As a woman going into a male-dominated career, you will need more than “I be woman o” to succeed there.

I found myself in car sales and chuckled at how easy it would be to catwalk into the dealership with my Steve Madden shoes and nice outfits. I thought that I could sit and

Customers will elbow each other to come to me and beg for my business, but I was wrong.

Day 1: I was interviewed by one of the sales managers, a Moroccan man who said he saw how ambitious I was. He put words to thecorporate and got me hired.

Day 15: My first day of training as a saleswoman. I wasn’t allowed to sell a car yet until a week after but I was left there to learn on my own and get ready for the big week. I was asked to watch 30 hours of video about the car brand. If I pass, then I could start selling.

Day 16: I watched as the men marched up and down, in and out of the dealership with customers. Some sold cars, some didn’t but that was the business. The top salesman was Sierra Leone. Let’s call him John. He used to sell 40-45 cars a month and I wanted to learn how he did it.

The second salesman was a Jamaican and he was very busy and competitive. Let’s call him Chris. He desperately wanted to sell like John and I wanted to be like them. Their customers were mostly referrals and repeat customers, so how would I even measure up?

Day 18: I walked up to them sitting together and having lunch, introduced myself and struck a conversation, and listened to every word they said. I was the only saleswoman on the floor and they weren’t bothered that I could steal their deals, rather they said to me, “follow me.”

I did! I followed them like a puppy from corner to corner while watching how they interacted with their customers. I learned how they pitched and closed deals. Sometimes, they would tell their curious customers that I was trainin. That eased them up.

Day 19: my fancy shoes were already giving up and my feet hurt like hell. They were designed for long and brisk walks. I needed to catch up with these men so sometimes I had to jog a little because they walked so fast. They had waiting customers and didn’t have a second to spare.

On my way home one evening, I went to a shoe store and bought some New Balance sneakers and flat dress shoes.

If I was going to sell 42 cars at the busiest dealership in New England, I would have to leave my pump heel shoes at home.

Day 20: I was ready but also in pain from the stress of yesterday But one of my trainers chuckled and said, “ I have always wanted to tell you about your shoes but I didn’t know how you would take it.”

I spent 4 days with them but learned a month’s worth of lessons. I felt ready but still needed their guidance. By Monday, the GM announced in the morning meeting that I was going on the floor, and that he’s expecting me to crush balls. There were lots of vulgar lingos I had

to learn too.

Honestly, I didn’t know what I was doing but when my first customer came, Chris whispered with a smile, “if you need help come to me.”
I kept walking back and forth with no idea of what I was doing. Everything I learned flew off the window. I was so nervous that I

felt like throwing up. Everyone could see it and the other salemen kept laughing in a corner where they gathered to watch me close a deal. It was embarrassing but I wasn’t about to go home without a sale, so I walked up to Chris and asked for help.

He stood up immediately, took my papers, glanced at it and led me to the podium to greet the “big dogs” who would “work” the numbers for me. I watched as did the math, argued a little over the numbers then threw the paper at me while telling Chris and I, “I need this deal!”

I needed the deal too! I had 2 hours to close and hadn't sold a car on my first day and I was already feeling like a failure. Chris and I went back to the customer and I watched him wrap up the deal for me. He noticed that the customer was about to leave and even told her

that it was my first day and it would be kind If I could earn her business. The woman looked at me, smiled and said, “okay. It’s a deal.”

We shook hands, and I felt the pressure off my neck. I had just sold my first car, thanks to Chris.

I would spend the next coming days

still learning from these guys when I didn’t have customers.

Month 1: I sold 16 cars while 12 was the required minimum.
Month 2: I sold 18
Month 3: I sold 25

I got better by the day but never sold 42 cars till I left. However, I was #5 among 22 salesmen. I earned my keep.

Till I left the dealership, I was never treated like a lady. If men got yelled out, I wasn’t spared. If men were celebrated, I was cheered too. When another lady joined the team, I was happy.

If you want to make it, discard the gender card and put in the work.

Forgive the typos. I have always wanted to share this story and was so carried away.

Here’s a breakdown of what I used to do:

1. Find the car.
2. Convince the customer to buy it.
3 Drive it to the basement and tell the cleaners to “spot” it.
4. Swap plates if needed and get it registered by the next business day.
5. Deliver it to the customer (present it).

I had a screw driver and a power drill in my locker. I had screws that fit metal plates and I had the tools to remove rusted screws.

No one was going to do all these for me.