The Future of Sales is Female

By Amelia Greene and Hannah Frey

Imagine two individuals in sales. One sells tens of millions of dollars of technology solutions each year. The other sells millions of pounds of chemicals all over the world. Did you imagine two men? We can’t blame you, but we were actually describing ourselves. 

As we discussed in a previous article, the stereotype surrounding salespeople is often that they are loud, aggressive and pushy. This perception can lead to a strongly masculine implicit bias. 

However, we think that women are uniquely suited to be the future of the global salesforce and here’s why:

1. Women are natural organizers

Think of the last time you got a birthday card or a thoughtful gift. Who sent it? We could be wrong, but we’re guessing it was a woman in your life. Women have been societally groomed to be the administrators of house and home: managing calendars, planning familial logistics and anticipating the needs of others to ensure everyone is properly cared for. Historically, women have taken on primary caregiving responsibility. 

This translates directly to our ability to anticipate our clients’ needs and ensure that all of their demands are met. This also means that our follow up game is on point, which is a critical skill in sales.

2. Women are emotionally "in tune"

While women are often pegged as emotional (with a negative connotation), women are actually emotionally in tune, understanding and caring deeply for others, and bringing that capacity to client relationships. As the traditional caretakers of society, women have a unique capacity for reading the people around them, thus allowing them to adjust their sales approach. While some clients need a push, others need a listening ear, advice or simply a friend. Knowing the difference and behaving accordingly can be a key factor in driving and growing the business.

3. Companies are hiring more women in purchasing roles than they did in the past

According to a 2019 Oliver Wyman study, 60% of CPOs said there were more women in their procurement organizations than there were three years ago. Gone are the days when client entertainment exclusively included golf outings and fishing trips. As more women take on decision-making roles in global procurement, the individuals that we hire for sales roles will need to be relatable to these buyers. It’s no secret that clients buy from people that they trust and relate to. Successful sales forces will need to evolve to follow their changing client organizations. Client pedicures anyone?

According to a 2019 report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, women are underrepresented in the field of business-to-business sales, yet in several studies they outperform men (HBR). 

We aren’t purporting that men are not great salespeople, or that they do not or cannot embody the three traits outlined above. We both have been trained, mentored and inspired by very successful and supportive men in sales roles.

Still, if you ask a little girl what she wants to be when she grows up, two of the common answers are nurse and teacher (Fatherly, Business Insider). We should start telling our daughters, nieces, and other young women in our lives that a saleswoman and businesswoman are perfectly viable choices. 

If you are interested in reading more on this topic, we recommend the HBR article “Why Women are the Future of B2B Sales”, published May 2020: https://hbr.org/2020/05/why-women-are-the-future-of-b2b-sales  

Amelia Greene is a Global Product Manager at Wego Chemical Group responsible for the global sales and supply chain of their Flame Retardant product line. Throughout her sales career, she has worked extensively in both client facing and product management roles in the Chemical Industry. Amelia is passionate about identifying and creating opportunities to empower women in business leading her to found Women in Chemicals - a networking and mentorship group - in early 2021. She graduated from Binghamton University in 2014 with a BS in Chemistry and is currently a candidate for NYU Stern School of Business’s EMBA Class of 2022.

Hannah Frey is a Client Executive at IBM responsible for key government accounts in New York State, across all parts of the IBM business (software, hardware and services). Throughout her career, Hannah has been focused on providing public sector clients with innovative solutions and professional services tailored to government, healthcare, human services, education and public safety. She was inducted into IBM’s Industry Academy in 2020 as the single “emerging leader” in the government industry worldwide. Hannah graduated from Boston University in 2012 and is currently pursuing her MBA at NYU Stern, Class of 2022.