Cynthia Barnes Becomes First-Ever Black Woman to Keynote Nation’s Largest Sales Conference

In a primarily male-dominated industry, there is a woman working to change the landscape for Black women by breaking glass ceilings and striving for more.

Cynthia Barnes, the internationally recognized women in sales expert, is the first Black woman to keynote the nation’s largest conference in the sales profession. The OutBound 2022 conference attracts over 2000 attendees from across the globe and features the world’s most respected speakers and trainers.

"Representation matters,” explains Barnes, founder and CEO of the National Association of Women Sales Professionals (NAWSP). “We can’t be what we can’t see. While more women of color are entering sales, most sales teams and leadership remain white and male. I'm so excited to show those who look like me that their gender or race is not a roadblock to success."?

As a Top Sales Influencer, Barnes has spent the past two decades studying what it takes for women sales professionals to excel, helping to close the gender gap in sales, and explaining why it is so crucial for women of color to rise through the ranks.

"When I took the stage, I could only think of young women and girls who had never seen a Black female sales leader. Young girls whose only exposure to Black women is what they see in music videos and TV. I know my representation matters because it helps build self-esteem and provides validation and support for young women and girls who look like me.”

The announcement comes just in time to celebrate “Women in Sales Month” during the month of October. Barnes also celebrates the month by speaking at several sales kickoff meetings and women’s employee resource groups (ERGs), encouraging and empowering women in sales to have the confidence to remove the limits of what they can accomplish and take their place at any table they choose.

To learn more about Cynthia Barnes, visit nawsp.org.

ABOUT CYNTHIA BARNES

Cynthia Barnes has appeared in over 250 media publications, including The Wall Street Journal and the Salesforce+ series, Think Outside the Quota. She's a 2X Salesforce Top Influencer, LinkedIn Top Sales Influencer, LinkedIn Top Voice, and thought leader on Women in Sales. Cynthia is the founder of the National Association of Women Sales Professionals (NAWSP) and the first Black female keynote speaker at the nation’s largest sales conference.