoTrader over the past 16 years.
Lorna Leck
Her passion is in People and their
success. For the last 25 years she
has advocated Sales as a proud and
admired profession, focusing on the
elite being recognised for their efforts.
Co-Founder of award winning Silent
Edge Ltd, Business Mother of the Year,
and now Managing Director of Sales
Activator.
Claire Curzon
MD of Brighter Directions, multi-
award winning outsourced marketing
agency specialising in PR & Media
Communications, Digital & Social
Media Marketing outreach and
Content curation for SME’s through to
Global Corporate organisations. She
has extensive expertise from previous
senior corporate Sales & Marketing
roles across Publishing, Media
Healthcare and Manufacturing.
Helen Barrow
Helen Barrow is a director within the
Energy & Assets team within Ernst &
Young’s Advisory practice. Helen is a
member of the Chartered Institute of
Purchasing & Supply. She also holds
professional qualifications in PRINCE
II (Practitioner), MoR (Practitioner) and
is a member of the Nuclear Institute
Young Generation Network and an
Associate of the Association for Project
Management.
Sian Williams
Chartered Insurer with 27 years’
experience working with Global
Brokers and International Insurance
Companies. Regional Development
Director for Travelers Insurance
Company Ltd, heading up their sales
and distribution strategy for the South
of the UK. President of the Chartered
Insurance Institute of Chelmsford and
South Essex.
Elsa Amouzgar
Elsa Amouzgar has worked at the
ManpowerGroup for over 10 years
and is currently the Vice President &
General Manager for Global Sales. She
has a broad international experience
leading a global sales and delivery
team to drive growth with prominent
global clients. Prior to Manpower
Group she worked at ADP, Dalet and
Sodexo. She speaks English, French,
Spanish and Japanese.

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The Speakers
Our aim is that the event benefits not only the winners but
all finalists and in turn their companies. Consequently for the
judging day we incorporate panel discussions into the day to
make the whole experience more valuable for all the finalists.
The judging day forum takes place concurrently with the judging
process. It consists only of panel discussions, in which the
panellists debate the session topics, after which the finalists join
in. As a discussion-focused panel, the moderator leads off the
panel by putting questions directly to each of the panellists.
Some of the topics discussed for the 2015 were:
• From sales lead to sales leader – Successfully transitioning
your career.
• Future directions for women’s leadership in sales, business
development and account management.
• In today’s complex business environment, the skills and
knowledge salespeople have traditionally relied on are no
longer generating the same results. Is it time to change?
What needs to change?
This year we opened up the forum to other sales executives who
were not finalists but were interested in the networking and the
thought leadership of the speakers.

