Battle of the sexes
The timeless debate is back and once again each side has something to bring to the table. Let’s take a quick look at what recent research is telling us about men and women’s strengths when it comes to making and closing sales. So, who are better salespeople?
Women are Better Salespeople:
More so than ever, women are comprising a significant amount of the sales task force. What do women bring to the sales table in terms of skills that is different from what men bring? To begin, some people just prefer to work with women salespersons.
Katrena Friel, author of Sex Sells, claims that women bring a rounded and balanced feminine energy to the art of selling. These skills that are commonly viewed as “feminine” can be seen as a natural advantage, Friel says. Women can also often multi-task and socially connect with prospective clients and buyers.
Men are Better Salespeople:
Empirically speaking, there are more men in the sales industry than women, and there always has been. According to Dave Kurlan, men tend to have more self-confidence and self-esteem—attractive qualities in a salesperson. These skills can lead to more sales as people tend to react well to confidence and assurance.
According to a study conducted by the data scientists at Gong, men also spend more time listening than women. Men tend to have less monolog time compared with women. This is good for prospective clients and customers that like to feel listened to and heard. All of these things can help close deals and make sales.
So what are the lessons and take-away skills from the genders that any person can implement and include in their sales toolbox? Across the board (and across gender lines) important qualities in sales representatives include social, listening/communicative, and cognitive skills. These are skills and qualities that any gender can embody and represent.