October is “Girls in Gross sales Month.”
It’s additionally Breast Most cancers Consciousness Month. It’s additionally once we’re speculated to deal with Cyber Safety, LGBT Historical past, Hispanic Heritage, and Incapacity Employment.
It’s a fairly severe month.
Associated: High 50 Influential Girls in Gross sales and Their Insights 📚
Take a peek at September and also you’ll discover eleven nationwide proclamations. However July is simply Nationwide Ice Cream Month, and in August, we’re apparently too busy to have a good time something. One thing appears off right here. (Benefit from the full listing of month-to-month proclamations on Wikipedia.)
You’re most likely already forward of me. If you happen to’re combating for illustration, they provide you one month. Just one and, until you’re ice cream, it’s important to share it with many different people who find themselves additionally combating for illustration.
I feel that’s form of a bummer.
If you happen to’re combating for illustration, they provide you one month.
Frankly, girls in gross sales don’t want a month. They want somebody to concentrate to them (and the entire underserved teams) all through the entire yr.
Most of you’re studying this since you’re attempting to rent extra girls (and other people of shade, LBGTQIA+, veterans, or different underserved communities). It’s not straightforward to do.
(If this isn’t you and also you’re really nonetheless studying this, get with this system, my buddy. A scarcity of range will kill your organization).
This text isn’t about WHY it’s essential rent a extra various workforce, however HOW to do it.
5 seconds of background: I’m a lady who got here up in gross sales till beginning a gross sales coaching firm (Issue 8) and a second firm (#GirlsClub) with the mission of serving to extra girls earn management positions in income.
Via this expertise, I’ve collected plenty of suggestions about what firms are doing proper and flawed to draw feminine candidates to income positions.
You gained’t love all of those recommendations and a few shall be too exhausting or costly to do rapidly. Do me a favor. Attempt 3 this yr and three subsequent yr. And possibly in just a few years we will all care extra about October being Nationwide Pizza Month.
How firms can entice extra girls to gross sales
1. Reduce your job description necessities by half or extra
All of us love making the “very best candidate listing” whereas we dream of the proper rent, however girls gained’t apply until they’ll test off each one. (Stats don’t lie: Girls gained’t apply till they meet 100% of necessities. Males will apply in the event that they meet simply 60%.)
2. Encourage candidates to use even when they don’t meet all the necessities
You are able to do this proper within the job posting. And who couldn’t widen the highest of the hiring funnel as of late, am I proper?
Feeling caught? Borrow language from this Outreach job put up.
3. Symbolize girls in your net and social websites
Truthfully, I by no means checked this after I was in gross sales, however almost each lady does at present.
In case your web site exhibits all Caucasian males on the management web page or inventory pictures, fewer girls and other people of shade will apply.
4. Examine your language
Most gross sales leaders discuss “crushing” quota and brazenly about being “aggressive.” This language can flip off prime relationship-builders and account managers.
It’s thought of “male” language and it’s a turn-off to girls (or anybody) who sees gross sales as a serving to occupation and are extra happy with their buyer focus than their quota attainment.
5. Think about hiring for attributes or behaviors as an alternative of abilities and expertise
Long run, it should imply fleshing out your coaching program, however the 2 years of gross sales expertise all of us used to search for simply isn’t as available at present.
6. Be sure that girls are represented in your hiring course of
Identical to the web site, if a lady encounters solely males within the recruiting course of, interview course of, and shadowing course of, they’ll decide a special firm.
7. Go vast with backgrounds
I’d rent a trainer over somebody who labored retail gross sales ten out of ten instances. Former army as nicely, and no one can get extra finished in a day than a working mother.
No person can get extra finished in a day than a working mother.
Plus, now that many roles are digital, you’ve an unbelievable alternative to make use of extra moms.
8. Present you care
Pay attention, each Millennial and Gen Z worker desires this — not simply girls.
All of us need to be a part of one thing greater, and to work for an organization and boss who allow that. Promote your coronary heart by way of your social causes, mission, worker advantages, particular tales, and so on.
Bonus: Be taught extra about what Millennials and Gen Z need from employers.
9. Promote your coaching
Once more, profession growth is sizzling proper now — rating within the prime 3 for anybody beneath 30 (and at the least half of us over 30).
It’s additionally important to girls who don’t need to threat taking a job they’ll’t do completely. A complete gross sales coaching program says “security internet.”
10. Ask your girls workers for suggestions, referrals, and recognition
…on lists like #GirlsClub High 25 Firms The place Girls Need to Work (how may I NOT embrace this!?). Voting is open now and essentially the most female-friendly firms shall be introduced earlier than the tip of the yr.
The reality is, it takes some work to go and supply extra feminine candidates for income positions as we simply haven’t traditionally been drawn to gross sales. I hope this listing helps you entice and retain extra feminine superstars.
If you happen to’re in search of extra sources, take a look at this text on selling extra girls into gross sales management roles and enroll your feminine workforce in #GirlsClub’s 6-month gross sales management coaching program to assist retain them!