Leigh Ashton
An author of “iSell”, a speaker,
trainer and coach. She
specialises in helping people
incorporate psychology
alongside technical selling skills
leading to positive changes to
their attitude, their approach
and their sales results. She is
the Co-Founder Sasudi.
Karina Garcia-Casil
Karina Garcia-Casil leads
Consumer & SMB Sales
Operations for Adobe EMEA,
supporting the transformation
of the business into a cloud-
based subscription model
across multiple channels. She
has vast experience working
within Direct & Channel Sales
Operations environments for
IBM, HDS, CA Technologies,
and Avid Technology. In
2015, Karina became the UK
Site Leader for the “Adobe
& Women” program, and
has been an active member
of Women In Sales Awards
initiative in Europe taking part
as a speaker and panellist for
the last two years.
Nicola Robinson
A Field Sales Director for Coca
Cola Enterprises. Her role sees
her leading a team of over
300 people to optimise the
availability and visibility of the
company’s soft drinks portfolio
throughout the supermarkets of
Great Britain. She has worked
with some of the world’s best
FMCG brands over the last 15
years which has given her a
great experience and passion
for working within the dynamic
retail and manufacturing
industries. In 2014 she was
named Best Woman Sales
Director for the Women In Sales
Awards (Europe).
Catherine Schalk
Catherine Schalk is a twenty
year veteran of the Software
industry. She is currently the
Executive Director of Inkwazi
Kommunications. Prior to
Inkwazi Kommunications, she
was director of World Wide
Enablement at Informatica
Software and Director of World
Wide Sales Enablement at HP
Software. She has also held
positions as Director EMEA
Sales Operations & EMEA Sales
Readiness for CA Technologies,
Sales Operations, Sales &
Marketing for PeopleSoft and
SSA.
Carol Kinsey Goman,
Ph.D.
An author, leadership presence
coach, and international
speaker on the impact of body
language in the workplace.
Her clients include over 200
organizations in 25 countries.
Carol is a leadership blogger for
Forbes.com. She is the author
of 12 books, including “The
Silent Language of Leaders:
How Body Language Can Help
or Hurt How You Lead.
Rebecca White
An Account Director at CA
Technologies responsible for
customers in the Financial
Services sector. She joined CA
in April 2010, as an Associate
Account Manager, responsible
for customers in the growth
sector. Since then she has been
promoted through Account
Management to Account
Director and is now responsible
for key relationships within
CA Technologies’ Platinum
accounts ( CA’s largest
customers globally).
Ritu Mahandru
A Vice President of Solution
Sales, Application Delivery,
EMEA at CA Technologies.
She joined CA Technologies
in 2011 as a Senior Sales
Director and since July 2014
she has been leading the EMEA
Application Delivery business.
Before joining CA, Ritu was the
Alliance & Channels Director at
TeaLeaf Technology for three
years. Prior to TeaLeaf she was
Head of Alliances for EMEA at
BEA Systems. She was also a
Women in Sales Awards 2014
Finalist.
Sophie Ellis
Sophie Ellis is the Global
Client Partner at Vodafone
Global Enterprise and
leads the engagement with
strategic clients. She has a
strong background in the
communications industry
over the past 20 years from
traditional voice services
through to WAN/LAN and
wireless communications. She
has had previous roles at BT,
CGI, Microsoft and Orange.

Women
Meet
EUROPE
Finalists
the ��
in Sales
Awards

Women in Sales Awards / europe - december 2015 33Samantha Hart Deborah Cabrera
Bev Wright
Tanja Westehagen
Dina Patel Caroline Porteous Emma King
Jessica Pleiner
‎“Whether you
think you can
or you think
you can’t,
you’re right”
- Henry Ford
Never
give up!
There is a huge
opportunity for
women to drive
change, encourage
diversity and
lead the way
in sales. The
Women In Sales
Awards has done
a fantastic job of
celebrating the
success of each
and every one of
the finalists!
The way to
success is
to manage
upwards,
downwards
and
outwards.
“ It’s a marathon not a sprint”.
This is when someone has a bad day,
don’t focus on that one day as it’s your
results over the month that count!
“Be the change
you want to see
in the world” - Ghandi
“Don’t think what’s the cheapest
way to do it or what’s the fastest
way to do it… think what’s the
most amazing way to do it”
- Richard Branson
Irene Rodriguez
Katarina HarveyNicola Langley
I can only say
I feel I AM
A WINNER
“A leader takes
people where they
want to go. A great
leader takes people
where they don`t
necessarily want to
go, but ought to be”
- Rosalynn Carter
Bengta Jordan
I have really enjoyed
the complete
experience
and so much
appreciate that
Thomson Reuters
have shown
their confidence
and support by
nominating me.
“One of the most courageous things
you can do is identify yourself,
know who you are, what you believe
in and where you want to go.”
— Sheila Murray Bethel
Within sales it
is important
to implement
structured
training

