How Identity Has Influenced a Sales Enablement Specialist at Viant Technology's Career
As a woman in business, Natalie views being underestimated as a "superpower," explaining that it allows one to "mold the story and mold the narrative" to their advantage and capture attention with an element of surprise, which then leads to greater influence. Natalie notes that female sales representatives at Viant Technology are often top performers because they influence with "flow and grace" rather than forcefulness.
Women in Business, Influence, Overcoming Underestimation, Sales Enablement, Communication Style
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Natalie Paterson
Sales Enablement Specialist
Viant Technology
Chapman University
Chapman University | M.S. Food Science
Chemistry
Technology, Advertising, Communications & Marketing
Sales and Client Management
Scholarship Recipient, Transfer Student
Video Highlights
1. Being underestimated can be a superpower for women in business, allowing them to mold the narrative to their advantage.
2. Female sales reps can be top performers by influencing with grace and eloquence, contrasting with forcefulness or aggression.
3. The element of surprise, stemming from being underestimated, can capture attention and increase influence in business settings.
Transcript
As someone who identifies as a woman in business, how has that impacted how you've navigated your career?
I love this question. To all my ladies out there, I think one superpower that we still have in today's market is being underestimated.
At first, you might think that's a negative, but I hope to reframe your perspective and allow you to see it as a positive. If you are being underestimated, I would argue that you have more ability to mold the story and the narrative to your advantage.
Hopefully, that means a very holistic goal that you have in mind and a desire to influence positively. For example, if you are in a meeting with higher-up executives and they underestimate your skills, your ability, your insight, or your role in a company, consider sales enablement.
We enable our sales reps, and some of our female sales reps are actually our top performers at the company. They are able to influence with more flow, grace, and eloquence instead of forcefulness, cockiness, and aggression.
Not to stereotype too heavily, of course, but I think a superpower for a woman is often being underestimated because we can have that element of surprise. Surprise often captures the most attention, and thereby allows you to have the greatest influence.