Sales tips for women found in this article could better be labeled strategies. Proven strategies by experts known to help women in sales to step away from the pushy aggressive approach that tends to alienate customers and yet close the deal successfully more times than not.
Consultative Salesperson
One tip offered to women in sales is to learn to be a consultative salesperson. The strategy behind this approach is to tap into your empathy in order to better understand the hidden needs of your customers. This strategy allows you to build better relationships with clients. However, if you tend to be more analytically minded and not naturally connected on an emotional/intellectual level like this, coaching is available to help you learn this technique.
This approach is not magic, by any means, and won't guarantee overnight sales. Building a relationship with clients takes time, and the execution of a woman as consultative salesperson incorporates three roles and a new way of thinking:
- Business Consultant - establishes a long-term, mutually beneficial business relationship
- Strategic Orchestrator - person responsible for coordinating information and coming up with what the customer needs.
- Long-Term Ally - not only do they establish a relationship to make the sale, but this relationship is further developed and maintained through regular contact, even when sales are not the immediate goal.
Some studies show women to be better suited to handle sales positions because along with their ability to empathize, they are more nurturing and possess a keener ability to listen than most of their male counterparts. If this is the case, and you're a female, then following the consultative salesperson approach may work for you.
Resources and Sales Tips for Women
When looking for resources and sales tips for women, be sure to consider the source. Do they have credentials you find impressive? Consider the following proven experts and the tips they offer:
Jill Konrath
Jill Konrath is a leading-edge sales strategist and business advisor. Her book Selling to Big Companies has made the Amazon Top 25 sales list for two years in a row. She wears many hats including, Chief Sales Officer, author, speaker and trainer. If you can't make it to one of her seminars, you can tap into her knowledge by signing up for her newsletter and visiting her blog. When visiting her blog you'll find tips and articles that include current and relevant topics like:
The JF Consultancy
The JF Consultancy created a selection of world-class solutions to equip businesses of any size with the right tools to achieve their sales goals.
Women in Sales
Today women outnumber men in college sales courses. This change occurred when successful female alumni returned to speak on college campuses. This allowed female business students to see first hand the possible advantages to going into the sales field. With the sales profession embracing a new level of professionalism, today college grads can hope start out in a sales position making somewhere between $26,000 to $50,000, so prepare your sales resume and apply. It's a great opportunity for women.