34 Women in Sales Awards / europe - december 2015Sarah Edge
Susannah Brooks
Nichola Chandler
Linda Thapper Wester Valerie Agnew
Abigail Alliss
‎Always put the
customer at the
heart of all you
do and look
to exceed your
goals – then
success will
follow
naturally
I am really
looking
forward to
continuing
discussions
with some of
the people I
have met as
part of this
process
Everybody
makes a
difference
and together
we achieve
amazing
things
Do not run from
the fire although
at first you
may get burnt
lessons will
be learnt and
opportunities
earned
Emma Marriott
Suzy KitcherMichelle Shults
The whole
process
teaches you
so much
about
yourself
and your
capabilities.
Life is short,
be the best
you can in
the moment
Be humble,
be hungry and
always be the
hardest worker in
the room
I genuinely think
that this has been the
highlight of my career
– being recognised
by my company and
my peers to even be
nominated makes all
the hard work and
dedication worth it.
Rebecca Bromwich
“You are the
CEO of your
own life,
start making
executive
decisions
today!”
- Stephen Luke
“Your beliefs become
your thoughts. Your
thoughts become your
words. Your words
become your actions.
Your actions become
your habits. Your
habits become your
values. Your values
become your destiny.”
- Ghandi
Amanda Brown
“Sales account
planning
requires time,
dedication and
focus. But the
rewards for
a good sales
account plan
are increased
market share,
revenues and
profits”.
- Terry Irwin.
Miren Aranguiz
“If you are working on
something exciting that
you really care about, you
don’t have to be pushed…
the vision pulls you”
- Steve Jobs

Francesca Dugger Mielisa Evans
Helena Brandao
Maria Jose Sanchez
Chloe Holloway
Anita Kirilova
Alexia Clements
“It’s not about
having the
skill to do
something.
It’s about
having the will,
desire, and
commitment
to be your best.”
Robert Hernandez
People buy
from people,
but people
buy MORE
from people
they like
Tracy Bolton
It has been a great
opportunity to meet
top performing
women and to try
to discover the key
of their success.
Letizia Maini
Great sales
people have the
ability to listen,
question, challenge,
find solutions and
are liked! People buy
from who they like!
Louise Davies
The success of
generating sales
can only be
conquered by the
feeling you get
when observing
someone you have
recruited, trained
and developed
becoming better
than yourself!
Invest time,
encourage
ownership,
be consistent,
build
credibility
and execute
“Success
doesn’t come
to you, you
go to it.”
Marva Collins
Always have a
clear plan of
what information
is needed from a
client in order to
help them solve
their problems.
“To be great, be whole;
Exclude nothing,
exaggerate nothing
that is not you. Be
whole in everything.
Put all you are into
the smallest thing you
do. So, in each lake,
the moon shines with
splendour because it
blooms up above.”
Shamala Balasubramaniam
“You only live
once, but if you
do it right, once
is enough.”
Mae West
Tammy Robertson-Orr
“Every moment
wasted looking
back, keeps us
from moving
forward.”
Hillary Clinton
“Chance favours
the prepared
mind, the more
you practice
the luckier you
become”
- Richard Branson
Passion for my
clients is the
key to success.
To help them
succeed through
my advices
and see me as a
provider of trust
and credibility is
a big reward and
my motivation.
Passion is not
about gender, it is
about the person
you choose to be.
Anne Kathinka Berg
“You've gotta
dance like there's
nobody watching,
Love like you'll
never be hurt,
Sing like there's
nobody listening,
And live like it's
heaven on earth.”
- William W. Purkey
Candice Eves
You are only
here a short
time so make
it a good time.
Maria Pitts
Adva Zubary
“A pessimist sees the
difficulty in every
opportunity;
an optimist sees
the opportunity
in every difficulty”.
– Winston Churchill
“Para ser grande, sê inteiro:
nada teu exagera ou exclui. Sê
todo em cada coisa. Põe quanto
és no mínimo que fazes. Assim
em cada lago a lua toda brilha,
porque alta vive”

