Tired Kitten

I'm tired today - went to bed early last night with Rich's voice in my ear - i love that he's the last person i speak to at night and the first person i hear in the morning - but even with the early to bed last night - i'm still tired.

I have so much work to do - working on 3 different deals right now - and while i've closed over 90 deals since starting in july - and know of only 3 that weren't 'wins' - it's still hard being a girl (and not a manly girl) and telling these men how to win their deals. They don't want to hear it - so many would rather go it alone than embrace what i can do for them. While i am in 'sales' - i'm in 'sales operations' - big difference - i don't do the selling - i do the strategy behind the deals. I tell them the who how and why of these deals and then set them loose on the client...

It's a boys club in technology - and especially in software sales - and it's not easy to break in (same with anything financial - tax and audit - consulting - law). If you look like a girl and act like a girl - then they won't treat you as an equal - but if you look like a girl and act like a guy - they respect you more. I don't have a bunch of crap on my desk - a wild horses calendar (hello admin city) - pictures of kittens and puppies or any of those wretched anne geddes pictures - dried flowers, frames or knicknacks. All that crap screams please don't promote me - please view me as a coffee-fetcher...no thanks.

A few rules for surviving as a woman in a corporate shark tank:

Don't ask if you can do something - just do it. If need be - ask for forgiveness later

Don't apologize unless you truly fucked up. You can admit that things could have been 'handled' better - but don't say 'i'm sorry'

Don't fetch coffee (unless that is actually your job) - if you do it once - you'll be expected to do it again

Never admit you can type - just play dumb in that regard

Never - ever - ever cry at the office. It's the fastest way to lose respect and while people might appear to be sympathetic what they're really thinking is 'loser'. I cannot stress this enough - never cry.

Swear - you're a girl - they'll feel more comfortable around you if you sound like 'them'

Ask for what you want - and don't be apologetic - do you ever hear men say they're sorry in a work environment - rarely - don't be sorry for what you want - what deal you want to work on - etc - it shows initiative

Don't say 'i don't know' - say 'i'll find that out' or 'let me look into that' ' - huge difference

Dress for the job you want - not for the job you have

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Now, if you don't understand what i just wrote - can you get me a chai latte, thanks...

Those are just my suggestions - to each their own - good luck girls.

K