#85: Beyond Lip Service: Building an Inclusive Sales Culture
Aug 29, 2023
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Cynthia Barnes, founder and CEO of the National Sales Network, discusses the importance of building an inclusive sales culture. Topics include the difference between equity and equality in DEI initiatives, practical measures to promote diversity, and why diversity matters in sales and marketing.
Creating an inclusive sales environment requires clear definitions, strong leadership, and realistic goal setting.
Fostering a positive sales culture starts with prioritizing belonging and customizing the onboarding experience for new hires.
Deep dives
Creating Thriving Sales Cultures
Creating successful sales cultures requires setting clear goals, having effective leadership, and being open to possibilities. It's important to define what success looks like for the sales team and determine if the goal is to help women thrive or create a culture where everyone feels comfortable. One pitfall to avoid is not offering the necessary tools and support for different groups within the sales team. Companies should shift from an equality mindset to an equity mindset, offering specific training and resources to subset groups based on their unique needs and challenges.
Belonging and Individual Support in Sales Cultures
Fostering a positive, supportive sales culture starts with prioritizing belonging. It's crucial to make new hires, especially those from underrepresented groups, feel included and valued from the beginning. Asking individuals about their needs and preferences helps create a customized onboarding experience. Effective leaders take the time to understand the whole person, not just their performance metrics. They ask questions, listen, and provide the necessary support to help team members thrive personally and professionally.
Diversity, Recruitment, and Inclusivity in Sales
Companies looking to increase diversity in their sales teams should be proactive in finding diverse candidates. Programs and initiatives can be developed to educate talent acquisition teams on where to find diverse candidates, such as historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and alumni chapters. Job descriptions should reflect an accurate and specific portrayal of what the company is seeking in an ideal candidate, taking into consideration the demographics and psychographics that align with the organization's goals. Companies need to go beyond surface-level diversity and prioritize genuine authenticity and inclusivity to ensure that clients and customers feel seen and represented.
The Future of Sales and the Importance of Representation
The future of sales will involve a heightened demand for representation. Customers are increasingly seeking sales professionals who understand and can relate to their experiences. Brands that lack diversity and fail to cater to the needs of different demographic groups risk losing business. It is essential for companies to have sales reps who reflect the diversity of their customers. In order to create a positive and inclusive sales culture, leaders must embrace diversity, equity, and inclusion, and demonstrate a genuine commitment to these principles.
Diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging are simple—but getting it right is not easy. Creating a truly inclusive environment where your sales team reflects the diverse pipeline you have (or hope to build) requires a high level of intentionality. You can’t build an inclusive environment with just one initiative. A quarterly workshop won’t give you the results you’re looking for. In fact, most blanket efforts won’t.
In this episode, we’re joined by Cynthia Barnes, founder and CEO of the National Association of Women Sales Professionals (NAWSP), the first Black woman to deliver the keynote at Outbound 2022 — and a changemaker challenging the status quo across the sales industry. According to Cynthia, a truly inclusive sales environment can only exist when built upon clear definitions and intentions, strong leadership, and realistic goal setting.
When we stop approaching diversity as a matter of equality and shift to an approach of equity and individualization, we can foster cultures that enable each and every individual to bring their best selves to work.
We discuss:
The difference between equity and equality (and how to incorporate what’s most important into your DEI initiatives)
Practical measures you can take today to build diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging to your organization and your pipeline
Why a commitment to diversity matters in sales and marketing
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