Francesca Dugger Amy Lawson
Claudia Donnelly
Beatrice Charbonnier
Alison Adderley
Alexia Clements
“It’s not about
having the
skill to do
something.
It’s about
having the will,
desire, and
commitment
to be your best.”
Robert Hernandez
"Success doesn't
come to you,
you go to it"
- Marva Collins
Anna Sophie Siegmund
“A ship in
harbor is safe,
but that is not
what ships
are built for”
- John A. Shedd
Anastasiia Nedava
My background
in Applied
Physics makes
me always strive
for combining
knowledge and to
use that knowledge
as a mother of 5, as
a sales executive or
as standing out as
a women breaking
down barriers in a
men’s world.
Yvonne Janssen
Throughout my career,
my school moto has
always stood my in
good stead - ‘I am, I
can, I ought, I will’ ...
and the belief that
there is no such word
as can’t. Working as
a team, I believe
there is always
a way to succeed
you just have
to find it.
“As we let our own
light shine we
unconsciously give
others permission
to do the same”
- Marianne Williamson
“Success
doesn’t come
to you, you
go to it.”
Marva Collins
“There is nothing
either good or bad, but
thinking makes it so.”
- William Shakespeare
Remember that
the power of thought
makes things happen,
it makes your reality.
Believe in your
success and you
will be successful.
It is a great
achievement
to be a finalist
and in turn,
we are able to
inspire other
women to harness
their talent and
accomplish
huge success!
Shamala Balasubramaniam
“You only live
once, but if you
do it right, once
is enough.”
Mae West
Tammy Robertson-Orr
“Every moment
wasted looking
back, keeps us
from moving
forward.”
Hillary Clinton
Client
Satisfaction is
crucial in sales.
I was overwhelmed
with the level of
detail in making
the judging day
inspirational,
rewarding and
totally motivating,
I would fully
recommend more
companies become
involved with the
Women In Sales
Awards
Julia MacNeil-Stevens
The judging
day made me
realise that
there is more I
can do in terms
of my own
development
and to believe
in my own
ability
Sacha Charles
If you don’t go
after what you
want, you’ll never
have it, If you
don’t ask, the
answer is always
no, If you don’t
step forward,
you’re always in
the same place
Roswitha Ostermann-Levy
Charlotte Williams
If you love
what you
are doing,
you will be
successful.
Eloise Hammond

Nadejda Krasteva
If you want
something
strong enough,
you will get it.
from Zars Media proud organiser of
the Women In Sales Awards.
CONGRATULATIONS
Interested in nominating
for 2016?
Please email
info@wisawards.com
for more information
Cristina Landaluce
The only impossible
is something that you
do not try. And if
you try it but you
don´t get it then
select a different
way and try it
again. NEVER
GIVE UP
Margarita Petrova
Planning
is key to
success.
Louise Bettinson
“Timid
saleswomen
have skinny
kids.” – Zig Ziglar
Elin Håland
Be crystal
clear on
what is
expected

A n d T h e W i n

n e rs A r e . . .

BEST WOMAN
SALES DIRECTOR
Women in Sales
Awards
��
I believe that a manager
should succeed through
the people they manage

