Women in Sales: How to Survive, Thrive, and Succeed?

Sales used to have a reputation as a boys club, but that’s slowly changing. According to Forbes, women represent 39% of the sales workforce, a modest improvement of about 3% from a decade earlier.

That number isn’t approaching 50% as quickly as some might hope, but it’s an encouraging trend for an industry that, throughout much of the 20^th Century, was almost exclusively male.

Women in Sales:

Women are an essential part of the sales workforce. Some studies indicate that women marginally outperform men in closing sales. Is that due to an inherent ability on the part of many women to listen, exercise empathy with prospects and solve their problems, or is it merely because women feel they need to work harder for the same positions? It’s hard to tell.

One thing’s for sure: sales could always use more women. If you’re thinking about a career in sales, or if you have one and are looking to make the most out of your career, here are a few tips on surviving, thriving, and succeeding.

1. Find a Work Environment that Enables You

In addition to good management practices, look for a workplace that enables its reps to succeed. Whereas some workplaces leave you to fend for yourself with minimal guidance and a simple CRM, those dedicated to sales enablement will give you the training, coaching, and tools you need to succeed in your position.

For further reading, this handy blog post outlines the difference between sales engagement and sales enablement, detailing how, when used together, they are helpful in aiding sales professionals to succeed.

2. Find a Trustworthy Mentor

Mentorship is important in sales regardless of your gender, but it takes on special significance for women in the sales workplace. Find a trustworthy female mentor in the industry, one who knows the challenges you face and can help navigate them.

Jill Konrath, a sales author and speaker, suggests that you don’t even need to know this mentor personally. Strike up an online conversation, or simply follow women in the industry you admire on social media. Any kind of community-based on mutual support, however remote, will help you survive, thrive, and succeed.

3. Speak up

A noted issue among women in male-dominated industries is that they feel uneasy speaking up. They don’t want to be seen as difficult, attention-seeking, or needy. But the alternative to speaking up is staying silent, which can damage your visibility and make it harder to move up. It’s better to speak up and change perceptions as you do so. Here are some things you can be vocal about:

• Self-promotion: most men don’t have a problem with self-promotion, and neither should you. It’s a natural facet of career building.
• Guidance: the fact that you need help and direction isn’t a personal failing. Quite the opposite, in fact, asking for help shows initiative and ambition.
• Against Exclusivity: if you notice exclusive practices that favor men in the workplace, speak up. Be the change you want to see in sales.
• For job promotions: Harvard Business Review found that men apply for jobs when they feel like they’re 60% qualified, whereas women wait until they feel they are 100% qualified. Be bolder in your approach to working your way up the ladder.

An enabling work environment, a network of strong female mentors in the industry, and a commitment to speaking up for yourself in the workplace: Together, those elements won’t just help you survive in sales – they’ll set you on the path toward success.