“In business, women initiate negotiations four times less often than men.” – Selena Rezvani
This is just one of the startling statistics that Selena Rezvani, author, speaker, and consultant on women and leadership, shared with the Women of LiveIntent group last week.
Selena’s mission is to propel more women into leadership roles and position an inclusive workplace as a competitive advantage. For those who attended the event, it was clear that in order to implement change in the workforce, women need to use interpersonal skills and change the ubiquitous perception on negotiation. While there may be no single template for success, we came away with more-than-a-few key learnings.
Whether you missed the session or just want to find out more, here are our five favorite sound bytes (straight from the ladies of LiveIntent!):
1) Stay Persistent
“The need to not give up or feel let down when we hear a big fat no was a huge takeaway. We’re not confident enough to always act on what we honestly feel is in our own best interest after being rejected.” — Corinne Tierney, People Development Intern
2) Be Proactive About Your Salary
“Don’t wait until performance review time to negotiate a new salary. The time to ask for that raise or promotion is directly after you’ve had a big win and they’re patting you on the back. Don’t wait until monetary resources may have already been delegated for the year” — Arian Ashworth, Business Development Manager
3) Understand the Power of the Pauses
“By not filling the gap [of silence], you can give yourself space to collect your thoughts and allow the other party fill in the silence. Do this right after you make a request or hear an offer” — Ifeoluwa Olokode, Account Manager
4) Reframe Your Perception of “Negotiation”
“Women enter negotiations 4x less than men, largely because they’re worried about damaging the relationship with the person on the other end of the negotiation. But, negotiations can actually enhance relationships and elevate the other side’s opinion of you. This perspective makes negotiation seem like that much more of an essential and attractive situation” — Kaitlin Ashley, Director of Customer Success
5) Now… Amp Up Your Confidence!
“Despite women’s natural ability to be better listeners and researchers, overall, we still lack the confidence and aggressiveness to propel us ahead in the workforce. Selena gave us tactics that we can begin implementing immediately — like preparing for a meeting, and having back-up plans (both plan B & plan C!); the power of the pause after asking a client to consider a higher budget; and taking the time to learn the personality type of the person I’m meeting with to cater to their style during negotiation.” — Erica Shillingford, Ad Sales Account Executive