Anita Kirilova
Agency Director - MetLife Europe Limited (Bulgaria)
challenges, was truly a valuable experience. The meeting with
the judges, the focus that you should possess, combined with
the support of people you have never met before, was really a
unique experience. During the discussion panels, I managed to
“steal” ideas which I already apply in my work. I am in constant
contact with the other women finalists, which creates conditions
for network development where anyone can ask for advice or
exchange ideas.
I definitely feel more confident after the Judges Day. It seems
I am able to do this as well ... When I came back to Bulgaria I
had so much to tell. Considering the fact that nearly 80% of the
structures I manage consist of women, the interest was more than
natural. We discussed many things; what was the impression that
I had from the questions of the judges, we exchanged opinions
if there was an option to reply even better, I gave them feedback
from the participants in the other categories, I shared with them
the practices from the panels that I have adopted.
Needless to say how my family feels about all of this, how happy
my friends are. I have so much support! This cannot make you
feel anything but completed! I am more than glad and proud of
myself that I managed this process as well. I overcame my fears, I
overcame the part of me which does not pay attention to my own
successes and I have learned to speak about it.
I strongly believe that everyone should strive to be recognized in
the department she operates in, in the company she works for. One
should devote time and energy to determine how she is compared
towards all the others outside her comfort zone and to be able to
consider her achievements as a part of the bigger picture.
In this regard, WISA provides a truly unique opportunity. So do
not hesitate, work hard, achieve the goals set by your Company
and actively seek for manifestation to gain additional assessment
and to become even better!
M
y name is Anita Kirilova and I am the Agency Director
of MetLife Europe Limited Bulgarian Branch - a
Global leader in Life Insurance industry. I have more
than 20 years of experience in sales and 17 years of experience
in management. Throughout my career, I have been selling
practically everything - from toothbrushes and toothpaste to
selective perfumery and financial services. I have been working as
a sales representative, middle-level manager, Regional manager
and Sales Director for two different companies in very different
industries - FMCG and Insurance.
I must say that sales has always been my one true love. I like to
communicate with different people, I love the thrill of success,
and I appreciate the trust and the establishment of long-term
relationships. But the thing that gratifies me the most is the
building of professionals in sales. The success of the people in
whose development I have participated in makes me really happy.
In my current role, I manage a team of 150 people – salesmen
and women, managers and trainers. My job is interesting,
challenging and full of emotions. My main activity consists of the
development of life insurance managers - their active recruitment,
including head hunting, selection, training and development.
I participate in the entire process of direct sales channel
development for the entire country - from the determination of
the main development directions to the definition of the methods
for their implementation.
I have always felt MetLife as “my place”. I have worked in the
Company for 12 years. I feel appreciated both in the organization
and in my country. My WISA nomination was the additional
positive assessment of the work that I do and the success that
I achieve every day. I never thought that I would be a finalist.
Initially, I thought that the possibility for nomination from
Eastern Europe is to be considered as minimal. Purely because
the women from this part of the world, are not taught or used to
talking about our success and to declare our achievements.
Finally when the notice that I made it through finals came I was
overjoyed. The first person that I called was my daughter. She is 15
years old, I raised her alone and I want her to be proud of me. Then
the worry came, how am I going to present myself in 5 minutes,
what exactly should I write to keep me from embarrassing myself
– me, the person of success, with much experience behind me.
Moreover, for me, the presentation would be in a foreign language,
a language, which I have studied by myself.
Then the routine prevailed I started thinking about what exactly
I would like to say. I decided to bet on my experience and present
the achievements that I have accomplished for MetLife the
turnover, the implementation of strategic projects, the customer
care, which my team and I carry out on a daily basis. It is hard
to talk about yourself, especially if you are a manager. I believe
that a manager should succeed through the people they manages
to support them, to think about them, to speak about them. In
my presentation, I did not miss the additional activities that I do
outside of my work obligations sponsorship and participation
in charity initiatives, writing of articles and participation in
educational programs in schools on finances and insurance. I
talked about the balance of the woman leader between career
and home, for the example we set to our children. In this regard,
I am extremely grateful to my mother for the freedom of choice
she gave me, for the education, for the support when I started my
career development. And I want to be such a mother for my own
daughter! To give her the opportunity to grow and to successfully
take on her own path.
The Judging Day was a very exciting day for me. Being together
with other successful women, to have the opportunity to hear
different points of view regarding sales and to discuss the

