Comments on: The secret life of salesgirls http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/03/13/the-secret-life-of-salesgirls/ Advice at the intersection of work and life Sun, 08 Nov 2009 06:47:54 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: Plastic surgery is the next must-have career tool. Maybe. » Brazen Careerist by Penelope Trunk http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/03/13/the-secret-life-of-salesgirls/comment-page-1/#comment-142383 Plastic surgery is the next must-have career tool. Maybe. » Brazen Careerist by Penelope Trunk Tue, 08 Apr 2008 13:25:30 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/03/13/the-secret-life-of-salesgirls/#comment-142383 [...] 1. Stay out of sales and management. These areas are where tall, good-looking people have the strongest advantage in objective performance measures, according to a study by management professors Daniel Cable, of the University of North Carolina, and Timothy Judge of University of Florida. This makes sense to me because leadership is so much about charisma, and charisma is so much about looks. And it makes sense that people will buy more stuff from you if they are attracted to you. (Hence the huge industry of turning cheerleaders into salesgirls.) [...] [...] 1. Stay out of sales and management. These areas are where tall, good-looking people have the strongest advantage in objective performance measures, according to a study by management professors Daniel Cable, of the University of North Carolina, and Timothy Judge of University of Florida. This makes sense to me because leadership is so much about charisma, and charisma is so much about looks. And it makes sense that people will buy more stuff from you if they are attracted to you. (Hence the huge industry of turning cheerleaders into salesgirls.) [...]

]]> By: Eight Things to do in College to be Successful in Your Career | AskStudent http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/03/13/the-secret-life-of-salesgirls/comment-page-1/#comment-141559 Eight Things to do in College to be Successful in Your Career | AskStudent Sun, 06 Apr 2008 14:19:46 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/03/13/the-secret-life-of-salesgirls/#comment-141559 [...] Cheerleaders do better in business than everyone else except athletes, who do as well as cheerleaders. So be a joiner. Figure out how to work in teams and how to exude enthusiasm even in the face of bad news. And, when it comes to building networks, a fraternity is a ready-made network of people who are generally similar to you, so get started in college, when it feels more like a party than a network. [...] [...] Cheerleaders do better in business than everyone else except athletes, who do as well as cheerleaders. So be a joiner. Figure out how to work in teams and how to exude enthusiasm even in the face of bad news. And, when it comes to building networks, a fraternity is a ready-made network of people who are generally similar to you, so get started in college, when it feels more like a party than a network. [...]

]]> By: James Castro http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/03/13/the-secret-life-of-salesgirls/comment-page-1/#comment-100927 James Castro Thu, 05 Jul 2007 16:56:11 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/03/13/the-secret-life-of-salesgirls/#comment-100927 There seem to be two subjects here. One is the suitability of cheerleaders for sales jobs; the other is the use of attractive young women to sway sales decisions. Cheerleaders come in two sexes, lest we forget. Many American politicians were cheerleaders in college, including Presidents Eisenhower, Bush (G.W.), and Roosevelt (F.D.R.). Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a high-school cheerleader. What successful cheerleaders have in common is the ability to communicate enthusiasm, which is an important trait for both leadership and sales work. Therefore it should not be surprising that former cheerleaders of either sex make great sales reps. The use of cute young women to sell goods to gullible men is a separate issue. It is a sleazy practice, but it should not surprise anyone that such things happen in competitive industries. * * * * * <em>Great point about the male cheerleaders. And great examples of how they, too, have personalities for success.</em> <em>Penelope </em> There seem to be two subjects here. One is the suitability of cheerleaders for sales jobs; the other is the use of attractive young women to sway sales decisions.
Cheerleaders come in two sexes, lest we forget. Many American politicians were cheerleaders in college, including Presidents Eisenhower, Bush (G.W.), and Roosevelt (F.D.R.). Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a high-school cheerleader. What successful cheerleaders have in common is the ability to communicate enthusiasm, which is an important trait for both leadership and sales work. Therefore it should not be surprising that former cheerleaders of either sex make great sales reps.
The use of cute young women to sell goods to gullible men is a separate issue. It is a sleazy practice, but it should not surprise anyone that such things happen in competitive industries.

