SALES PLAYBOOK · 2026
How to sell
the
Menopause-Forward
Workplace
A complete guide to identifying, engaging, and closing HR leaders and executives on WITP’s in-person workplace training programs
Christine Craig · Executive Director & Founder, Women
in the Pause · Certified 501(c)(3)
SECTION 1
The mission & the market
Women in the Pause is a certified 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates on two fronts: community education events in Indianapolis (live podcast-style interviews with physicians and NPs), and in-person B2B workplace training programs for HR leaders and executives. The employer training program grew organically — organizations approached WITP after seeing the community events. Demand was never manufactured. It was proven.
The market opportunity is significant and largely unaddressed. Menopause affects every woman who has ever worked for you, yet 99% of women in menopause receive zero menopause benefits at their workplace (Gennev, 2021). The women affected — ages 40–55 — are your most experienced managers, directors, and leaders. The cost of losing them is enormous. The cost of supporting them is not.
THE BUSINESS CASE — BY THE NUMBERS
Symptoms affect work performance
65%
Hidden symptoms from employer
The ROI argument in one sentence: Replacing a director or VP costs 150–200% of their annual salary — $150,000 to $300,000 per departure (Gallup). A single retained leader pays for the WITP program many times over
SECTION 2
Who you're selling to
There are two buyers in every WITP sale. The HR decision-maker initiates and owns the relationship. The executive sponsor approves the budget and sets the cultural tone. Understanding both — and knowing which one you’re talking to — determines how you frame every conversation.
TRACK A BUYER
The HR Decision-Maker
CPO · VP HR · HR Director · CEO/COO (SMB) · Org size 100–2,500
Owns the budget and the pain. Has probably lost a woman in her 40s or 50s recently and doesn’t fully understand why. Needs a business case with numbers, not just a compelling story
Healthcare
Financial services
Professional services
Tech
Nonprofits
TRACK B UNLOCK
The Executive Sponsor
CEO · COO · CFO · CMO · DEI or ERG leader
Approves the budget and signals to employees that this matters. Often triggered by a DEI initiative or a recent high-profile departure. The Full Transformation Bundle starts here.
Active women's ERG
DEI-forward culture
High female leadership %
WHAT MOVES THEM TO BUY
PAIN POINTS (WHAT KEEPS THEM UP AT NIGHT)
1
Unexplained turnover of women 40–55
They can’t code it. They can’t fix it. They don’t know it’s connected to menopause.
2
DEI programs that miss this life stage
3
Managers who can't have the conversation
Nobody trained them for this. The silence is institutional, not personal.
4
Fear of liability or policy gaps
Especially in law firms, healthcare, and financial services — no policy = exposure.
WHAT THEY NEED TO HEAR
One retained VP pays for the program
Replacing a director or VP costs $150K–$300K. The math makes the decision easy.
They walk away with a written policy
Not just a workshop. A deliverable. A 90-day implementation plan they can present to the board
WITP is a certified 501(c)(3)
Mission-driven, not sales-driven. Easier to approve internally. Different from a vendor pitch.
Christine has lived this
14 years healthcare strategy + HR executive at Monster, ADP, Ceridian + personal trainer + she went through it herself. No one else brings this combination
SECTION 3
What you're selling
Always lead with Session 1 of Track A as the entry point. At $1,500 for a 90-minute in-person session, it’s a low-friction commitment that almost any HR leader can approve without an executive sign-off. Once they see it, they buy the bundle.
TRACK A · LEADERSHIP & HR
The Menopause-Forward Workplace
3 in-person sessions for HR leaders and executives. Deliverable: written menopause policy + 90-day action plan. This is your primary sales motion.
1
2
Building a supportive culture — manager training, accommodations, policy language (90 min)
3
Your action plan — written policy, 90- day roadmap, rollout strategy (2 hrs)
$4,500
TRACK B · ALL EMPLOYEES
You Are Not Alone
3 sessions for all employees. The differentiator: Christine personally reads every confidential intake response and builds Session 2 around your specific workforce. No algorithms. No generic content
1
Why this matters — impact on people & performance (60–90 min)
2
Open employee session — built from confidential intake responses (90 min)
3
Practical toolkit — HRT, nutrition, exercise, sleep, self-advocacy (90 min)
$4,500
ENTRY POINT
Session 1 only
The business case. 90 min.
Executives + HR. Best way to get your foot in the door — low commitment, high impact
$1,500
· single session
BEST VALUE
Full Transformation Bundle
Track A + Track B. 6 sessions.
All audiences. Written policy + manager training + employee toolkit. Save $1,000+.
$7,500–$8,000
ONGOING
Monthly Retainer
Monthly advisory call, manager coaching, policy updates, implementation accountability check-ins.
$750–$1,200
The pricing conversation closer: “Replacing one director or VP costs your organization $150,000 to $300,000. Our full transformation program is $7,500 to $8,000. The math isn’t close. One retained leader pays for this program 20 times over.”
