Christine Härtel wants more women in sales

Christine Härtel loves working with her customers. After spending most of her life in the retail textile industry, successfully running her own business for many years, she has now been working in sales for ERGO in Göttingen for the last ten years. She feels very strongly about women in sales.

“You need a great deal of flexibility to work in sales”, says Christine Härtel. The 52-year-old is a broker at ERGO in Göttingen and knows what she is talking about. “In sales insurance you come across hoards of men”, recounts Härtel. “It is not always easy for women.” Therefore, she realized that to be successful “a huge amount of discipline was required. You can’t get something out of nothing!”

The job in sales suits her well

She knew right from the start that working in sales was just the thing for her. “I love the exchange with my customers”, says Härtel. “Turning a new customer into an all-round customer with whom I keep in regular contact and who sends me a message on Sundays if he has a problem – that is pure professional luck.” She has been enjoying this luck for ten years now. That is how long she has been working as a broker at the ERGO regional head office of Ulf Himme. You have to be flexible to reconcile work and family. “In addition, you have to be well organised”, says the mother of three with a dog. “I am glad that I was and still am being supported by my parents in this respect.”

In Härtel’s opinion woman should have much greater support in sales. “It is becoming increasingly important to reach customers at an emotional level”, says the 52-year-old. “Women have the ideal prerequisites for this.”

More women power in sales

Christine Härtel advises young women to listen to their inner voice. “Find out what demands you have on your profession and what expectations. Listen to your inner voice to see whether you have the ideal qualities.” This is the only way to find the right profession in which you can find happiness. “What a joke it would be if there were no other great women also wanting to work with us in sales”, says Härtel.