During our time of quarantine, you and I have probably missed a shower in the morning, forgotten to shave or even neglected to brush our teeth before delving into our to-do list. But, working from home — which is now the norm — is no excuse for giving up on your daily hygiene and beautification, especially if you’re a female entrepreneur expecting to be as fierce from your home office as you are in the boardroom.
Here are 9 tips to becoming a boss lady. Once you’ve implemented these, you’ll be part of an illustrious group of sexy women who always close the deal — no matter where they are.
1. Turn in Your Low Self-Esteem Card
No, it’s not a myth and it’s not me trying to surrender to the patriarchy. Women suffer from a severe lack of self-esteem. It’s been documented. Women apply for a job only if they meet 100 percent of the qualifications while men are at ease applying even when they meet 60 percent of the criteria. According to a 2014 Harvard Business Review blog, citing a statistic from an HP report, women don’t have enough faith that they can land on their feet. They are insecure.
The writer, Tara Sophia Morr, writes about how her experience in corporate America helped her conclude that “major decisions were made and resources were allocated based not on good data or thoughtful reflection, but based on who had … the chutzpah to propose big plans.”
Men cash in on this every time.
Men have a natural cockiness about their capabilities, even without merit. So, if you don’t have high self-esteem to take the leap and build the parachute on the way down, you’ll miss out on some big wins. What’s more, you’ll never become a successful closer. Reclaiming you self-esteem is the first step to becoming a boss lady.
2. Look and Feel the Part
My brother and I own a small business lending firm called Global Business Lending where we spend our day on the phone, closing business owners on investments from private lenders.
One of our best closers used to spend hours getting ready before she came in to work. Tailored suits, immaculate makeup and high heel pumps gave her an edge. We all took shots at her about it but it was her “secret sauce.” It radiated through her phone conversations and through her body language.
Stylists have claimed a new outfit or a new hairstyle make women walk with greater confidence. It’s true. Much of a woman’s self-esteem can be attributed to how she feels outwardly. Whoever tells you otherwise knows very little about a woman’s psyche.
In the book “The Beauty Bias: The Injustice of Appearance in Life and Law,” Deborah Rhode claims that 90 percent of the women she interviewed for her research believed appearance to be important for the whole picture they create about themselves. Her book sought to debunk the myth of beauty in workplace advancement but instead it appeared that women gave themselves more permission to be powerful when they looked the part.
Dress to the nines. Get your nails, hair, suit, face on point — even at home!
3. Power Pose Daily
Amy Cuddy is a research professor at Harvard University who gave a TED talk on how certain body positions are “high power” or “low power.” The more open and relaxed poses are high power while the more closed and guarded postures are low power. Throughout history, leaders have most often been men. Again, we can blame it on the patriarchy but why not look at how hormones work?
Powerful leaders tend to have higher levels of testosterone and lower levels of cortisol. Higher levels of testosterone tend to increase feelings of confidence and low cortisol can decrease one’s anxiety.
If you’re a man, you may have an advantage in these hormone levels. So, you are more biologically primed to be assertive, confident, relaxed and less reactive to stress.
To get ahead, a woman MUST boost her testosterone with a sexy pose.
Do what Amy Cuddy says.
- Perform a wonder-woman pose a minute before a big meeting.
- Do the victory pose before you get on the phone to close a deal.
- Stand up and open your chest cavity before a negotiation.
4. Leverage Your Contacts
Women are social beings. So, why aren’t you using that skill to get ahead? While Morr hailed chutzpah as what allows for big plans to come to fruition, she also notes relationship building as just as vital.
Ladies, this is something you do naturally. So, tell me again why you’re not use your networking skills to catapult yourself to a new level in biz?
The advice is — don’t second guess yourself. You have nothing to lose. Place the phone call. Set the meeting. Blow it out of the water. Then, set a date for a follow up meeting.
Use your innate ability of relationship-nurturing to close the deal. That’s sexy!
5. Don’t Over-talk
That’s fair. We’re good to go. Correct. Not gonna happen.
Short, punchy phrases are a women’s best friend in business.
Lois Frankel, the author of “Nice Girls Don’t Get the Corner Office,” talks about how over-explaining is one of the worst qualities that women have in business. Women are communicators and it’s a great thing. But, as a closer, you need to exhibit a great deal of control with your words. This means, you must master the art of precise language and then silence.
Frankel says women should make a clear, concise sales pitch by chopping down explanations. Avoid rambling. State one main point and 2-3 supporting statements. Then, breathe to accept the silence. This is a magic cue for the other party to respond. In the art of the close, the first person to respond is the weaker of the two.
6. Use Your Eyes
It is a well-known fact that women are far more meticulous than men. This trait will get you further than a man who handles tasks with hurriedness and too much of a cavalier attitude. Look sharp. Have a laser-focus when examining spreadsheets, line items and affidavits. Read everything. Catch errors and find loopholes. Your eyes are your sexiest feature.
7. Use Your Charm
Men underestimate women. So, use it.
Enter a room, Zoom or in person, with a winning smile. Your charm will drive male decision makers wild. Crack a joke and insert a womanly laugh to lighten the mood when things get tense.
Dress your best. Men respond to sex and your fellow women love a fierce-looking lady who they can aspire to be like.
8. Don’t Apologize
Are you one of those women who have this bad little habit of saying you’re sorry? For no reason at all. You enter a conversation uninvited. You’re sorry. You leave a meeting early. You’re sorry. You disagree with a client. You’re sorry.
Stop it….now! There are many more painful things to rue in life. Being a boss lady is not one of them.
Lisa Leslie, former WNBA star now turned luxury realtor, claims that she hates apologies. Women are socialized to apologize in daily situations to reduce conflict. Leslie says to save “I’m sorry” for real mistakes. If you’re just trying to empathize, say “That’s regrettable.”
9. Don’t End Statements with a Question
Women speak in a higher tone than men. Without thinking, you may inflect upward when stating a clear, matter-of-fact thought. It sounds like you’re seeking approval. Instead, engage your diaphragm when you speak. Don’t inflect upward too often when you’re trying to close a deal.
Trust me. If you use these nine strategies, you’ll be on your way to becoming a better closer than any of the men in your industry. Rock what you got and ride your femininity straight to the top.
