How many women do you guys have working in your dealerships? What job titles do they hold? Do you find it useful or a pain to have women on the job? Are their any women business owners out there in the Custom A/V industry?

I have One. SUbcontracted worker.

Two out of six.

Director of new business/principle.

Office manager.

I'd be willing to go into great detail about your last question in the verified section of IP, but I will say that the lack of women in this industry is one of it's biggest problems.

I don't think that the lack of women is due to employer sterotyping as much as it is the shortage of women who want to be a part of this industry.

Llook at the other tradespeople who are working with you on jobs. How many women plumbers do you see? Electricians? Roofers? Framers? HVAC Contractors? Masons?

3 out of 27. Office staff. Keep us guys in line and the company functional.

One Installer, Our Scheduling Manager, 3 at the counter and oh yeah....... 2 of the Owners are women......

One out of six. Sales and project management. Secret Weapon. good looking and rides a Honda CRF 450 dirtbike. Appeals to everyone, and men are terrified of her on the dunes.

Its like women in the automotive industry.....Some get it and some don't but those who do get it are very intense about it and man watch out if you still have the mind-set that this is a mens only club.

But, honestly how many times has anyones wife or significant other say something like........."wow look at those digital inputs and that component switching!.....We need to get one of those and hell while were at it lets get the new Crestron panel.; the other stuff is like already a year old anyway......!"

If you find her........send her my way!..........

CI

Need a good female worker here......

Little French Maid outfit, and .....

Yeah, I know....That's just not right....lol

I think AHEM is saying that women don't want to work in the trades. What I would like to know is why? Is there anything that the industry can do to address and change this?

A friend of mine says that women are not as interested in math, due to a combination of nuture and nature, and that our industry has a lot of math. I disagree with her and countered with the overwhelming percentage of women interior designers, which is also heavy in math.

On our moblie side (Metra Electronics) about 1/3 of the sales force.
On the home side (Ethereal) 1/2 of the sales/staff.
If I were still out in the sales world I would do my best to get a woman for sales.
Actually have spent some time on this.
Criteria as "I" see it.
Mid 30's-Mid 40's.
Attractive (but not too much), dont want to scare any wives or contractors.
Sales background (insurance or furniture).
Knows enough to talk tech. with the men. But, also can talk convenience with the women.
Good eye for design, lets face it most men cant get beyond "How Big, How Loud".
Teenage child, (instant bonding with most clients).
5'7"-5'10", cant miss her.
No regionial accent.

While the above may sound somewhat sexist, my wife and I put a lot into this.
It is all about generating consistant profit.

No matter what you pay the Little French Maid, she ends up costing a mint!!!

It's not the salary, remember to include the cost of a divorce in the cost calculations.

Brent,

Do you have any statistics on women in the sales position generating more consistent profit than an all male staff?

2 women out of 11,
1. Office manager but has a hand in everything, couldn't do without her.
2. New sales person, daughter of established money, lives in wealthy client infested area, knows and is interested in AV gear, speaks the artsy-fartsy speak of interior designers, capable of swearing like a sailor and guys drool over her in an "i'm putty in your hands sort of way". I think she will do well.

Would look fantastic in the french maids uniform too.

Simon.

Why? WEll, lets start with the basics. Most woman just don't get into the tech stuff. Just like most men don't get into knitting blankets. So because they don't care about it, they won't understand it as well, and therefore be less effective. And since its been basically a male dominated industry for so long, it can be intimidatiing for a woman to break into the industry.

I for one can't imagine bringing my girlfriend to CEDIA. Its disgusting, like a giant frat house. Guys lining up in hordes for free booze, porn stars on the show floor, debauchary and filth all over the streets of Indy. Its great, and my probation for public lewdness and indecent exposure is up on the third, so I have no worries this year. But, from a womans point of view, it doesn't seem that appealing. Watching a bunch of grown men inhale booze and stuff their kids college funds down the hot pants of a sexy lil lass named Magic, only to find out later that she robbed you blind after you passed out in the bathtub of your hotel room, all the time wondering why you would want to take a shower before laying down with a........god I hate CEDIA.

So anyway, ya, its just an industry more aimed toward men. Loud speakers, techie electronics, and a good amount of slobs. My 2 cents anyway.