July 26, 2021

2 min read + 15 min watch

Welcome back to The Weekly Pitch! Our newsletter covers the stories and insights that matter most to the sales community.

Today's issue is unique. We're skipping a Feature Story this week to focus on the Leaderboard in our first-ever video format. We had the privilege of interviewing Gia DeRose, Hootsuite's new Senior Director of Sales Productivity.

Let's open with our chart of the week.

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Research from CEB (now part of Gartner) shows that women make up less than half of all entry-level sales positions globally.

Only three in ten frontline sales managers are women. Even worse, only one in five women rise to the upper mid-management to executive ranks.  

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Leaderboard – Gia DeRose

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Meet the sales leader with the most incredible title in the world. Gia DeRose is the Senior Director of Sales Productivity at Hootsuite and leads two critical teams – sales development and sales enablement.

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And she's doing a lot of hiring, so listen in to see which exciting roles she's looking to fill.

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We also talked about her rise up the leadership ranks and how women and men both play a role in encouraging better representation across the sales organization.

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We marked a few of our favorite quotes.

• On similarities between a basketball team and a high-performing sales org:

"Top performers want to up-level everyone around them."

• On why more women may not be applying to sales jobs:

"If women don't meet 80% of the criteria on a job description, they won't even apply. For men, it's only 30%."

• On how men can amplify women voices in meetings:

"Be an ally and don't be afraid to give a +1 publicly."

• On what happens when you learn her secret to overcoming the biggest challenge in SaaS and tech sales:

"This allows you to (work and) move at the speed of light."

• On one of her favorite themes from Radical Candor:

"Friction is ok and should be celebrated."

Here's a table of contents with all the highlights:

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1:07-1:55: How great sales organizations are like winning basketball teams.

2:19-2:55: What goes into leading a "sales productivity" function?

3:45-5:23: Gia's rise from individual contributor to leadership.

5:48-7:08: The biggest challenge in SaaS and tech sales and the secret to overcoming it.

8:07-11:16: How can we get more women into sales and sales leadership?

12:03-12:52: Gia is hiring for leadership, strategic, and individual roles!

13:15-14:22: Gia makes several book and podcast recommendations.

14:55-15:08: How to follow and reach out to Gia.

‍Click here or on the image above to watch on YouTube

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Before we go, here are a few resources to check out:

• 9 Women Sales Leaders You Need to Follow Right Now

• Why Women Make A+ Sales Leaders

• How to Help Close the Gender Gap in Sales Leadership

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