* * * * *

Great point about the male cheerleaders. And great examples of how they, too, have personalities for success.

Penelope

]]> By: Manny http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/03/13/the-secret-life-of-salesgirls/comment-page-1/#comment-89153 Manny Thu, 14 Jun 2007 03:15:26 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/03/13/the-secret-life-of-salesgirls/#comment-89153 Well, that's just dandy for those of us who aren't 19 and don't look like Katie Holmes. Much as it must be a shock to hear it, other women exist. Well, that's just dandy for those of us who aren't 19 and don't look like Katie Holmes. Much as it must be a shock to hear it, other women exist.

]]> By: jim http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/03/13/the-secret-life-of-salesgirls/comment-page-1/#comment-88338 jim Tue, 12 Jun 2007 13:54:03 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/03/13/the-secret-life-of-salesgirls/#comment-88338 I agree that HR wagons circle the company. I have worked for defense contractors and a major airline. The year 2006 saw the peak (at the time of report) of harrassment in the work place against males. The sexual harrassment I experienced was too brazen to report on this blog. All I can say is that it went far beyond verbal. There was alot of full body contact on the part of the females. They have gotten away with it for so long that it was just one of those things. HR will only do what it has to to protect the company and keep the money rolling in. If worker productivity falls because of the harrassment, then that is the only time we see videos on harrassment prevention or have the long lectures. In my work capacities, I have seen extreme harrassment from the bottom to the top. Supervisors marrying employees and "group relations" while on the job getting paid for it was very common. Some were targeted more than others. If you were nice looking to them, it became very bad. My career was actually destroyed because I did not participate in the "relations". I did not report the harrassment. The harrassment also happened to female employees, but there seemed to be some understanding that it would only go as far as the female wished (for the most part that is). The males didn't have that luxury. The female with the "personal mishap" requiring medication was still a wild gun in the workplace. Penelope's advice seems like a real world advice. I agree that HR wagons circle the company. I have worked for defense contractors and a major airline. The year 2006 saw the peak (at the time of report) of harrassment in the work place against males. The sexual harrassment I experienced was too brazen to report on this blog. All I can say is that it went far beyond verbal. There was alot of full body contact on the part of the females. They have gotten away with it for so long that it was just one of those things. HR will only do what it has to to protect the company and keep the money rolling in. If worker productivity falls because of the harrassment, then that is the only time we see videos on harrassment prevention or have the long lectures. In my work capacities, I have seen extreme harrassment from the bottom to the top. Supervisors marrying employees and "group relations" while on the job getting paid for it was very common. Some were targeted more than others. If you were nice looking to them, it became very bad. My career was actually destroyed because I did not participate in the "relations". I did not report the harrassment. The harrassment also happened to female employees, but there seemed to be some understanding that it would only go as far as the female wished (for the most part that is). The males didn't have that luxury. The female with the "personal mishap" requiring medication was still a wild gun in the workplace. Penelope's advice seems like a real world advice.

]]> By: William http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/03/13/the-secret-life-of-salesgirls/comment-page-1/#comment-88310 William Tue, 12 Jun 2007 12:59:48 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/03/13/the-secret-life-of-salesgirls/#comment-88310 sex sells and sexy women sell more than frumpy chicks. sex sells and sexy women sell more than frumpy chicks.

]]> By: If You Think You Have to be a Cheerleader to Get a Pharmaceutical Sales Job, You Don’t Stand a Chance · Pharmaceutical Sales http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/03/13/the-secret-life-of-salesgirls/comment-page-1/#comment-50421 If You Think You Have to be a Cheerleader to Get a Pharmaceutical Sales Job, You Don’t Stand a Chance · Pharmaceutical Sales Fri, 30 Mar 2007 22:57:00 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/03/13/the-secret-life-of-salesgirls/#comment-50421 [...] Gimme an Rx! Cheerleaders Pep Up Drug Sales from the New York Times The secret life of salesgirls by Penelope Trunk [...] [...] Gimme an Rx! Cheerleaders Pep Up Drug Sales from the New York Times The secret life of salesgirls by Penelope Trunk [...]

