By Ms Jheri Worldwide
Staff Writer
According to Zippia.com, “The most common ethnicity among sales people is White, which makes up 56.2% of all sales people. Comparatively, 19.7% of sales people are Hispanic or Latino and 10.7% of sales people are Black or African American.” By employing a database of 30 million profiles, Zippia.com’s sales person estimates are verified against Bureau of Labor Statistics, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy.
Well over two million sales people are currently employed in America, emotional intelligence and business stamina are constantly tested, as with many avenues of the Black American experience. The resilience it takes to be in sales can be jarring to the most persistent among us. To overcome adversity in the office and out in the field can truly challenge the most patient and outgoing sales professional. Let’s look at an example.
Evelyn Smith Booker, in her book “A Winner in Spite of…”, shared about her experience as a media sales professional, “I distinctly remember the interview with the station manager. After a series of exchanges, he asked me if I felt being African American and female would negatively impact my performance on the team. I responded that I considered both to be assets, positives, and that clients were interested in once color - green - and how our reach could bring them more customers. I told him that the client’s bottom line was what kind of return they could expect from their investment … The ultimate decision was that I was their top candidate, and I was hired for the position.”
As a sales professional myself looking to make connections and grow professionally as Booker writes, “in spite of”, I sought out opportunities to be around people who looked and felt like me. People who were striving for success, like me. I asked myself, where do Black sales professionals go for support? What club do they hang out in? How can I obtain support as my career evolves, make connections towards new opportunities, and be around people who inspire and motivate me? I found the solution in National Sales Network, the Raleigh chapter, widely known as NSN Raleigh. Led by visionary Pamela Williams, this welcoming and encouraging organization meets every other month and invites dynamic speakers to enlighten and educate sales professionals to reach their potential and remain encouraged.
Full disclosure, I am a member of NSN Raleigh. Wanda McArn invited me via LinkedIn and joined after my very first visit. I’ve been privileged to witness a variety of speakers at our NSN Raleigh gatherings, but the most recent presentation was by far the best to date. Diana N. Graham, CEO of Crowned for Success Global Consulting, LLC and Army Combat Veteran, spoke to us about “The 3 C’s” which include Clarity, Communication, and Community. This engaging keynote was interactive and informative. We went home with tangible tools on how to be better in our professional roles and our capacity as community leaders. Diana has worked with organizations like City of Durham, Department of Veteran Affairs, Small Business Administration, Strayer University, North Carolina Central University, Duke University, Triangle Community Foundation, also Durham Housing Authority among many others. Her confidence and wealth of knowledge and experience shined through as she walked us through a series of exercises to strengthen our skills. I was truly inspired, also entertained!
This was exactly the type of information and support I was seeking when looking for an organization to help improve myself professionally and personally. NSN Raleigh speakers have educated us on a variety of topics from real estate investments, follow-up communication ideas, and so many other essential elements of being Black business professionals tailored to our experience and spoken in our language.
NSN is an international organization with chapters throughout the United States and in the United Kingdom. With sponsors like Johnson & Johnson, Fidelity Investments, Boston Scientific and more, joining NSN Raleigh has inspired and opened doors for me. I encourage all sales professionals or anyone looking to expand and grow their network to follow us on social media and sign up for a future meeting. Oprah Winfrey taught us, “we can’t become what we need to be by remaining what we are.” NSN is advancing sales professionals worldwide, join us!
