How to Attract and Hire Women Sales Pros in B2B Sales

Salespeople are a reliable and indispensable part of every business. They support sales, marketing, and customer service. Find good sales candidates who will lead and build your team. Learn how to attract and hire women sales pros and why you need them in your business.

Women Sales Pros: Top-performing Salespeople

In general, women sales pros are top-performing women who excel at selling products and services to customers. They are typically very knowledgeable about the products and services they sell and are able to build relationships with customers quickly.

Women sales professionals are often able to close deals quickly and effectively and are always looking for new ways to improve their sales skills.

Many believe women to be better than men in the art of persuasion. Hiring more female sales leaders helps businesses gain diverse perspectives and reinforce a corporate culture that appeals more to women.

How to Attract Women in B2B Sales Roles

Women are often under-represented in business-to-business (B2B) selling. Perhaps that’s because many people associate the “sales” word with negativity.

While it’s true that both men and women look for different qualities in a career, it’s important to remember that all humans are all just people.

There is no single answer to the question of what all people want in their work environment, but taking samples from all genders there are some commonalities.

1. Make sure job listings are inclusive

When creating job postings for sales roles, be sure to use language that is welcoming to all genders. For example, avoid using pronouns like “he” or “she” and instead opt for neutral terms like “they” or “the successful candidate.” You should also avoid gendered language in the job description itself – focus on the skills and qualities that are required for the role, without making assumptions about the gender of the person who will fill it.

When it comes to job descriptions, it’s important to write in a way that is gender-neutral. This means avoiding any language that could be seen as aggressive, such as “hacker,” “guru,” or “dominante.” Instead, opt for neutral language and titles.

According to LinkedIn’s Language Matters Report, 44% of women would be discouraged from applying to a job if the description included the word “aggressive.” By writing in a more neutral tone, you can help attract a wider range of candidates.

In 44% of cases, women would avoid applying for a job if the job description used the term “aggressive”.

They discovered that women are more likely than men to prioritize words that describe their personality, such as “friendly” and “compassionate.”.

Both men and women responded positively to language that emphasized power, strength of character, and confidence.

Sales expert and speaker, Lori Richardson, is known for her expertise on hiring, developing, and retaining female sales reps.

She adds,

“Women are more effective in selling than men, but aggressive language doesn’t resonate with them. Sales managers often hire us because of our strong communication skills.”.

When writing job ads, have both male and female people proofread them to ensure you’re not accidentally excluding anyone.

2. Include women in the hiring process

The interview process for any job should be the same for everyone.

It’s important to have a set process for prospecting, as it will be the most inclusive of all.

With that said, it is very important to include women in the hiring process.

The odds of hiring a woman in the interview process are almost 80 times greater if there are at least two women in the finalist pool, according to research published by the Harvard Business Review. This is likely because having more than one woman in the pool provides a better sense of the talent available and helps to reduce gender bias.

It is beneficial for the interviewee to see a diverse atmosphere at your company as it provides them with different perspectives on potential candidates. This, in turn, will help create an unbiased interview process.

When you involve women sales leaders in the interview process, you will be able to get diverse perspectives on each candidate. This will help ensure that your company’s hiring decisions are unbiased and based on the individual’s potential.

In a recent article, “Why Women Are The Future Of Business-to-Business (B2B) Selling,” HBR wrote that women’s strengths in communication, relationship building, and empathy make them great salespeople.

Including more women sales leaders in the hiring process allows companies to get more diverse perspectives on the candidates’ qualifications and reinforces a company culture that appeals to females.

3. Provide apparent growth opportunities

Having a clear path to promotions, growth, and success benefits both the company and the employee. However, women are more attuned to this from the get-go.

Instead of just talking about how you can climb the ladder at a company, you should showcase ways they can expand their knowledge.

This is an important tip for women who want to get into a business-to-business (B2B) role.

I posed the question to our new SDR, Katie, “What’s it like being a sales development rep?” Her answer:

Sales is an amazing field for women because it allows us to be competitive, challenge ourselves, and learn something new every day. I’m particularly interested in tech sales because it’s a growing market with lots of opportunities for learning and growth.

Sales is an industry that has been male-dominated for many years. However, there are a number of reasons why women can be just as successful in sales as men. In this Quotable event, Lori Richardson, Amy Appleyard, and Ashley Welch discuss some of the ways that companies can better approach hiring more women and retaining them in sales positions.

4. Develop an inclusive company Culture 

Open and inclusive company culture is attractive to potential employees. A strong culture of collaboration and hard work across your sales force is appealing.

A supportive and inclusive company culture allows your employees to thrive and reach their full potential. This type of environment also encourages employees to support one another, leading to a more positive work experience for everyone.

A study by Harvard Business Review found that companies with more women in leadership positions have 15% higher profits.

Companies with more women on their boards have 42% more revenue than companies with men on their boards.

I then asked our SDR, “What was it about our company that made you want to work here?” Her answer:

“When I was applying for jobs, everyone was so welcoming that I knew I would fit in well”.

I asked 2 other SDRs, including myself, this question and their answers were:

What attracted me to LeadIQ was the company culture. I felt like I could be myself, get creative on another level, and laugh a little along the way. The people at LeadIQ are friendly and welcoming, and it’s a great place to work.

Conclusion

When it comes to sales, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. But by valuing gender diversity, equity, and inclusion in our work, we can create a more inclusive future for everyone. As women sales pros, let’s continue to champion these values and make our voices heard. Together, we can build a better tomorrow – for ourselves and for generations to come.

Need Help Automating Your Sales Prospecting Process?

LeadFuze gives you all the data you need to find ideal leads, including full contact information.

Go through a variety of filters to zero in on the leads you want to reach. This is crazy specific, but you could find all the people that match the following: 

• A company in the Financial Services or Banking industry
• Who have more than 10 employees
• That spend money on Adwords
• Who use Hubspot
• Who currently have job openings for marketing help
• With the role of HR Manager
• That has only been in this role for less than 1 year