Breaking Through Barriers in Sales Leadership with Christine Pavalon, Episode #73

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Only 12% of professionals in sales leadership are women. That number is even lower for minorities and female minorities. Christine Pavalon, VP of Sales at Avtex, is challenging office culture norms and breaking through barriers in the sales industry. She’s my guest for this episode of #SellingWithSocial and her insights into career growth and leadership should not be missed. Be sure to listen!

The Top 5 Strategies to Succeed in Sales Leadership

Owning where you’re at in life is one of Christine’s biggest suggestions for people in sales leadership. She urges sales professionals not to feel guilty for the positions they’re in, no matter if they’re a man or a woman. She also explains the 5 best strategies for success in sales leadership:

1. Always take steps towards growth
2. Challenge the box that you’ve been placed in
3. Speak up! But do so respectfully and kindly – never apologetically
4. Don’t be afraid to fail
5. Seek out mentorship and volunteer positions

Essentially, you have to push the envelope but be authentic while doing so. To hear the full story behind Christine’s success strategies don’t miss this episode.

Why Challenging the Norm is Essential For Personal and Professional Growth

Kindness and quietness should never be confused. Christine explains that when she’s the only woman in a room full of sales leadership executives, it can be intimidating and easy to stay silent out of fear. To combat that fear she’s learned to understand the audience she’s in front of and use that understanding to her advantage. Christine also explains that “When an organization fosters an environment of collaboration and honest communication, every single person will benefit.” In order to create such an environment, sales leaders need to break out of the mold and create a new company culture. To understand Christine’s story and how she’s been doing just that, be sure to listen to this episode.

The Art of Trying New Ideas in Sales Leadership

Throughout her career as a sales leader, Christine has learned how to inject new ideas into a company while also not being afraid to fail. She talks about the 3 main steps to implementing a new idea in sales team environments:

1. Know when to pivot
2. Know when to cut it off
3. Know how to adapt and change the idea

Being creative in sales is not a “copy-paste” process! You must know the strengths and weaknesses of your team before you can begin to tackle new ideas. Not every strategy will work for every company, and that’s okay! For the full explanation behind these 3 stages be sure to give this episode your full attention.

Every Sales Leader Needs to Possess These Characteristics

The best professionals in sales leadership possess the following characteristics: empathy, compassion, passion, accountability, and an ability to communicate clearly. Christine is adamant that sales leaders understand that relationships are at the foundation of every successful sales business. Without quality, respectful relationships between sales leaders, teams, and customers an organization will crumble. Elevate your sales game and check out the rest of Christine’s insights by listening to this episode.

Outline of This Episode

• [1:09] Christine Pavalon is my guest for this episode of Selling With Social
• [6:22] Christine shares her biggest challenges as a woman in top-level sales
• [13:03] The importance of challenging the system and speaking up
• [18:56] How Christine balances her career with motherhood, and the feedback she receives as a working mother
• [22:23] The best lessons for professionals in sales leadership
• [26:24] The art of trying new ideas in sales leadership
• [34:50] The top characteristics every leader needs to possess
• [39:30] When you’re looking to drive change in your business, you have to know your current pace

Resources Mentioned

• Connect with Christine on LinkedIn
• Follow Christine on Twitter: @ChristinPavalon
• Follow Avtex on Twitter: @Avtex
• Avtex company website
• Ep. 66 “How To Build A Winning Sales Career And Become A Respected Sales Leader, with Kim Green-Kerr”
• Ep. 69 “4 Ways to Improve Your Sales Leadership and Encourage Better Hiring, with Steve Benson”
• Social Business Engine Podcast – Bernie Borges

Connect with Mario!

• www.vengreso.com
• On Facebook
• On Twitter
• On YouTube
• On LinkedIn

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