Sandler: associate Anneli Thomson (right).

At just 24-years-old, Anneli Thomson has become the youngest associate ever throughout Sandler Training’s worldwide network of 250 offices.

Having such a responsible role so early in life, with such a well-known training organisation, has to be viewed as a major achievement. However, the blonde economic history graduate discovered early on that youth doesn’t always work in your favour in the male-dominated world of sales.

Ageism

Thomson found the first obstacle she had to overcome on her career path was ageism.

She tells ModernSelling.com: ‘I set up my own company straight out of university – a website for students where local businesses targeting the student population could advertise – and people tended to think I was too young to be taken seriously.

Pictured above are: Anneli Thomson (right) with CEO Shaun Thompson and colleague Natasha Wood at Sandler Training in Chipping Norton.

Men

‘Men, particularly, didn’t seem comfortable in dealing with me. I think they thought I hadn’t been alive long enough to know what I was talking about.

‘I had a great product but I was really guessing at how to behave in the older, professional, male-dominated environment of business owners.

‘A typical example was the managing director of a large corporation who would say ‘yes’ to the proposition but didn’t do anything about it as he really meant ‘no’ – he just didn’t want to upset me!

‘It was a waste of my time – and his – and positively unhelpful.’

Sales techniques

Fortunately, any complex she may have been in danger of developing about her youth – or gender – was overcome by the Sandler sales techniques Thomson learnt during her own training with the company, which she joined in 2007.

She started at the Chipping Norton centre of Sandler around the same time as colleague Natasha Wood, 25, from Abingdon, who left her previous sales job after a woeful lack of training left her confidence at rock-bottom. She feared she might be in the wrong job and was considering another career move until she moved to Sandler.

Confidence

Wood explains: ‘Being in sales is hard, and I would be lying if I said I loved every minute of it, but I would say I have taken some amazing steps forward in confidence, not only in the sales process but in everyday life too.’

Thomson says: ‘The key thing I’ve learnt is never allow yourself self-limiting beliefs. They hold you back.’

Ironically, considering women are reputed to feel threatened by younger members of their own sex, the Sandler girls have found them to be more receptive as clients.

Thomson, who is now an associate with Sandler and has bought a stake in the company, said: ‘I find working with women much easier as they look at their issues from all angles and realise they need help in fixing them.

‘Men, typically, come to us later, after they’ve tried to fix it themselves and it has all gone drastically wrong!’

Workshops for businesswomen

After discovering they related well to fellow female clients, the two young saleswomen have set up a series of workshops for other businesswomen.

Thomson adds: ‘Being two women in business it seemed an obvious thing to do.

‘We have had bad experiences ourselves in the pat so we wanted to be able to help others who find themselves in situations we too have found ourselves in.

‘We want to send the message out that women can succeed in sales without being pushy and aggressive.’

Sales no longer male-dominated?

The chief executive officer of Sandler in Oxfordshire, Shaun Thomson thinks the girls are onto something.

He added: ‘We’re seeing a big break away from the idea that sales is male-dominated.

‘Women tend to have better listening skills so can be more successful in finding the best solutions for a client.’

Vision and commitment

From Sandler’s headquarters in America, the company’s international training director global accounts, David Hiatt adds: ‘We're so pleased to have Anneli onboard as the youngest-ever associate. Her vision and commitment give her the edge in the male-dominated world of sales.’

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