Women in sales are often seen as a novelty. However, they are taking over the business world and they're doing it with style! Sales is an industry that has always been male-dominated but women make up half of all B2B sales workers today.
Women in sales are the future of B2B sales. Women have surpassed men in college degrees and now comprise more than half the workforce, so it's only natural they would make up a significant portion of B2B sales.
Women also work hard to balance their professional and personal responsibilities, which is why they often find themselves with greater empathy for buyers' needs.
Women-owned businesses are growing at an unprecedented rate, according to recent survey results from American Express OPEN; there's never been a better time to be a woman in business or in sales!
Despite accounting for slightly more than half of the college-educated workforce, women hold less than one-third of B2B sales positions.
Women are underrepresented in B2B sales in most areas, according to 2019 Bureau of Labor Statistics statistics, including wholesale and manufacturing (27 percent) and financial services (30 percent ).
Women do, however, hold a majority of customer service roles. Ladies in sales may be less common today than they will be going forward—despite their contributions to the workforce and their success at making a strong connection with B-to-B customers.
Women are also more likely to promote themselves for leadership positions if given the chance; cultural biases against women's advancement are less common in the B-to-B world than they are elsewhere, which can give women an advantage.
Women often work harder to balance their professional responsibilities with caregiving and other personal demands, creating a greater sense of empathy for buyers' needs—and giving them chance to stand out from the pack.
Women-owned businesses are growing at an unprecedented rate, Women-owned businesses grew 43 percent between 2007 and 2012, compared with just 14 percent for all U.S. companies during the same period, and they're expected to account for more than a third of all privately held firms in the U.S. by 2020, according to Womenable .
Though it's not clear if women are more likely than men to start businesses or simply better at growing them when they get off the ground—one factor that's helping female entrepreneurs is greater access to capital through crowdfunding and other sources
Women make up only 29 percent of sales reps and 26 percent of sales managers, yet according to a Xactly survey, women outperform their male counterparts.
This lack of representation can be attributed to a variety of factors, including unfavourable stereotypes, sexism, ineffective recruitment strategies, and a gender wage gap, with women earning less than their male colleagues.
Nonetheless, organisations benefit from having more women.
So, how can businesses diversify their sales teams? First, they must recognise the additional benefits that women may offer to the workplace, and then they must attempt to comprehend the problems that these professionals encounter.
Women's issues to consider
Overcoming bias and stereotypes is one of the most difficult problems that women confront in sales.
Many people connect careers in this area with men because of the aggressive mentality associated with sales. Women's sales abilities are frequently underestimated, and this is a prevalent unconscious bias among salespeople.
The Advantages of Having More Women
Despite the hurdles that women encounter in sales, research demonstrate that they outperform males.
According to Xactly, women-led teams, which are more gender diverse than men-led teams, have a 94 percent victory and quota attainment rate – three percentage points higher than men-led teams.
A greater proportion of women results in a more varied client base.
Women contribute unique skill sets to the sales profession, such as stressing connection, shaping solutions, and collaborating.
These skills are becoming increasingly crucial as the industry changes to digital sales, affecting not just the operations of organisations but also the needs of their clients.
Steps for Recruiting and Retaining Women
Increasing the number of women necessitates a shift in how a company attracts, keeps, and promotes them.
Attract
Changing recruitment tactics to attract more women to the sector is the first step toward developing a diverse firm.
Diversity-Driven Recruiting
When it comes to recruiting a diverse pool of applicants, the language in a job description is a wonderful place to start. According to the Harvard Business Review, removing key phrases that tend to draw men to roles, such as "aggressive" and "competition," will help women overcome some of the preconceptions they already face.
Instead, terms like "succeed" and "customer-focused" indicate a welcoming company culture. Organizations must also clearly communicate to their staff the purpose of developing and implementing a diversity-focused recruiting strategy.
Promote Sponsorships
Because sales is a male-dominated industry with fewer opportunities for women, employers should strive to provide additional career support to women.
One way for a company to do this is to give women access to a company sponsor. Sponsors assist women in navigating their career options and charting their paths.
They also connect them with a network of people who can help them advance in their careers. A sponsor could, for example, be a manager who introduces the employee to customers, new coworkers, and leadership.
Mentor
Giving female employees the opportunity to form mentor relationships with other women within the company will aid in the development of a sense of community among women.
These female mentors can help their mentees adjust to their new surroundings and act as a resource when they need to discuss issues that women face in particular.
Promote
Offering opportunities for advancement is one way to increase retention. Providing opportunities for women within the organisation to apply for higher-level roles would assist boost diversity and provide career momentum.
Furthermore, having women in top roles will draw more women to the sector by demonstrating that there is a clear place for them.
Women's Sales Capabilities
Women and women-led teams frequently outperform men and men-led teams in sales because women thrive in specific areas.
Women, for example, have greater listening skills and emotional intelligence, which attract customers, according to studies. According to Forbes, 74% of customers are more likely to purchase if they believe they have been heard.
Understanding and controlling client emotions can also help with relationship building, which will result in a devoted consumer base.
Finally, because they understand equity concerns like as gender disparities, women may help enhance diversity in both customer groups and the sales sector.
