The world needs female leaders in sales. This is how women can make it

Being a female leader in the sales space is a constant uphill struggle. I’m not grandstanding on this all too easy to make point either. The data is there for all to see.

The latest gender pay gap figures from the ONS paints a striking picture. Towards the end of 2022, saleswomen were lagging behind their male counterparts.

Male business sales executives were earning 8.5% more than women in the same role. For sales accounts and business development managers, there was an 8.8% difference. Across general sales-related occupations, men earned 4.2% more than women.

There’s nowhere for women to turn to for greater opportunities either. Currently, there isn’t a single country in the world where women earn more than men, or even as much as them, according to new analysis from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).

The outlook for those entrepreneurial women who can push past these pay gaps isn’t much better, unfortunately. By 2031, according to Deloitte, women may only make up 22.9% of all senior leadership roles across Europe.

For next-gen roles, defined as managerial or equivalent titles below senior leadership, the situation is also dire. Last year, 27.9% of European next-gen roles were held by women. This is expected to drop to 26% in 2031.

All this filters through to our day-to-day. Consciously or not, these figures shape attitudes. Especially in fields that are dominated by men. While it varies by specific industry, women only make up around 39% of sales roles globally, and only 21% of sales leadership roles.

Tiresome cliches

For many of us, we probably have a stereotypical image of what a salesperson looks like. There’s the wheeler-dealer standing by a row of used cars. The wolf of wall street-esque cold-caller. The slick-suited and booted closer who rings an office bell for every deal made. Chances are, all these people are men in your mind.

I’m pretty sure these visuals are front and centre with some of the people I’ve worked with. Fortunately, most of the men I’ve dealt with over the years have shown me nothing but the utmost respect, and professionalism. But, there are still the occasional meetings where I have to deal with tired cliches.

Some people just view the idea of a saleswoman as quaint. It’s hard to quantify how prevalent this is. But I’m sure many professional women will have shared experiences of the intangible cues we deal with almost daily.

The shifting body language as you walk into a room. The snarky comments when you dare to disagree. The eye rolls. The chuckles. The disrespect disguised as “banter”.

Pity. If only we could even things a bit, the men that hire us, or partner with us, could benefit the most. Put simply, companies with female leaders outperform those dominated by men. Research from McKinsey found companies in the top quartile for gender diversity on executive teams were 25% more likely to have above-average profitability than companies at the bottom.

Meanwhile, academic research from the Universities of Glasgow and Leicester showed companies with more than 30% female executives were more likely to outperform companies that don’t. These kinds of successes could be especially pronounced in the sales world.

Don’t doubt yourself

If you Google the traits that make for a great salesperson, you’ll see the same qualities pop up repeatedly: Active listening, finding an emotional connection, asking great questions, organisational skills, resilience, etc.

For better or worse, these are the kinds of qualities women are encouraged to develop from a young age. I know some of them have helped me in my career. Hopefully, I can help you with yours.

Women should not be afraid to make their mark in the world of sales and/or leadership. I know how easy it is to allow imposter syndrome to creep its way in. But you shouldn’t let it stop you from taking the next step in your career, or embracing a healthy amount of risk.

I’ve seen it happen far too often. Capable, amazing women convincing themselves they’re “not ready”, while less experienced men put themselves forward without hesitation. We need to believe in ourselves.

Don’t hedge. Be direct and ask for what you want. Do this with authenticity, and don’t be afraid to show a bit of personality. In my industry – in fact, across the entire sales landscape – people buy into who you are. That’s what gets deals made.

Learn how to react. I hope you never have to deal with the ignorance that can so easily manifest itself in our field. But if you must, you’ll quickly realise a balancing act will be required. You’ll need to figure out when to have a thick skin, and when not to put up with the unacceptable.

It’s a tricky line to tow but thankfully, you won’t need to do it alone. I’m a big believer in reaching out for help, and you’ll be blessed with plenty of female counterparts to help you through the rough patches.

With this in mind, I turned to my esteemed colleague Zahira Fayyaz for her thoughts and tips. Between the two of us, we manage teams of BDMs spread across Southern England, while also being responsible for our own base of brokers.

Zahira agreed that boundaries are important. For both ourselves, and those we work with.

“I think what’s important for female leaders in the sales space is to not be afraid of being assertive,” she said.

“We need to remember that it’s ok to say no. We’re always encouraged to be as accommodating as possible, but actually knowing when to say no builds confidence.

“It’s important to be practical with the risk and reward side of what we do. We shouldn’t have any issues in controlling our own narratives.”

I couldn’t agree more. I wish you all the best with your narrative. Not those others try to enforce on you.