SECTION 4
The sales process
WITP sells in five stages. Each stage has a clear goal, a clear action, and a clear next step. Never leave a conversation without agreeing on what happens next.
1
Identify & Research (before any outreach)
Confirm the company has 100–2,500 employees. Find the HR Director, VP of HR, or CPO by name on LinkedIn (company page → People → filter HR). Note any signals: Best Places to Work honoree, active women’s ERG, DEI statements, recent leadership departures.
— Check indianachamber.com for Best Places to Work honorees — these are pre-qualified buyers
— Look for SHRM Indiana members and sponsors — these are warm doors
— Note company size: under 150 = go direct to CEO/President; 150–500 = HR Director; 500+ = CPO or VP HR
2
First Touch — LinkedIn Connection Request
Send a connection request with a short 2-line note. Do NOT pitch in the connection request — just establish the connection first.
CONNECTION NOTE (UNDER 300 CHARACTERS)
“Hi [Name] — I run Women in the Pause, a certified 501(c)(3) in Indianapolis working with HR leaders on menopause-forward workplace programs. Would love to connect.”
3
Outreach Message (after connection accepted)
Send the full message. Choose the right variant based on what you know about the company.
VARIANT A
Lead with business cost
Best for: cold outreach to HR Directors/VPs. Lead with $26.6B and the 22% stat.
VARIANT B
Lead with retention ROI
Best for: when you know the company has had recent turnover or is in growth mode
VARIANT C
Lead with lived experience
Best for: warm connections, women in HR, DEI-forward leaders. Most personal message.
4
Discovery Call (30 minutes)
The goal of this call is NOT to pitch. It’s to understand their current state and let the gap speak for itself. Ask questions. Listen more than you talk. The pitch comes after you’ve heard the pain.
OPENING
“Before I tell you about what we do, I’d love to understand where you are. How are you
currently supporting women 40 to 55 in your organization through this life stage?”
Most will say “we’re not” or “we don’t have anything formal.” That’s your opening.
THE DIAGNOSTIC QUESTION
“When you think about women in that 40 to 55 range — do you know how many you’ve lost in the last two years? And do you know why they left?”
This question almost always creates a moment of recognition. The honest answer is usually “no” to both.
THE PIVOT TO SOLUTION
“Here’s what we know from the data: 72% of women have never told their employer about symptoms. So the silence isn’t indifference — it’s protection. Our program creates the organizational permission structure for women to stop hiding it. And once they stop hiding it, they stop leaving.”
THE CLOSE FOR NEXT STEP
“I’d love to send you our one-pager and schedule a follow-up where I walk you through what the first session looks like. Would that be useful?”
Always leave with a specific next step agreed upon — never “I’ll follow up sometime.”
5
Proposal & Close
Send the Track A leave-behind within 24 hours of the discovery call. Lead with Session 1 at $1,500 as the entry point — it removes the friction of committing to a full program upfront. Once they’ve experienced Session 1, the bundle sells itself.
— Attach the Track A leave-behind PDF to every follow-up email
— If they hesitate on price, go back to the retention math: “$7,500 vs. $300,000 to replace one VP”
— If they need internal approval, offer to join a 15-minute call with their executive sponsor
— Monthly retainer conversation: raise this after Session 2, not before
SECTION 5
Handling objections
Every objection has a response. Know these cold — the best sales conversations are the ones where you never lose momentum when they push back.
| THEY SAY… | YOU SAY… |
|---|---|
| “We don’t have budget for this right now.” |
Lead with the math. “I understand — budgets are tight everywhere. Here’s the way I’d encourage you to think about it: replacing one director costs $150,000 to $300,000 in recruitment and lost productivity alone. Our entry-level session is $1,500. If even one person stays because of what they learn, the ROI is immediate. Can we start there?” |
| “We already have an EAP for this.” |
Acknowledge and differentiate. “EAPs are valuable — and we’re designed to work alongside them, not replace them. What most EAPs don’t do is give your managers the language and policy framework to create a culture where women feel safe enough to use those resources. That’s the gap we close. Have your employees actually used your EAP for this? Most haven’t, because the cultural permission isn’t there yet.” |
| “We have a diverse workforce, I’m not sure this is the right fit.” |
Reframe to universality. “Menopause affects every woman who has ever worked here, regardless of background. The data is consistent across demographics — 75% of women are not getting appropriate support from their employer. If anything, diverse workforces often have a wider range of symptom experiences and treatment access. This program meets women where they are.” |
SECTION 6
Where to find buyers
Search HR Directors, VPs of HR, and CPOs at 100– 1,000 employee Indiana companies. Company page → People → filter by Human Resources function. Connect first, pitch second
SHRM Indiana / HR Indiana
Christine’s exact buyer attends these events. Barnes & Thornburg sponsors the conference — a warm connection point. Join, attend, speak if possible.
