The Forum Will Equip Promising Young Professionals with the Skills Needed to be Successful Leaders

October 2, 2018 – Vienna, Va. -The Institute for Excellence in Sales (IES) announced today the organization’s first Women in Sales (WiS) Leadership Forum. The inaugural program will consist of six leader-led sessions over a fourth month period from November to February in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.  The Leadership Forum is a first-of-its-kind program as the only non-corporate initiative aimed at advancing women as sales leaders.

According to a report from Gartner, the percentage of women in frontline sales management has remained flat for more than ten years. However, with more women than men graduating from college each year and more college courses offered in sales, now is a critical time for more companies to hire and develop women into critical selling and management positions. In response to this growing need, the IES developed the WiS Leadership Forum as a resource for companies to help promising, promotable young women reach their career goals.

The Forum will help employers motivate and retain talented women by providing an environment that will challenge and educate them to build on their current sales abilities and step into leadership roles.

Anne Altman

“The WiS Leadership Forum is a great program that will help talented, successful female sales professionals grow as leaders in the business communities they serve,” said Anne Altman, Former General Manager, US Federal and Government Industries, IBM Federal and Co-Founder, Everyone Matters, Inc. “The curriculum, coaching and group work are perfectly geared to help companies motivate and elevate their top performers with leadership aspirations.”

The WiS Leadership Forum aims to serve as a transformative experience for participants by providing lessons on cultivating their own personal leadership style, leveraging their innate strengthens while uncovering new abilities, and the importance of developing strong personal and professional networks that will enable their success as a sales leader.  IES has secured prominent women sales and thought leaders who will share their expertise in experiential formats and will include team exercises, peer-to-peer learning and one-on-one coaching opportunities.

“IES Corporate Members, who operate some of the top business to business sales teams, have asked the IES to develop and launch this program for some time now as they look for more ways to retain and elevate high-potential talent,” said Fred Diamond, President and Co-Founder, Institute for Excellence in Sales. “The curriculum and program the team has developed will help companies grow their most talented sales professionals.”

The WiS Leadership Forum is open to all female sales professionals looking to advance into sales leadership or enhance their leadership skills. Applications for the program’s first class are now being accepted. If employers have women on their team they would like to submit for consideration, or if this seems like you or a colleague, please visit here.

IES is also offering a limited number of corporations the opportunity to show their support of women through sponsorship of the Forum.   To learn more about these exciting opportunities, click here.

If you have any questions regarding the WiS Leadership Forum, please contact Gina Stracuzzi, Women in Sales Program Director at womeninsales@i4esbd.org.

About the Institute for Excellence in Sales

The IES provides a wealth of services to sales leaders and their teams at companies large and small throughout the Mid-Atlantic region and across the U.S. It is an unbiased and trusted partner for the delivery of sales programs, speakers, training, services and products. Contact the IES at www.i4esbd.org. A complete list of upcoming IES programs can be found here.

About the IES Women in Sales Program

The IES Women in Sales (WiS) program helps female sales professionals become part of a strong, supportive community, grow their trusted networks, develop business, and grow as sales leaders. WiS provides members with a collaborative and motivational community within which to explore and discuss issues and challenges, as well as current, trending topics of interest to saleswomen in the workplace.