How Identity Has Influenced An Account Executive At Asana's Career
As a woman in sales, embracing traits often associated with women, such as empathy and deep listening, has been a "superpower" that has contributed to career success. These skills, often honed throughout life, have allowed for more effective communication and relationship-building, which has made them a successful sales professional.
Sales, Women in Business, Empathy, Communication Skills, Career Success
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Sara Kramer
Account Executive
Asana
University of San Diego
n/a
Business Management & Admin
Manufacturing, Operations & Supply Chain, Technology
Sales and Client Management
Honors Student, Scholarship Recipient, Pell Grant Recipient, Took Out Loans
Video Highlights
1. Being a woman in sales, particularly by embracing traditionally feminine traits like empathy and deep listening, can be a 'superpower' and lead to success.
2. The gender balance in sales is shifting, with many teams now being close to 50/50 or even skewed towards more women.
3. Sales leadership often recognizes women as top performers, potentially due to skills honed throughout their lives.
Transcript
As someone who identifies as a woman in business, how has that impacted how you've navigated your career?
That's a great question. I think specifically in sales, being a woman has been a superpower.
This has changed a lot. I used to talk to older colleagues who were one of only a few women on the sales team. Now, I'd say it's about 50/50, if not skews a little more towards women.
I will say that in a field that was typically extremely male-dominated, or where traits associated with being a salesperson tended to be male traits, my superpower is embracing the things that make women different. This includes our ability to empathize, listen more deeply, and pause to think before we speak.
These are not necessarily exclusive to women, but they tend to be things women are socialized to do. It has actually made me more successful in my career. I hear sales leadership talk a lot about how their top sales performers tend to be women. This is because of some of those skills we've had the privilege of honing throughout our lives, rather than having to learn them early in our careers.