Saleswoman Spotlight

Kathleen Steffey

December  2009

How did you get started in sales?

Like most people, I fell into sales by default. I have been in recruiting my entire career and there is a very strong sales component in this type of profession. 

 As the CEO of Naviga Business Services, how does your experience in sales help your company?

I grew Naviga from the ground up, independently.  I didn’t have a sales person reporting to me during the first years of the company; the sales person was me.  I used all of my sales skills in order to start and grow my company.  I continue to use my sales skills every day in my business life.

Tell me about one of your most rewarding sales.

One of my most rewarding sales was probably my first sale after starting my own business.   I remember taking such pride in seeking the prospect, nurturing the prospect and then executing to close the deal properly with my recruiting services provided.  After achieving my first deal, it gave me the confidence and foresight that I was going to thrive in running my business and that “I can do this”!  That first deal was critical in the emotional aspect of starting Naviga.  It gave me confidence and poise. 

How do you continue to keep yourself motivated?

It doesn’t take much to keep me motivated.  I am self-driven and get a rise just by waking up in the morning.  I like to achieve, make things happen, see that my customer’s are very satisfied and care for my family.  All of these areas give me self-pressure to keep on course and stay motivated.

On a scale of 1-10 how competitive are you?  Do you think this trait has played a role in your success?

I think I’m very competitive but I’m not “in your face”.  I would rate myself an 8 or 9.  My biggest competitor exists within my own brain and when I look in the mirror.  I’m very hard on myself and constantly analyze how I can do things better. 

What do you find most frustrating about sales?

When you do all the right things and it just doesn’t happen.  But that’s sales!  Sometimes the cards just won’t fall my way and that’s why I have to off-set this frustration by numbers, numbers, numbers and even more so, with creativity and gumption!

At all of the sales jobs I have had, there is usually about 20-35% of the staff that is women. Has this been your experience as well and why do you think it is so?

Yes.  If I look at the entire population of sales professionals in Naviga’s recruiting network across North America, less than 20% are women.  This is a result from the sheer lack of number of women who are in the sales profession.  My personal and professional opinion:  When you’re in the sales profession, you are required to conduct a lot of travel to see your customers.   The make-up of a household with a family requires one of the spouses/partners to be accessible to their home for the children’s daily lives.  Right or wrong, as a result of this, the responsibility still remains to fall mostly on women. This is the strong reality for every single professional woman I know. 

In sales, the higher you move up in the organization and grow your career, the more responsibility you have geographically.  You begin to lead multiple territories, which means more travel is required across North America and less time at the home front.   It’s a tough career to maintain and juggle.  Many women can do it and be successful at it but most can’t or have any desire to do so.  If I had to be more specific about the sales career levels; the volume of women sales professionals in the marketplace is higher from 0-7 years of experience out of University. After 7 years of professional sales experience, you see a significant decrease in women sales professionals.  And there we lie with the lack of numbers for professional sales women. 

However, there is a light at the end of the tunnel.  Because the world is becoming increasingly flat with progressive technology capabilities, the role of a sales person, despite gender, is slowly changing.  There are many ways to touch customers remotely, with web presentations and video conferences, which allow for less time on the runway.  I have started to notice this more and more, which is allowing for more women to stay active in the sales profession. 

You are in a very interesting position as CEO of a recruiting company that mostly focuses on sales. In your experience, has the demand for saleswomen increased compared with a few years ago?

I haven’t seen an overall trend in the demand to hire more women.  I see a consistent need to hire a successful sales person and if they happen to be a woman, great!   I do have pockets of customers that require us to find women to hire.  I also have customers who advise that women do better in some industries then men and this is based on the type of audience they are soliciting.

What makes you successful?

I believe Integrity, drive, flexibility and being nimble are the difference.  Showing strong integrity, not only for you, but to your family, friends or profession is critical.  Drive is also essential.  I never give up without trying every possible solution that can make things better.   I’ve never been an “idea girl” and not followed-through and made my ideas happen.   Flexibility is essential when having three young girls and running a business.  There’s a part of me that just learns to go with the flow because I know that everything will be just fine.  And finally, I’m nimble.  What can I say?  I’m quick.  I move with the changes quickly and make adjustments along the way.  I know how to juggle things and don’t get overwhelmed.

Tell us something about yourself that not a lot of people know?

I never know how to answer this question when this is asked of me because no one knows anything about me.  I like carbs for comfort food!