Female Security CEO Shares Challenges 'Working In A Male Dominated Industry'

As a sales engineer for Anixter for many years, I would be bothered when the integrator would only speak to me, and not the female sales rep. Although I was bringing them what I thought was valuable information, it is the sales rep who is tasked with knowing the client's business well enough to know what information they need.

The women, of course, took it in stride, stating that as long as it resulted in a sale, it was fine to be treated that way. 

I guess.

I have a thick hide... I have a lot of brothers so I had no choice.  However, it gets old.  Listen up vendors, when a female stops in your booth, she may be the owner of the business so it may be a great idea to find out WHY she's there.  Don't think for one minute that she is standing around in your booth because she wants to ask for directions  or some other idiotic notion.

I recently attended the NYC ASIS conference and was pleasantly surprised by the attention I received from the exhibitors.  So different (and way smaller) from the other shows (ISC WEST, ASIS) that I've attended and been ignored at.

And its not just me that this happens to... I met a female business owner after the ISC West show waiting for her cab (and I, for mine).  After we did our introductions she turned to me and asked me about the show.  Specifically if I felt ignored by the exhibitors because I was female.  I told her I had experienced it for years and didn't see a change on the horizon but that I duly noted the companies for future reference.  If customer service doesn't begin at the exhibits, I'm not sure that it's stressed through the company. And if that's the case, who wants to deal with that type of company?

De-certify the vendors who do that.  Make it clear that looses sales.  (This may sound militant.  It sounds downright mundane when you work for a female CIO.)