When I think of sales floors of the past, I think of Mad Men-esque scenes of phones ringing, men yelling, and glasses of whiskey being passed around every time a deal closes or doesn’t.
Yet modern-day sales floors look quite different. Women are changing the demographics of this profession and helping to shape the bright future of B2B sales.
What’s It Like Being A Woman In B2B Sales?
There’s still a long way to go. Think of this: Women make up about half of the college-educated workforce, yet they make up only one-third of B2B sales jobs. The catch 22? While women are the minority in the B2B tech sales arena, research shows that they often outperform their male counterparts (86% of women surveyed achieved quota, compared to 78% of men).
When asked about what it’s like to be a female-identifying professional in the B2B sales space, Jess Rogers, an Account Executive here at ZoomInfo speaks to the importance of having a leaderboard.
“Yes it’s true, women are a minority in the tech environment, but I think the beauty of this career that we’ve chosen is it’s the leaderboard that counts. At the end of the day, it’s the money you put up and the deals you bring in.”
Redefining The Future Of B2B Sales, Together
Recent research has shown that diversity within a company has a direct impact on success (i.e, profit). Overall revenue generated is much higher on a sales team with gender diversity, compared to more homogeneous sales teams. And companies with higher levels of gender diversity in their salesforce significantly outperform on their revenue goals.
Sales, and B2B sales specifically, are changing — and for the better. No longer is there one idea of what a typical salesperson looks like, because the typical salesperson now comes from a more diverse background with better inclusion of women.
ZoomInfo Sales Development Representative, Megan Hanisko, speaks about what she loves about being a woman in the tech space now.
“I like that I get to define what that role means for me. What I started to realize, was at first I thought I had to be like everyone else,” explains Hanisko.
“It doesn’t have to be what works for everyone else. For me, I found what works and it’s cool that it shows on the leaderboard. At the end of the day, you don’t have to prove yourself, you just do what works for you.”
The Importance Of Female Mentorship
One thing that many tech companies are recognizing the importance of is female mentorship programs. Mentors help new hires get acclimated to the work environment and can answer questions about topics that women were more reluctant to discuss with male colleagues.
Hanisko is currently an SDR who sets meetings for Jessica Rogers, an Account Executive at ZoomInfo. Working alongside another female helps Hanisko and Rogers, albeit in different ways.
“One thing that I love about working alongside Jessica is that I know that it’s not some pie in the sky dream of being able to accomplish the success that she has,” Hanisko explains.
“I just know that if I lean on her, if I work hard enough if I put in the hours and the effort that she does, that it’s completely attainable.”
Additionally, when women hold management and leadership positions, it gives incoming female-identifying professionals the message that growth and success is entirely possible.
“What I love about working with a woman as a partner, is that she gets it. At the end of the day, we’re here to lift up and support each other and go kick some ass,” says Hanisko.
Success Starts With Diversity
Gender diversity is important not only to increase performance, but to the fight for equality. And the work is far from over. Diversity is more than simply having a few women on your sales team. Rather, it involves embedding inclusivity into the fibers of your work culture.
Some other actionable steps you can take towards creating more gender diversity are
- More inclusive job postings
- Involve people of different genders in the interview process
- Create clear opportunities for growth for all genders
- Continually promote an inclusive and safe work culture
Not only does gender diversity help your bottom line, it also creates happy, motivated employees who are more willing to go above and beyond for a company that makes them feel safe and supported.