Hiring people who understand struggle will help the organisation relate to a varied consumer base and expand its diversity efforts.
How can women make the most of their natural sales abilities?
It's Women in Sales Month in the United States, and it's time to show off our skills and encourage more women to work in sales. It's always time, but let's be honest: women have an advantage when it comes to selling.
When I was younger, I had completely misunderstood the concept of sales. I thought salespeople were the life of the party—extroverts who could talk to a brick wall.
I was never like that, and I still am not. However, charisma is not what distinguishes a good salesperson.
Top salespeople cultivate long-term, trusting relationships. We are not the focus of attention. We ask probing questions, listen intently, engage in engaging conversations, and make connections, all of which most women do naturally.
Women in B2B sales understand how to cultivate relationships. We are biologically programmed to be nurturers, connectors, and collaborators.
To be rainmakers, we don't have to think or act like men. In fact, many salespeople could learn a thing or two from their female counterparts.
Women Rock at Selling, According to Salesmen "The best salespeople I know are women." That's what men say to me. Why? Women, as a result:
Develop strong relationships and gain the trust of your clients.
We should use our intuition and pay attention to our gut feelings.
Examine the complexities of a transaction and delve deeper to find the best solution for each client.
Women take a different approach to relationship building than men. Rather than getting straight to the point or being ordered to "net it out," we want to relate stories and revel in extracting details.
We are more likely to examine the long-term repercussions of each decision, whereas men are more likely to focus on results and task completion.
We are also inquisitive beings that enjoy "peeling the onion" and getting to the bottom of a situation. Maybe it's because we're mothers and aunts.
When we speak with youngsters, we rarely believe the first words that come out of their mouths.
We ask questions, fit the puzzle pieces together, fill in the gaps, figure out what happened, and come up with a solution—yet another skill that comes in handy.Women take a different approach to relationship building than men.
Rather than getting straight to the point or being ordered to "net it out," we want to relate stories and revel in extracting details.
We are more likely to examine the long-term repercussions of each decision, whereas men are more likely to focus on results and task completion.
We are also inquisitive beings that enjoy "peeling the onion" and getting to the bottom of a situation.
Maybe it's because we're mothers and aunts. When we speak with youngsters, we rarely believe the first words that come out of their mouths.
We ask questions, fit the puzzle pieces together, fill in the gaps, figure out what happened, and come up with a solution—yet another skill that comes in handy.
And the most egregious: It doesn't pay for women in B2B sales to stay in a sales career:
As women advance in their careers, the pay gap widens. Account executives earn 22% less than their male counterparts, and women in sales leadership earn 25% less than their male counterparts.
The numbers don't add up. Why, after all of the social progress made in the last 50 years, not to mention all of the research demonstrating that women make excellent salespeople and leaders, are many employers still undervaluing our contributions?
It's no surprise that so few women want the job.
More gender diversity in sales is long overdue. So, what are our options?
5 Sales Tips for Women
Are you ready to change the course of your sales career? Here's how to get started:
Make your opinion known.
Your ideas and insights are as valid as those of your male colleagues. Despite this, every woman I've spoken with has told me the following storey: "I'm at a meeting, and I have the perfect solution to the problem being discussed."
Nobody says anything. Then, 10 minutes later, another man says nearly the same thing, and everyone thinks it's a fantastic idea."
When this scenario arises, one of my colleagues, a partner in a national CPA firm, is prepared with a response.
"I'm so glad you liked my idea," she says right away. That quickly silences people while putting her in a position of strength and leadership.
Seek guidance from people you admire, both men and women.
Pay close attention and embrace what makes sense based on your own personality and selling technique. We all need advise and direction, and women are far more willing to seek it. We also enjoy assisting others.
I never considered myself to be a mentor until a fellow author pushed me on it. "We are mentors to everyone," she explained. "We write a lot and talk a lot about sales."
What we contribute provides people with wisdom and insights. How do you go about finding a mentor? Ask. People don't have mind-reading abilities. Begin a relationship with someone you trust and appreciate.
Experiment with different ways of working outside of your comfort zone.
It's better to apologise (if necessary) than to request permission. Always inquire as to why you are selling in the manner that you are. If your existing sales strategy is working, stick with it. Alter it if necessary.
What works well for one salesman may not work well for you. Find your own rhythm.
Learn from other female salespeople.
Women Sales Pros is your finest source for up-to-date information on gender diversity in sales.
The website is chock-full of informative articles and entertaining podcasts meant to assist women grow in their sales careers and to help organisations attract more female salespeople.
Experiment with different ways of working outside of your comfort zone.
It's better to apologise (if necessary) than to request permission. Always inquire as to why you are selling in the manner that you are. If your existing sales strategy is working, stick with it. Alter it if necessary.
What works well for one salesman may not work well for you. Find your own rhythm.
Learn from other female salespeople.
Women Sales Pros is your finest source for up-to-date information on gender diversity in sales.
The website is chock-full of informative articles and entertaining podcasts meant to assist women grow in their sales careers and to help organisations attract more female salespeople.
You could be the best thinker and innovator in the world, but if you look unkempt, you'll never get face time with clients...or people more senior than you.
You could be the best thinker and innovator in the world, but if you look unkempt, you'll never get face time with clients...or people more senior than you.
