February 7, 2008
"Glass Ceilings" are to be Broken
Sheri McConnell, www.sherimcconnell.com, spoke about the “glass ceiling” in internet marketing in her blog of January 22, 2008.
Yes, I think that there is a glass ceiling, but it is definitely shatterable, more easily than in offline , brick and mortar business. Internet marketing is newer, largely populated by individual/small business. These business are flexible, sleeker, make and implement decisions faster, and are more open to differences.
A highly acclaimed and really wonderful internet marketer/speaker confided at a seminar that I attended that he and other successful people look for others like themselves. They do this, not to close ranks, but to make it easier to judge the morals and values of others. It’s kind of like buying brand name products. If they also have a couple of kids at home with a wife that leads (or follows) the “home” front, they can more easily relate. If he then shares a story that could have happened in his house, he feels safe that he can trust this person. By the way, I’m not defending this; I’m understanding it.
Look, you know, as soon as you become a little successful or even smell of success, people gravitate to you. Many of the women that attend these conferences are “newbies”, not clear on how to proceed yet; that’s why they are there. The big guys are polite, but distant. They are with the men also, but not as much. Because, percentage wise, the men take action more quickly. Now I may be all wet on that; I pulled that statistic out of the air.
On the other side of the coin: Women are less likely to toot their own horn. Less of them. We women also gravitate to the men more readily. We find it hard to believe how successful some of us are. On top of that, because so many of us are doing internet marketing to be at home, we are less likely, less often to attend seminars. Many of us are at home caretaking someone while we're making a bundle on the internet. So, we are less visible. And visibility increases credibility – assuming we make effective presentations.
Sheri says that she couldn’t get any from a dozen men she asked to speak at her “My Millionaire Friends.” (Do you have to be an Internet Millionaire, or just a Millionaire.)
I assume she did some creative approaches to interest these speakers. i.e. Finding out their favorite charity and making a donation, or sending their favorite kind of pizza, etc. I do know that the men do such things to make a connections they value. They also, even when they have established a large reputation, pay for the coaching of someone they feel can teach them. That’s how they make business/personal relationships.
Also, to get them to speak, you would need (and I’m sure you did) promise them a large and receptive audience so that they can make money selling their product at the back of the room. Also, when there's a 2nd and 3rd Annual Conference, all speakers are more open to presenting. Yes, I know you know this Sheri. It's that the women were more receptive, you say. I agree. First of all we have less opportunities, and it's probably more our nature.
I have met some really awesome men in internet marketing that are sensitive to women — to the extent that a man can be aware/sensitive. It isn’t their strongest suit, but they try.
When I get my audio links up on this site, Sheri would definitely be an interesting person to interview.
She says in her blog,"I think I will be renaming my new company My Millionaire Friends to My Millionaire GIRLfriends soon since the boys don’t want to come out and play anyway." My Millionaire GIRLfriends has a nice ring to it.
And without being political, I wonder what a difference it would make, if Hillary Rodham Clinton were elected. A woman president – would it make a difference?
Filed under Blog by Merle_Singer