Women in Sales
Awards
��
BEST WOMAN
SALES MANAGER

Bev Wright
Client Director - O2 UK
My strategy is to make
my team relevant in our
sector and to position
ourselves well for new
services and contracts.
To deliver Social Value as
well as Business Value so
we make a difference
I
began my career in IT sales 15 years ago and have worked
for O2’s Business Directorate for 5 years, initially working as
a Key Account Manager, responsible for large Public Sector
accounts.
In January 2014, I moved into Sales Management and currently
lead the Strategic Accounts Team in the Local Government &
Education arena. I have a team of Client Managers running our
top accounts and I lead many complex multi technology bids,
taking leadership and control of wider teams of technical and
commercial professionals across the organisation, a role in which
I have thrived and succeeded.
The Local Government sector is difficult, facing unprecedented
levels of austerity. All our customers without exception have
budget cuts of £100ms. Procurement cycles are long and
difficult. My strategy is to make my team relevant in our sector
and to position ourselves well for new services and contracts.
To deliver Social Value as well as Business Value so we make a
difference. Combine this with a ruthless execution of strategic
account plans means my team are winning in the market.
When I found out I had been nominated for ‘Best Sales
Manager’ in the Women in Sales Awards I felt proud, honoured
and a sense of achievement, not just for me but for my team. O2
is genuinely the best company I have worked for in my career
and for me the recognition is incredibly rewarding. To then find
out that I had been short listed to finalist was fantastic – I was
absolutely delighted!
Preparing for the judging day was different from preparing
for any other presentation as this was about me, my role and
the impact I have on my team, the business I work for and my
customers. It’s probably the first time in my career that I have
taken time to reflect and actually realise that I have achieved, I’m
successful and it’s really made me appreciate my own value not
just in the market I work in but as an individual.
On the judging day there was a real ‘esprit de corps’ amongst
the finalists, all willing each other to do well. We are all sales
people so I’m sure we were at our competitive best but as women
we were mutually supportive. The panellists on the day were
interesting and engaging and the judges asked some thought
provoking questions to keep us on our toes.
My favourite venue in London is The Savoy so to round up the
whole experience with an awards dinner there is a perfect end
to a hugely rewarding experience. My advice to any business
out there that has high achieving women in sales is to nominate
them next year. It’s a great way to recognise them, to challenge
them to dig even deeper and ultimately will help attract more
women into a very male dominated profession.

Women in Sales
Awards
��
BEST WOMAN in
FIELD SALES

Candice Eves
Business Development Director
Sodexo (Independent Schools division)
I
was approached to join Sodexo at the start of 2014, having
enjoyed a successful sales career since leaving University
in 2001. I have been lucky enough to work in a number
of different sectors from advertising to security, most recently
combining with my personal passion for food in the catering
industry.
Joining Independents by Sodexo as Business Development
Director in April 2014 presented me with one of my greatest
professional challenges to date. Not only was the position more
senior than my previous roles but I was also faced with the
task of winning business following a period of poor sales and
retention performance by the company.
In the last 19 months I have secured a 1:2 conversion rate, been
awarded the three largest contracts to come to market, won £3.5m
in new business and secured 100% retention for the second year
running. It’s been a whirlwind start and I am now focusing on
building on my early success to drive the business forward.
I was genuinely surprised and delighted to find out about
my nomination for the Women in Sales Awards. It meant so
much that one of my peers thought enough of me and my
achievements to put me forward for such a prestigious award
and that my company wholeheartedly supported my nomination.
I remember finding out I was a finalist when in the middle of
a review with the Head of Business Development for Sodexo
UK & Ireland who had been instrumental in my appointment.
I felt incredibly excited to have been shortlisted and proud to be
representing Sodexo.
I have never been nominated for an external award before so it
has been very much new territory for me. Thankfully, Sodexo
has had a finalist and category winner in previous years so I have
able to speak to them to get some advice. I am also one of three
Sodexo finalists this year so we have supported each other along
the way.
In preparing for the judging day I decided that the best thing
for me to do was be myself and simply present my achievements
and the reasons for my success. Nerves definitely played a part as
the day approached but I treated it as I would any presentation,
making sure I practised as much as possible. I still didn’t get
much sleep the night before!
I had made contact with a number of the finalists and judges via
LinkedIn and Twitter before the judging day, but it was fantastic
to meet everyone in person. Everyone was so friendly and it
was amazing to see the wide variety of industries and sales roles
people worked in. Seeing how successful everyone had been in
their own fields made me even more proud to be a finalist.
The panel discussions were also very insightful and it was
incredibly inspiring to hear from the previous finalists and
winners about their experiences and the benefits they have
enjoyed as a result.
I left the day honestly feeling that no matter the result I’d had a
fantastic time and was lucky to have been involved.
The continued support and communication from everyone
involved in the Women in Sales Awards has been fantastic. I
loved receiving the photos and am really excited for the awards
night. I feel honoured to have got this far and I know that my
experience to date has helped me develop in so many ways.
Unlike many industry awards, the Women in Sales Awards
are designed to recognise genuine talent. The planning and
organisation that goes into them makes them beneficial and
enjoyable for all involved. I have no doubt the awards will go
from strength to strength in years to come and shine a light on
so many talented women working in sales.
Nerves definitely
played a part as the
day approached but I
treated it as I would any
presentation, making
sure I practised
as much as possible