Indiana Chamber Events
The Best Places to Work dinner (May 13, 2026) is the single highest-ROI event of the quarter. Every culture-forward employer in Indiana will be in that room. Bring 20 leave-behinds.
Benefits Brokers & EAPs
Already trusted by your buyers. LHD Benefit Advisors is a silver sponsor of the Best Places to Work dinner — approach as a referral partner. One arrangement = 10+ downstream clients.
WITP Community Events
The live events are your proof of demand. “Our first event drew 70 women with almost no advertising” is a more compelling sales statement than any statistic. Let the events feed the pipeline.
Indiana Chamber Events
Former colleagues and contacts from Monster, ADP, and Ceridian are warm doors. These are people who already trust Christine and understand how HR decisions get made.
Referral partners are worth 10x direct outreach
ADVISA (Carmel) is a Platinum sponsor of the Best Places to Work dinner and advises the exact companies WITP wants to sell to. LHD Benefit Advisors is a Silver sponsor and a benefits broker whose clients are HR leaders with employee benefits budgets. One formal referral arrangement with either of these firms could generate more pipeline than 50 individual LinkedIn messages.
SECTION 7
Your sales materials
Sales Deck
7-slide deck covering the problem, business impact, both tracks, the Track B differentiator (confidential intake), pricing, and Christine’s bio. Use for in-person presentations and screen shares.
File: WITP_SalesDeck_updated.html
Track A Leave-Behind
One-page summary of The MenopauseForward Workplace program. Stats, session details, pricing, and Christine’s bio. Print and bring to every event and meeting.
File: WITP_TrackA_LeaveBehind.html
Track B Leave-Behind
One-page summary of the You Are Not Alone employee program. Emphasizes the confidential intake differentiator. Send after Track A sessions to prompt the upsell conversation.
File: WITP_TrackB_LeaveBehind.html
When to use each
First touch → Send Track A leave-behind. After Session 1 → Introduce Track B leave behind and start the bundle conversation. Events → Bring printed Track A leave behinds only. Discovery call follow-up → Send both via email within 24 hours.
Before every meeting — checklist
Know the contact’s name, title, and company size
Look for any signals on their LinkedIn (recent posts, job changes, women’s initiatives)
Decide which message variant to use (cost / ROI / lived experience)
Bring or attach the Track A leave-behind
Know your entry point ask: “Let’s start with Session 1 at $1,500”
Know your ROI close: “$150K–$300K to replace one VP vs. $7,500 for the full program”
SECTION 8
Christine's competitive advantage
No one else selling into this space has Christine’s combination of credentials. This is the answer to “why you, why now” — and it should be part of every conversation.
HEALTHCARE STRATEGY
14 Years. 200+ Projects. 21 States
HR INDUSTRY INSIDER
Monster. ADP. Ceridian.
LIVED EXPERIENCE
She's been in that room.
"She doesn't just teach this. She's lived it — and she's spent her career helping organizations navigate exactly this kind of complex, humancentered change."
FROM THE WITP SALES DECK · USE THIS LANGUAGE IN OUTREACH AND PRESENTATIONS
Women in the Pause ·
Certified 501(c)(3)
Ideal Client Profile - Women in the Pause
Your annual sponsorship funds WITP’s full 2027 event season — four in-person moments in front of a receptive local audience, all year.
TRACK A BUYER
The HR Decision-Maker
The person with the budget, the pain, and the mandate to act.
| TITLES | ORG SIZE | ENTRY PRICE |
|---|---|---|
|
CPO · VP HR HR Director CEO/COO (SMB) |
100–2,500 | $1,500 |
Healthcare
Financial services
Professional services
Tech
Education
Nonprofits
TRACK B UNLOCK
The Executive Sponsor
HR owns the relationship; the executive sponsor approves the budget and sets the tone for employee trust.
| TITLES | TRIGGER | BEST OFFER |
|---|---|---|
| CEO · COO CFO · CMO Exec Sponsor | DEI initiative or talent loss event | Bundle $7.5–8K |
Active women's ERG
DEI-forward culture
High female leadership %
WHAT MOVES THEM TO BUY
Pain points
1
Unexplained turnover of women 40–55
2
DEI efforts that don't address this stage of life
3
Benefits package that feels outdated or incomplete
4
Managers who don't know how to have the conversation
5
Fear of liability or policy gaps
WHAT THEY NEED TO HEAR
Replacing a director or VP costs 150–200% of their salary — $150K to $300K per departure.
One retained leader pays for the program many times over. (Gallup)
65% of women say symptoms affect their work performance
They walk away with a written policy + 90-day plan — not just a workshop
Christine has lived this and has 14 years of healthcare consulting behind it
THE BUSINESS CASE — BY THE NUMBERS
Symptoms affect work performance
65%
Hidden symptoms from employer