Wesleyne Greer

Traditional sales has a very masculine approach. Between meeting quotas, chasing down leads and exceeding revenue goals, it’s easy to look at sales as a numbers game. But in reality, it’s far from it—and taking a more feminine approach can lead to more success. 

Women in sales often try to compete with their male counterparts by playing the game. In my 12+ years of working in sales for STEM industries (which is primarily dominated by men), I’ve learned how women can circumvent the decades-old hustle mentality and land more clients in the process. 

So if you’re a woman in sales who’s struggling to break into that next level, try one of these five tips to rise to the top of your game. 

Tip #1 Be a person of your word. 

There’s a reason the stereotype of the sleazy used cars salesman exists—many people in sales have no integrity with their word. They promise the moon and the stars while vying for a new prospect, but once the papers are signed, things change. 

In sales, authenticity is so important. Don’t put on a show for your prospects and then flip the script when they become a customer. Make sure you can deliver on everything you’re promising in the prospecting phase from services to showing up at a certain time for the meeting. People notice (and respect) someone who is a person of their word. 

Tip #2 Favor being respected over being liked. 

Sales can sometimes feel like a boys club, where new prospects are old buddies in disguise. Don’t fall into this outdated mentality and treat sales like a popularity contest. Shoot for respect instead of getting potential customers to “like” you. Respect trumps likability every time when it comes to our customers. Believe me, you have enough friends.

Respect will also make a prospect more likely to buy from you and keep buying from you. So focus your attention on being honest, authentic and having integrity. If you come from that place, people will begin to respect you more.