Women in Sales
Awards
��
BEST WOMAN in
TECHNOLOGY SALES

Sarah Edge
Account Director - Sony Mobile Communications
My main focus was to
share my values which
shape my behaviour
and how I treat others
and also how these
values drive my
passions in work
I
am an Account Director with Sony Mobile. I spent the
first 11 years of my career in marketing and only made the
transition into sales in 2013. I enjoy being at the frontline of
Sony’s business and knowing that I can make a difference to the
success of the business. I also love the people element of being in
sales. Although the basics of the product that I am selling need
to be right, I firmly believe that people buy from people. Being
authentic and customer centric are at the heart of my approach
and my sales results demonstrate that this is working.
I was nominated for the Women in Sales Award by my HR
division. I am on the Sony talent programme and I was lucky
enough to be selected to do a Masters in Sales Transformation,
of which I’m half way through. Being part of this programme
has given me extra visibility within Sony Mobile and particularly
with the HR division. I was very flattered when Sony Mobile’s
Head of Learning and Development told me that Sony was
putting me forward for the Women in Sales Awards. I hadn’t
heard of the awards but after spending some time reading up
about the organisation, I was very supportive with the objective
of raising the profile of sales and making this a more attractive
career choice for women.
After finding out that I was nominated, I spent some time
preparing for the interviews on the day. Like many people (and
particularly women!), I find it uncomfortable talking about my
own achievements. I decided to spend some time talking about
my successes in sales. However, my main focus was to share my
values which shape my behaviour and how I treat others and
also how these values drive my passions in work; my need to be
successful & significant, my passion for people and lastly having
fun and really enjoying what I do.
The judging day arrived and despite some nerves, I found it
empowering to be surrounded by so many successful fellow
sales women. The atmosphere was welcoming and supportive,
everyone at the event was happy to share their stories and listen
to others. The judging panels were interesting and well balanced.
A significant amount of practical advice was offered which
everyone at the event will take away with them. My stand-out
view from the panels was that women should be celebrated
in the workforce. Diversity brings different viewpoints and
outlooks and this lends itself to greater debate and ultimately
more well-rounded solutions.
Being involved in the Women in Sales Awards has been a
really interesting experience. I have made new contacts and I
had the chance to hear some inspirational women share their
experiences. I was apprehensive about taking part in this event,
concerned over whether I deserved to be nominated and then
anxious to be talking about myself and my successes. However,
despite this I am proud that I pushed myself out of my comfort
zone. My advice to other women with the same concerns would
be to have belief in yourself and ultimately to go for it. You’ll
meet some great people, hear some interesting debates and
hopefully enjoy yourself in the process.

Women in Sales
Awards
��
BEST WOMAN in
TELEPHONE SALES

Emma Marriott
Account Executive - Lincoln West
I
’m Emma Marriott and I work for Lincoln West,
the UK Sales office for two German trade show
organisers and the event organiser for the National
Sales Conference. I project manager the National Sales
Conference which takes place at the Ricoh Arena,
Coventry every year.
After I found out I was nominated I told my boyfriend
that I had been shortlisted against 5 other women! I spoke
to my colleagues in the office and asked for any advice
they had better my chances of winning. I prepared by
practicing over and over again, I practiced my presentation
to anyone who would hear it so I knew it practically off by
heart.
I found the judging day very insightful, it was great
to meet other like-minded sales women and discuss
different strategies and techniques they have used for their
presentations or their day to day jobs. I really enjoyed the
panel discussions that took place throughout the day, not
only were they a talking point but it was great to hear
other point of views on each subject.
I am very excited to attend the awards ceremony and
meet everyone who attended the judging day again. The
Savoy is a great venue and I’m looking forward to a great
night with great food and entertainment. My advice to
other women looking to take part is get nominating!
The Women in Sales Awards is a great way to show
recognition and improve confidence. The whole process
teaches you so much about yourself and your capabilities,
it would be a missed opportunity if you didn’t take part.
It was great to meet
other like-minded
saleswomen and discuss
different strategies
and techniques they
have used for their
presentations or their
day to day jobs

