There are several perceptions of sales based on who you ask and experiences encountered. Being a woman in sales adds a new gamut.
Sales is a process of convincing someone to do business with your organization. This is quite a process and involves a great deal of interpersonal and multi-channel interaction.
WHO CLOSES MORE?
According to Linkedin reporting, women represent 39% of the workforce in sales. Salespeople can be hunters, farmers and relationship developers as well as information providers, crossing lines to get the process going. Proven fact, women are good at sales. In fact, Hubspot reports that women are 5% more likely to close a deal than men being able to juggle many different roles and stay focused.
Many hats are worn depending on the situation. From handling marketing perceptions, prospecting, and targeting the right channels, to closing a deal and ultimately handling customer issues. Troubleshooting is par for the course.
The GO BETWEEN
Sales are the “go-between” in interacting with everyone. They know when to push and when to back down given circumstances at hand. Between engaging with internal teams and contact with the outside world, they are on top of what is going on in the industry. There is a constant juggling act that involves networking functions, research on best practices and constant communications. The process starts at opening doors and furthering conversations, to close and follow up.
Women have the natural inclination to nurture strong relationships with a diverse customer base. By building trust, listening and providing recommendations, sales acts as an intermediary between the outside world and production/client services. Clients express their needs, concerns or requests, with the salesperson. Sales then advocates for the client, relaying information to the various departments in the company, with objectives of finding satisfying solutions for all parties.
They are often initiators in major types of conversations, sometimes difficult, and negotiations, in setting the course of the relationship while serving as the frontline person in channeling information to both sides. Making proactive calls to clients, building trust, and explaining the features and benefits of various products and services while reaching out to internal teams to relay data on financial status, clients’ customized requests can often result in a balancing act that women have the uncanny ability to handle.
THE BOTTOMLINE
A salesperson is the glue that forms and binds the relationships. Women have proven ability to reach out connecting better with prospects and clients, seeing the big picture. They play a proactive part in facilitating the process of providing solutions and ultimate growth for the organization. Women in sales are the winning ambassadors of the own brand.
Submitted by Aleka Agapitides from Rite Graphics
Connect with Aleka https://www.linkedin.com/in/alekaagapitides/