]]> By: geeks and cheerleaders « booktruck.org http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/03/13/the-secret-life-of-salesgirls/comment-page-1/#comment-43622 geeks and cheerleaders « booktruck.org Thu, 15 Mar 2007 17:59:17 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/03/13/the-secret-life-of-salesgirls/#comment-43622 [...] There’s also a growing number of media studies of women in service jobs, namely, the recent fascination with cheerleaders-turned-drug reps. We can and should read ourselves into these types of stories, even if there are rarely cheerleaders-turned-librarians. The Times feature brings up many points, such as the prevalence of sexual harassment in the field. The Brazen Careerist picked up on this story, with her own take on gender in sales and service jobs. I find her frank take on sexual harassment informative, if a little horrifying. I’m willing to admit that I’m fascinated by Penelope Trunk and her brand of career advice, and her closing bit to the cheerleader article is something that  ambitious librarians should keep in mind, despite its emphasis on attractiveness.“Outgoing, good-looking women can have great careers in sales — or anywhere else they want to go. So go into the workforce with talent and ambition and create the life you want. Really.”  [...] [...] There's also a growing number of media studies of women in service jobs, namely, the recent fascination with cheerleaders-turned-drug reps. We can and should read ourselves into these types of stories, even if there are rarely cheerleaders-turned-librarians. The Times feature brings up many points, such as the prevalence of sexual harassment in the field. The Brazen Careerist picked up on this story, with her own take on gender in sales and service jobs. I find her frank take on sexual harassment informative, if a little horrifying. I'm willing to admit that I'm fascinated by Penelope Trunk and her brand of career advice, and her closing bit to the cheerleader article is something that  ambitious librarians should keep in mind, despite its emphasis on attractiveness."Outgoing, good-looking women can have great careers in sales — or anywhere else they want to go. So go into the workforce with talent and ambition and create the life you want. Really."  [...]

]]> By: dmiessler.com | grep understanding knowledge http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/03/13/the-secret-life-of-salesgirls/comment-page-1/#comment-43213 dmiessler.com | grep understanding knowledge Wed, 14 Mar 2007 19:51:27 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/03/13/the-secret-life-of-salesgirls/#comment-43213 [...] It’s not really strange, if you think about it. I find it interesting because it shows how reality doesn’t care about PC. Some people have massive advantages, others don’t. Attractive, outgoing women will likely succeed…at life in general. They’ll get the most powerful men, they’ll be given more free stuff, they’ll get out of more tickets…the list goes on. [...] [...] It's not really strange, if you think about it. I find it interesting because it shows how reality doesn't care about PC. Some people have massive advantages, others don't. Attractive, outgoing women will likely succeed…at life in general. They'll get the most powerful men, they'll be given more free stuff, they'll get out of more tickets…the list goes on. [...]

]]> By: laurence haughton http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/03/13/the-secret-life-of-salesgirls/comment-page-1/#comment-43167 laurence haughton Wed, 14 Mar 2007 17:59:15 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/03/13/the-secret-life-of-salesgirls/#comment-43167 There are many (well-researched) reasons that women excel at marketing and sales beyond looks. According to Dr. Bernard Rosebnbaum's study "Women have an edge in five of the seven emerging sales competencies." But I'm not discounting your point. One of the most insightful leaders I found researching my book was a former Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader (with a business degree). There are many (well-researched) reasons that women excel at marketing and sales beyond looks.
According to Dr. Bernard Rosebnbaum's study "Women have an edge in five of the seven emerging sales competencies."
But I'm not discounting your point. One of the most insightful leaders I found researching my book was a former Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader (with a business degree).

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