Women in Sales
Awards
��
BEST WOMAN in
SOFTWARE SALES

CarolinePorteous
Enterprise Sales Manager - Adobe
Without a shadow of
a doubt, the more
I’ve given to others,
the more I’ve got back
W
hat gives me great satisfaction is nurturing
others and promoting an inclusive culture of
success. Without a shadow of a doubt, the more
I’ve given to others, the more I’ve got back. I wanted to
create a personal brand that my customers and colleagues
can trust and depend on. As well as being a mentor, I try
and combine the women’s art of intuition with proven
sales science to ensure the success of projects – I believe in
order to win, you must plan to win.
When I found out I’d been nominated I was over the
moon and extremely grateful. Finding out I was a finalist
among Europe’s top female talent was just unbelievable.
Being nominated for the European Women In Sales
award is an achievement in itself. To be formally
recognized by my company, colleagues and customers has
completely blown me away.
Preparing for the judging day was like planning for an
important meeting; researching the industry leaders I was
going to meet, what questions I wanted to ask. Like with
my sales approach, I wanted to create a unique way to
present myself amongst the mass of talent.
The judging day took place on an impressive yacht on
the Thames overlooking the iconic sights of London
– having the opportunity to meet many inspirational
women was invaluable and warming. Taking part in the
panel discussions was stimulating and one discussion in
particular has sparked a thought process that will help
shape my career.
I am extremely grateful for this opportunity to be
recognized as a leading Woman in Sales and for my
contributions in an aggressive, fast-paced, technology
driven, male dominated Software Sales industry.
Diversity is extremely important and if you are
considering nominating exemplary ladies from your own
organization then do not hesitate!

BEST WOMAN in
FINANCIAL SALES
& MOST DISTINGUISHED SALES WOMAN OF 2015
Women in Sales
Awards
��

Louise Davies
Lead Account Director - Thomson Reuters (UK)
I believe that planning
and being organized
is the key to success
so upon finding out
that I was a finalist I
set about planning my
presentation
I
have worked for Thomson Reuters for the past 15
years. My career to date has been diverse having
held numerous positions within the company in
both the UK and US. Currently, I am a Lead Account
Director responsible for managing the Thomson Reuters
relationship in the UK with 2 of the world’s largest Banks.
My day-to-day role involves working closely with my
customers to retain my extremely large book of existing
business, spotting new opportunities for growth and
ensuring that my customers receive exemplary customer
service at all times. I am an active mentor both internally
to colleagues and externally at a local school. I am also a
member of Women@Thomsonreuters, Women On Board
and I frequently attend networking and industry events.
I am highly driven and passionate about Thomson Reuters
and my clients and I believe in the power of relationships
to help find win/win solutions to grow my business.
When my manager told me that I had been nominated
in the Financial Sales Category, I felt extremely honored,
proud, driven to do well and also slightly nervous!
I believe that planning and being organized is the key
to success so upon finding out that I was a finalist I set
about planning my presentation, the key points that I
wanted to get across and how I would wow the judges! I
reached out to some of my key stakeholders for quotes to
re-enforce my success story. I then blocked out the dates
in my diary!
I found the finalists’ day was a great networking
experience and an opportunity to participate in some
interesting panel discussions. It was also an opportunity
to hear about what the other women have achieved, what
motivates them and makes them successful and also
interesting to hear that across industries we often face the
same challenges.
I would advise other women to really embrace the
opportunity if they are nominated for WISA. The
nomination itself is a huge achievement and something
that should be celebrated.
Other companies should nominate employees and really
make WISA known in their organizations.

Women in Sales
Awards
��
BEST WOMAN
Sales Newcomer

Women In Sales Awards 2015 (Europe)

Women In Sales Awards 2015 (Europe)

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