As enterprise sales director at Clari, Lynn Powers had long seen the power that building connections can have on a career — both in her own experience and for other women seeking success in tech.
“Mentoring and community support play a vital role in overcoming the challenges faced by women in tech. They contribute to a more equitable workplace for individuals and the wider community, and they have been a pivotal aspect of my professional journey,” she said.
Even as a senior leader, Powers continues to invest deeply in the community around her.
“I make sure to surround myself with large enterprise sellers who’ve handled mega deals. It’s been a two-way street — I learn from them, and I also share what I know,” she said.
Those relationships have paid off, literally. This year, Powers has already achieved 179 percent of her goal and will end the year as the top rep for the fourth consecutive year.
Despite this success, Powers knows that the industry has far to go to reach equity across genders, and she believes that investment in community goes far beyond individual success.
Powers cited a study done by Women in Revenue this year, which revealed that while a majority of members earn over $250,000 a year, 52 percent did not know if that pay represented equity to their peers and 28 percent were confident their pay was not equitable to that of their male counterparts. Powers believes that building a strong community for women in tech will help to promote transparent and equitable practices and create opportunities for all.
“Fostering a community of women in tech definitely has significant benefits, both on an individual level and for the collective success of the group,” she said.
Clari is a connected revenue operations platform that provides end-to-end sales analytics and forecasting services.
What source of community have you created or sought out as a woman in tech?
As a high-performing sales contributor at Clari, it is important to me to give back as much as I am learning. I seek out communities that not only celebrate my uniqueness but also contribute to the collective growth of women in tech. One example of this is by sitting on the board of Women in Revenue, a group of over 7,000 women professionals, which has allowed me to engage with the sales community, share insights and learn successful strategies for achieving mega deals. I also lean into my AAPI community where we can exchange resources, share common experiences and both seek and provide support.
Coming from a community that fostered growth in agriculture and industries such as tech, I am passionate about sharing the advantages of what STEM can do for adolescents and communities. To me, giving back is not only an opportunity to nurture the next generation of female sellers but also contributes to my own personal growth by challenging me and elevating me to higher standards.
Giving back is not only an opportunity to nurture the next generation of female sellers but also contributes to my own personal growth by challenging me and elevating me to higher standards.”
How do you help create opportunities for other women in tech?
I’m very passionate about the power of mentorship and collaboration, so I help bring that to the women of Clari through our employee resource group. We organize talks where successful women in our organization share their stories, giving us all a chance to learn from them and be inspired by their paths and achievements. It’s an incredibly supportive and valuable community, and co-leading it has been an impactful and rewarding experience.
